Shea Stadium

[Paul W]

I know what you mean... it's easy to get the Unisphere confused with the Trylon and Perisphere...

only during the construction phase...

[Paul W]

good LIFE article w/illustrations about what was inside the perisphere...

http://books.google.com/books?id=lk8...inside&f=false

[Paul W]

heavyweight joe bugner clowning with rudy may and bobby bonds '75. rare pix of bb smiling in ny.
another rare pix taken in the outfield, good look at the void created for the foul pole

[Mary Ellen]

World's Fair ad, preserved to the present day on a vintage subway car.



Story here -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattron/5258884072/

If you missed the ride - the NYC Transit Museum in Brooklyn is worth a visit to see the NYWF cars and other neat stuff. It is in an abandoned subway station.

[Paul W]

clip from wtop-tv 7/31/68, film interview with curt flood at shea.
can hear j.j.'s organ, also mixed game footage of flood and don drysdale in l.a. and busch.
news read about redskins and special shoes for preseason game at the astrodome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi5Pp...eature=related

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

Yellowed history


What or who was Bob checking out with those binoculars? The scoreboard, maybe?
Few things bring back childhood memories more than Bob's voice.

[Paul W]

maybe it was a flask in disguise and shared it with ralph...

[Mario Mendoza...HOF Lock]

I assume Ralph had his own flask. Having a few drinks during a game didn't have the social stigma of today, where there is always some hack therapist ready to label someone who has 4+ drinks at least 3X/month as having a "drinking problem".

The old-school guys (many who lived into their 90's) would eat them for lunch. Reminds me of this July 4, 1985 game against the Mets, when Skip Carey muttered well after midnight "c'mon guys, you're cutting into my drinking time". I'm willing to bet Skip didn't wait until the final out (nor Ralph or anyone else covering the game). I miss those days.

[Paul W]

just found a new youtube channel - yanksatshea. lots of clips of eddie layton and toby wright who's playing j.j.'s organ at shea in '75!

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=...12/5sWx7RncvTk

i remember this piece from oys

somebody's gotta have audio like this of j.j.?

some pix...

[Paul W]

7/4/72 seaver 1 hitter vs. padres, leron lee just singled in 9th...

[Paul W]

could be 9/24/67. blue/orange golf hats were given out on fan appreciation day , many are wearing/waving them here.
crowd under upper deck overhang seems to be avoiding raindrops, can't explain the rest.

this mears pix goes with the previous post #12191...

[dstoffa]

Here is probably one of the nicest seating and pricing maps I've come across. This one was sent in a "Group Sales" package, and is from 1998.

[dstoffa]

This seating and pricing map is from a 2000 Pocket Schedule. When compared to the 1998 map, we can see that field level seating has been added down the baselines, as well as behind the plate. Note that not all price points are provided for in the schedule.

[dstoffa]

Here we have two group sales order forms. One is from 1999, the other from 2001. Note that not all seating is available for group sales. Also note that the Mets clearly state that better seats may be available at a later date.

[dstoffa]

Here we have the form letter sent the season & plan ticket holders back in the winter of 1998-1999. Seating, pricing, and the state of the club are all talking points.

[dstoffa]

Here we have the form letter sent the season & plan ticket holders back in the winter of 1999-2000. As before, seating, pricing, and the state of the club are all talking points.

Most important here, is the first sign of "expensive" seating, as there has been a limited "rescaling" of seating in order for the team to field a championship caliber club in the current economics of the game.

In addition, the Mets rolled back the start times for games. Night games used to start at 7:40. They now start at 7:10pm. This may have been done to increase TV ad revenue.

[dstoffa]

Here we have the form letter sent the season & plan ticket holders back in the winter of 2000-2001, with the club coming off a real Subway Series.

[dstoffa]

Here we have the form letter sent the season & plan ticket holders back in the winter of 2002-2003. The Mets have introduced variable pricing for the first time.

[robardin]

Here we have the form letter sent the season & plan ticket holders back in the winter of 2002-2003. The Mets have introduced variable pricing for the first time.

Wow. Reading that letter after the 2002 season (going into 2003) is just surreal now.

"...there is much reason for optimism for the upcoming season and beyond."
"...singular ownership ... led by Fred Wilpon, who is determined to quickly reverse the fortunes of the club."
"...new field leadership with Art Howe... a quiet, but strong leader, capable of righting a ship."
"...key acquisitions who did not perform to their usual standards showed promising signs..."
"...Mo Vaughn ... projecting to a 40+ homer season"
"...Roberto Alomar, after struggling to get on track... succumbed to a troublesome groin injury"
"A solid starting rotation will be led by Al Leiter and Pedro Astacio..."
"...a strong, deep bullpen anchored by Armando Benitez..."
"...there are many players to be excited about in our player development system."
"...Aaron Heilman ... shortstop Jose Reyes, catcher Justin Huber, third baseman David Wright..."
"...our top draft pick in 2002, hard-throwing left-hander Scott Kazmir, is also considered a 'can't-miss' prospect."
"...be with us at Shea for the 2003 season. ...we have introduced a variable pricing structure..."

*head explodes*

The best face they could put on 2003 at the time was putting Art Howe at the helm, Mo Vaughn "had a few good weeks last year", Alomar "well, he struggled and then he got hurt", and a starting rotation "anchored" by Pedro Astacio as the #2 pitcher behind Al Leiter and Benitez as the closer.

Benitez and Alomar would both be traded for donuts in mid-season (Benitez to the Yankees, of all teams, and which reunited him there with former 2000 NL Champion Mets Zeile and Ventura, which I'd also blotted from memory). Mo Vaughn would not finish the 2003 season either (retired with an injury after about a month into the season). Pedro Astacio made all of zero starts and threw 48 innings in relief. Reyes and Wright would come up and stick in 2004, as would the can't-miss Scott Kazmir, but for another team.

Thank you so much for bringing back such great memories of Shea!

ETA: the letter is dated December 2nd. The Mets signed free agent pitcher Tom Glavine on December 6th, 2002, who needed to spend 2003 to reinvent himself (read: he wasn't that good in 2003 but got better). And it's odd that Astacio was mentioned ahead of (and in fact, instead of) Steve Trachsel, given that Trachsel actually had a pretty good 2002 season.

[dstoffa]

Thank you so much for bringing back such great memories of Shea!

Glad to be of service. Too bad I couldn't find any more of them (renewal letters). Once I was able to pay with the click of a mouse, I no longer kept the receipts (the yellow duplicate application forms that exist to this day) and the letters that accompanied them. I am going to keep my letters going forward.

Another thing I noticed in reviewing these letters....

The Mets decided to remove the "NY" from the logo at some point during 1999. It's present on the letter dated December '98, but not on the letter the following year.

I, too, love the S*&% being shoveled in the renewal letters. It's almost comical. "Nothing to see here. Please disperse. All is well!"


Cheers!
-Doug

[robardin]

The Mets decided to remove the "NY" from the logo at some point during 1999. It's present on the letter dated December '98, but not on the letter the following year.

I, too, love the S*&% being shoveled in the renewal letters. It's almost comical. "Nothing to see here. Please disperse. All is well!"

Yeah, I never did find out why the little orange NY was removed from the logo. Kind of ominous.

And it's not "please disperse" but "please disburse"

[dstoffa]

The old-school guys (many who lived into their 90's) would eat them for lunch. Reminds me of this July 4, 1985 game against the Mets, when Skip Carey muttered well after midnight "c'mon guys, you're cutting into my drinking time". I'm willing to bet Skip didn't wait until the final out (nor Ralph or anyone else covering the game). I miss those days.

This must have been the early morning fireworks game... The Braves were to set the fireworks off at the conclusion of the game, and well, the boxscore tells the story. They set them off at 2 or 3 in the morning. I remember reading that peole left their local watering hole at last call to catch the fireworks!!!

Indeed.... this would never happen today. The light and noise pollution police would never allow it.

Cheers!
-Doug

[schnu]

This must have been the early morning fireworks game... The Braves were to set the fireworks off at the conclusion of the game, and well, the boxscore tells the story. They set them off at 2 or 3 in the morning. I remember reading that peole left their local watering hole at last call to catch the fireworks!!!

Indeed.... this would never happen today. The light and noise pollution police would never allow it.

Cheers!
-Doug

Because of the rain delays, the game ended just before 4am EDT (I was 17 & watched the whole game). Rick Camp.

The Braves then set the fireworks off just after 4am. And in a sign of the times in 1985, some Atlanta residents that were awaken in the middle of the night to the noise of the fireworks thought the Soviets were attacking the city.

[sheagoodbye1010]

I still have not purchased the Citi Field model but it is interesting to note the juxtaposition of my Polo and Shea models.

[Mygirljess]

Roberto Alomar's performance with the New York Mets should preclude him from ever being considered for the Hall of Fame.