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Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

cooby Feb 02 2017 01:04 AM

Oh I have a few, since I didn't get to go very often but one of my earliest memories was probably being amazed that they had Ivory bar soap in the ladies rooms. And attendants!

MFS62 Feb 02 2017 01:24 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

It was one stop on the 7 train from where I lived. (near Main Street Flushing) And there were no steel columns blocking our view. Later

themetfairy Feb 02 2017 01:51 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I thought that my first game was in 1970, but thanks to G-Fafif's Happiest Recap book I realized that it was in 1971. My mother and grandfather (who had lost his sight to diabetes) brought my younger brother and me to a game against the Phillies. My grandfather was very wary of crowds, so we arrived quite early. By the same token, we wound up leaving in the 5th inning due to concerns about the post-game crowd. However, the game went 15 innings, so we were able to watch the end of the game on TV at home. And since it was in Greg's book, that means that it was a Mets victory.

Ceetar Feb 02 2017 02:04 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

my first game was 1987. 8/20/87. I don't remember much from it, really anything, but I remember my father following in a large group of people that had handed their ticket to the usher so he could preserve the entire ticket and not just the stub.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 02 2017 03:07 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I don't recall my first game at Shea clearly but Frayed Knot might: He was there, cousins, grandfather and uncle were also there, it was 1971 maybe? I was very young. The game that really woke me up as a fan was the George Theodore-Don Hahn collision game. That's my first vivid memory of being at Shea. Game is crazier than I even remember if you look at the boxscore. http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=1865

Edgy MD Feb 02 2017 03:16 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Do you have the shot of you as Bobby Brady at the game with your crew? My first 5-10 Mets games were all wins. I was beginning to think I had the magic. I've never been able to find what I remember to be my first game. In my mind, it was a 1-0 or 2-0 win, perhaps with Zachry going the distance, perhaps with the scoreless tie broken in the seventh, perhaps by Stearns and somebody else hitting back-to-back doubles. If that's true, then my first game certainly occurred after the Seaver trade. It's a shame to think I was 10 and the Mets stinky before I got out to Big Shea, but I think that's true. My dad used to get big blocks of tickets to take a busload of kids from his local PBA club—and me and my brother—out to Shea or Yankee Stadium, alternately, to see games from the cheapies. I don't know how he and another cop kept 40 Brooklyn kids from getting lost or out of line over three hours, but there wasn't much time for father-son bonding, and if I thought my dad could be a red-ass in general, he was doubly scary when supervising the Dead End Street Kids.

seawolf17 Feb 02 2017 03:21 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I definitely remember my first Shea experience: http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2 ... rame-game/

Centerfield Feb 02 2017 03:37 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

seawolf17 wrote: I definitely remember my first Shea experience: http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2 ... rame-game/ Wait, two things, actually three things. 1. Great job on the framed cards. Wow. Terrific. 2. You rooted for the Cardinals? 3. WHY AM I NOT INVITED TO VIEW YOUR BLOG

seawolf17 Feb 02 2017 04:37 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Centerfield wrote: 2. You rooted for the Cardinals? They were my first Little League team. I was young and foolish.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 02 2017 04:38 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

cooby Feb 02 2017 04:47 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I've been thinking about this and i THINK my first game at Shea was in 1972. Dad noticed my extreme interest and in September we went on a bus From Williamsport to the game. I've settled on 1972 because I was in 8th grade and I remember wearing a certain pair of pants to school, which I will tell you about. It was an old pair of my sister's jeans that I had grown into. They were a little ratty, but I had spent the summer trying to embroider a big orange 'Mets', in proper script, on the back of one of the bottom (very bell-bottomed) pant legs. I wasn't getting far so on the night before the game, mom took over and got them finished. The game was against the Cardinals and a very young and gorgeous Keith Hernandez caught my eye. Wasn't listed on the roster in the scorecard of course. I was going to mention watching my favorite, john Milner, but really that might have been a different year. I don't remember watching the game so much. Just the people. And I remember Dad getting me a hot dog and they didn't have ketchup (weird) and so he put mustard on it. I never ate mustard before but since Jerry Grote and his family were in the ads I ate it and liked it! After a long bus ride home I went to bed and listened to mom and dad talking downstairs and could still hear the crowd noise and planes in my head. It's all great memories

Mets Willets Point Feb 02 2017 05:08 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

The Steve Henderson Game, although I think my earliest visits to Shea were for Jets games.

Edgy MD Feb 02 2017 05:14 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

A cool "Hendu Can Do" fact: Steve and Pam Henderson got engaged hours before that game, and remain married today. (Wifey Watch crossover!) I also like that all these years later, he refers to Tom Seaver as "Mr. Seaver."

cooby Feb 02 2017 05:57 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Another favorite memory was the opening day DDad and Metfairy took me along and we met Rusty Staub! KC you were there too...any more cranepoolets in that group?

Centerfield Feb 02 2017 06:07 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

You guys are all lucky. I grew up in upstate NY. My first trip to Shea Stadium was in 1998, at the age of 23. I remember sitting through an hour and a half rain delay until the game was ultimately called. I went back for my first actual game later that year. Against the Diamondbacks I think. I have a lot of "favorite" memories of Shea. I'll have to think it through.

themetfairy Feb 02 2017 06:10 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

As for a favorite memory, the double play at home plate during the 2006 NLDS was an incredible play to witness in person. True, I had seen that play previously that year. But that was in a Little League game.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 02 2017 06:17 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

My first game at Shea was a 1-0 loss to the Reds in 1971. Gary Nolan vs. Gary Gentry. The first time I saw them win was in my second visit, June 27, 1972, vs. the Pirates. It was Jim Fregosi's best day as a Met, with a 3-run homer and 5 rbi in a 7-4 win. I was hoping to see Roberto Clemente play, but he wasn't in the starting lineup and he didn't come in as a pinch-hitter either. (I seem to remember seeing him in the on-deck circle, but I can't be sure of that. Maybe I saw him out on the field before the game started.) My favorite Shea Stadium memory is easy: (Those aren't my actual tickets, although I was in the Upper Reserved. I was above first base, around Section 25.)

Fman99 Feb 02 2017 06:42 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

My earliest memory is being at a Mets Cubs game in maybe 1976-1977 sometime, that went an interminable amount of innings. And that I wanted to stay, but my mom and brother were all done, and we left in the 13th or 14th inning (OE: I looked at baseball-reference but could not find a Mets/Cubs extra inning game in those years, it may have been a different opponent). I remember we always used to get the single serve vanilla/chocolate ice cream cups at the game, and that that was a big deal. I remember also always bringing my mitt, even though you'd need a NASA booster to hit a foul ball up into the rows we normally sat in.

G-Fafif Feb 02 2017 08:04 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

First memory of seeing Shea comes from sitting in the back seat of a Chrysler, driving by on the Grand Central, my family dropping off I'm gonna say Sam Zaret (my dad's accountant/friend) at LaGuardia on a Sunday afternoon. I believe it was the summer of 1970 and that the Mets were playing within. I thought it was frigging Oz from the outside. All those speckles. So much color. I'd seen pictures, not to mention games on black & white television, but to see it from the highway was enchanting. First game inside: July 11, 1973. Astros 7 Mets 1. Day camp group. Upper deck. Kooz started. Willie played first for us. Agee led off for the visitors. Bought my Official Yearbook and learned Ed Kranepool was once an All-Star. Ate kosher box lunch salami sandwich that probably sat on the bus too long. It did not agree with me. But Shea did. Favorite memory inside: October 3, 1999. Mets 2 Pirates 1. Melvin Mora scores on a wild pitch to clinch a Wild Card tie and, at the very least a tiebreaker game. The Mets HAD to win that day and they did. And I was there. A year after they lost five in a row and blew a playoff spot and less than a week after they were in the midst of losing seven in a row and blowing another one, it was the ultimate act of redemption. I could fill a theoretical season with my favorite games from Shea. Actually, I once did.

seawolf17 Feb 02 2017 08:08 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

G-Fafif wrote: Favorite memory inside: October 3, 1999. Mets 2 Pirates 1. Melvin Mora scores on a wild pitch to clinch a Wild Card tie and, at the very least a tiebreaker game. The Mets HAD to win that day and they did. And I was there. A year after they lost five in a row and blew a playoff spot and less than a week after they were in the midst of losing seven in a row and blowing another one, it was the ultimate act of redemption. That's probably my favorite game, all told, that I was at too. Speaking of my old blog, I wrote about my favorite Shea moments in 2008: http://you.stonybrook.edu/cdorso/2008/0 ... thank-you/

Lefty Specialist Feb 02 2017 10:06 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Favorite memory inside was the Todd Pratt homer against the D-Backs in 1999 to win the division series. An entire stadium held its breath for a split-second and then exploded. Incredible.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 02 2017 10:16 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I was at the Pratt game too and that is up there among the bests/favorites. I also enjoyed the Bobby Jones game, the Piazza 9/22 game, the 4 doubles in the first inning playoff game, the drama-less NLCS Championship Mike Hampton Game. Really the whole 97-00 Bobby Valentine Era was a good time to be a Big Shea, before 9/11 ruined everything and CitiField ruined Big Shea.

Ashie62 Feb 03 2017 12:40 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Three moments in attendances are the Ventura/Pratt and Agbayani games. First memory is seeing Shea from the Whitestone bridge headed to a 1968 Banner day game. It was HUGE.

Edgy MD Feb 03 2017 01:32 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Top three memories, all of which have appeared in this space before: [list]1) Double-header long teenage makeout session in the mez. I'm sure we grossed our seatmates out and would have disgraced our families on ESPN if it happened in a later time. But it was then and it was sweet. 2) Police/Joan Jett/REM. During "So Lonely," the upper deck shook so much with the jumping up and down that a pipe hanging on the underside snapped, drenching folks in the field level seats. Fortunately it wasn't scalding hot water or sewage. If there's anything teenagers love as much as feeling the power of burgeoning independence and sexuality, it's feeling the power to destroy things in large groups. 3) Winning Banner Day. I mean, I was a Mets fan. Winning Banner Day was winning the lottery, winning a Nobel Prize, and getting into Harvard all in one. I didn't really win, but carried the banner of a friend's family, as they had two seemingly better banners to carry and I got the castoff. But the judges didn't see it that way. That brief period of time, when the number of the winner was announced and tens of thousands of people were looking around to see who won, but I and only I knew the number was mine ... I felt like I held the world in my hands at that moment. Yes, this was also when I was a teenager.[/list:u] As precious as these memories are, in retrospect, it'd be nice to have had one of those improbable ninth inning comebacks in my collection, like a bunch of you guys. But c'est la vie.

themetfairy Feb 03 2017 02:10 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Attending the September 17, 1986 division clincher was pretty awesome.

d'Kong76 Feb 03 2017 02:14 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

This was one of my favorites, I'll have to mull on a few others...

Frayed Knot Feb 03 2017 03:37 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Lefty Specialist wrote: Favorite memory inside was the Todd Pratt homer against the D-Backs in 1999 to win the division series. An entire stadium held its breath for a split-second and then exploded. Incredible. The only people that didn't hold their breath for a split-second that day were those of us in the waydafuckupthere seats in the RF corner upper deck because that angle gave you a knife-edge view along the entire length of the RCF wall thus allowing those sections to immediately see the ball bouncing around underneath the scoreboard. So rather than having to wait for Finley to check his glove then do the shoulder-slump thing, we knew Finley didn't catch the ball before Finley knew that Finley didn't catch it. We also has a several second jump on Pratt knowing (he was still standing and staring after I celebrated then turned towards the IF) and, upon listening to the radio replay on the way home, it was obvious that we knew before Gary as well.

RealityChuck Feb 03 2017 03:47 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I've only been to a game a handful of times. My first was October 2, 1966. What I remember most is that Sean Fitzmaurice started in the outfield. Back then, routine transactions were not always well covered, so when they announced his name, I had two thoughts: Who is Sean Fitzmaurice? And that sounds like the most Irish name ever.

Edgy MD Feb 03 2017 04:23 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I had a similar experience with some seats I won by answering a quiz given by the Amazin' Bill Mazer, that wasn't as stumpy as he thought. Donna, Fabio, and I arrived and found out we were in for a treat. It was the debut of Shawn Hare. We had not only not heard of the transaction, but had never heard of him as a minor leaguer, nor even as the American Leaguer he had been 2–3 years earlier. Shawn went 1-4 with a walk and we spent the whole game coming up with horrific back page puns to serve has headlines for future Hare-oics that were NEVER going to come—because these were the 1994 Mets, and the end was nigh.

HahnSolo Feb 03 2017 01:12 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I had a similar experience with some seats I won by answering a quiz given by the Amazin' Bill Mazer, that wasn't a stumpy as he thought. Donna, Fabio, and I arrived and found out we were in for a treat. It was the debut of Shawn Hare. We had not only not heard of the transaction, but had never heard of him as a minor leaguer, nor even as the American Leaguer he had been 2–3 years earlier. Shawn went 1-4 with a walk and we spent the whole game coming up with horrific back page puns to serve has headlines for future Hare-oics that were NEVER going to come—because these were the 1994 Mets, and the end was nigh. Is that the quiz where he thought you were cheating? Earliest memory: my first-ever game was 8/20/73 vs. the Reds. Seaver v. Billingham. Game went 16 innings; we left after 12 got home in time to see the last inning and watch Kiner's Korner.[url]http://ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=1908&tabno=B Best memory: October 25, 1986.

Lefty Specialist Feb 03 2017 01:45 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

My wife was at Game 6 in 1986, and she said it all happened so fast she almost couldn't process it. So I married into that memory.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 03 2017 01:46 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

HahnSolo wrote: Best memory: October 25, 1986. Me too, as stated earlier in this thread. There's no topping that one, is there? Where were you sitting?

HahnSolo Feb 03 2017 02:06 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Best memory: October 25, 1986. Me too, as stated earlier in this thread. There's no topping that one, is there? Where were you sitting? I don't have my stub anymore, but I got them from a friend of my dad's who worked as an usher* (before I was born my dad worked the stadiums and the Garden as an usher in a little side-hustle, and he still had good buddies at Shea). I want to say we were either section 1 or 3 of the upper deck, right behind home plate. I think it was row 8 of the upper reserved, and we were right on the aisle. * Mets gave all ushers the option to buy tickets to any WS game. Dad's buddy bought 2 and sold them to dad with a slight mark up. Of course I VCR'd the game, and if you watch the NBC broadcast post game, when Marv Albert interviews Ray Knight on the field there's an usher standing next to them on camera--it was the guy who sold dad the tickets!

Ceetar Feb 03 2017 02:12 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Frayed Knot wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Favorite memory inside was the Todd Pratt homer against the D-Backs in 1999 to win the division series. An entire stadium held its breath for a split-second and then exploded. Incredible. The only people that didn't hold their breath for a split-second that day were those of us in the waydafuckupthere seats in the RF corner upper deck because that angle gave you a knife-edge view along the entire length of the RCF wall thus allowing those sections to immediately see the ball bouncing around underneath the scoreboard. So rather than having to wait for Finley to check his glove then do the shoulder-slump thing, we knew Finley didn't catch the ball before Finley knew that Finley didn't catch it. We also has a several second jump on Pratt knowing (he was still standing and staring after I celebrated then turned towards the IF) and, upon listening to the radio replay on the way home, it was obvious that we knew before Gary as well. The cheers definitely moved around the stadium day, best wave ever. I remember cheering (uppers behind home somewhere) before I could tell Finley didn't catch it. I remember remarking "I guess he didn't catch it". We were the farthest people from it after all. Was the best game I'd been to in my life to that point, though that only lasted about a week.

d'Kong76 Feb 03 2017 04:10 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

The ol' girl's last day standing...

Benjamin Grimm Feb 03 2017 04:14 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

And here's a much younger Shea Stadium:

Lefty Specialist Feb 03 2017 04:23 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Favorite memory inside was the Todd Pratt homer against the D-Backs in 1999 to win the division series. An entire stadium held its breath for a split-second and then exploded. Incredible. The only people that didn't hold their breath for a split-second that day were those of us in the waydafuckupthere seats in the RF corner upper deck because that angle gave you a knife-edge view along the entire length of the RCF wall thus allowing those sections to immediately see the ball bouncing around underneath the scoreboard. So rather than having to wait for Finley to check his glove then do the shoulder-slump thing, we knew Finley didn't catch the ball before Finley knew that Finley didn't catch it. We also has a several second jump on Pratt knowing (he was still standing and staring after I celebrated then turned towards the IF) and, upon listening to the radio replay on the way home, it was obvious that we knew before Gary as well. The cheers definitely moved around the stadium day, best wave ever. I remember cheering (uppers behind home somewhere) before I could tell Finley didn't catch it. I remember remarking "I guess he didn't catch it". We were the farthest people from it after all. Was the best game I'd been to in my life to that point, though that only lasted about a week. The Gary Cohen play-by-play on this is awesome: 'Finley back to the warning track...to the wall...jumping....AAAAAAND.....it's outta here! That AAAAAAND is when everybody held their breath.

Zvon Mar 11 2018 07:41 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Does anyone here have a good enough memory or Shea knowledge to tell me when the clock on the Shea scoreboard, the best scoreboard known to man and the universe, changed clock sponsors? First it was LONGINES and then it became ELGIN. I know it was still LONGINES when the Yanks slept over in 1974-75. After that I lose track until the scoreboard makeover that placed an oval clock in the center, where the Mets logo used to be.

Vic Sage Mar 11 2018 09:50 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

i'm sure I went to games before '73, but my earliest memory was seeing Jon Matlack take a line drive off his head that year. It was mid-May (we went for my 12th birthday), and a rainy day against the Braves. I don't remember who hit it, but I remember the sound off the bat, like a gunshot, and Matlack going down like a puppet with its strings cut. People thought he was dead. My father was, like, "of course he's dead. that's the Mets for you." we ended up losing. It was a bad day, but ended up a pretty good year.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 11 2018 10:06 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Marty Perez hit the liner that hit Matlack's skull. Matlack contemplated pitching with a hockey mask upon his return, but didn't. The scoreboard clock was sponsored by Elgin as early as 1977. I've got pics of the clock from 1976 but I can't tell the sponsor. The 1976 lettering doesn't look like Longines or Elgin. When my internet connection gets fixed, I'll post pics.

batmagadanleadoff Mar 11 2018 10:11 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Vic Sage wrote: People thought [Matlack] was dead. My father was, like, "of course he's dead. that's the Mets for you." Some things never change.

Ceetar Mar 12 2018 12:13 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

internet tells me Elgin went defunct in '68?

Zvon Mar 12 2018 12:48 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

batmagadanleadoff wrote: The scoreboard clock was sponsored by Elgin as early as 1977. I've got pics of the clock from 1976 but I can't tell the sponsor. The 1976 lettering doesn't look like Longines or Elgin. When my internet connection gets fixed, I'll post pics. Thanks Batmag. Same with me, it's so small on most photos it's hard to make it out. Ceetar wrote: internet tells me Elgin went defunct in '68? Thanks for looking. That's wacky because I know they had their name up there before the scoreboard went blue. Post (app.)75-Pre 1980. Vic Sage wrote: i'm sure I went to games before '73, but my earliest memory was seeing Jon Matlack take a line drive off his head that year. It was mid-May (we went for my 12th birthday), and a rainy day against the Braves. I don't remember who hit it, but I remember the sound off the bat, like a gunshot, and Matlack going down like a puppet with its strings cut. People thought he was dead. My father was, like, "of course he's dead. that's the Mets for you." we ended up losing. It was a bad day, but ended up a pretty good year. You were at that game!?!? WOWZERS! I was watching on TV and you could hear the gunshot like sound at home. Damn, I was so scared shitless (spellcheck says I was scared "shirtless") Matlack was seriously hurt. Jon was a favorite at the time and I was very upset. He came back so fast and so unaffected that I thought it was a miracle.

cooby Mar 12 2018 01:12 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

My brother got me a beautiful Elgin watch for my High School graduation in 1977. It has a gorgeous silver mesh band that unfortunately catches on stuff. But I love my brother and cherish it to this day

Zvon Mar 12 2018 02:28 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Oh, my favorite memory was when I sneaked up into the greatest scoreboard known to man and the universe back in '72 or '73 after a night game. I've got to write up that adventure someday (maybe I have here at the CPF, I don't recall). I know I've touched on it before but to do it justice will take a lot of typing.

Vic Sage Mar 12 2018 05:15 AM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Zvon wrote: You were at that game!?!? WOWZERS! I was watching on TV and you could hear the gunshot like sound at home. Damn, I was so scared shitless (spellcheck says I was scared "shirtless") Matlack was seriously hurt. Jon was a favorite at the time and I was very upset. He came back so fast and so unaffected that I thought it was a miracle. He had been a speaker at my little league's awards breakfast after his rookie year and i had gotten his autograph. He seemed to be like 17 feet tall, and he looked a little bit like Herman Munster. So when i saw him go down at that game, it was pretty scary. It was like somebody i knew. It must've made an impression because here i am, 45 years later, and i can still smell the grass and the rain.

MFS62 Mar 12 2018 01:37 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

2004 - Victor Diaz and Craig Brazell both hitting late inning homers to tie, then win, the game for the Mets. It was the only game I ever saw from a luxury box with about 25 folks sharing catered food, drink and the victory. Later

seawolf17 Mar 12 2018 01:47 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Vic Sage wrote: People thought [Matlack] was dead. My father was, like, "of course he's dead. that's the Mets for you." Some things never change. That was literally my first thought too.

Frayed Knot Mar 12 2018 06:44 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

seawolf17 wrote: batmagadanleadoff wrote: Vic Sage wrote: People thought [Matlack] was dead. My father was, like, "of course he's dead. that's the Mets for you." Some things never change. That was literally my first thought too. Except that I'm pretty sure he didn't actually die from that incident.

Benjamin Grimm Mar 12 2018 06:54 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Matlack in 2013.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 12 2018 07:22 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

MFS62 wrote: 2004 - Victor Diaz and Craig Brazell both hitting late inning homers to tie, then win, the game for the Mets. It was the only game I ever saw from a luxury box with about 25 folks sharing catered food, drink and the victory. Later I was at that game with the notorious Bret Sabermetric. Best thing was how they shut up the Cubs fans who'd treated the first 8 innings as though they were clinching the playoffs at the enemy's field. IIRC the Cubs' chances were badly damaged by this and they narrowly missed the playoffs. Do believe our man LaTroy Hawkins surrendered one or both of those bombs.

Zvon Mar 12 2018 08:58 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

You were at that game!?!? WOWZERS! I was watching on TV and you could hear the gunshot like sound at home. Damn, I was so scared shitless (spellcheck says I was scared "shirtless") Matlack was seriously hurt. Jon was a favorite at the time and I was very upset. He came back so fast and so unaffected that I thought it was a miracle. He had been a speaker at my little league's awards breakfast after his rookie year and i had gotten his autograph. He seemed to be like 17 feet tall, and he looked a little bit like Herman Munster. So when i saw him go down at that game, it was pretty scary. It was like somebody i knew. It must've made an impression because here i am, 45 years later, and i can still smell the grass and the rain. Yo, I couldn't even sleep that night. It was like someone I knew was in a bad accident. Here's a detailed break down of that indecent that I wrote up in 2014: The young lefty did not get off to such a great start in '73. On May 8th 1973 Jon was 2-4 and set to face off against the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. New York established a 2-1 lead going into the 7th inning of this damp, chilly night game. Matlack had surrendered a home run to Davey Johnson in the 4th for the Braves lone run. The Met pitcher had only given up 3 hits through 6 but in the 7th he ran into trouble. With one out Jon issued a base on balls to Atlanta first baseman Dick Dietz. Catcher Paul Casinova and pinch hitter Rod Gilbreath followed with back to back singles, loading the bases. Ollie Brown popped out to Ed Kranepool at first and with two out Marty Perez came to the plate. The Braves shortstop connected on a Matlack fastball and smacked a wicked line drive right up the middle. The screaming meemee hit the Mets pitcher on the forehead above his left eye and caromed up and through the air, landing in the Mets dugout. I was watching on TV and it was just horrifying. Matlack lay on the mound clutching his head as his teammates rushed to his aid. Two runners scored and Perez was credited with ground rule double. I really thought the worst, that Matlack was seriously hurt and this was the end of his most promising career. He was taken off the field on a stretcher. Jon suffered a hairline fracture of his skull. Amazingly he recovered and returned to pitch six shutout innings only 11 days later on May 19 in Pittsburgh. This was just one of many injuries that kept knocking the team down in 1973. But they would keep bouncing back. In August and September, during the stretch run for the playoffs, Matlack was 7-2. He had a 1.40 ERA in four September starts helping the Mets capture the National League East crown. I made the same comment about Herman Munster in the past (lol): From the mfc project: Matlack reminded me of Fred Gwynn who played Herman Monster on T.V. I went Munster in 2014 for Da Murph: [fimg=400]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PS1PlXt2QuACvj58c1H_pHka-LKJEiCG-uYUIfo-dOAatAOevbG9j63h2-0rdPCuqCXf3UtONYEibgYR8ix1dhkpMjMcbOFWvFhVT_pkO5nVErogAiZouGOS6wARwF_d0D_grx08-a22nTUiADOyd9KDFUW2_VJL7XLOrCwuYLBosM0m5wzhhP4WC_FvCCgMcUuFZLaPc6MAbhuCA_Ar6ej8N03tAIW6HeYCjnrJedTlj6JH9rnSJtJNJzYbb8NKTH_JKTX5-HHip2VFANrFLoXJE_w4OGEJ2LpqqBFZxRTTyLUZI6EF2Ipeiojr3bLvZjJBswgiVyqKwsSy9yJpwDv4jgJMWyHN_rBHkbBfyr-RKO2bWqADUDIwaYG0AMiTis307MS158vib2qU5UgUhJhbEQkU4sElVb2m7iFA9Azg_SfnCVJigDdNRwNMFKII1qb-k6yDpwzrHtqWAfmeedCb_KawdQ3JmUPc2ZfJjjALY-jFbPKjJ7WxlGW-sUEi2qXHko5cQtaOTbNi7TcSNfNwm-IXLKI5YUnTj8bsBODceEmtczemOlodefVSaIPaXq_OWwijf_uTzG1CBH8yY7v09qFWkNHMgR3E1spB=w652-h463-no[/fimg]

cooby Mar 12 2018 09:05 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

I loved the 1973 team. My favorite ever

Mets Willets Point Mar 13 2018 04:50 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Shea Stadium memories.

cooby Mar 13 2018 04:57 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

Doubleheader. Promotional date. Pennant contending year. On cable TV so schmucks like me could watch Six bucks. Holy mackerel Now I remember why I’ve slowly withdrawn from the Mets and just can’t find the magic

Mets Willets Point Mar 13 2018 07:57 PM Re: Earliest/Most favorite Shea Stadium memory

And the Mets had raised ticket prices that year! I remember thinking that the box seats were really expensive at $10, and my family certainly wasn't going to pay that much.