William A. Shea Stadium is the home of the New York
Mets baseball team, and is found in the Flushing neighborhood
of Queens, a borough of New
York City on Long Island.
Willimam A Shea himself is the man credited with bringing
National League baseball back to the Big Apple, and so
the history of Shea Stadium begins with its being named
for this New York Mets icon.
The biggest date in the history of Shea Stadium is April 17th, 1964, the day the New York Mets played their first game at Shea Stadium. This building is full of unforgettable memories, mostly of New York Mets baseball, but also of outdoor performances by major musical acts. The most notable musical performances in the history of Shea Stadium were the groundbreaking concerts by The Beatles in August of 1965, and again in August of 1966. These shows proved that outdoor sports arenas can house major musical acts with great success, and Shea Stadium has hosted occasional major summer concerts since, most recently an unbelievable reuinion of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
But Shea Stadium is no concert hall: the New York Mets are the main attraction here. New York Mets baseball has always been a sort of roller coaster. They constantly seem to either be a major World Series contender or the laughingstock of New York baseball, but recently the Mets have been the former, and this talent has been bringing more fans out to Shea Stadium to catch the New York Mets in action. The Mets’ greatest memory in the history of Shea Stadium was the dream season of 1969, when they were dubbed the “Miracle Mets” as they defied 100-1 odds by capturing a World Series championship despite their horrible previous season in 1968.
Shea Stadium also was the home of New York Jets football
for a time, but the relationship between Shea Stadium
and baseball is a love affair that has lasted for over
forty years. However, at time of this writing, your time
to see New York Mets baseball at Shea Stadium is running
out. Citi Field, currently under construction beyond the
outfield fence of Shea Stadium, is scheduled to take over
as the home of the New York Mets for the 2009 season and
beyond.
If you are an avid fan of our national pastime, you
simply must visit both Shea Stadium and Yankee
Stadium as a part of your New York City vacation.
When you go to see the Amazin’ Mets, take the NYC
Subway 7 train, or the “International Express”
as it is commonly called. Stop anywhere along the way
to enjoy the authentic ethnic food of one of Queens’
unique neighborhoods before you enjoy the game, making
for a fun New York City day trip.
Usually, regular season tickets should be purchased
in advance, but are readily available. If you plan on
seeing an interleague game between the Yankees and Mets,
a part of a “Subway Series” as these contests
are called, good luck getting tickets! The playoffs are
also extremely difficult to see live, with Mets tickets
being just a bit less rare than those for the Bronx Bombers.
Needless to say, surf the official Mets website to reserve
your tickets before you arrive in New York for your best
chance of enjoying new York Mets baseball at Shea Stadium.
Like a stroll through Central Park or a trip to the Bronx Botanical Garden, a day game at Shea Stadium is one of the best things to experience outdoors in New York City.
