My Top 10 Shea Stadium Memories

. I had just gotten home from my freshman year of college, and my first trip to Shea since being home brought the Yankees in for their annual three game series. The game seemed one sided before it started, with Randy Johnson pitching in pinstripes while the Mets were starting relative unknown Geremi Gonzalez. In the top of the first, Gonzalez allowed his nerves to get the best of him, allowing 4 runs staking Johnson and the Yanks to an early lead. But as they became accustomed to doing all season, the Mets struck back, with Carlos Beltran hitting a three-run bomb off Johnson. The game would be tied at 6 heading into the ninth, and Yankees manager Joe Torre brought in the seemingly invincible Mariano Rivera to keep the game tied. The Mets would have none of it, as they loaded the based against him which set the stage for David Wright to send a Rivera pitch sailing over the outstretched reach of Yankees Center fielder Johnny Damon, giving the Mets an inspiring come-from-behind 7-6 victory. For all of the Mets-Yankees games I’ve seen at Shea- and at Yankee stadium for that matter- I’ve never experienced a game with such a roller coaster ride of emotions, ending in such dramatic fashion. It was by far the greatest Subway Series game I’ve ever seen, and starts out my list as my tenth most memorable moment.

9. May 24, 1998

 

A Piazza Delivery: Mike Piazza’s first weekend in New York

 

It was a Sunday afternoon game in 1998 against the Milwaukee Brewers. In what would seem to be an otherwise meaningless, early season game with little significance, that Sunday will forever go down as the first time I can remember not asking- but begging my parents for tickets to a Mets game. I was 11, and just two nights earlier, my favorite baseball team suddenly revealed itself on the baseball map, by acquiring Mike Piazza in a trade with the Marlins. I’ll never forget hearing about from a Yankees fan friend of mine at the time, and I was so shocked I refused to believe him. When I finally had the rumor confirmed, I had never been so anxious to get to Shea. I wasn’t able to make it to the ballpark for Mike’s first game, which I’ll never forgive myself for, but Sunday I was able to persuade my father to get tickets. It was on that Sunday afternoon, in what was an 8-3 win for the Mets, I was able to- for the first time- feel connected to a player like never before. My fan-crush on Mike Piazza began that day, and hasn’t dimmed since, despite Piazza retiring from baseball earlier this year while not appearing in a Mets lineup card since the final day of the 2005 season. But that Sunday, I’ll never forget the electricity in the air, as fans finally seemed to have a reason to believe again at Shea. The Mets were the recipients of a future hall of fame catcher, while I was the recipient of a hero.

 

 

 

8. June 11, 2005: Cliff Banger

 

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