Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium. Oh, the memories that are evoked by those two words. It’s hard to believe that it’s gone after 44 years. It is even harder to think of the Mets as being an expansion team. Haven’t they been around forever? Oh, and for all you trivia buffs out there Shea Stadium was formerly known as the Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium.
Throughout its history, Shea Stadium has housed some of the greatest names in baseball ever to appear on a baseball roster. Duke Snider, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Richie Ashburn, and Gary Carter all made it to the baseball Hall of Fame. Other players, just as entertaining if not as famous, like Lenny “Nails” Dykstra and Gil Hodges that just gritted it out from day to day are also remembered with fondness.
There’s been good times and bad, ugly and outrageous, but at the end of the day, they are all great memories intertwined with the stadium’s history. We watched Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry take the Mets to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox in 1986. Unfortunately, the fame took its toll as both players spent the rest of their careers dealing with drug issues and other problems.
The historic moments are numerous. In 1969 we witnessed their first Championship when they became known as the Miracle Mets at a time when no one had ever heard of the young Nolan Ryan who would go down in baseball history for striking out 5,714 batters. In fact there are so many historic moments in the story of Shea Stadium that it’s hard to summarize them in an article; we could literally write a book about it. The stadium may be gone as a new chapter begins but the memories will live on for eternity in the hearts of recreation and sports fans all over the world.
When the world was stunned by the news of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Shea Stadium became a relief center for supplies, food, and a place for the victims to stay. Who can forget the first game after that fateful day when the Mets helped to heal the city? For New Yorkers, it was one of the most inspiring nights ever in baseball history. Thousands of fans packed the stadium to watch as the Mets took on the Atlanta Braves. Before the game started the rescue workers were honored and Diana Ross sang God Bless America. It was a very moving experience as the two teams shook hands, united in the face of the tragedy that shook the world. Yes, our Shea Stadium is like no other. May we always remember and look with anticipation to 50 more years of baseball history.
