Shea Stadium

One of the distinctive features about Shea Stadium, is the noise of the airplanes from nearby LaGuardia Airport (take offs are louder than landings). Batters are known to step out of the box, and wait for a plane to pass before resuming their turn at bat. In the image below, the tables are turned, and the image is from a plane about to land.

During the planning stage, Shea Stadium was tentatively titled Flushing Meadows Stadium, after it's location in Queens. The picture postcard image below is an artist's conception of the stadium. Note that orange, white and blue colored pieces of corrugated metals that adorned the outer rim.

The scoreboard looms over the field at Shea, as seen in this image from April, 1997. The usual beer ad has been covered up in light of the Jackie Robinson Night ceremonies held later in the game. This was the only season that the Mets wore those ugly white crowned / blue billed hats.

Unfortunately, this image, from the summer of 1977, is rarely ever seen at Shea anymore. Years ago, a trip to the ball game was not based upon arriving just in time for the first pitch. You arrived early, took in batting practice, watched the teams field grounders, etc. Now, the gates open too late to take in most of those activities. Also since the early eighties blue has replaced green as the color of choice for the outfield fence. Another change is that the foul line ran down the center of the dirt path between home and 1st or 3rd. Now there the infield grass comes right up to the line.

An image from the late 1980's taken from way up in fair territory in upper deck in left field.

Turn around your view from the image above, and you will see a painted marker of where a Tommy Agee launched home run landed in the upper deck.

Looking out from behind the visitor's (Rockies) dugout on a hot, humid night in August, 1993.

The ceremonies from Jackie Robinson Night with President Clinton, Commissioner Bud Selig, and Rachel Robinson. The game was held up at the end of the 5th inning for the ceremony and speeches. Security was amazingly tight (metal detectors, pat downs, etc.) that night. The stands were full of police, politicians, news crews and some former Brooklyn Dodgers.

The foul poles at Shea Stadium are now painted orange. as opposed to the traditional yellow that is seen in most other ballparks. The foul poles were originally white, as seen in the pre-game image from 1977 earlier in the frame.

In memory of all those lost in the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Shea Stadium had painted red, white & blue ribbons by each dugout.

Also, a ribbon over the darkened World Trade Center on the skyline above the scoreboard. Anheiser Busch voluntarily covered up their Budweiser ad with the American flag in ballparks across the country.

A view of the ballpark after a Mets loss, on the way to the Grand Central Parkway.