Shea Stadium

Shea Stadium. Oh, the memories that are evoked by those two words. It's hard to believe that it's gone after 44 years. It is even harder to think of the Mets as being an expansion team. Haven't they been around forever? Oh, and for all you trivia buffs out there Shea Stadium was formerly known as the Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium.

Over the years, Shea Stadium housed some of the greatness baseball players ever to walk on the field. Names like Duke Snider, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Richie Ashburn, and Gary Carter who all became Hall of Famers. Then we can't forget the entertaining players that just gritted it out everyday like Lenny "Nails" Dykstra and Gil Hodges.

Although the history of the stadium has been entwined with stories that have shocked us, angered us, even caused us to laugh and cry, in the end they are all great memories. In 1986 the world watched as sluggers Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry took the Mets to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox. Sadly the two beloved players spent through the rest of their careers struggling with drug issues and other personal problems.

We saw them win their first Championship in 1969 with the Miracle Mets when no one really knew of a young man on the roster who would spend the next 27 years striking out 5,714 batters. In fact there were so many historic moments throughout the history of Shea Stadium we could literally write a book about it. However, when it's all said and done, the stadium may be gone as a new chapter begins, but the memories will live in the hearts of Mets fans around the world for eternity.

After the tragic and shocking events of 9/11, Shea Stadium became the central hub for supplies, food and a place of refuge for many 9/11 victims. On September 21, the Mets helped New Yorkers to heal by providing the first sporting event to be held after that tragic day. New Yorkers will tell you it was one of the most stirring nights ever in baseball history. With tens of thousands of fans packing the stadium to watch the Mets take on the Braves, the team honored New York's finest, those brave men and women who worked tirelessly to help the 9/11 victims, and then went on to play a great game. Shea Stadium is truly a place like no other. It will always be remembered with fondness and with the eager anticipation of another 50 years of baseball history.