A New Chapter Begins

Jim Baumbach - Newsday has a real nice article about not only the transition from Shea Stadium to the Mets new ballpark, but what it means for the family for whom the Mets former home was named for.

Bill Shea was an integral part in bringing NY baseball back to the NL. For all of his efforts, Shea Stadium was named after him.

Having been to GHMP twice thus far, and will go again this Friday against the Brewers, there is a retired SHEA on the left OF wall in commemoration of their former place of residence.Nice touch, but is it enough?

Baumbach’s article speaks largely of Bill Shea’s daughter, Particia Shea Ryan, who said, "Driving by and watching it being torn down, it was real tough to see it being stripped of everything. I basically grew up there. It was my second home…”

"It's like a death. Both of my parents have passed aw

ay. This is another death. You just have to look forward, look up and see the beauty of the new stadium."

Mrs. Ryan won’t be at the official opening of the new stadium tonight, but her husband will be there along with other members of the Shea family.

This article is a good read for those of us who grew up with Shea as the domicile of our team; it was a second home to most of us. I attended Shea from June 1, 1975 through September 9, 2008. Although it was never a nice stadium, it was one that we were comfortable in. I had the pleasure of being in the upper deck when Gary Carter hit the game winning HR against the Cardinals on opening day in 1985; to be in the K Korner when Dwight Gooden pitched against Cincinnati in 1987(?); to be in the upper mezzanine for game 6 of the 2006 NLCS; to be at Shea for Darryl Strawberry’s first game as a Met at Shea Stadium in 1983 – in fact, the game went 13 innings with George Foster winning it with a HR. I didn’t get home until 3 AM, and had my SAT’s the next morning. I remember winning tickets to the Diamond Club in 1991; going with a friends, and having seats three rows up from the visitors dugout; being in the picnic section on multiple occasions; actually being at about six games where Juan Samuel homered; being at a game where Mike Vail played RF; going to a game with my wife when we first started dating 20 years ago; taking all three of my children to their first ball game…at Shea.

Yes, the memories will last me a lifetime. Today a new chapter in not only Mets history, but in our history as Mets fans begins. Let’s hope this is the start of a wonderful new tradition.