Last day
Rather not talk about the game thanks – it hurt. Also the flipping Marlins took their damn sweet time getting off the field – normally I’d not give a damn but this was the last game at Shea – it was a pretty classless move by a team that finished 3rd.
And after a time they finally started:
First, they listed the folks who couldn’t come.
Then on they came – I remember – first the relatives of the departed – Tug McGraw’s family, Tommy Agee’s Family, then the Shea’s, then Bob Murphy’s family.
Then the players – The Man who started the first game at Shea, then some others who I only had a vague memory of – then Ron Hunt who got a big round – he was the first Met player I really knew about. When I was a kid in 64-65 there was this baseball board game called challenge the Yankees – the idea was that one side took the Yankees and on the other side used various National League All stars I don’t remember if it was a stat based game or you just rolled dice but I remember playing it once or twice and going through the cards to find the one Met to play – Ron Hunt. He played second base and until Don Baylor came along held the record for being hit by a pitched ball in a season. He would stand with toes touching the batter’s box and lean over the plate – he got hit a lot.
Then the players from the 69-75 era, Jerry Koosman, Rusty Staub who was one of my favs back then, Ron Swaboda, Cleon Jones, Wayne Garrett, Felix Mallin – The gawky George Theodore who ran like Groucho Marx , Willie Mays looking so old and frail it hurt to look at him but he came to this day, Yogi Berra who got a nice hand – then the lean late 70’s early 80’s John Stearn who deserved better, Dave Kingman who could hit home runs but little else, Craig Swann who lead the league in era one year – but still had a losing record – George Foster the first time big money signings at Shea – not as successful as they hoped.
The 86-92 era: Wally Backman, Lenny Dykstra, Gary Carter, then Darryl Strawberry who looked surprised he got the Darrrrrrrrrrrryll cheer – (that was a moment that struck me that this was the last time Shea would echo to the sound of that cheer – taken from the Red Sox fans who were trying to get under his skin) then to my surprise Doc Godden who looked okay – Bobby Ojedia, Jessie Orosco, Keith Hernandez, and of course Ron Darling.
From the 98-03 era Robin Ventura, Fonnzie, John Franco who probably would have done a better job than the arsonists the bullpen has now, then Mike Piazza who got a huge hand and finally the one true god of the Mets – Tom Seaver one of the best right handed pitchers in the history of the game, who called what he did an art and when he was on it was an art, I still remember the pitch he made to Reggie Jackson in the 1973 world series a hard vicious slider that when it bit just broke down like it fell off a table as Jackson swung and almost came out of his shoes for strike 3 – the camera flashed on Jackson as and the expression on his face was pure shock – Tom Seaver who I wanted to be when I was a kid.
They all stood around the outside edge of the infield and up in the stands the “Let’s go Met’s Cheer” was heard – less than an hour after a heart breaking loss .
And they left after touching home plate – I’m told they will paint home and the other bases in the parking lot next year so you can take you grand kids or what not and point out –this is were Ray Knight came home in game 6 yadda yadda yadda – and I had the silly thought, well that will make it easer to me to some of my ashes scattered there – so they all left except for Mike and Seaver.
Then Seaver went to mound, Mike got behind home plate and Tom threw the ball for the last pitch at Shea Stadium. After that they walked out to center field – walked through the gates there and shut them behind them – a voice said thank you – the lights were tuned down, then Shea got dark and very quiet.
And we left. Down the ramps for the last time – it was one of my favorite parts of Shea coming down the ramps after a big win. The cheers would echo and echo and echo.
Finally I got to the exit.
At each exit there is a sign that says – Goodbye see you soon .
But No. Not tomorrow, not next year, not any more.
Shea Adieu.
And after a time they finally started:
First, they listed the folks who couldn’t come.
Then on they came – I remember – first the relatives of the departed – Tug McGraw’s family, Tommy Agee’s Family, then the Shea’s, then Bob Murphy’s family.
Then the players – The Man who started the first game at Shea, then some others who I only had a vague memory of – then Ron Hunt who got a big round – he was the first Met player I really knew about. When I was a kid in 64-65 there was this baseball board game called challenge the Yankees – the idea was that one side took the Yankees and on the other side used various National League All stars I don’t remember if it was a stat based game or you just rolled dice but I remember playing it once or twice and going through the cards to find the one Met to play – Ron Hunt. He played second base and until Don Baylor came along held the record for being hit by a pitched ball in a season. He would stand with toes touching the batter’s box and lean over the plate – he got hit a lot.
Then the players from the 69-75 era, Jerry Koosman, Rusty Staub who was one of my favs back then, Ron Swaboda, Cleon Jones, Wayne Garrett, Felix Mallin – The gawky George Theodore who ran like Groucho Marx , Willie Mays looking so old and frail it hurt to look at him but he came to this day, Yogi Berra who got a nice hand – then the lean late 70’s early 80’s John Stearn who deserved better, Dave Kingman who could hit home runs but little else, Craig Swann who lead the league in era one year – but still had a losing record – George Foster the first time big money signings at Shea – not as successful as they hoped.
The 86-92 era: Wally Backman, Lenny Dykstra, Gary Carter, then Darryl Strawberry who looked surprised he got the Darrrrrrrrrrrryll cheer – (that was a moment that struck me that this was the last time Shea would echo to the sound of that cheer – taken from the Red Sox fans who were trying to get under his skin) then to my surprise Doc Godden who looked okay – Bobby Ojedia, Jessie Orosco, Keith Hernandez, and of course Ron Darling.
From the 98-03 era Robin Ventura, Fonnzie, John Franco who probably would have done a better job than the arsonists the bullpen has now, then Mike Piazza who got a huge hand and finally the one true god of the Mets – Tom Seaver one of the best right handed pitchers in the history of the game, who called what he did an art and when he was on it was an art, I still remember the pitch he made to Reggie Jackson in the 1973 world series a hard vicious slider that when it bit just broke down like it fell off a table as Jackson swung and almost came out of his shoes for strike 3 – the camera flashed on Jackson as and the expression on his face was pure shock – Tom Seaver who I wanted to be when I was a kid.
They all stood around the outside edge of the infield and up in the stands the “Let’s go Met’s Cheer” was heard – less than an hour after a heart breaking loss .
And they left after touching home plate – I’m told they will paint home and the other bases in the parking lot next year so you can take you grand kids or what not and point out –this is were Ray Knight came home in game 6 yadda yadda yadda – and I had the silly thought, well that will make it easer to me to some of my ashes scattered there – so they all left except for Mike and Seaver.
Then Seaver went to mound, Mike got behind home plate and Tom threw the ball for the last pitch at Shea Stadium. After that they walked out to center field – walked through the gates there and shut them behind them – a voice said thank you – the lights were tuned down, then Shea got dark and very quiet.
And we left. Down the ramps for the last time – it was one of my favorite parts of Shea coming down the ramps after a big win. The cheers would echo and echo and echo.
Finally I got to the exit.
At each exit there is a sign that says – Goodbye see you soon .
But No. Not tomorrow, not next year, not any more.
Shea Adieu.
posted by Unknown at 4:15 PM
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