Shea Stadium, originally to be called Flushing Meadows Stadium Park but instead named after William A. Shea, the man who brought National League baseball back to New York, was opened on April 17, 1964 after 29 months and $25.5M of construction. Located right next to LaGuardia Airport, Shea Stadium is known for the roar of overhead airlines.
The architectural firm of Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury designed the stadium to be the first all-purpose facility. In addition to serving as the home to the New York Mets, Shea also hosted the New York Jets until 1983, the New York Yankees and New York Giants during construction on Yankee Stadium (1974-75, and briefly in 1998), and numerous concerts including the opening of the 1965 North American Beatles tour, which was the first concert held at a major outdoor stadium.
With a seating capacity of 55,000+, Shea is a circular stadium, with the grandstand forming a perfect circle around the field, ending a short distance beyond the foul lines. The remainder of the perimeter is mostly empty space beyond the outfield fences--occupied by the bullpens, scoreboards, and a section of bleachers. Shea Stadium, with its swirling winds and poor batter's eye has historically played as a pitcher's park.
Square sections which hold the ramps from level to level pop out of the stadium's perimeter. After the Jets left for the Meadowlands in 1983, the exterior was masked with large blue wind screen panels and neon silhouettes of baseball players were placed on each of the six panels. In 2003, large murals celebrating the Mets' two world championships in 1969 and 1986 were put up, covering the two ends of the grandstand. The 1986 mural was removed following the 2006 season.
A distinctive Big Apple emerges from the Mets Magic Top Hat, a giant upside-down black top hat, and flashes whenever a Mets player hits a home run. the hat features the words home run in big letters. Prior to 1984, the hat featured the words "Mets Magic" in honor of the slogan used in 1980 declaring that "The Magic Is Back."
Prior to the construction of Citizens Bank Park, Shea Stadium's 175' x 86' scoreboard topped with a Bulova clock 25 feet beyond the right field fence was the largest in major league baseball. A new LED system was installed prior to the 2004 season, replacing an older light bulb display that had been in place since 1987. The scoreboard is topped by the New York skyline. Since 9/11 the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center have been kept unlit, a red, white, and blue ribbon placed over them. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Shea served as a relief center.
A DiamondVision video board in left center field was installed in 1982, replaced in 1992 by a higher resolution CRT board, and then again by a high-definition LED board manufactured by Mitsubishi. The screen--35 feet, 8 inches wide by 26 feet, 3 inches high -- shows replays, special in-game features, statistics and more.
Shea Stadium Firsts:
* Game: April 17, 1964 - Pirates 4, Mets 3 (WP-Bob Friend; LP-Ed Bauta)
* Batter: Dick Schofield, Pirates (popped up to Mets second baseman Larry Burright against pitcher Jack Fisher)
* Met Batter: Tim Harkness (grounded out, shortstop Dick Schofield to first baseman Donn Clendenon against Bob Friend)
* Hit: April 17, 1964 - Willie Stargell, Pirates; second inning home run off Jack Fisher
* Met Hit: April 17, 1964 - Tim Harkness, third-inning single off Bob Friend
* Met Victory: April 19, 1964 - Mets 6, Pirates 0 (WP - Al Jackson; LP - Bob Veale)
Tags: New York Mets Mets Flushing Queens baseball ballpark stadium NYC New York City William A. Shea Municipal Stadium William A. Shea Stadium MLB ny Shea Stadium New York loge
Although there is ample parking available, many Mets fans take the 7-train to Willets Point-Shea Stadium / Roosevelt Avenue, which drops fans off on a raised platform behind right field. The subway platform is visible inside the stadium from the first base side of the upper deck
The Willets Point station was built new for the 1939 World's Fair, replacing the former Willets Point Blvd. station which had been slightly further east at a position closer to Flushing Creek. The new station was built to accommodate crowds bound for the World's Fair, held twice on the site in Flushing Meadows south of the elevated track, and more frequently for events at the U.S. Tennis Center on the south side and baseball games at Shea Stadium on the north side of the tracks.
For more details on Shea Stadium, see this picture
Tags: New York Mets Mets Flushing Queens baseball ballpark stadium NYC New York City William A. Shea Municipal Stadium William A. Shea Stadium subway platform 7 train Willets Point Roosevelt Avenue MLB New York subway New York City Subway NYC Subway subway station willets point-shea stadium Willets Point-Shea Stadium / Roosevelt Avenue 7 ny Shea Stadium New York
Shea Stadium, originally to be called Flushing Meadows Stadium Park but instead named after William A. Shea, the man who brought National League baseball back to New York, was opened on April 17, 1964 after 29 months and $25.5M of construction. Located right next to LaGuardia Airport, Shea Stadium is known for the roar of overhead airlines.
The architectural firm of Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury designed the stadium to be the first all-purpose facility. In addition to serving as the home to the New York Mets, Shea also hosted the New York Jets until 1983, the New York Yankees and New York Giants during construction on Yankee Stadium (1974-75, and briefly in 1998), and numerous concerts including the opening of the 1965 North American Beatles tour, which was the first concert held at a major outdoor stadium.
With a seating capacity of 55,000+, Shea is a circular stadium, with the grandstand forming a perfect circle around the field, ending a short distance beyond the foul lines. The remainder of the perimeter is mostly empty space beyond the outfield fences--occupied by the bullpens, scoreboards, and a section of bleachers. Shea Stadium, with its swirling winds and poor batter's eye has historically played as a pitcher's park.
Square sections which hold the ramps from level to level pop out of the stadium's perimeter. After the Jets left for the Meadowlands in 1983, the exterior was masked with large blue wind screen panels and neon silhouettes of baseball players were placed on each of the six panels. In 2003, large murals celebrating the Mets' two world championships in 1969 and 1986 were put up, covering the two ends of the grandstand. The 1986 mural was removed following the 2006 season.
A distinctive Big Apple emerges from the Mets Magic Top Hat, a giant upside-down black top hat, and flashes whenever a Mets player hits a home run. the hat features the words home run in big letters. Prior to 1984, the hat featured the words "Mets Magic" in honor of the slogan used in 1980 declaring that "The Magic Is Back."
Prior to the construction of Citizens Bank Park, Shea Stadium's 175' x 86' scoreboard topped with a Bulova clock 25 feet beyond the right field fence was the largest in major league baseball. A new LED system was installed prior to the 2004 season, replacing an older light bulb display that had been in place since 1987. The scoreboard is topped by the New York skyline. Since 9/11 the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center have been kept unlit, a red, white, and blue ribbon placed over them. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Shea served as a relief center.
A DiamondVision video board in left center field was installed in 1982, replaced in 1992 by a higher resolution CRT board, and then again by a high-definition LED board manufactured by Mitsubishi. The screen--35 feet, 8 inches wide by 26 feet, 3 inches high -- shows replays, special in-game features, statistics and more.
Shea Stadium Firsts:
* Game: April 17, 1964 - Pirates 4, Mets 3 (WP-Bob Friend; LP-Ed Bauta)
* Batter: Dick Schofield, Pirates (popped up to Mets second baseman Larry Burright against pitcher Jack Fisher)
* Met Batter: Tim Harkness (grounded out, shortstop Dick Schofield to first baseman Donn Clendenon against Bob Friend)
* Hit: April 17, 1964 - Willie Stargell, Pirates; second inning home run off Jack Fisher
* Met Hit: April 17, 1964 - Tim Harkness, third-inning single off Bob Friend
* Met Victory: April 19, 1964 - Mets 6, Pirates 0 (WP - Al Jackson; LP - Bob Veale)
Tags: New York Mets Mets Flushing Queens baseball ballpark stadium NYC New York City William A. Shea Municipal Stadium William A. Shea Stadium MLB ny Shea Stadium New York loge
Shea Stadium, originally to be called Flushing Meadows Stadium Park but instead named after William A. Shea, the man who brought National League baseball back to New York, was opened on April 17, 1964 after 29 months and $25.5M of construction. Located right next to LaGuardia Airport, Shea Stadium is known for the roar of overhead airlines.
The architectural firm of Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury designed the stadium to be the first all-purpose facility. In addition to serving as the home to the New York Mets, Shea also hosted the New York Jets until 1983, the New York Yankees and New York Giants during construction on Yankee Stadium (1974-75, and briefly in 1998), and numerous concerts including the opening of the 1965 North American Beatles tour, which was the first concert held at a major outdoor stadium.
With a seating capacity of 55,000+, Shea is a circular stadium, with the grandstand forming a perfect circle around the field, ending a short distance beyond the foul lines. The remainder of the perimeter is mostly empty space beyond the outfield fences--occupied by the bullpens, scoreboards, and a section of bleachers. Shea Stadium, with its swirling winds and poor batter's eye has historically played as a pitcher's park.
Square sections which hold the ramps from level to level pop out of the stadium's perimeter. After the Jets left for the Meadowlands in 1983, the exterior was masked with large blue wind screen panels and neon silhouettes of baseball players were placed on each of the six panels. In 2003, large murals celebrating the Mets' two world championships in 1969 and 1986 were put up, covering the two ends of the grandstand. The 1986 mural was removed following the 2006 season.
A distinctive Big Apple emerges from the Mets Magic Top Hat, a giant upside-down black top hat, and flashes whenever a Mets player hits a home run. the hat features the words home run in big letters. Prior to 1984, the hat featured the words "Mets Magic" in honor of the slogan used in 1980 declaring that "The Magic Is Back."
Prior to the construction of Citizens Bank Park, Shea Stadium's 175' x 86' scoreboard topped with a Bulova clock 25 feet beyond the right field fence was the largest in major league baseball. A new LED system was installed prior to the 2004 season, replacing an older light bulb display that had been in place since 1987. The scoreboard is topped by the New York skyline. Since 9/11 the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center have been kept unlit, a red, white, and blue ribbon placed over them. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, Shea served as a relief center.
A DiamondVision video board in left center field was installed in 1982, replaced in 1992 by a higher resolution CRT board, and then again by a high-definition LED board manufactured by Mitsubishi. The screen--35 feet, 8 inches wide by 26 feet, 3 inches high -- shows replays, special in-game features, statistics and more.
Shea Stadium Firsts:
* Game: April 17, 1964 - Pirates 4, Mets 3 (WP-Bob Friend; LP-Ed Bauta)
* Batter: Dick Schofield, Pirates (popped up to Mets second baseman Larry Burright against pitcher Jack Fisher)
* Met Batter: Tim Harkness (grounded out, shortstop Dick Schofield to first baseman Donn Clendenon against Bob Friend)
* Hit: April 17, 1964 - Willie Stargell, Pirates; second inning home run off Jack Fisher
* Met Hit: April 17, 1964 - Tim Harkness, third-inning single off Bob Friend
* Met Victory: April 19, 1964 - Mets 6, Pirates 0 (WP - Al Jackson; LP - Bob Veale)
Tags: New York Mets Mets Flushing parking lot Queens baseball ballpark stadium NYC New York City William A. Shea Municipal Stadium William A. Shea Stadium MLB ny Shea Stadium New York
The 1986 Mets, celebrating their 25th season , coasted to a 108-54 record behind Darryl Strawbery, Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and Dwight Gooden. In the NLCS, the Mets took a 2-games-to-2 lead with a come-from-behind walk-off home run by Lenny Dykstra in Game 3. In Game 6, the Mets turned a 3-0 ninth-inning deficit into a 16-inning marathon victory to clinch the pennant. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, the Mets faced elimination leading into Game 6. The Red Sox scored two runs in the tenth inning and twice came within one strike of winning their first World Series since 1918. But the Mets rallied, with two outs and down two runs, banged out three consecutive singles. Mookie Wilson ran the count to 2-1, then fouled off 3 consecutive pitches. With the count 2-2,pitcher Bob Stanley threw one down in the dirt and through the legs of catcher Rich Gedman for a wild pitch. Pinch hitter Kevin Mitchell scored from third base, tying the game. Facing a full count, Wilson fouled off two more pitches before hitting a weak ground ball down the first base line, through the legs of Bill Buckner, and into the annals of baseball history as Ray Knight ran home all the way from second base to score the winning run. The Mets went on to win their second World Series title by taking Game 7, also in dramatic fashion, overcoming a 3 run deficit while scoring a total of 8 runs during the final 3 innings.
For more details on Shea Stadium, see this picture
Tags: Mets banner 1986 Mets 1986 New York Mets ballpark stadium baseball Jesse Orosco Orosco New York City NYC 1986 World Series William A. Shea Municipal Stadium William A. Shea Stadium Flushing MLB Queens ny Shea Stadium New York
