The All Star Game at Shea

[Zvon]

I bet if I dig Ill find a thread concerning this here.

The All Star game was held at Shea once in its rich history.
1964, to coincide with the 64/65 Worlds Fair.
Shea may not be the greatest stadium but its never been the worst.
Not even now, with all these shrinkydink new homey parks.

2 questions.

1) Will there ever be another? (times running out)

But more so.......
2) Why wasnt there more over the years?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Well, there's more than some who'll tell you different, regarding which park is the worst. And near-worst is bad also.

I think the Mets and the league are waiting for Kranepool Stadium to be built before they host another All-Star Game.

[Guest sharpie]

Candlestick was a disliked park, too, and they got an All-Star Game in either the late '80's or early '90's (they also hosted the one in, I think, '62, where Stu Miller was blown offa the mound). They get one this year in their new digs. Shea coulda had more if they asked.

[Guest Yancy Street Gang]

I remember reading somewhere that, for some reason, the Mets haven't been interested in hosting the game.

Personally, I don't care if they do it or not. The All-Star Game has fallen almost completely off my radar screen.

[Elster88]

It'd be kinda fun if the wind was blowing in and no one could hit one out during the derby.
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This post had the designation 148) George Stone

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Shea is far from the worst park. The parks in Miami, St. Pete and Oakland are all worse than Shea. The Metrodome in Minneapolis suxx. Enron/Minute Made is a little strange (I hate that stupid hill in centerfield).

I'm all in favor of a new stadium for the Mets. But Shea has never been the worst park.

BTW, Jack Murphy/Qualcomm (still used for football) and the Kingdome in Seattle (mercifully torn down) are my bottom two all time baseball stadiums.

[Frayed Knot]

1) Will there ever be another? (times running out)

No. Bud is apparently making some noise about throwing the NYY one more before they tear down that joint but he's not going to go out of his way and bump a park already planning for it to get one more to the much less historic Shea



But more so.......
2) Why wasnt there more over the years?

Like Yancy said, Met mgmt never wanted one.
Smaller parks in smaller cities tend get a bigger "boost" from things like A-S games than big cities and the Metsies didn't think it was worth the trouble. Also sticking it in a shiny new crib became the thing to do and ... well, we're neither shiny nor new.
On the other hand, I'll bet you can lay a fairly heavy wager that you'll see one within 5 years of whenever the new place opens.

[G-Fafif]

The only time the Mets even mentioned a post-1964 All-Star Game hosting possibility was 1988. Al Harazin admitted, after the fact, that the team thought it might be nice to host it for the 25th anniversary season of Shea but said it was too much work.

Al Harazin is long gone, but that same obtuse, maddening attitude exists. I know the ASG ain't what it used to be, but I've been quietly hoping I'd get to see one in my team's home park before it or I die.

Too much work? It's a frigging baseball game. Is that why they so assiduously avoid October?

Perhaps the new yard will be christened as the current one was, with glitter.

[Elster88]

Actually, I think there is a whole lot more to it than a baseball game. There's all that new crap: memorabilia shows, carnival type stuff (All Star Fan Fest or something), concerts, etc. besides the derby and the celebrity softball game. Probably a pain in the ass for whatever town hosts it. I always figured the money they got out of it was the incentive to put up with all of that stuff.
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This post had the designation 147) Jeff Reardon

[G-Fafif]

Elster88 wrote: Actually, I think there is a whole lot more to it than a baseball game. There's all that new crap: memorabilia shows, carnival type stuff (All Star Fan Fest or something), concerts, etc. besides the derby and the celebrity softball game. Probably a pain in the ass for whatever town hosts it. I always figured the money they got out of it was the incentive to put up with all of that stuff.

All-Star festivities at Shea (or any ballpark) would include the prospects game on Sunday, the workout, celebrity softball game and home run hitting contest on Monday and the game itself on Tuesday. The Fan Fest would be held off-site as it is in other cities. Any concert would take on the same character as the post-game Merengue Night or Irish Night concerts of years past. Essentially, Shea would be given over to the ASG for three days. The Mets would presumably be on the road for a series or two before the break so preparations could be made.

The only ones who would be put upon for the entire event would be the same Shea operations staff that can't keep all its lights on for a single night game.