Never Forget 69

Mike Hampton's Place In Mets History

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:12:30 -0400

Mike Hampton will be on the Shea Stadium hill tonight to face the Mets and Pedro Martinez. Pedro will be attempting to help the Mets sweep the Atlanta Braves while Hampton will continue to try and resurrect his career.

Eight years ago, tonight’s pitcher for Atlanta helped the Mets do something they had not accomplish in 14 previous years. Mike Hampton pitched a complete game 7-0 shutout as the Mets won their fourth and last National League pennant.

Hampton had spent most of his career with the Houston organization. He came up with Seattle and was traded to Houston following his first season. After compiling a record of 70-43 and spending six years with the Astros, the Mets obtained him over the winter of 1999 for outfielder Roger Cedeno and relief pitcher Octavio Dotel. The Mets also received Derek Bell in the deal. Adding Hampton to the Mets staff that already featured Al Leiter and Rick Reed gave the Mets a starting three they felt could compete with Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux for the Braves.

Hampton won 15 games while losing 10 in his only year as a Met. The Mets had traded for him in his walk year and would need to sign him long term to keep Hampton in a Mets uniform. Through the entire season there was never much discussion with the lefty. The Mets brass led by GM Steve Phillips said it would be handled at the end of the season when the Mets would have exclusive rights to negotiate with the pitcher for a period of time following the World Series, a series the Mets lost to the Yankees five games to one.

Apparently the school systems in the New York area were not up to snuff for the Hampton family or at least so he said. In December of 2000, Mike signed a then record 8 year 121 million dollar deal for a pitcher with the Colorado Rockies. The Mets made a solid offer but felt that was too steep a price to trump. The Mets would never regret not countering Colorado’s offer.

It wasn’t difficult to figure out Hampton’s motivation. Considering that Denver is where pitcher’s careers go to die, it was obvious the only concern for Hampton and family was money. Off the record some Mets players were not disappointed regardless of how Hampton helped the Mets to win the pennant. Hampton had a reputation of being aloof and not a real team guy.

After spending two years in Colorado and compiling a record of 22-28, Hampton was shipped off to Florida with Juan Pierre for catcher Charles Johnson, former Met Preston Wilson and a couple of others. But he never threw one pitch for the Marlins as two days later he was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Tim Spooneybarger and Ryan Baker. The odd thing about this deal was that Colorado, Florida, and the Braves were all paying parts of Hampton’s ludicrous salary on the original contract that the Rockies must still be regretting.

From 2002 through 2005, Hampton won 32 games while losing 20. But in 2005 Hampton’s season was cut short by injury. Mike would require Tommy John surgery at the end of the season. Subsequently Hampton missed all of 2006. Then in April of 2007, Hampton underwent a second surgery on the elbow to repair a torn tendon. He missed his second consecutive season. After recovering from his second elbow surgery, Mike was sent to the Mexican Winter League to get back into game shape. In his first game back on the mound Mike severely pulled his right ham sting while attempting to field a ground ball. He missed all of winter ball recovering. As he prepared to start the 2008 campaign, yet another injury be felled the left handed pitcher. This time he strained a pectoral muscle. Would Hampton ever come back?

Finally Hampton made his first start in three years on July 26th. Since then he has a record of 2-1 with an ERA of 6.92. This is why it is so dangerous to give a pitcher so much money for so many years. Since Hampton left the Mets to sign with the Rockies he has posted a 53-48 record, hardly worth 8 years and 121 million dollars. Plus he missed almost three full seasons of work.

Tonight Hampton continues to try and restore his baseball career. But so does his opponent Pedro Martinez. While Martinez has suffered his own sever injuries the last couple of years, his legacy will live much longer than Hamptons, probably all the way to the Hall of Fame.

Say what you want about Hampton and his unwillingness to stay in New York. Regardless of his stature amongst Mets fans, Hampton owns a small piece of Mets history in that he helped them reach their fourth World Series in team history. Let’s not forget the Mets have not made it back since.

US Locks In Third Seed

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0400

The United States Olympic baseball team defeated the Japan team by a score of 4-2 earlier today in Beijing. The win ended the preliminary round and placed the US in third place for the finals that begin tomorrow. The US compiled a 5-2 record in the first round.

As the third seed the US must face Cuba, the second seed. Cuba's record was 6-1 in the first round of the tournament. South Korea who went undefeated at 7-0 will play against Japan who finished the preliminaries at 4-3. Cuba defeated the US in the first round in a close game by the score of 5-4.

The winner of both games will play for gold in the medal round while the losers will fight for the bronze in a game on Friday.

The Next and Greatest Challenge

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0400

This Mets season has been all about finding a way through adversity. I wrote a piece a couple weeks back about how so many things have gone wrong for this Mets team but still they have managed a way to be in first place. Although it’s not a large lead, they still are for the moment the top dog in the National League East.

Last night, the Mets scored five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves in the first of three at Shea. The only runs allowed to the Braves were by Oliver Perez in the third inning. Perez, newly acquired reliever Luis Ayala, Aaron Heilman, and Scott Schoeneweis managed to shut down Atlanta the rest of the way. There was no need for Billy Wagner with a four run lead in the 9th. That was good because he was not available and most likely will not be for the foreseeable future.

The Mets have had many tests this season. They survived without having Pedro Martinez for two months. They lost Moises Alou for the entire season. Ryan Church suffered two concussions and is still out. The hitting at times has been absent and forget about scoring with the bases loaded. Except for last night when it happened twice in the eighth inning, scoring with the bases full just doesn’t happen. And perhaps the most glaring of problems this season has been the bullpen.

Blown saves, blown leads, heart palpitations, you name it this bullpen has been capable of doing it. Even in games with big leads that the Mets have won, the bullpen gave up runs forcing other relievers to warm up when they should have been able to rest.

At times the bullpen has shown signs of being very capable of getting the job done. But inconsistency has been a problem all year long. I would venture to say without actually doing the research that if the bullpen collectively put away half the games they have blown, the Mets would be leading the division very comfortably opposed to just a one game lead in the loss column. And least we forget that the number one cause of last September’s collapse was the pitching and in particular, the bullpen.

If all that is not bad enough another challenge has come to the forefront. Billy Wagner is likely gone for the season. Inflammation in the elbow has gotten worse and could be masking a tear. There will be no real closer for a team with aspirations of reaching the post season.

What are the odds of the Mets overcoming this latest hardship? The answer will have to come from within. Wild speculation of Trevor Hoffman coming to the Mets on New York talk radio yesterday morning is just that. Even if the Padres did place the soon to be free agent closer Hoffman on waivers, teams like the Marlins and Phillies could block him from getting to the Mets. Forget it. It’s a pie in the sky thinking. There is not external answer.

Can the Mets win without a closer? Actually I think they can. This year the Mets have won about half of their games by 3 runs or fewer. These do not include extra inning games at home either where a closer is not needed. This is not to say that closing is not necessary as much as it says a classic closer in the mold of a Wagner or Hoffman is not necessary. The Mets win a lot of games by a lot of runs. They do not win many 2-1 or 3-2 contests. They haven’t for more than a year. This suggests that the Mets are the type of team that could actually pull off a closer by committee scenario. It is not desirable but it is possible and frankly the Mets have no other choice.

If the Mets were a low run scoring team then a personality in the closer role would be key to securing many low run scoring games. This brings up an interesting point. If the Mets stop hitting or stop scoring runs the way they did in the first half of the season, then they will be in huge trouble. That situation in combination with the current bullpen woes would likely spell disaster for the Mets this year.

If anything the Mets have shown quite a bit of character this year, at least under skipper Jerry Manuel. If the Mets want to play late into October this season, that character must persist, especially in the bullpen.

Citi Field is Rising, And So Are Ticket Prices

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0400

According to an article that appeared in the New York Post last week, the most expensive seats at Citi Field next year will cost 495.00. These seats are in the first level in the first rows that surround home plate. For just less than 500 bucks, you can get food and non-alcoholic beverages included. I was wondering if I paid for that ticket, could I get 500 hot dogs and then distribute them to the less fortunate fans in the cheap seats. I could become the Robin Hood of Mets fandom.

If you think this is awful it could be worse. You could be a Yankee fan were similar seats are upwards of 2500.00 dollars. The Mets, according to the article, made a conscious effort to price their tickets lower than the Yankees. Hmm, 26 World Championships to 2 will make you do that.

If you are outraged about the cost of these tickets you are not alone. But know this, all of these seats have been sold. It’s a simple capitalistic principle known as supply and demand. If someone is willing to pay 495.00 for a seat, why should the Mets sell it for less? Apparently, there are a lot more people than we realize with the kind of cash to pay for these seats even in a slowed economy or do a dare say a recession.

As you move away from behind the plate and the dugouts, the tickets expectedly reduce in price but it appears the cheapest tickets in the field level are around 125.00 bucks a seat. And yes, these seats are still cheaper than equivalent seats at the new Yankee palace.

$125.00 per seat is still out of the price range of most fans. 500 dollars not including parking, concessions, transportation and tolls is a little above what the now squeezed middle class family of four can afford. But again, many seats and luxury suites have been sold out. In fact the Mets have said that 48 of 49 luxury suites have been sold already with about ten companies fighting over the last one. The luxury suites at Citi Field are going for a mere 275,000 to 500,000 dollars. One exec with the Mets thinks they under priced the suites. Equivalent suites at Yankee Stadium close in at almost a million dollars! Gees, is this baseball we are talking about?

So what is the average blue collar (even white collar for that matter) fan suppose to do? Well one thing is to watch more games on TV. With the money you save by not going to a game, a high definition TV at 32 inches or greater with a reasonably priced theatre system is a wonderful alternative. And many high definition sets have come way down in price. Brands like Vizio or LG offer great value without compromised picture quality. Citi Field and the new Yankee Stadium should look just grand on a flat panel LCD high def TV.

Going to games at Citi Field is still not out of the question. The upper deck known as the promenade level will feature prices that average 19.00 a seat. That’s an average with the lowest tickets around 12 bucks. Now to most, that’s affordable and these seats will still be lower and closer to the field than the upper deck at Shea.

In addition, the Mets will offer multiple ticket prices depending on when and who they are playing like they do now. So a week night game against the Nationals in the upper level might be quite affordable.

As long as there are people willing to pay the exorbitant prices in these new cathedrals, don’t expect the prices to drop. Look at the bright side. If the Mets intend on keeping ticket prices high, they will do their best to field the best team possible. If the Mets fall back to the losing ways of the early part of the decade, new stadium or not, Citi Field will be empty and the seat prices will drop. The problem then is who would want to go?

So while there will be reasonably priced seats available, there is another problem. Shea Stadium currently holds 57,333 people when full. Citi Field will hold 42,500 people. While the capacity of Citi Field is listed at 45,000, that includes standing room for 2500 fans. Do the math, Citi Field holds 14,833 less fans. According to the comparison page on Mets.com, Citi Fields upper level will hold 15,500 while Shea’s upper deck total is 20,420. That’s almost 5000 less seats per game at the new ballpark. Or another way of looking at it, next year there are 5000 less opportunities to get a ticket per game. As of yet, there has been no word on the pricing of standing room.

Both stadiums will be beautiful venues to watch your favorite team. Citi Field will be a bit more affordable but not much. The hard core fan will still get to a few games but there will be less of the die hard fans in total than ever. There will be more corporate types, you know, the empty suits who are more interested in being seen than knowing what David Wright’s average is with runners in scoring position with two out. That’s a shame because the one thing the Mets always have had going for them is the passionate Mets fan, the most passionate fans in baseball. Now there will be less and less of them at each ballgame.

The good news is that there still will be a percentage of seats that most fans will still be able to afford. Mets tickets will be cheaper than Yankee tickets and there will be no Personal Seat Licenses needed as the case with the Giants or Jets. But anyway you look at it, like groceries and gasoline the cost of going to a game is going up an up. Sometimes it’s hard to believe baseball is only a game.

US Clinches Second Round Spot

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:57:50 -0400

The United States clinched a spot in the medal round at the Beijing Olympics with a victory against Chinese Taipei yesterday. The US will either be the number 3 or 4 seed depending on their final preliminary round game with Japan on Wednesday. Former Met Brandon Knight pitched into the 7th inning as the US came back to win the game late 4-2.

The win guarantees a shot at the gold medal providing the US can win two in a row. The losers of the second round’s contests play each other in the final or medal round for the Bronze. The winners of the second round play each other for the gold in the medal round. The loser of the game takes the silver medal. The loser in the Bronze medal game wins nothing.

Braves Up Next

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0400

After a stellar 6-1 road trip, the Mets return home to face the Atlanta Braves. The Mets have not seen the Braves since they were swept in 4 games at Turner field back on May 20-22. In fact, the Mets have not won a single game at Turner Field this year. The Mets managed to defeat the Braves two games to one during the series at Shea Stadium at the end of April.

After the Mets last met the Braves in Atlanta, there record was 22-23. Since then the Mets have gone 46-34. By contrast, the Braves record was 26-21 back in May after the Mets series. The Braves record since is 30-43. After yesterday’s loss to the Giants, the Braves are 12 games back of the Mets in 5th place in the NL East. Certainly things have not gone well for the Braves this season.

Tom Glavine’s return to the Braves to reunite with John Smoltz proved fruitless. Smoltz and Glavine are both on the DL and done for the season. So is Tim Hudson. What does it tell you when the veteran presence on the pitching staff is none other than Mike Hampton? The left hander has finally made a series of starts in what seemed to have been an eternity of rehabbing from various injuries. To his credit he has pitched well and will face the Mets this week. The Braves have had to bring up youngsters to fill in their rotation. As you might expect from the Braves farm, they are talented but lack experience.

Offensively Chipper Jones leads the pack and will likely prove to be a pain in the neck to the Mets once again starting tonight. He is batting .363 but he has suffered from nagging injuries a lot this season. Brian McCann and Mark Kotsay are also having fine years at the plate. Jeff Francoeur has struggled mightily this season and at one point he was optioned to the minors. He’s hitting just .231 with 10 home runs this year.

With all their problems this Braves still worry me. They have been a thorn in the Mets side well over ten years now. The players on that team whether veterans or new comers seem to be ingrained to raise their level of play against New York. The Mets cannot take these three games lightly regardless of the Braves record. The last thing the Mets want to do is to step back after taking such a leap forward. The good news for the Mets is that Oliver Perez pitches the opener of the series. He has pitched extremely well against the Braves in the past but has not faced them this season.

The Mets must hold serve because the Phillies are going up against the Nationals, the league’s worst team. The Mets have a one game in the loss column lead over Philadelphia. There are 37 games left, only 15 of which are on the road. The Mets have played very well at home this year with a record of 34-23. There are 7 games on this home stand, three with the Braves and four with the surging Astros. The bullpen has been the Mets Achilles heal. I think it’s safe to say the fortunes of the 2008 Mets rests in the bullpen.

Olympic Baseball

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 18:32:57 -0400

In case you were wondering how the Olympic Baseball tournament works, well here it is.

There are 3 rounds being played in Beijing. The first round known as the preliminaries is in round robin format. Each of eight teams plays each other once. That’s a total of 7 games. The teams in the top four places will advance to the second round. There is a bunch of tie breaking scenarios if teams are tied including a coin flip if all else fails. It’s highly unlikely it would get to that.

In the second round, known as the semifinals, the highest ranked team plays the fourth ranked team. The second place team will play the third place team. The losers of both games will play each other for the Bronze in the medal or final round. The loser of that game ends in fourth place with no medal. The two winners of the semifinals will play for the gold. The loser will take home the silver.

Currently the top four teams in the preliminaries are Cuba and South Korea who are both 5-0. The United States managed by Davey Johnson and Japan are in third and fourth place respectively with a record of 3-2. The Netherlands, Taiwan, Canada, and China are in positions five through eight each with a 1-4 record.

The games are being played at Wukesong Baseball Field in Bejing through Saturday, August 23. You might see some of the games on the Universal HD channel or USA. For more information, go to http://en.beijing2008.cn/sports/baseball/index.shtml.

What a Difference a Week Makes

Lou Di Falco — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0400

All of a sudden, the Mets have finally figured out how to win on the road and how to beat lower division teams. Since the debacle last Monday when the Mets bullpen gave up six runs in the last two innings, the Mets have rolled off six consecutive wins on the road in Washington and Pittsburgh. The road trip concludes today with a 12:35 start against the Pirates.

Some of you will say the Mets are doing it against terrible teams. True but isn’t that what a winning team is supposed to do? A winning team is supposed to beat up the second division clubs and play .500 or better against the good teams. This season, the Mets have played very well against the contenting teams and until recently have had difficulties against the also-rans. It is welcome news that the Mets are now playing winning baseball against bad teams and on the road.

What really is amazing is that the Mets have played so well since the beginning of July and have had so many things go against them. Prior to July 1, the Mets were 40-42 and since they are 28-14. They have managed this turn around without their star right fielder Ryan Church who continues to rehab from a concussion. Their bullpen continues to be in complete shambles. They have no closer since Billy Wagner has been on the disabled list for two weeks now and will still miss some more games. Yet the Mets are still managing to win.

One reason is the starting pitching has been extremely strong highlighted by yesterday’s complete game shutout by Johan Santana, his first as a Met. Oliver Perez has been lights out, perhaps the best pitcher in the Mets rotation the last couple of months. Ollie should be licking his chops come free agent time this November. Mike Pelfrey has continued to impress as a he grows into a dependable starting pitcher. Martinez is beginning to show consistency now that he has remained injury free for a while. John Main, today’s starting pitcher pitched well in his start off the DL last week. If these guys can continue to throw quality starts the Mets should be in the thick of it come the end of September.

Even though the bullpen can give one heart palpitations, recently they have been getting the job done. Although sloppy, a win is a win. The Mets offense has had quite a bit of say in the Mets success of late too. They now are second in the league in runs scored behind the Cubs. Since the beginning of July, the Mets have gained about 10 games on the Phillies who now trail the Mets for the division lead by two games.

Are the Mets a lock to win the division? No, they are not. The Phillies have struggled and the Mets have taken advantage but the Phillies likely will start to hit again and their bullpen is better than the Mets. The Marlins have faded of late but they have the talent to turn it around also. It will be a close race down to the wire. The Mets need to stay healthy and remain focused. It is unlikely any team will begin to run away in the NL East but sitting in first place at the moment is exactly where the Mets want to be. It puts the pressure on the other teams in the division that know to get to the playoffs they will have to win the division. The Mets, Phillies, and Marlins still trail in the wildcard several games behind the Brewers and the Cardinals.

The Mets would like to finish off the Pirates today but the Mets don’t like Mondays where they are 3-9 this season. After today’s game the Mets return to Shea to face the Braves for three games then the Astros for four. I don’t care how bad the Braves have been this year. They always seem to give the Mets fits. And the Astros have continued to play well of late having swept the Mets in Houston earlier this month. Then the Mets travel to Philadelphia, Miami, and Milwaukee, a very tough road trip. Suffice it to say, it does not get any easier from here. All we can hope is that the Mets continue to play the inspired ball we have seen the last several weeks, they get their bullpen in order (hopefully the acquisition of Luis Ayala will help), and Ryan Church proves healthy enough to return to action. If that happens, Mets fans can feel confident moving forward.

Shea Stadium, Part VII Republished from 6/5/08

Lou Di Falco — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

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

Shea Stadium Part II

Shea Stadium Part III

Shea Stadium Part IV

Shea Stadium Part V

Shea Stadium Part VI

Shea Stadium, Part VI Republished from 4/24/08

Lou Di Falco — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

After the story appeared in the October 1997 issue of the New York Post regarding a new stadium for the Mets, a lot of questions were asked. Who would pay for the new edifice was the most popular question? There were officials in New York government who suggested there was nothing wrong with Shea Stadium and professed to know nothing of a new park. Meanwhile behind the scenes, the Wilpon family worked diligently on a design that would bring the Mets a state of the art facility to replace aging Shea Stadium.

By this time in the late 1990s, Fred Wilpon became an equal partner with Nelson Doubleday. Unlike the aloof book publishing giant, Wilpon was willing to make frequent public appearances, specifically with Mike and the Mad Dog. While Wilpon was hinting at work regarding a new ballpark, Doubleday suggested renovating Shea. To the casual observer, it wasn’t hard to realize both owners were not on the same page. Clueless was how one source described Doubleday when suggesting a renovation of Shea was a viable option.

As the Mets improved on the field, the time was right for the Mets to introduce the idea of a new stadium publicly. Up to this point, the only comments in regards to a new facility came from the other side of town. It’s seemed as if weekly, George Steinbrenner ranted about moving his historic franchise to the New Jersey Meadowlands or Yonkers if the city didn’t build him a new stadium. Quietly however, the Mets brass worked on a deal with the city, one in which never came with threats of abandoning Queens. In fact, the Mets always intended on building in the Shea parking lot.

On April 24, 1998, The New York Post’s front page headline read “Mets to Steinbrenner: Top This”. On the cover, a picture showed Fred Wilpon, Jeff Wilpon, and NL President Len Coleman behind a model of a retractable roof stadium for the Mets with an outside façade reminiscent of Ebbets Field. The article stated that the ballpark would cost upwards of 500 million dollars and be ready for the 2002 season. The story went on to boast a retractable roof and a retractable field that could be rolled out to the parking lot. The seating capacity would be 45,000 for baseball and 60,000 when the field is moved outside of the stadium. Events such as the NCAA final four, conventions, and even ice hockey could be held at the new stadium. The financing of the stadium was unclear. Mayor Guilliani had a couple of ideas on how the city would pay not just for the Mets new park but a new park for the Yankees too. As you can imagine there were many public leaders who were not thrilled about the idea. Although the Mets had quietly worked behind the scenes for years to get a new stadium, the Yankee centric Guilliani wanted to parley the deal into two new ballparks. The Mets insisted their deal had nothing to do with the Yankees.

The Mets on the field were doing much better once Dallas Green was let go and Bobby Valentine was hired. In 1997, the Mets won 88 games, the most since 1990 when they had won 91 under Bud Harrelson. In 1998 the Mets had a chance to win the wild card but failed to do so when they were swept by, whom else, the Atlanta Braves in the season’s final series. In 1999 and 2000 the Mets made it to the post season for consecutive seasons. The first and only time that has ever happened in Mets history. The Mets lost to the Atlanta Braves in 6 games of the 1999 NLCS. But the playoffs were not without their Shea Stadium moments. The Mets ended the ’99 regular season needing a win to insure at least a tie for the wild card. The Mets swept the Pirates in the final series. In the season finale the Mets won when a wild pitch plated the winning run to end the season. Mike Piazza was at the plate and never had to swing the bat as the Mets win guaranteed at least a tie for the wild card. After Cincinnati’s win in Milwaukee, the Mets headed to Cincinnati for a playoff game with the Reds. The Mets won on a complete game shutout by Al Leiter that sent the Mets to Arizona for the NLDS. In game three at Shea Stadium with the Mets already up by two games, backup catcher Todd Pratt hit a walk off home run sending the Mets to the next round of playoffs. Against the Braves in the NLCS, the Mets created one of the great moments in Shea history when they defeated the Braves in game 5 in the rain on Robin Ventura’s grand slam single in the 15th inning. The Mets went no further as they lost game 6 in Atlanta when Kenny Rogers walked in the winning run.

In 2000, the Mets won the wild card again, this time with room to spare. Again the division went to the Atlanta Braves who the Mets ironically defeated to clinch the wild card. In game 4 of the NLDS, Bobby Jones pitched the game of his career. Jones pitched a complete game shutout at Shea Stadium allowing only one Giants hit. For the second straight year the Mets were headed to the NLCS. This time things went better than the previous year. First, the anticipated rematch with Atlanta never occurred. St. Louis defeated the Braves in their NLDS in a 3 game sweep. The Mets then went on to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals in 5 games. Like the previous series, it would be a complete game shutout that clinched the series and the fourth National League Pennant for the Mets. This time it was Mike Hampton who tossed a three hitter to propel the Mets into the first subway World Series in 46 years.

For a 5 game series, it was much closer than the stats indicated. True the Mets only won a single game but the other games were all close. Had Armando Benitez saved game one, perhaps it would have been a whole lot different. For the Mets the highlight had to be winning game 3 and breaking the Yankees 14 World Series game winning streak with a 4-2 victory at Shea Stadium. The next night, in my opinion, holds the darkest memory in Shea history. On October 26, 2000, the Yankees clinched their third consecutive World Series (26th overall) and then celebrated on the Shea Stadium turf. It was a surreal scene to be sure.

News regarding a new Mets stadium became obscure. Occasionally, a report here and there would mention something but no concrete information came forward. Getting the city of New York to pay for perhaps two new ballparks would be a monumental task especially considering a deteriorating infrastructure and money needed for schools. Most New Yorkers were not keen on helping out millionaire owners build new palaces for them to make even more money.

In 2001, the Mets struggled for most of the season. In the last couple of months of that year they began to wake up and make their move at the wild card. But then one of the most extraordinary events in modern history occurred shocking the world. Two jetliners, piloted by terrorists, crashed into and destroyed New York’s World Trade Center. It was the worst terrorist attack in history. In the aftermath, Shea Stadium played an historic part as a staging area for the relief effort at Ground Zero. Bobby Valentine and the rest of the Mets worked at Shea helping pack trucks with goods that were needed at the site.

New York and the world mourned. Shea played another vital role almost two weeks later hosting the first baseball game back in New York. The Braves were in town but the pennant race took a backseat to the healing process. In an emotional reaction, after the National Anthem, teary eyed Braves and Mets shook hands and hugged. That was the game when Mike Piazza hit a dramatic two run home run in the 8th inning with the Mets trailing by one. The Shea faithful erupted. It was the release New York needed. The Mets won the game 3-2 and for a brief moment, everyone forgot their sadness.

The Mets did not make the post season. The Braves ultimately ended that dream. Talk of new ballparks for either team was shelved. The Mets brass themselves admitted it was not the time to consider a new ballpark. They understood that after the healing, the cost of rebuilding the WTC site would be astronomical and little if any money would be available for baseball stadiums.

Bobby Valentine was eventually let go as the Mets continued to stumble in the early 2000s. Art Howe was hired as manager and Tom Glavine was signed as a free agent. But nothing changed. The Mets continued to dwell at the bottom of the division. Howe was fired then the Mets hired Omar Minaya as the new GM who then hired Willie Randolph as the new Mets manager. Willie became the first black manager in New York, hard to believe after all these years.

In his first year as GM, Omar Minaya brought in free agents Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. Baseball fans took notice of the Mets again. In 2005, the Mets recorded their first winning record in 5 years. The most memorable moment that season may have been in game 162 when Mike Piazza played in his final game. Mike received a standing ovation every time his head came out of the dugout. It was a special moment in Shea history even though the Mets lost the game.

In the final installment at our look at Shea Stadium, we will see how it came to be that a new ballpark is now 80 percent complete next door in the parking lot.

Shea Stadium Part I

Shea Stadium Part II

Shea Stadium Part III

Shea Stadium Part IV

Shea Stadium Part V

Shea Stadium, Part V Republished from 3/21/08

Lou Di Falco — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

In 1980 the Mets were sold to Nelson Doubleday. Fred Wilpon was also part of the ownership group but owned a minority of shares. The new ownership group recognized that the team needed to be completely renovated and so did the stadium they played in. By 1980, the ballpark in Flushing was showing its age. Paint was peeling off the seats and girders all around the park. There were leaks everywhere. The Mets themselves did nothing to help the atmosphere in the big Shea with their less than inspired play. No doubt about it, Shea had become run down. And consider that Camden Yards at Oriole Park, the ballpark that started the retro craze, is now as old as Shea was at the time the new owners took over. For some reason, the new retro parks do not show there age as did those hulking concrete donuts of the past.

In the 80’s Shea would undergo major renovations. Nothing as dramatic as what the city did with Yankee Stadium 10 years earlier but enough to bring Shea up to date. One of the first things to change was the seats themselves. The wooden yellow, beige, blue, and green seats were replaced by shiny plastic orange, blue, green, and red seats from the field level to the upper deck. Blue paint was splattered everywhere. The natural cement look on the exterior was converted to royal blue giving Shea a whole new look. Also each level’s concourses were painted to match the seat colors. There was no way of confusing what level you needed to get to since the concourse signs, girders, and walls matched the seat colors. All of the girders were sanded and painted throughout the park as well. These renovations were applied to Shea in stages and were managed by HOK, the Kansas City architectural firm responsible for so many of the new baseball stadiums including Citi Field.

In 1982, a new Diamond Vision scoreboard was added to left field. The new board was a vast improvement over the aging right field scoreboard which had not worked well in years. In fact, most of the original board was covered with a huge Budweiser sign. Only the line score and team lineups were displayed. All other communication with the fans was displayed on the new board in left field. The large rear projection video screen on the old scoreboard was removed and replaced with a digital clock. That contraption hadn’t been used in years and even by 1980s standard, it was a dated technology.

A picnic area was added to left field making its debut in 1985. Cary Carter was the first to christen the picnic tent with a walk off homerun on opening day ’85 off of former Met Neil Allen. Also around the same time, the now famous (or infamous) Homerun Apple made its first appearance. Beyond the left center field wall, an upside down top hat was installed with a large red apple that pops up every time a Mets player hits a home run. Of course the Apple is adorned with the Mets logo. Another change involved the outfield fence. Since the beginning, the fence was green. It was changed to royal blue and for a time, the pennants of the other National League clubs were displayed. During September of 1986, the words “A September to Remember” were added to the right field and left field wall. It was a rather boastful phrase mirroring the cockiness of that world championship team.

Also in the mid 1980s the football New York Jets bid farewell to Shea and headed to New Jersey where they would share Giants Stadium. The Hess family, owners of the Jets at the time, was thoroughly disgusted with their second class citizenship at Shea so when their lease expired they left for greener pastures.

From 1985 through 1987, 50 luxury suites were added to the press level. The orange and blue corrugated metal panels that adorned the outside of the ballpark were finally removed. They were originally installed to commemorate the1964-65 Worlds Fair when Shea opened. It was high time they were taken down. The field itself had been replaced with updated drainage. For a long time, Shea’s outfield, after rainstorms, was a treacherous place for roaming outfielders who often ran through big puddles to get to balls. Also the original lighting system was replaced with a new halogen system.

1987 saw the conclusion of the major renovations. More blue paint was used throughout the park. Perhaps the most visible change to the park was on the exterior were huge metal panels (painted blue of course) covered much of the open areas including the ends of the grandstands. These panels were installed to help eliminate some of the wind problems the stadium commonly dealt with and to give the fans some protection while visiting the concession stands on the concourses. On the panels themselves, large silhouettes in neon lights were installed portraying players in various baseball motions. The six players on the stadium façade represent 6 of the most famous Mets whose identities have been kept a secret.

When all was said and done, the ballpark was certainly freshened up. It looked clean and certainly colorful. But more than the stadium itself, it was the Mets teams of the 80s that gave the old girl life. During the 1980’s it wasn’t just Shea Stadium that got a face lift, the team did too. By 1984 it was clear the new ownership group had indeed rebuilt the franchise. Smart trades, decent drafting, and key free agent signings turned the Mets back into a contender. Rookie sensation Dwight Gooden lit up New York as a 19 year old fireballing phenom. In his first season of Major League play, Gooden struck out over 200 batters. In conjunction with players like Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez, Daryl Strawberry, and Hubie Brooks, the Mets became a legitimate contender winning 90 games and finishing in second place. In fact the Mets did not finish lower than second place for the rest of the decade.

The Mets acquired Gary Carter and Howard Johnson for the 1985 season and came close to winning the division but lost out to St. Louis by 3 games. In 1986 the Mets won their second and last World Series in 7 games against the Boston Red Sox. Some of Shea’s greatest moments came that season. The number one highlight in the illustrious history of Shea Stadium occurred during game 6 when the Mets rallied with 2 outs and 2 runs down to win the game when Mookie Wilson’s ground ball went through Bill Buckner’s legs. Vince Scully with the call: “A little roller up along first... behind the bag! It gets through Buckner! Here comes Knight, and the Mets win it!” Shea Stadium may be torn down in 9 months from now but that moment will live forever. Hard to believe where it happened is soon to be a parking lot.

The Mets of the 1980s only reached the playoffs one more time in 1988. It was a disappointing ending as the Mets lost to the Dodgers in the NLCS in 7 games. For the talent the Mets during that era, they should have appeared in the post season more than twice. By the end of the decade, most of their stars from 86 were gone. Even under new ownership, the Mets ability to sustain success was fleeting. By 1991, the Mets returned to the lower end of the division again and would not contend for 6 seasons. Shea, even with new paint, was to suffer another period of poor play while the Yankees were building a dynasty in the Bronx. Dark times once again came back to Shea.

Perhaps the worst season in modern Mets history occurred in 1993 when the Mets won just 59 games. To make it worse was a cast of characters no one could stand. Vince Coleman and his fire crackers, Brett Saberhagen and his bleach, and Bobby Bonilla and his surly attitude could not get kick out of Shea fast enough.

In 1997, two things happened. Bobby Valentine, hired as manager during the previous season, guided the Mets to their first winning record since 1990. The other involved a story in the New York Post after the season claiming the Mets were seriously looking to replace aging Shea Stadium. The front page headline read Ebbets Field of Dreams with a picture of Ebbets Field and a sub title indicating the Mets intent to build a new stadium. The story claimed the Mets would recreate the famed Brooklyn ballpark next door to Shea and hopefully by the year 2000. On the inside of the paper was a crude graphic of Ebbets Field with a retractable roof and a diagram of how the new park would be situated next to Shea. The Mets brass, at the time, made no comment. Next time will take a look at the early stages of putting a new park together and the final changes made to Shea Stadium.

Shea Stadium Part I

Shea Stadium Part II

Shea Stadium Part III

Shea Stadium Part IV

Shea Stadium, Part IV Republished from 3/11/08

Lou Di Falco — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

I had planned to discuss Shea in the 1980’s in part IV but instead I wanted to write about something else that I started thinking about recently. I’ll save the glory years and the Shea renovation for the next installment.

What’s the oldest stadium being replaced in New York next season? The popular answer, of course, is Yankee Stadium. I beg to differ. The oldest ballpark being demolished after this season is Shea Stadium built in 1964. The Yankee Stadium being torn down is the one that opened in 1976.

While it was referred to as a renovation, for all practical purposes, the ballpark the Yankees have played in since 1976 was predominantly a new Yankee Stadium. If you have ever seen pictures of the renovation, there really wasn’t much left from the original park. It was a massive effort. The outside wall and some infrastructure were kept but mostly the entire stadium was replaced. The upper level was completely removed and replaced with a cantilevered version so that the obstructing support columns could be removed. The sin of that part of the re-design was removing the famous frieze that ringed the roof above the seats. In the new park, a bogus facsimile of the frieze was created in the outfield above the scoreboard behind the bleachers to pay homage to the original stadium.

When Yankee fans get all teary eyed about the current Yankee Stadium being abandoned after this season, they’re really about 35 years too late. Even the field which is cherished as hallowed ground is buried about 4 feet below the current dirt and grass field. Home plate is also in a different location. No, the original Yankee Stadium was torn down to an empty shell in 1974. They simply rebuilt a new one in its place while the Yankees inhabited Shea Stadium for 2 seasons. One wonders why they just didn’t destroy the whole place and start from scratch then. In the long run, it would have been cheaper.

A very good friend of mine, a devout Yankee fan, attended the first game in the rebuilt stadium in 1976. He was mortified at what had been done. Specifically he was upset that the frieze and the roof were removed and that the upper level was set so far back. He also lamented the loss of the scoreboards, especially the ones on the outfield wall.

The point is that except for a few things, the original Yankee Stadium ceased to exist after the 1973 season. Just because the rebuilt stadium is on the same site does not make it the same stadium. Next season, the Yankees are moving into their fifth home. They first played in the polo grounds, then the original Yankee Stadium from 1923 to 1973, then Shea Stadium from 1974-1975, then the rebuilt Stadium from 1976 to 2008.

The reason why I even bring this up is that Shea Stadium is being torn down too but no one seems to care. Next July, the All Star game will be held at Yankee Stadium and it will be treated as a shrine. As if Babe Ruth ran those bases and the fans that cheered him sat in those seats, they didn’t. That field and those seats did not exist then.

It’s all marketing. Because it’s on the same site since 1923, it must be the same place. But here are the facts. The majority of the current Yankee Stadium was constructed in 1974-75. What other renovation ever took over two years to complete? Fenway Park has been going through renovations over the past several off seasons. The difference there is no major structural component was torn out. The seating bowl was never altered. Over the years they added seats to the classic in Boston but never reconstructed any of the original building.

I know Shea is hated by Yankee and Mets fans alike. But understand that when she opened in 1974, Shea was a state of the art facility. Except for renovations that insured structural integrity or cosmetic, Shea is as original as the day she opened. No way can that be said about the current Yankee Stadium. In fairness, the Yankees won 6 world championships while in the current building. That’s four more than the Mets ever won at Shea. I’m not saying that Yankee history, even in the current building, is not greater than the Mets. I’m not stupid. I also understand Shea will not be ignored. Her history will be glorified all season long too. But most of the focus will be on Yankee Stadium where all of that great Yankee history never took place.

Shea Stadium: Part I

Shea Stadium: Part II

Shea Stadium: Part III

Shea Stadium, Part III Republished from 2/8/08

Lou Di Falco — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

After the 1969 World Series it was expected that Shea Stadium would continue to rock for years. In fact, Mets attendance for 1970 was the highest ever as 2,697,479 fans crossed through Shea’s turnstiles. However the Mets won 17 fewer games in 1970 and finished in third place, 6 games behind the division winning Pittsburgh Pirates. The Mets simply lacked the magic they had shown the previous year.

Third baseman Ed Charles retired after the ’69 World Series. Then, in the first of many ill conceived trades, the Mets sent talented farmhand outfielder Amos Otis along with pitcher Bob Johnson to the Kansas City Royals for third baseman Joy Foy. Otis became a star for Kansas City helping them to a number of post season births while Foy fizzled and never amounted to much during the one year he played for the Mets. 1970 also saw the departure of J.C. Martin, Bobby Pfeil, Cal Koonce, Don Cardwell, and Rod Gaspar from the ’69 squad. Certainly these players were not perennial all stars but they made significant contributions to the championship the year before.

Over the next couple of seasons the Mets continued to flounder finishing no better than third place. The Mets still compiled winning records but no question, mediocrity had set in. Through 1972, Shea Stadium still continued to lead the Major s in attendance but fans were getting antsy. Gone were fan favorites Ron Swoboda and Donn Clendenon. At the end of 1971, one of the most troubling trades in Mets history was made. Nolan Ryan was sent to the California Angels for fading third baseman Jim Fregosi. This deal haunted the Mets for years to come. Ryan eventually struck out over 5000 batters, entered the Hall of Fame, and hurled 5 no hitters. After 45 seasons, the Mets have come close but are still waiting for that first no-no.

During spring training of 1972, Mets manager Gil Hodges, while playing golf, suffered a fatal heart attack just two days shy of his 48th birthday. The Mets and their fans were stunned. Shortly after Gil’s death, Yogi Berra was named manager. 1972 also saw the first player’s strike. The season started in mid April wiping 6 games off of each team’s slate. The Mets managed to finish no better than third place again but did finish 10 games over .500. It was their best record since the 1969 season when they won 100 games.

Prior to the ’72 season, the Mets made a trade with the Montreal Expos. The Mets traded Tim Foli, Mike Jorgensen, and outfielder Ken Singleton for Rusty Staub. Although Singleton went on to be an excellent Major League player with a long career, this trade paid dividends for the Mets however, not right away. Because of injury, Staub only played in 66 games during his first year with the club. With the Mets stagnant progress, their home attendance, although still good, dropped to third in the league.

In 1973, Staub along with first baseman Jon Milner, pitchers Seaver, Koosman, Jon Matlack, and George Stone helped the Mets reach the post season for the second time in the team’s short history. Staub had a productive season hitting .279 with 36 doubles, 15 homeruns and 76 RBI.

Unlike 1969, 1973 was a very peculiar season. I recall my interest waning once mid season rolled around because the Mets were so out of the race. On August 26, the Mets were in last place. While the Mets struggled, no other team in the division ever capitalized and took control. The St. Louis Cardinals led the East by 1.5 games with a record of 65-64. By contrast, the Mets held a record of 58-70. They were in last place but only 6.5 games out. From that point forward, the Mets went on a tear winning 24 of their last 33 games of the season.

One of the weirdest plays I recall from the end of the ’73 regular season happened at, where else, Shea Stadium. On September 20 in a tie game, the Pirates batted in the top of the 13th inning. Richie Zisk singled to left with one out. Manny Sanguillen then flied out. With two down, Dave Augustine, who entered in the game earlier as a pinch runner, came to bat. Augustine hit a drive to deep left over the head of left fielder Cleon Jones. Jones turned and ran to the wall. The ball hit the very top of the fence then bounced straight up into the air. The ball came back into fair territory where Cleon grabbed it bare handed. He turned and fired the ball toward the infield hitting the cut off man Wayne Garrett, who was now playing short. Garrett fired to catcher Ron Hodges who applied the tag to Zisk sliding into the plate. Batter out, inning over, unbelievable! There was no question something special was beginning to happen. The Mets won the division in Chicago on the last day of the season. It was an unbelievable conclusion to mostly an unforgettable season. It was the antithesis of 2007.

The 1973 Big Red Machine was heavily favored over the Mets in the NLCS. While the Reds harbored a tremendous offensive powerhouse, the Mets had those great arms. Seaver, Koosman, and Matlock were an awesome threesome. Had the Mets had any consistent offense during the season, they could have run away with the division.

The Mets split the first two games in Cincinnati (the NLCS was still a best of 5 at that time). Seaver lost the first game 2-1 and Jon Matlack pitched a 2 hit shutout in game two as the Mets evened the series. The final games would be played at Shea Stadium. For the second time in 4 years, Shea would host another post season.

Game three was one for the ages. The light hitting Mets pummeled the Reds behind excellent pitching from Jerry Koosman. Rusty Staub homered in his first two at bats and by the fifth inning the Mets were leading 9-2. In the top of the fifth inning, Pete Rose was forced at second base. He slid hard into Bud Harrelson preventing the short stop from completing the double play. As Rose started up he elbowed Harrelson in the jaw which triggered a huge brawl. Mets and Reds were everywhere. The crowd went wild. Once a semblance of order was restored, Reds pitcher Pedro Bourbon walked away from the pile wearing a Mets cap. Once he realized he had the wrong hat, Bourbon took a bite out of the bill.

When Rose took the field after the inning ended, the crowd threw objects at him. Rose and the rest of the Reds left the field after a small bottle nearly clocked him in the head. Mets players had to go out to left field and calm down the fans for fear of having the game forfeited. Rose continued to be booed and tormented the rest of the game. The good news was the game did get to be completed and the Mets took a 2-1 lead in the series.

The Reds tied the series the next evening in another pitchers duel but the Mets prevailed in game five behind Tom Seaver. Again it was the Mets bats that did in the Reds as they clinched their second NL pennant by a score of 7-2.

The Mets lost the World Series in 7 games but did manage to win two of the three games played at Shea. To this day, fans argue that Berra should have never let Seaver pitch on short rest for game 6. George Stone, who had been so effective down the stretch, should have been given the start. If necessary, a rested Tom Seaver would have been ready for game 7. The end of the 1973 World Series was more significant than fans realized. It was also the end of an era. This group of Mets players would never again experience glory. For the rest of the decade, the Mets stumbled.

In 1974 and 1975, Shea Stadium became the only place to see Major League Baseball in New York City. At the end of 1973, the city began a two year renovation of Yankee Stadium. The Yankees moved to Shea Stadium for two seasons. As a Mets fan it was difficult to watch the cross town enemy playing on our sacred ground. During Yankee games, the Mets logo on the rear projection screen atop the scoreboard was changed to the Yankee top hat logo. More importantly, and perhaps to the detriment of Shea, baseball was played almost everyday for that two year stretch. There was not a lot of time for maintenance work to be performed, especially when there were big crowds coming in for every game. Also, in 1975, the New York Giants were still waiting for the completion of their new stadium in the Meadowlands of New Jersey. They too moved into Shea Stadium. For 1975, the Mets, Yankees, Jets, and Giants all played at the Big Shea. Once the Yankees and Giants moved to their new digs in 1976, Shea looked a bit run down. The teams that were left to play there, the Mets and Jets, did not do much to alter the perception.

Attendance began to shrink as Mets management did nothing to get the team back to respectability. A couple of significant events occurred in 1975. Joan Payson, the team’s principle owner, died and chairman of the board M. Donald Grant took over the helm. Grant never met a dollar he didn’t like. In 1977, after a long contract dispute, Grant sent Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds. At that point, it felt as if it could not get any worse. That move sparked the next great event to occur in Shea Stadium history, Tom Seaver pitching against his former team on Sunday, August 21, 1977. Seaver defeated the Mets 5-1 and the largest crowd of the season (over 46,000) cheered for him and booed the Mets. It was surreal and strangely sad.

The 70s continued to spiral out of control for the Mets. Joe Torre became the first player-manger in Mets history but shortly after he focused purely on managing. Through the rest of the decade, the Mets did not manage more than 66 wins in a season. Shea Stadium, which used to be bright and so full of life, became a run down ghost town. In 1979, the Mets drew 788,905 fans. Only two clubs had worse attendance. Meanwhile the Yankees were drawing over 2 million in newly renovated Yankee Stadium winning two World Series. The management of the Mets let it slip away. What was a Mets town for more than a decade was now a Yankee town. It would take great work to reverse the tide. The Mets were sold to a new ownership group in 1980. In the next installment of Shea Stadium we will look at the rebirth of the Mets and the many renovations to the building they played in.

Shea Stadium, Part I

Shea Stadium, Part II