This is a brief tribute to my favorite major league baseball team - the New York Metropolitans, AKA the New York Mets. We all know that they played their first game in 1962, four years after the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers left New York for California. Their first ballpark was the Polo grounds, located in Manhattan at 155th Street and 8th Avenue. They would be there for two seasons until Shea Stadium opened in 1964. I also talk about this on another page, noted below as Long Island Baseball.
I went to numerous games once Shea Stadium opened, but unfortunately never took pictures, or saved any memorabilia. I went sporadically after 1965 through 1983. One game I went to was Opening Day 1969, which was the Montreal Expos' very first game. The Mets lost that one, but did win it all in October to the delight of a stunned baseball world. They would return to the World Series in 1973, but lost in seven games.
When I returned to going on a regular basis in 1983, the Mets stunk. The only consolation was that the other New York team was not much better. Then in 1984 they began to turn around, finishing a close second in 1984 and 1985. In 1986 they would be on a tear, and give us an exciting National League Chanpionship Series against Houston to win the pennant in 6 games. Then came the Red Sox and the World Series. After losing the first two games at home, they turned it around and won the Series on October 27, 1986. They would win the National League East in 1988, but lose to the Dodgers in the pennant series. There would be two more second place series and then a long decline. The bad part was that after 1996 the other New York team was on the rise. However, in 1999 they won the wild card after a great season finale but lost to the Braves in 6 games. Then another wild card in 2000 and the first Subway Series since 1956. Unfortunately the Yankees won in 5 games. Now maybe their year is 2008. We shall see. Wait 'til next year.
I have managed to collect some memorabilia and merchandise in the last 23 years: ticket stubs, programs, yearbooks, as well as lapel pins, a bobblehead statue, a watch, and sweatshirts. A further tribute to the team, or actually its ballpark, is my Yahoo ID here: Roosevelt126. It's based on the corner where Shea Stadium is located - Roosevelt Avenue and 126th Street. |
