Say goodbye to Shea

Lost in the pomp and celebration for Yankee Stadium's final day is that across Flushing Bay, Shea Stadium is on its last legs as well. How apropos.

The 44-year old ballpark has always been in the shadow of its counterpart in the Bronx. Like a little brother trying to match his older sibling, Shea never got the attention it deserved. It could barely steal the headlines while Yankee Stadium always got stories to themselves.

Shea is the dumpy park with the kitschy Apple past centerfield, while Yankee Stadium is iconic, identified with everything from its famous façade to the overlapping "NY" insignia behind home plate. But now Shea has its chance to get the last laugh. Yankee Stadium went out on life support, with the last homestand leaving fans hoping Sunday night arrived with the their team not yet eliminated. The Mets get four days to prove they are a playoff team and so Shea can get a post-season sendoff.

If they do, it will be one of many memories that Mets fans will take with them to Citi Field. Sure, the stadium got off to a rocky start, as Philadelphia's Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game on Father's Day. But it was mostly uphill from there.

In 1969, the previously record-book-bad team turned into the Miracle Mets, clinching their first title in front of 57,397 fans. In 1973 with Yogi Berra managing and an over-the-hill Willie Mays roaming around the outfield, the Mets were in last place at the end of August. Then Tug McGraw uttered those words that Mets fans still haven't forgotten: "Ya Gotta Believe!" And they did, all the way to the World Series, overcoming the Big Red Machine Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS.

Then there was the magical summer of 1986. Dr. K and Darryl Strawberry led the Mets to a World Series, where they faced the Boston Red Sox. The Sox were ready to take the title in game six, before the ball went through Buckner's legs and the rest is history.

No memory may be more poignant than the still of Mike Piazza, bat over his shoulder, watching the ball disappear over the fence as the fans celebrate behind him in the first game after the terrorist attacks of September 11.
The Mets aren't the only ones to have some fond memories at Shea. The Yankees played there for two years while their stadium was being renovated, but could never make it feel like home as they missed the playoffs both years. The Jets spent 20 years at Shea, beating the Oakland Raiders there on the way to their only Super Bowl victory. The Giants spent a year there as well.

The Beatles made Shea famous in 1965, opening their North American tour and setting records while being the first band to hold a concert at a major Stadium. Billy Joel became the last in August. VH1 even named it the most hallowed arena in rock music.

With all its history, Shea will always hold a place in my heart as well. My first baseball game came in Queens, and it's one I still remember vividly. It was a warm May night and the Astros were in town, led by those Killer B's. Along with my father and sister, we sat in the upper deck along the left field foul line. A pinstripe fan walking into a sea of blue and orange, I was pleasantly surprised that I was not kicked out for daring to wear a Yankee hat. I cheered for the Mets that night, thankful just to see a game in person for the first time. It was the night I saw my first homerun, a blast by Derek Bell that found a spot in the left field bleachers.

My memory is like those held by millions of others who have walked through the same turnstiles I have. And anyone who can still remember how they felt that day they first took their trip to Flushing, by car or seven train, will tune in and say goodbye. With the Mets still having something to play for, the nation will have its eyes on Shea as well. It is about time.