Thursday, July 12, 2007

What's Your Shea Memory?

from guest poster, Siroty

Baseball is not just about the games, it is about memories.

Young and old, we all have a first memory of the Mets and the great ballpark by the LaGuardia Marriott. Those blue and orange squares on the stadium façade, the "Magic is Back" sign, the woman with the straw hat who sat behind home plate and rolled her arms before every pitch, the sign man, cowbell man.

What's your memory? I have a few.

My dad taking me to a nightgame and we got stuck on the GW Bridge listening to the traffic reports saying we were basically screwed. We eventually made it only to later have my dad slip on someone's spilled beer and break his finger.

The greatest game I ever attended was Tom Seaver's almost no-hitter against the Padres when Leron Lee broke it up in the ninth. I always hated Leron Lee and tore up every baseball card I ever had of him. And, he was always the guy that I got 15 cards per year. Lots of ripped up cards.

So what's your memory? I wonder how we all first felt and still feel after walking up those ridiculous ramps at Shea like gerbels getting exercise and then hitting your gate. Remember that first view of the field and the scoreboard?

That is what the Mets and Shea are all about.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I have a ton of Shea memories. Getting my arm caught in between the seat and the back of the chairs in the Field Box because I was reaching for a dropped all star ballot. My mom having a foul ball drop in front of her. Sitting in the first row next to the dugout. And of course being at last year's pennant clinching game.

My next great memory will be when I get to take my son to his first baseball game.

BPALM said...

My first game that I remember was in 1986. The Mets played I think the Expos and HoJo hit a pop up to short right field down the line and the RF dove and the ball dropped the crowd went nuts and the Mets won on that hit...

2 games in '99 were probably my most exciting. Pratt's NLDS clincher HR and Ventura's walk off grand single.

Of course last years clincher would be in my top 5 as well. Not sure what the last one would be though.