NY Mets – Citifield Ballpark – Old Shea Stadium
Our NY Mets
On October 6, 1969 – The Mets won their first National League Championship against the Braves in 3 games, 7-4, and went on to their first World Series Championship on October 16th against the Baltimore Orioles in a 5-3 game victory. They went on to another World Championship in 1986 when they defeated the Boston Red Sox, 8-5 for a full seven games. In 2000 went on to meet the Great Yankees in that year’s Subway Series. The NY Yankees won…
There were of course some Mets Greats.
Tom Seaver, inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. He won the National League’s Rookie of the year award in 1967 one year after signing up with the Mets and won the NL’s Cy Young Award for best pitcher three times (1969, 1973, 1975).
Nolan Ryan who retired in 1993 with the major league record for most career strikeouts (5714) and most career no-hitters (7), and who is considered one of the greatest pitchers in major league history.
The New Citifield Ballpark
With construction having begun on November 13, 2006 the newer home of local sports team, the Mets, first opened on March 29, 2009 for a college game and then again on April 3 of that same year for an exhibition game. The season began ten days later on April 13.
Located at 126th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens this newest stadium is adjacent to the old Shea Stadium. It’s got a capacity of 41,922 which is over 15,000 fewer seats than the Shea of old. It cost $900 million.
Stats and Info for the Old Shea Stadium:
Ground was broken in 1961 for the new Flushing Meadows Stadium. Originally, this site was to be called Flushing Meadow Park, in honor of William A. Shea, the man that brought National League Baseball back to New York, it was given it’s present name. The Mets’ first game at Shea Stadium took place on April 17, 1964. It was only a few years earlier that the Mets spent $1.8 million to draft 22 players into this newly formed National League Team.
This Stadium which seats 55,577 was also the site of the Beatles’ first stadium concert.
Shea Stadium Stats: (as provided by www.metsonline.net)
The cylindrical facility, a product of the “cookie-cutter” multipurpose stadium craze of the 1960’s and 1970’s, is painted royal blue on the outside and has four color-designated seating levels – orange for field level, blue for loge, green for mezzanine and red for the upper deck. There is also a large bleacher area beyond the outfield wall in left-center field. Official stadium seating capacity is listed at 56,521, although larger crowds have been recorded.
Shea Stadium’s field measurements are symmetrical, at 338 feet down the left and right field lines, 378 feet to the power alleys, and 410 feet to center field. The outfield fence is eight feet high and padded with blue foam.
Getting there by subway: 7 to Willets Pt-Shea Stadium
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