Well, we all knew it would be an eventful Day at Shea Stadium---and it was. Both Shea, and the Mets, are history----permanant for Shea, and for the Mets, sadly, they will be back. How many of the current crop remains to be seen. Hopefully none of the bullpen--more on that in a bit. But, once again, the Mets pulled a massive September choke job, once again letting the Florida Marlins celebrate their role as spoilers on the Shea infield.
Mets starter Oliver Perez was effective going 5 1/3 shutout innings before turing things over to the vaunted bullpen---(it was at this moment that I cracked my first beer, knowing full well I would need some comfort).
The pen did it's usual fine work quickly surrendering two runs. But Carlos Beltran got the Mets back into it with a clutch two run homer---sadly, all the offense the amazins would be able to muster.
In the top of the ninth, the Mets pen struck again---this time they tortured the Shea faithful by yielding a pair of solo homeruns. Bottom of the ninth; as 56,000 Mets fans anxiously cheered their team on, hoping for one last Shea miracle---forget about it. Not with this gutless group. The Mets, and their season, went down with barely a whimper.
And so closes Shea Stadium.
Credit to New York Mets fans. I would guess about 90% of the crowd stuck around for a tribute to Shea Stadium and former Mets greats (could have used some of them).
The club marched out a who's who of Mets; Willie Mays, Ron Swaboda, Ed Kranepool, Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver, Tim Tuefel, Ron Darlin, Keith Hernandez, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Mike Piazza, and on and on.
It was a touching tribute and a very bitter-sweet afternoon as Mets fans hoped to say goodbye to the old park in a more festive mood.
Thanks for blowing it---again, current New York Mets!
Thanks for making the Mets, again, the laughing stock of professional sports.
Thanks for rewarding Omar Minaya, who put this bunch together, with a contract extension. Thanks for it all!
I am sad to see Shea Stadium go. I will not be sad, at all, to see many current Mets go!
More on that in my next post---right now the tears are starting to drip onto my keyboard.




