11. Shea Stadium
The New York Mets have been a punch line for most of my life. After my one and only visit to Shea Stadium, I couldn't help but wonder if their home environment was the cause, because Shea was pretty much a punch line itself.
You might ask how the greatest city in the world got one of the worst stadiums, and the answer is that Shea Stadium was among the first multi-purpose stadiums ever built. As with the prototype, a lot of things were not that great. By the time my sister and I visited on July 24, 2006, many of those things had been corrected (like putting a lot of seats in what used to be an expansive foul territory), but there's only so much lipstick that can be put on a pig.
Ok, that's a bit harsh. Shea wasn't without some charm. The home run apple was kind of clever, although I didn't see it on this trip as the Mets did not have any homers while losing to the Cubs. It's now installed at Citi Field, which is where I saw it. The seats may have been ugly and uncomfortable, but at least they were the team colors. The skyline on top of the scoreboard was exactly the kind of understated touch that is hard to get right; it too rightfully moved to Citi Field.
The stadium also has some history. In addition to The Miracle Met and Buckner Dropped the Ball!, Shea hosted the first ever major stadium concert gig when The Beatles played there in 1965, which is pretty cool. Still, despite the little touches and the history, it says something that despite attending a game with future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux on the mound for the visitors, my overriding memories are
[A] Wow, this place is incredibly ugly.
[B] After the game a bunch of dancers from a nearby strip club were handing out fliers for the club while dressed in Mets jerseys and short shorts. I assure you that it was a significantly more aesthetically pleasing view than the stadium.
In the final assessment, neither tigerlily_blue nor I were particularly impressed, and even if the stadium hadn't been torn down two years later I would be in no hurry to go there again, especially given the wide range of other options available in New York City.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
6 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
7 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
8 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
9Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
10 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
11 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude
You might ask how the greatest city in the world got one of the worst stadiums, and the answer is that Shea Stadium was among the first multi-purpose stadiums ever built. As with the prototype, a lot of things were not that great. By the time my sister and I visited on July 24, 2006, many of those things had been corrected (like putting a lot of seats in what used to be an expansive foul territory), but there's only so much lipstick that can be put on a pig.
Ok, that's a bit harsh. Shea wasn't without some charm. The home run apple was kind of clever, although I didn't see it on this trip as the Mets did not have any homers while losing to the Cubs. It's now installed at Citi Field, which is where I saw it. The seats may have been ugly and uncomfortable, but at least they were the team colors. The skyline on top of the scoreboard was exactly the kind of understated touch that is hard to get right; it too rightfully moved to Citi Field.
The stadium also has some history. In addition to The Miracle Met and Buckner Dropped the Ball!, Shea hosted the first ever major stadium concert gig when The Beatles played there in 1965, which is pretty cool. Still, despite the little touches and the history, it says something that despite attending a game with future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux on the mound for the visitors, my overriding memories are
[A] Wow, this place is incredibly ugly.
[B] After the game a bunch of dancers from a nearby strip club were handing out fliers for the club while dressed in Mets jerseys and short shorts. I assure you that it was a significantly more aesthetically pleasing view than the stadium.
In the final assessment, neither tigerlily_blue nor I were particularly impressed, and even if the stadium hadn't been torn down two years later I would be in no hurry to go there again, especially given the wide range of other options available in New York City.
Park Rankings
RankParkTeamFirst Visit# Visits
1 Wrigley FieldChicago CubsApril 23, 20042
2 PNC ParkPittsburgh PiratesSeptember 25, 20042
3 Jacobs FieldCleveland IndiansApril 17, 199963
4 Miller ParkMilwaukee BrewersApril 24, 20041
5 Comerica ParkDetroit TigersJuly 31, 20041
6 Rogers CentreToronto Blue JaysMay 21, 20051
7 Cinergy FieldCincinnati RedsAugust 8, 19984
8 The MetrodomeMinnesota TwinsJune 22, 19923
9Shea StadiumNew York MetsJuly 24, 20061
10 Great American Ball ParkCincinnati RedsMay 9, 20041
11 U.S. Cellular FieldChicago White SoxApril 25, 20041
Background: Prologue Memory Interlude