My Personal Goodbye to Shea Stadium

to listen with audio please click here, http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d171/rockyb2k3/?action=view&current=She...

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's read and kept up with my journey of recapping my final 15 trips to Shea. It ended in such disappointing fashion. This team has always been notorious for testing their fans' loyalty. One thing is for certain though. We're not going anywhere, for better or worse. I understand it's been for worse of late. But that's life. There are no guarantees. Let's see how many cliches I can throw in here. You can't always get what you want.

Seriously, if you could get beyond the wins and losses for a few moments, and just ponder why you care so much in the first place... Why does this team affect your moods? It's a love. That's why. It's more than just hits and runs and it goes deeper than watching a solid bullpen (although it would be nice to see one of those again someday). It's about the memories that you have that probably stems from childhood.

I think non sports fans can understand why we get so emotionally attached if they understand how it's a passion. It's that simple and complicated.

Believe me, no one wants to see this team win more than me. But right now, I'm thinking about Shea. I'm not focusing on the 40 man roster that couldn't get the job done in the final month again. I've done that enough on this site. I'm thinking about the demolition of a second home to many, including myself. The sadness burns because I don't know what the future holds. Will my friends, family and I be able to get into a ballpark that has shaved 10,000 seats off its capacity? I sure hope so, but you just never know.

I'm just glad that I cherished and embraced each moment I spent in that so-called dump. I loved going there with my parents, with my best friend, with my brother, my girlfriends, my dates that sometimes ended terribly, with acquaintances, and with myself. I loved waiting on that stupid long line for tickets and being welcomed by a subpar promotion giveaway and walking towards those tall escalators. And walking through the always congested, thin concourses with the walls painted red, indicating you are as high as the airplanes that fly by seemingly ever other minute. You get used to that over time. This year was a dream come true because I was able to attend more games than ever. That dream ended terribly that Sunday afternoon.

These next 6 months, I'm going to painfully miss going to these games, keeping scorecards which I just got into this past JULY, etc. I mourn because I understand that it may never be the same again. I'm cautiously excited about the new park and my adulthood. But whether I like it or not, I realize that change has arrived.

I leave you with a video that I put together. The videos are crappy quality, the vantage point way too far. But it's all from my two eyes and I found it to be touching. Thanks again. Have a great fall and winter.

Jaime
http://www.project-jaime.blogspot.com

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Mets
• Shea
• Stadium
• The
• Final
• 15
• Goodbye
• baseball
• farewell

[beazbrain]

shea staduim was a nice place to visit

[BlastaRama]

i am going to miss this stadium ive been going since i was nine. lets hope citi fields worth it

[snikery121]

My parents were married at Shea in '84

[yankee2195]

i miss the extremely cheap games at shea. games at only $5 and for really good seats. citi field is just like every other new ballpark

[jericho360]

I WANT SHEA BACK!!!! :(

[jericho360]

Just a note on that, the new Apple they had installed looks retarded. They should have just kept the old one.

[redsoxsuckhaha]

shea sucks

[Bk1ynBoy]

Nice pictures. Check out my Shea Stadium Video

[Newport70]

I have a couple of photos almost identical to those in the video. All I can think to say is Amazing... nice job on the video and I confess to getting a little choked up.

[dsergi]

wow..that makes me want to make my own shea video and I think I will now. I will let ya know