And so it came to pass, this is the final weekend in history that anything remotely resembling Shea Stadium will exist on the earth.
Since the last game, I have been mostly unable to look at any photos of Shea's decay. But today, I woke up and decided to take the kids out to the ballpark one last time. It was about 20 degrees out. With the wind chill, it felt more like 8. And with a nasty breeze off the water, it felt more like 15 below by Shea Stadium.
The kids were troopers (they really had no other choice...I wasn't leaving). We walked around Shea, then Citi Field and headed to a rally (kudos to Christopher Swann, who organized). I had read there might be an impromptu gathering today but a NY Times reporter clued me in on the official proceedings happening by Gate A. Here's a photo of Mr. Swann addressing the huddled masses:
When we arrived, Swann seemed to be catching some heat from folks still upset by Citi Field's existence. as if he has something to do with it. The crowd eventually grew more cordial and we sang "Meet the Mets" and gave off one final chant of "Lets go Mets." Then we all took a stroll around Shea one last time.
The site of Shea Stadium in this condition is not for the faint of heart. More than one fan walking around commented to me that it was like watching a family member die. I like the lighting in this photo...it's like Shea's soul is being released to the heavens (OK that's a little too much I admit but I was out in the tundra for 4 hours so cut me some slack):
You can click on all these photos to see a larger image BTW.
After this weekend, the rest of the Shea exterior comes down. As of now, Gates A and E or gone anyway. I'll be posting some more photos later, when I can once again feel my hands.
RELATED LINKS:
Shea Stadium's Final Days - January 31, 2009
A Last Look at Loge13, Shea Stadium - January 31, 2009
Citi Amongst The Ruins - January 31, 2009
Shea Stadium From Roosevelt Avenue - January 31, 2009
Loge 13 Then And Now - January 31, 2009
Gate D of Shea Stadium - January 31, 2009
Shea Stadium's Last Weekend - The Wrapup
Comments
Great post. It was awesome meeting you, even briefly, when we were by the old Gate E. Thanks for the credit (and picture!). Keep up all the great work!