I know it's been more the month since the season ended. I know the World Series is over. I've been putting this off for a long time, but I know it needs to get done. And so here it is, the blog that I never wanted to have to write, but at this point, I have no choice. It is the final game at Shea. Later on, I intend to post my favorite moments in Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium history in honor of both ballparks. I wanted to wait for season’s end, in the hopes that Shea might squeeze out one more, which is why I purchased tickets to the last game for Frank and I. We spent about 5 times face value, which is something I never do, because I hate that entire concept, but for the ballpark where I saw my first game, no price was too big. We left fairly early in the pouring rain and got to the stadium at about
1) I was on the phone with Mike as we were walking underneath the subway. He could hear the “Let’s Go Mets” chants from the crowd. (Yes, this crowd was fired up.)
2) And we have our first throwback Mets jersey sighting. The award goes to Todd Hundley!
3) “The weather will play a factor at some point during a key moment in this game.”~Frank
It was pouring at the start.
4) They are charging $10 for a $5 program and have sold out everywhere. That’s all I wanted all season long so that I could frame it and hang in my basement. There goes that idea
5) My sister just told me to let her know if any of her favorites show up, “Ron Darling, Mike Piazza, Kevin Elster to name a few.” (I know I’ll see Piazza and Darling. Elster would be quite the surprise.)
6) Yogi was outside Pepsi Girl’s room, but he didn’t want to take a picture. I figure he probably doesn’t know where he is.
7) Make that 2 Hundley jerseys.
8) That’s a Manny Acta jersey. Mike’s response: “Is it actually Manny Acta?”
Who does this?
9) There’s a John Olerud jersey in the house. (This is what happens during a rain delay.)
10) There’s a Mackey Sasser jersey, wow! That's just phenomenal
11) Make that two Olerud jerseys.
12) Oh by the way, I went obscure as well. Bobby Jones, yeah, you know it.
13) Frank has brought his video camera. We’re pulling out all the stops today.
14) He’s now video taping all of the random jerseys. We’re starting to get bored.
15) So as I’m standing over the red carpet by Gate A, something told me to look to my left. There was Pepsi Girl walking up the ramp. I don’t know why I looked to my left, but we were both glad I did. She’s having a rough go of her last day at Shea. (This is not gonna be easy.)
Little did we know that we would not be smiling by game's end.
16) Wow, now that the tarp is off, some of the players are out stretching and they are playing the “Let’s Go Mets” chants on the big screen. (This crowd is fired up. They should be doing this every game.)
17) I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lump in my throat during the national anthem. Granted it was Marc Anthony, but still.
18) This crowd is fired up. I mean KEVIN JAMES fired up
19) Cliff Floyd jersey in our section. (Oh Big Red, how I miss thee.)
20) Not gonna lie, I’m nervous. Frank just yelled at me needing more positive energy from me.
21) “M! E! T! S! METS! METS! METS! METS!” Yes, someone just tried to chant this. I suggested to Frank that we should start and idiot tally with this guy. He thought that was a little harsh, so we settled for a dork tally. I mean, he added an extra “Mets!”
22) Mike’s taking Nick Evans in the homerun game.
23) What an awesome Mr Met video between innings.
24) Cubs went up 1-0 and the crowd went nuts. There was even a “Let’s Go Cubs” chant. I wouldn’t go that far.
25) Wow, we just saw two nice catches in the Mezzanine on foul balls behind home plate. (See that’s something that you never get from watching the game at home.)
26) Well, it looks like Bruce Springsteen’s “Leap of Faith” is our theme this year.
27) This crowd is cautiously behind Ollie. It’s really weird. We all want him to do well, but at the same time are waiting for Bad Ollie to show up. (You know, being that I cursed him out in a profanity-laden tirade on Mike’s voicemail saying that if I never saw Ollie in a Mets uniform again, I’d be happy, this is very awkward for me.)
28) Frank has just admitted that he had “It’s Magic” on a 45 record. Yeah, he just dated himself.
29) Frank just figured out that I’m not scoring today. There’s too much going on for me to worry about keeping score in this game.
30) Mookie Wilson jersey in the house.
31) I’m tearing up again and it’s only the 5th inning. (This is not a good sign)
32) Come on Good Ollie, hang in there
33) Make that 3 Todd Hundley jerseys
34) Jerry just took Ollie out after 5 and a third innings on three days rest. Given my position, I thought I saw Big Pelf running in from the bullpen, but I quickly corrected myself. I then got yelled at by the guy who earned the dork tally. He’s been upgraded (or downgraded) to Idiot Tally status.
35) Looking at the sky it looks like we are about to get hosed on.
36) A Julio Franco jersey? Seriously??? Mike’s response: It better be a Rangers jersey from the 80’s.” (Unfortunately, it wasn’t.)
37) A guy just showed up in the fifth inning by himself. (Interesting.)
38) BELTRAN BOMB!!!!! TIE GAME!!!
39) Shea is rocking. It’s good to feel the Upper Deck shake beneath me one more time.
40) Guys, we’re gonna buy blue and orange suits and we’re wearing them to Shea on Sunday.
(Now that takes spirit and guts.)
41) WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Well it’s the BIG SHOWWWWWW!!
42) Two Marlins home runs and it’s quiet in here. This crowd has no idea of what to do. (Afterwards, I found out a back story about Big Show about his infant child’s health issues and the homerun he gave up. I kinda feel bad for the guy now.)
43) Brewers just took the lead and as the inning ends and the fans boo. Great job guys.
44) Mike just texted me, “Brace yourself, Moises Alou is in the dugout.” Ouch.
45) Mets get two on in the 8th and this place is ready to explode. COME ON CARLOS!!
46) Damn you Shea Stadium! (That fly out by Delgado reminded me so much of the last out of the 2000 World Series. That ball flew to where homeruns go to die.)
47) “My heart can’t take much more than this.”~Mike via text.
48) Four hits to this point. Where is Fernando Tatis when you need him?
49) Matt Lindstrom is in. “The irony.”~Mike
50) “This is miserable.” ~Laura
51) “Numbing.”~Paco
52) And just like that, it’s over. Other than Beltran’s homer, this team went off quietly into the night without a whimper. What happened to the fight?
53) Wow, that Marlins took a little longer than they should have with their celebration. (Get off the field!!!)
54) The Marlins are the most classless two bit hack team. Their celebration after the game was wrong and immature. I guess that’s what you do when you’re not in a playoff race.
55) They have taken 25 minutes to set up the damn closing ceremonies, we’re contemplating leaving.
56) Okay the Marlins really need to just not come back on the field to collect infield dirt for their home displays. Seriously, you couldn’t do this before the game? (I hope this team loses every series next year. Screw them)
57) I’m mad. (Writing this a month later, I’m still mad.)
58) Mike just made a great point. I’m gonna get a $220 credit on my credit card.
59) I feel that this organization owes us an apology.
60) A-Rod makes more a year than it cost to build the stadium.
Here are some highlights, including pics and videos from the closing ceremonies..
Timmy Teufel!
Ron Swaboda is a big man
Mazz!!
Wally Backman. Future Mets Manager.
They don't call him the best color man in the game for nothin' folks!
El Sid
Leiter. Me and Al are ALMOST cool again.
I will never forget the day I met Bud Harrelson at the Hall of Fame
The Boy from
RUSTY!!
Mikey P, back again. #31 will be retired soon. I hope.
Tom "Terrific"
Seaver and Piazza Shea Goodbye
61) I couldn’t leave right away, I made Frank walk down to Section 11 with me so that I could sit in my old seat one last time.
62) I can still hear Alex and Dan screaming.
63) Man I’m gonna miss this place
64) I will NEVER forget this row.
65) Okay, it’s time to go. Goodbye Shea.
No, Shea. You won't.
66) Make that two Mackey Sasser jerseys
67) Before reading this, may I warn you, this story is slightly vulgar, no cursing, just gross…As I’m standing at the urinal, a guy walks into the stall and yells, “Oh man! Someone left a log in here!” To which another man responded, “Yeah, it was Schoeneweis!” (Now I laughed hard at the time, but given my point above about Big Show, I kinda feel bad. But that was still funny.)
68) That’s three Mackey Sasser jerseys (What is going on here?!?)
69) Apparently J-Nic, who was at the game in the upper deck as well was on the Diamond Vision. I can’t believe I missed it!
70) While in the team store, a guy walks up to a t-shirt display with two shirts hanging, one that says
And so ends the Shea Stadium era in my life, but not without one bit of solace. Before we left, I called everyone from Section 11 that I had a number for. The only one I spoke to was Alex. He told me to head down to Gate C where all the old time players were apparently coming out. So Frank and I headed down. When we got there, the crowd was 5 people deep all around, so we decided that we had seen enough so we started walking to our lot. As we reached Gate D, Frank turned and pointed out someone walking towards us. “It’s Darryl.” He said. “No, it’s not, YES IT IS!” I replied. Straw was being escorted to a car service right in front of us. I pulled out my camera, snapped a pic and said, “We love you Darryl!” He looked up. Gave me a thumbs up and said, “Love you too, man.”
Now I know he’ll never remember that moment, but I will and as a fan, that moment made me forget all of the bad memories I’ve endured with our Mets. I walked away a happy fan. Sure, they lost, and missed the playoffs again, but I had my closure. I got to say goodbye to her. I’ll miss her. I will never forget her. Goodbye Shea Stadium. Rest in peace.
Now it’s time for the thank you’s. This might take a while.
1) Thank you once again to Sportsline for the stats
2) Thank you William A. Shea. Without you, I might have had to be a Yankee fan.
3) Thank you Frank. Without you, I probably would have ended up a Yankee fan. Also thank you for the my birthday game and the last game. I love you bro..
4) Thank you Chris for deciding to“just let him have it,” allowing Frank to make me a Mets fan. http://viewfromthegreenseats.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2008/5/14/3690743.html
5) Thank you to the fans in Section 11. In the 5 years I’ve been on this plan, we’ve never had a better section and you all kept the spirits alive.
6) Thank you to Fernando Tatis for earning one of the greatest chants that the 7-packers have ever come up with.
7) Thank you Johan for at least giving us a chance.
8) Thank you Little D for putting up with it all again.
9) Thank you Pelf for finally becoming the pitcher we all knew you could be.
10) Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Rupp for your hospitality once again during the Subway Series.
11) Thank you Jerry Manuel for the comic relief. You did a great job and I look forward to seeing what you got with a clean slate next year.
12) Thank you Carlos Delgado for the 9 RBI day against the Yankees. I’m still waiting for Mike to throw his wallet in the river.
13) Thank you Daniel Murphy for being friggin awesome. Keep up the good work.
14) Thank you SNY.
15) Thank you WFAN.
16) Thank you Bob Heussler for standing up for Mets fans everywhere!
17) Thank you cousin Ed for keeping me confident throughout the year.
18) Thank you Matt Cerrone for Metsblog and allowing me to have my own branch.
19) Thank you to the rest of the Metsblog staff for keeping us all informed.
20) Thank you to the Totowa, NJ Police Department for their prompt response to my accident on game night, allowing me to still make the game by the top of the 2nd.
21) Thank you to the “My New Haircut” guy for giving us punch lines.
22) Thank you to Pepsi Girl. You’re the best!
23) Thank you to the guy who filmed the stupid Phillies fan and caught us in the background in a film that you uploaded on Youtube. The 7-packers are now immortalized on the internet.
24) Thank you James and Franny, we need to get to more games in the new ballpark.
25) Thank you Section 11 for being there. Not only during the 7-pack, but even my first Johan start!
26) Thank you Mama’s of
27) Thank you to Stup for helping me grow up a Mets fan. See the link after Chris' thank you for more on that. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you and my Godchild to a game at Shea this year. I’ll make it up to you. Junior will be a Mets fan and I will be there at his first game in Citi Field.
28) Thank you Kevin Burkhardt for taking a few minutes out of your schedule to hang out and talk during a game. You’re one of the best field reporters in the game. Keep it up man.
29) Thank you A-Train for the Yankee tickets. I couldn’t let them tear down that one too without checking it out one more time.
30) Thank you Griff for meeting up at the games and your fantastic baseball commentary throughout the year.
31) Thank you Boomer and Carton for giving Mets fans something to listen to on morning radio. Carton, promise me that you will not lock up any more Mets game in the future. PLEASE!
32) Thank you ESPN for “The Zen of Bobby V.”
33) Thank you to the Yankees and their fans for taking in all in stride during all the Subway Series games. We’ll see you next year in Citi Field.
34) Thank you Nintendo Wii for providing entertainment around the Subway Series.
35) Thank you to customink.com for the t-shirts. They are phenomenal!
36) Thank you to the All Star Game for providing me with enough material for one of the greatest blogs I’ve ever written. http://viewfromthegreenseats.metsblog.com/blog/_archives/2008/7/16/3795208.html
37) Thank you to my bosses for allowing me to leave work a little early on game days.
38) Thank you Ryan and the entire family for an awesome weekend in
39) Thank you Chicago Cubs for allowing the rooftop seats to exist.
40) Thank you Wrigley Field for being awesome
41) Thank you Elijah Dukes for being an ass and providing us with some quality entertainment and great cannon fodder.
42) Thank you Bobby for the Nationals tickets and for taking the drive down. That was an awesome trip.
43) Thank you Hirxie for making the trip down. And remember, just be happy you made the playoffs.
44) Thank you Stubhub. Even though a lot of your tickets are WAY overpriced, every once in a while, I can sneak in a good deal.
The 7-Packers
45) Thank you J-Nic for splitting the driving with me. We had some great talks during the drives.
46) Thank you
47) Thank you Big Bruce for all the great tailgates.
48) Thank you Dan for being the best dressed Mets fan game in and game out.
49) Thank you Alex for always backing me up and scoring for me when I went on beer runs.
50) Thank you Caron for putting up with Alex.
51) Thank you Jeff for joining the plan, your enthusiasm was definitely needed.
52) Thank you Kerri continuing to be late. It always made me feel I never needed to rush.
53) Thank you Rich for the awesome desserts again. Jelly donut and beer is one of the greatest combinations ever
54) Thank you Laura for the good luck all season long AND for the moral support during the games. The purple Sharpie was clutch too!
55) Thank you Christian for joining the plan this year. I still don’t know how you pulled that Ramon Castro pick out of your ass. Come back again next year man.
56) Thank you Wes for the reunion game. Good to see you again.
57) Thank you Mike for being there to listen to my rants throughout the season and for being such a good friend. Also, I can’t thank you enough for bringing me in on this plan 5 years ago. As a Mets fan, this was the greatest decision I ever made.
I don’t know if we’ll all be together again. I just want to let you know it’s been an amazing ride. I will never forget these last 5 years for as long as I live. Every single one of you played a key role in my enjoyment of Mets baseball over the last 5 years. My only hope is that the Mets do the right thing and bring back the plan. If not, we’ll just all have to get together and pick 7 games. I cannot imagine sitting in the new ballpark without you.
And finally, I want to thank my parents. Mom, thank you for putting up with Dad and me again. Also, thanks for getting into it. There aren’t too many moms out there that know much about their son’s favorite sports teams. It was always great to talk to you about the Mets and a lot of times you were able to give me a perspective that would somehow keep me calm whenever I talked about them. I guess that’s one of the many great things Moms can do. It was definitely easier for me to keep my sanity during games when you were around.
Thank you Dad. Thank you for teaching me about how to deal with heartache when it comes to a baseball team. Who would know better than an original Brooklyn Dodgers fan? In everything in life, from baseball to firefighting, I’ve always looked up to you to learn how to deal with life’s lemons. I’ll never forget all of our great times at Shea together and I look forward to many more in the new ballpark. I need to say it again. There is nothing that I love to do more than to watch a baseball game with my Dad. I’m so happy that you made it to those games this year. And I promise to take you and Mom to your first game at Citi Field.
Credits:
7-Pack
Author/Instigator
Rick Briamonte
Co-Author/Instigator/Big Bopper
Michael Rupp
Patriarch
Bruce Rupp
Organizer
Tara Rupp
Antagonist
Jeff Laczych
X-Factor
Alex Dick
Calming Presence/Patient Wife
Caron Dick (f/k/a Mineo)
Instigator/Best Dressed Mets Fan (Once again)
Daniel Woelfel
Backup Man
Jeff Nichols
Moral Support
Kerri Berney
Sly Commentator/Moral Support
Laura Brancato
Pastry Man
Rich Brancato
Newcomer
Christian Tynan
Pinch Pack Member 1
Frank Briamonte
Pinch Pack Member 2
Wesley Sapp
The Seven Pack. (Missing from photo: Christian Tynan)
You’ve all been great! See you again! Thank you for reading and Let’s Go Mets!!! Over the next few weeks I will be working on my post for recapping my greatest memories from Shea and Yankee Stadiums. Stay tuned!
One last video to close it out. Goodbye Section 11
