The last major renovations to be made to Shea Stadium occurred after the 2004 season. Sections in the field box level behind the aisle to the backstop side of the dugout were replaced with seats that were raised about 2 feet on new concrete. The purpose of doing this was to give fans in those seats the ability to see over the heads of those walking back and forth. Also, a new high definition video board replaced the original in left field. Ribbon advertising boards were added on the right and left field sides of the stadium on the facing of the mezzanine level also.

On the field in 2005, the Mets began to improve under the tutelage of new Mets manager Willie Randolph. In ’05 the Mets would finish 4 games above .500 for the best record since the 2001 season. Off the field, plans were being put together that would ultimately lead to Shea Stadium having a date with the wrecking ball.

New York City desperately wanted to land the Olympics for 2012. In order to do so, the city would have to build an Olympic Stadium. Plans were laid to build a stadium in the heart of Manhattan over the west side rail yards, a site that, at one time, George Steinbrenner wanted to build a new Yankee Stadium. The Olympic stadium would be grandiose in scale and ultimately would become the new home of the New York Jets who still shared a stadium with the NFC Giants in New Jersey. One problem, the opposition to such a facility by those who have businesses and live in the area was enormous. Even though the Jets were to invest 850 million of their own money, it would still cost the city half a billion in infrastructure including a huge slab to cover the rail yards. Lawyers were hired and the fight was on. The odds of New York landing the Olympics were a long shot to begin with. Many felt the purpose was really nothing more than for billionaires to become even richer. To make a long story short, the stadium referendum was voted down. New York had no stadium and its chances of landing the Olympics now became more remote.

Another announcement was made prior to the 2005 baseball season. The Yankees planned to build a new ballpark at their own expense next to the current stadium. The only money needed from the city would be for improvement of roads, parking, and a new Metro North rail station. The Yankees would pay for the rest. The Mets who planned a new stadium for almost 10 years were strangely being ignored or at least it seemed that way. The Mets stadium group had performed site work including environmental impact studies, had architectural plans that were revised time and again yet the city was hot to build a stadium on the west side of Manhattan for the Jets and build infrastructure for the Yankees in the Bronx.

After the West Side Stadium deal was voted down, a week later in June of 2005, the Mets brass and Mayor Bloomberg put together a plan that guaranteed the Mets would get a new stadium. The Mets committed to paying for a new stadium and the city of New York would commit to pay for infrastructure and the cost of converting the new Mets yard to an Olympic size (80,000 attendance) stadium in a last ditch attempt to land the Olympics.  The Mets would build the new ballpark next to Shea Stadium. The one stipulation to the deal was that the Mets would get their infrastructure money regardless of the Olympic committee’s decision. And it was a one time offer. In other words, if the Olympics were not awarded to New York for 2012, the Mets would not be obligated to renovate their baseball only yard years later for some future Olympic bid. New York was running out of time, building a new stadium with no plans anywhere else in New York was simply not feasible. So the Mets who had plans for a new park longer than any other New York team since 1998, and were overlooked as the Jets and Yankees got all the attention leaped in front of the pack.  

Three weeks later the Olympic Committee awarded the Olympics to Paris. New York would not need an Olympic Stadium. The Mets got the money they would need for infrastructure improvements and shortly would announce final plans to replace aging Shea Stadium. In the early spring of 2006, the New York Daily news published a rendering of the new Mets stadium temporarily named Mets Ballpark. The press conference to reveal and announce the new ballpark occurred in the first week of the 2006 season at Shea Stadium. By the middle of summer, work had already begun.

On the field the Mets and their fans enjoyed a special season as the team led by young shortstop Jose Reyes and third baseman David Wright ran away with the eastern division of the National League. The Mets missed the World Series by 1 game that fall. But the future looked bright for the team on the field and off as the new ballpark was no longer a dream. However, the collapse of 2007 will not be forgotten soon. And the fact that the Mets have not gotten off to a good start this year only makes Mets fans worry about the state of the team come next April when they finally move into the new ballpark.

As for Shea Stadium, it will be torn down by wrecking ball in November of 2008 or sooner if the Mets do not make the post season. New York law prohibits implosion. Frankly that’s fine by me. A stadium with the countless memories of Shea deserves to be taken down piece by piece, not brought down in a matter of seconds. Most of the stadium seats and other artifacts of the stadium will be auctioned off. By the end of the year, once Shea is completely dismantled, it will be paved over and become part of the new parking lot and plaza surrounding Citi Field.

I would hope that in the parking area, they mark the foul lines and home plate where Shea’s field once was. Ground was broken in 1961 for Shea Stadium. Likely by January 1, 2009 there will be no evidence of its existence. Shea’s lifetime will not even reach 50 years. Not a long time considering that older ballparks like Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Fenway Park are still standing. Heck, for that matter, the coliseum in Rome, at least its ruins, are still standing. Never the less, the memory of Shea Stadium will live on for quite a long time. And if you miss the old park, you will always be able to see Shea on many episodes of Mets Classics.

Shea Stadium was never esthetically pleasing. Her semi-circular shape gave the feeling that the park was never completed. Shea is big with too many seats too far from the field. By contrast, Citi Field will be a baseball field jewel. She’s the pretty new girl in town. I just hope the memories we will experience at Citi Field will be as exciting and amazing as the one we’ll remember from Shea.

Shea Stadium Part I