A Mets Fan Insists on Equal Time for Shea Stadium

By Dwayne Smith

Editor's note: In honor of Shea Stadium's last opener yesterday, we're giving equal time to a life-long Mets fan

While watching the Mets continue their 2007 slide in the home opener at Shea Stadium, I had to ask myself if I'll actually miss this place. Well, no, I won't and am greatly looking forward to the new place, even if I'll have to refinance my mortgage to get a seat. With the stadium nearing its demise and a similar list by this blog's namesake, I felt a need to list my own personal greatest in Shea Stadium.

1. Arizona v Mets, Wildcard. Game 4, Mets win game 4-3 and series 3-1:

The only playoff game I’ve ever seen in person and it was a special one. Not just for the fact that the Mets needed a victory to avoid Randy Johnson in Arizona or that Todd Pratt won it in the bottom of the tenth with a series clinching walk-off home run. This was the first game I attended with my father after his triple bypass surgery three months prior. As for the game, the Mets were undermanned without Mike Piazza in the lineup. The Mets would survive this game, despite Bobby valentine’s desire to let Al leiter throw as many pitches as possible. Pratt would eventually with the game as it came so close to being caught by CF Steve Finley, the crowd had to wait for his reaction when he pulled his glove from over the wall.

2. August 20, 2006 – Colorado Rockies. Mets win 4-3, My son’s first game:
There’s nothing quite like the bond between a father and son and the role baseball has in that. Whether it’s playing catch or explaining the rules of the game, baseball is the one sport where you can really bond while watching the action unfold. Well, at the ripe age of 10 weeks, I took my son Dean to his first baseball game at Shea. Sure he won’t remember a thing or know the joys of the flooded concourses the stadium sports, but I’ll remember every moment. Oh yeah, it was a pretty good game, with four pitchers combining to shut out the Rockies 2-0. Orlando Hernandez was the starter and the Carloses provided the offense. Beltran and Delgado hit solo home runs to provide all the needed offense.

3. May 5, 2004 – San Francisco Giants. Mets win 8-2. Mike Pizza hits record breaking hr:

I bought tickets mainly because this was the only time Barry Bonds would be in town for the year. Actually I also went to the May 4th game for the same reason. Well Bonds missed both nights and played the final game of the series which happened to be the one I missed. None of this made a difference as I got to be in the park when Mike Piazza crushed a signature home run against Jerome Williams in the bottom of the first inning. The solo shot would put Piazza in front of Carlton Fisk and give him the most home runs by a catcher in major league history. The crowd went wild and all this fanfare and excitement would eventually lead to the remarkably dense decision to move Piazza to first base shortly afterwards. This was just one of the many poor decisions that will forever prevent Art Howe from managing a major league team again.

4. August 23, 1985 – San Diego Padres. Padres win both games of a doubleheader 6-1 and 3-0. I got killer Autographs though:

While one year away from the only time I’ve been happy as a sports fan, my buddies and I caught two trains from Brooklyn to get to the stadium for a double header. For those who don’t remember, this was when baseball teams actually allowed customers to sit and watch two games for one ticket. This is not the day/night thing where fans see one game, get kicked out and then another set come for the night game. Anyway, I digress. The Mets had a pathetic offensive showing against the defending National league champs, The cool part was sticking around after the last game to get autographs. Among the autographs were Steve Garvey and Ralph Kiner. Kiner was my personal highlight.

5. June 18, 2004 – Detroit Tigers. Mets win 3-2 Pizza ceremony:

With Hall of Fame catchers Yogi Berra, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter and Johnny Bench at Shea Stadium, the Mets had "Mike Piazza Night" on June 18, 2004, to celebrate breaking the record for career home runs by a catcher. Despite "speeches" by Mets clubhouse Godfathers Al Leiter and John Franco and the team gift of a bright yellow PT Cruiser, the tribute was a great way to honor the outstanding achievement. Seeing these all time great catchers, including Ivan Rodriguez, really put in perspective the great achievement of Piazza as one of the great offensive catchers the game has seen. Piazza had a nice game, but it was Mike Cameron who stole the show with a bottom of the ninth walk off home run. Funniest moment of the game was during the ceremony, when this Yankee fan behind me said, “Posada will have one of these in a few years.” Oh Yankee fans, unable to see someone honored without consoling themselves by saying a Yankee is better. By the way, Posada will absolutely not challenge this record.


Dwayne Smith, an unabashed Yankee hater, lives in New York. This is his first piece for The Daily Del Franco