Shea Goodbye

I've been meaning to stop by what's left of Shea Stadium to take some photos. I drive by Shea every couple of weeks or so while running errands and watch with sadness as the building turns to rubble and all that will be left are my memories. My initial idea was to photographically archive the dismantling with a week by week progression, but one never has time for such things.

Luckily, a friend stopped by to take some pictures last Saturday. It's almost all gone. The bulldozers and wrecking balls are doing their job. The remnants are scooped up and trucked away. Here are a couple of photos my friend sent of what's soon to be the Citi Field parking lot.

(Click for full size)

Out With The Old...

...in with the new.

Some of you may know that I'm a Mets fan. A rabid Mets fan. I've been a Mets fan since I went to my first game in 1975. It's been 33 very long years, with two World Series appearances and one World Series Championship. The Mets have won two championships in their 46 year history but I was too young to remember the first in 1969. So I'm left with one. One... in thirty-three years... in a town that shares baseball real estate with the New York Yankees.

You know the Yankees. 26 World Championships. TWENTY-SIX. And six in my lifetime. And they beat the Mets in 2000. I think Mets fans' only solace is that they haven't won since 2000 even while outspending every other team in payroll. But I digress.

The point was that the Mets are getting a new stadium next season. Citi-Field will open on April 13th. I'll be there rooting for my team, and enjoying the new stadium I'm sure. Shea Stadium was one of those cookie cutter stadiums built in the 60's and 70's. Pedestrian traffic patterns were horrible, not enough bathrooms, the food sucked and the seats were small and uncomfortable, no leg room.

But it's bittersweet because I'll always have fond memories of Shea. My first Major League baseball game watching players live instead of on the screen. My amazement at Dave Kingman popping up a ball that flew higher than the top of the stadium. Going to double headers on my own as a kid with my friends and sitting in the upper deck. Being at the game in 1986 when Dwight Gooden won against the Chicago Cubs to win the pennant for the first time in thirteen years. And my only time on the field watching Billy Joel play the final concert at Shea. So it's a little sad to drive by and see the dismantling of a place that holds a lot of memories. The seats are gone, the scoreboard is down, the field is slowly being covered by debris.

Anyway, a friend sent this picture to me - his brother was coming back from vacation and took this shot as he was landing at LaGuardia Airport. (Click picture for full size.)

Out with the old, in with the new. And hopefully a change of luck in the process. Those season tickets are getting expensive!

Jackie Robinson Day

Today was the 61st anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball. My wife and I enjoyed our game at Shea as the Mets beat the Nationals 6-0.

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
- Jackie Robinson