Thursday, January 29, 2009

Former Met Jack Fisher Remembers Shea


Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News has a real nice article about former Mets pitcherJack Fisher. Fisher will be forever remembered as the first pitcher to toe the rubber at Shea Stadium, throw the first strike at Shea Stadium, give up the first hit at Shea, and surrender the first HR at Shea – all on April 17, 1964.

Fisher recently was under the tracks of the 7 train, looking at the skeleton, which once supported Shea. Said Fisher, "I guess it's trying hard to stand up, like we were as a young ballclub. It's a pretty sad scene."

The first pitch hurled by Fisher was a strike to Pirates SS,
Dick Schofield, whose son later played for the Mets (1992). "I had a pretty good idea that it would be a strike," Fisher said.

It is also chronicled that Fisher might have been the first pitcher to warm up before his start in the bullpen. "I asked Casey if it was okay to warm up in the bullpen [instead of on the field] to get away from the hustle and bustle and all the writers.I guess I started something."

It would be a real nice gesture for the Mets to have Fisher toss the first pitch at the opening of Gil Hodges Memorial Park, er, Citi Field. Fisher said he “would be more than happy to do it.”

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