Full disclosure: we lament the passing of Shea, but most of our angst is based on an emotional attachment to a touchstone of our collective youth, mixed with anger that for us partial season-ticket holders, we are getting the shaft in Citi Field.
Polluted with that hostility and sorrow, it’s a challenge to work through the issue and envision a solution.
That’s why it’s good to have friends like the folks over at Faith and Fear in Flushing. They have come up with an idea that just might work:
Build Citi Field. But don’t tear down Shea. Keep both stadiums.
Do yourself a favor and read this post. You will become a believer.
Why not two stadiums? As Greg points out, The Mets will be hosting an All-Star game in a few years. How great would it be to have a stadium for the home run derby and one for the game?
Parking? Who cares! I can hardly park at Shea now and it’s not too bad. If the city is tearing down the Iron Triangle anyway, just put more parking there.
The most novel part of the idea: it’s not new. Cleveland had two stadiums for years. But Greg invokes an even better precedence:
How about a better, closer-to-home — physically and spiritually speaking — example? How about those Boys of Summer certain modern-day owners obsess over enough to build them a permanent shrine? Yes, the Brooklyn Dodgers of Fred Wilpon's youth did not play all their games at sainted Ebbets Field even when Ebbets Field was their home. In 1956 and 1957, Dem Bums played one game per N.L. opponent, seven a year, at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. It was essentially a scheme by Walter O'Malley designed to get New York's attention and show hey, you wanna see us play more games west of the Hudson? You ain't seen nothin' yet.
Roosevelt Stadium was part of a shakedown which, depending on your view, either didn't work for O'Malley (because the Dodgers wound up in Los Angeles) or worked like a charm for O'Malley (because the Dodgers wound up in Los Angeles). Either way, it was one team with two stadiums. And we already know, because we're reminded constantly, that the Brooklyn Dodgers were the balls in this town.
CitiShea isn't nearly as nefarious as EbbetsVelt. It's got all the Dodger dust with none of the posturing. The Mets aren't leaving town. If anything, they'd be putting down the most solid roots you can imagine in Flushing Meadows. They'd have two homes on the same block. Now that's big love.
And there is no end to the events that could be held at Shea post-2008. In June, we wrote about how the Mets did not live up to their obligation to let local school groups play the PSAL baseball championships at Shea, diverting the kids to KeySpan Park instead. That problem is solved. Heck, move the Triple AAA team up here from New Orleans.
I’m telling you, this could work. Thanks Greg. Do not let the CitiShea idea die.
Comments
I've been looking for an e-mail address to contact you on here, but I can't find one, so I figured I'd leave a comment.
Because of the theme of this site, I thought you'd be interested to know I've been taking pictures documenting the Citi Field progress every week or two. My pictures are up at http://community.webshots.com/user/citi_field/
I'll post another batch of pictures after I get back from Shea on Saturday.