Shea Stadium

[metfan13]

SFL-
You have no idea how much that picture helps me. I've been trying to find decent quality images of Shea from the mid-70s for a while, and there is virtually nothing. Eventually I'll get around to doing a '78 version of Shea for MVP '05, and it's a heck of lot easier when you know what it actually looked like.

Good pic. That's the Shea of my youth. I like it. I remember Seaver doubling off Koosman (who if I recall pitched on short rest so he could face Seaver)

[tkd7]

This is Tom Seaver's first game back in New York as a Cincinnati Red, which drew 46,265. Seaver himself is at bat in the Top of the 5th against Koosman. Seaver will double to RF and then be brought home by Pete Rose who is in the On Deck Circle.

Great pic! I went to that game when I was 11! Somewhere my dad has home movies from that day.

[sflnyc]

Here is another picture. Once again sorry for the resolution

3:17pm on Thursday, October 16, 1969
Game 5 of the 1969 World Series has just ended and the celebration is about to begin.

Symbols of a bygone era. A World Series day game in which the First Pitch was at 1:03pm (Game 5 lasted 2:14), and not after 5:00pm like the early rounds of the playoffs do. Also, there were only 3 TV options back then, so MLB still got TV ratings in the low 20’s for games that were played midweek during the day (1969 had a 22.4 overall rating for the 5 games). Of course, with todays diversified market, ratings of 10-12 are considered great. But that’s for another topic at another time.

[Onemoredayatshea27]

That is the scoreboard setup that should be in Citi Field. Throw in the old diamondvision, and it would be sweet. If only Jeff knew the history of the Mets....


I love the No Throwing Of Objects message... ha ha.

[sflnyc]

And here is the other photo:

Wednesday, October 10, 1973
Game 5 of the 1973 NLCS has just ended and the "Riot" (not celebration) is about to begin. One of the lower points in the history of the NY Sports fan. Unlike 1969, these idiots were anything but fans. Many "fans" had already begun to migrate to the lower level during the closing stages of the game, clogging the aisles and standing on the dugouts. The police forces were helpless. Officials of the Cincinnati Reds and wives of the players seated in the Field Level were abused and had to be escorted to their safety under the stadium BEFORE the game was over. Fans were rushing on to the field before the McGraw caught the ball from Milner. All 3 games at Shea for that NLCS had tense moments when it came to fan interaction and involvement (Game 3 - Rose/Harrelson & LF fans pelting the Reds bullpen with Mays & Staub pleading with fans to stop; Game 4 - Rose Game Winning HR).

Afterwards, MLB forbid the Mets to sell any standing room tickets for the World Series against Oakland and stricter measures were put in. The reason why all 3 Shea World Series night games had the exact same attendance (54,817), and none of the 57,000+ overflow crowds that were there in 1969.

I guess that was part of the underlying fabric of the early to mid 1970's when my beloved city was decaying (subway graffiti, etc.), which also reared its ugly head after Game 5 of the 1976 ACLS three years later. If the "Bronx was Burning", what was Queens doing?

[Yankeefan90]

I'm sorry but I would like to know if there are any pictures of the Yankees when they played in Shea. If there are any I would like to see them.

[PeteU]

Fans rushing the field after the home team has won a championship used to be a common place occurrance.

For security and liability reasons, one can obviously understand why it is no longer encouraged, and efforts are immediately taken by police to secure the perimeter. (Although in college football, it still seems to be quite common place).

When was the last real major fan rushing celebration in baseball?

[Urbanshocker13]

Fans rushing the field after the home team has won a championship used to be a common place occurrance.

For security and liability reasons, one can obviously understand why it is no longer encouraged, and efforts are immediately taken by police to secure the perimeter. (Although in college football, it still seems to be quite common place).

When was the last real major fan rushing celebration in baseball?

Thats right like when the yankees win a WC or ALDS the Police are out there on the field with horses and riot gear, for good reason! Remember the 1st base coach that got beat up a few years back. Different situration but same reason. You don't know what people are going to do!

[alpineinc]

When was the last real major fan rushing celebration in baseball?

Last one at Shea was the Eastern Division clincher in Sept. '86. After the way the fans destroyed the field that night (including me I guess - still have an empty fish tank with Shea Stadium grass in it somewhere), the Mets said enough. The next home field celebration was just the Mets themselves, a month later.

It was neat being on the field, I must admit. Some were up to no good, but most people were just walking around shouting, etc.

[Gary Dunaier]

This photo...



...shows the apple as it appeared in 1983, its second season, with the original "Mets Magic" label. (I know it's '83 because of the OTB ad on the scoreboard.) I don't know when it was changed from "Mets Magic" to "HOME RUN."

[Elvis]

This photo...



...shows the apple as it appeared in 1983, its second season, with the original "Mets Magic" label. (I know it's '83 because of the OTB ad on the scoreboard.) I don't know when it was changed from "Mets Magic" to "HOME RUN."

When I was there in '84 it said HOME RUN.

[hofflalu]

When did the scoreboard backdrop get changed from white to blue, and when was the scoreboard itself expanded to cover the panel with the Mets logo at the top of the board?

[Gary Dunaier]

When did the scoreboard backdrop get changed from white to blue, and when was the scoreboard itself expanded to cover the panel with the Mets logo at the top of the board?

I don't know the exact chronology, but here's a rough, and (presumably) incomplete, sequence of changes that began around the time Doubleday and Wilpon took over:

1) The Mets logo on top was replaced with a digital clock.

2) The Rheingold box in the upper left and the "dial" clock in the upper right were replaced with horizontal advertising signs. If memory serves me right, one of the early "new format" advertisers was Jordache.

3) The message board was replaced with the giant Budweiser ad. I believe this took place in 1982.

4) In 1988, the original 1964 board was replaced with a new format board. Among the changes was a dedicated spot for post-season umpires, the ads were tri-panel, and the NYC skyline with the Mets logo in the center was added to the top.

5) The full-color scoreboard was introduced in 2005.

Also, the Diamond Vision board was introduced in 1982. In 1981, there was a dot-matrix board that displayed one line of (scrolling?) text, and it was topped with an oval Mets logo similar to the one sitting atop the current board.

[JohnCropp]

Shea Stadium

This thread is amazing. I was seaching for pictures of the Shea Tiles when I came upon this treasure trove.

I inquired about Shea Stadium Tours a few years ago and was told that they weren't offered. I am hoping that they offer them next year before it's too late. Shea may not be the prettiest ballpark, but it's packed it's share of history into it's semi-circle.

[Solair Wright]

The very large Pepsi bottle advertisements adjacent to the large scorebard were added in 1998. If it was stated before, then I apologize. A question: When did they replace the DiamondVision board by the left field seats?

Mets Magic was replaced in I think 1983, but I'd have to ask my father about that, as he knows a lot about Shea Stadium.