Shea Stadium

[RichieA13]

Do you guys think they will ever tear down arthour ash stadium to better match citi?

Some day .... of course.
I think the place is safe for the next decade or so. I've never been inside it, but it looks to be kept pretty well to me?

[mandrake]

While we await the final curtain for Shea today, and since O'Malley was mentioned already, I would like to state that O'Malley never had the guts to come back to NYC and face the music. The owner of the NY GIANTS, Horace Stoneham, did have the guts to do so. He showed up at SHEA on Willie Mays night in 1973, actually went on the field and was introdcued by either Murph or Lindsey as "the man who moved the Giants". He was booed unmercifully, but he smiled and took it. Horace had soured on SF, and regretted moving and was trying to come home. He tried to have the Meadowlands build a baseball stadium next to the football stadium being constructed. Sonny Werblin told Stoneham he would have to get his own financing, and Stoneham could not get it together. A few years later he said he felt his biggest mistake in life was leaving NYC in 1958, and his second biggest was not coming back in the 1970's. He was forced to sell his beloved Giants and died an unhappy man in a nursing home.

A second attempt at bringing the Jints back happened in 1988-89 when the NJ voters turned down a bond issue to build a baseball stadium near Giants Stadium. By chance, my dad met Bob Laurie, then running the Giants, in the Essex House. Laurie told my dad and a few others there that he was in town to try to get his team into the meadowlands, but it was being blocked by the Yankees. Laurie said that George was all set to move there and would not let anyone else come in. Well, 20 years later we can see that it never happened , but it could have. Remember, this was the era when George was alway whining that he could not draw fans in the Bronx.

[nymdan]

Some day .... of course. I think the place is safe for the next decade or so. I've never been inside it, but it looks to be kept pretty well to me?

The place is only 12 years old, and it has a ton of luxury suites. It's safer for a lot longer than a decade. The US Open is a HUGE money maker.

[mandrake]

The place is only 12 years old, and it has a ton of luxury suites. It's safer for a lot longer than a decade. The US Open is a HUGE money maker.

Also, I think there is a move to put a dome (retractable?) over the facility. What is amazing is that the Singer Bowl/Louis Armstrong stadium is still in use right next to Arthur Ashe. It was built at the same time as Shea, but it's still standing.

[RichieA13]

The place is only 12 years old, and it has a ton of luxury suites. It's safer for a lot longer than a decade. The US Open is a HUGE money maker.

Only 12 years old? WOW! Thought it was older than that.
How does the place make money during the rest of the year (outside of the US Open)? It's too small for concerts....?

[kingcohn]

Only 12 years old? WOW! Thought it was older than that.
How does the place make money during the rest of the year (outside of the US Open)? It's too small for concerts....?

Heres a way:

[CoreyNYC]

Only 12 years old? WOW! Thought it was older than that.
How does the place make money during the rest of the year (outside of the US Open)? It's too small for concerts....?

It doesn't make money the rest of the year (though I did hear of 1-2 concerts there this past year and the Liberty had a game there).

But holds 23,000 and is perfect for concerts & basketball (St. Johns has been mentioned as possibly playing there) if it had a roof. Plus a roof would be good for the US Open itself.

Oh and to keep this on topic, I will miss Shea Stadium after it is fully demolished today.

[RichieA13]

Heres a way:

I see ..... & if it rains, they're basically screwed ..... right?

BTW----The Liberty don't sell out the Garden ... so moving them to a (larger) 23,000 seat arena does exactly what?

[kingcohn]

I see ..... & if it rains, they're basically screwed ..... right?

BTW----The Liberty don't sell out the Garden ... so moving them to a (larger) 23,000 seat arena does exactly what?

yep

he Stadium, which cost $254 million to construct, features 22,547 individual seats, 90 luxury suites, five restaurants and a two-level players' lounge -- making it, by far, the largest outdoor tennis-only venue in the world.

ANYWAYS... It's the final day of Shea's exsistance and this thread is talking about Arthur Ashe Stadium?? lol

[bluenautica]

Hey guys, on my way to the Stadium, you can follow me again on Twitter

http://twitter.com/bluenautica

[RichieA13]

yep




ANYWAYS... It's the final day of Shea's exsistance and this thread is talking about Arthur Ashe Stadium?? lol

Sorry about that. I blame DAN! (LOL)
Guess I'm looking for an escape from today's final act.

[Akanrdtabula]

I've been sitting back the last few months watching this thread evolve and all I can say is thank you. I couldn't get down there from the Utica area to see any of the demolition but your pictures, gatherings and stories sure made me feel like I have. I am thankful that my sister, the ultimate Mets fan, and I were able to take my four kids to a game at Shea on 8/8/08 and saw Ollie throw a masterpiece against the Marlins 3-0, Heilman picked up a rare save, Wright & Delgado both hit dingers and Ralph Kiner pulled down the countdown banner. We sat in the upper deck about five rows back directly behind home plate and it was perfect. And the highlight of it all was that my seven year old was attending his first game and he was in Shea Stadium!
Now Shea is gone but the memories of going as a kid with my family, my friends and now my kids will live on. At least we'll have our little piece of Shea in our family room as we root for our beloved Mets from our pair of upper deck seats. My kids think they're the seats we sat in back in August. I on the other hand hope they're the ones I jumped out of when Endy made the catch.
Again thank you for this thread and thank you Shea Stadium. You can let go now.

Frank Abbadessa
New Hartford, NY

[dstoffa]

Horace had soured on SF, and regretted moving and was trying to come home. He tried to have the Meadowlands build a baseball stadium next to the football stadium being constructed. Sonny Werblin told Stoneham he would have to get his own financing, and Stoneham could not get it together. A few years later he said he felt his biggest mistake in life was leaving NYC in 1958, and his second biggest was not coming back in the 1970's. He was forced to sell his beloved Giants and died an unhappy man in a nursing home.

My dad was a Giants fan back in the 50's. So was my uncle. They both stated to me several times that the Giants made a mistake by leaving, and that the club should have stayed in NYC....

However, what I wonder is, were the Giants hell bent on moving to SF (or Minneapolis)? Was the Shea Stadium site ever even offered to the Giants? I think they'd have stayed in a minute if it was...

Cheers!
-Doug

[jimmyjimjimz]

Hey guys, on my way to the Stadium, you can follow me again on Twitter

http://twitter.com/bluenautica

I'm on Twitter too, but I only went on once. It's pretty lame. It's not like Facebook.

[curb my enthusiasm]

If anything, Yankee fans should be sad about the demolition of Shea Stadium. It's the place where their last World Series Championship was clinched. Come to think of it, out of the four championships that the Yankees won from 1996-2000, baseball is not being played in any of those places anymore. (Shea Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium, Renovated Yankee Stadium) And even in 1996, which was clinched at Yankee Stadium, Games 3 through 5 were played in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, which has long since been demolished.

[Bpt'sbiggestmetsfan1116]

......................

[RichieA13]

My dad was a Giants fan back in the 50's. So was my uncle. They both stated to me several times that the Giants made a mistake by leaving, and that the club should have stayed in NYC....

However, what I wonder is, were the Giants hell bent on moving to SF (or Minneapolis)? Was the Shea Stadium site ever even offered to the Giants? I think they'd have stayed in a minute if it was...

Cheers!
-Doug

I don't think the Flushing Meadow/Shea site was ever offered to the Giants (though it's possible they may have been). I don't know how much the Giants were upset with their situation in The Polo Grounds. I think the Dodgers were more upset with Ebbets Field's deterioration than the Giants ever were with The Polo Grounds'. Horace was bamboozled by O'Malley big time. He was also sold a BIG FAT lemon with the (eventual) location of Candlestick Park. He was taken to Candlestick Point (where the park was built) on a day where the weather was perfect & at the time of day when the point was most docile (& warm). He took one look at the beautiful scenery there & was sold on it. He had NO idea how lousy that location was to put a ballpark! The winds, the fog, the cold nights in the middle of the Summer, etc., while O'Malley got Chez Ravine .... a beautiful piece of property, even 'til this day.

So, in the immortal lyrics of Jerry Reed: O'Malley got the "Gold Mine", while Horace got the "Shaft"!

[parlo]

I don't think the Flushing Meadow/Shea site was ever offered to the Giants (though it's possible they may have been). I don't know how much the Giants were upset with their situation in The Polo Grounds. I think the Dodgers were more upset with Ebbets Field's deterioration than the Giants ever were with The Polo Grounds'. Horace was bamboozled by O'Malley big time. He was also sold a BIG FAT lemon with the (eventual) location of Candlestick Park. He was taken to Candlestick Point (where the park was built) on a day where the weather was perfect & at the time of day when the point was most docile (& warm). He took one look at the beautiful scenery there & was sold on it. He had NO idea how lousy that location was to put a ballpark! The winds, the fog, the cold nights in the middle of the Summer, etc., while O'Malley got Chez Ravine .... a beautiful piece of property, even 'til this day.

So, in the immortal lyrics of Jerry Reed: O'Malley got the "Gold Mine", while Horace got the "Shaft"!

There was talk of the Giants going to the West Side Rail Yards. This is the same land that was recently proposed, and defeated for a Jets stadium.
The Giants said thanks, but no thanks.

[RichieA13]

There was talk of the Giants going to the West Side Rail Yards. This is the same land that was recently proposed, and defeated for a Jets stadium.
The Giants said thanks, but no thanks.

It's a good thing they never placed a stadium there. What WERE they THINKING???!!! The West Side Highway & surrounding roads can't handle that kind of traffic! They can't handle the traffic normally ..... so lets add another 60,000 to 70,000 MORE people converging on that section of Manhattan all around the same time!!

GREAT idea there, guys (NOT)!!
That would have been a HUGE mistake & a traffic NIGHTMARE!

[dpcv8]

It's a good thing they never placed a stadium there. What WERE they THINKING???!!! The West Side Highway & surrounding roads can't handle that kind of traffic! They can't handle the traffic normally ..... so lets add another 60,000 to 70,000 MORE people converging on that section of Manhattan all around the same time!!

GREAT idea there, guys!!
That would have been a HUGE mistake & a traffic NIGHTMARE!

Most of those people would of been arriving via train, and ferry.

[Bpt'sbiggestmetsfan1116]

some news...the ramps are all thats left...they knocked out the brick already...should be down any minute now...

[RichieA13]

Most of those people would of been arriving via train, and ferry.

I heard that argument & I still don't buy it. I think most fans would have driven there & it would have been a disaster. Imagine the FUN of sitting in traffic on a Saturday night when there's a concert going on in this new stadium, as well as an event at the Garden, plus people driving in to see a Broadway play, tourists, cabs, etc.?

It would have been a nightmare & did not deserve to be built there, IMO.
Just my opinion......back to Shea......

[Cheap Char]

11:24am February 18, 2009

[YanksRule]

According to BlueNautica's Twitter, as of about 11:25am, Shea is gone. I just wanted to wish you my condolences, I know Shea was considered a dump, but there's still a ton of memories there and it was a home for many years for you guys. Personally, my first baseball game was there.

[Bpt'sbiggestmetsfan1116]

put it in the books...Shea is no more as of 11: 27 am on wednesday february 18, 2009