Shea Photo Thread

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

="soupcan":sgwypaic]Pop Quiz - without looking it up, how much did Nelson & Jeff pay for the Mets in 1980. If I remember right, I think it was $20 million.[/quote:sgwypaic] For some reason $21 million is the number I remember but geez.

Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 09:14 AM

Pedro Pistacio took a no-hiiter into the seventh the day after a crisp one-hitter by Testes. It was game two of a three-game sweep over Milwaukee and, for a minute there, it looked like the 2002 Mets had scrapped together a winning rotation of Leiter-Estes-Astacio-D'Amico-Trachsel. That plan blew up in the parking lot like so many SUVs.

Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 09:15 AM

Is that logo stitched together? It acually looks like a giant shoulder patch.

soupcan Jan 15 2009 09:16 AM

D'Amico. I had high hopes for him.

soupcan Jan 15 2009 09:17 AM

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":esm8z809]For some reason $21 million is the number I remember but geez.[/quote:esm8z809] I think you're right. dgwphotography Jan 15 2009 11:19 AM ="batmagadanleadoff"] ="soupcan"] That neon batter just reminded me of Gary Carter' follow through, particularly the way Gary would take an inside pitch and line drive one-bounce it to the outfielder for a single. Are there any other Mets that the neon hitter resembles? flip it around, and it's Mex. attgig Jan 15 2009 12:16 PM ="metirish"] Fans rush onto the field and players celebrate after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969 > i wonder if that will ever be allowed in pro sports. when did that stop? it's only on college that you see fans rushing the field. why is that? Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 12:19 PM Because student athletes don't need/demand protection from the masses the way millionnaire atheletes do. Why is the cop screening home plate doing the time warp? metirish Jan 15 2009 12:23 PM How about the guy down the RF line jumping from the stands? Benjamin Grimm Jan 15 2009 12:23 PM I think it stopped in 1986, at least in New York. The fans rushed the field after the division clincher, but the mounted cops prevented it in the World Series. I think, though, that the Phillies had the cops on horseback for the 1980 World Series. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 17 2009 12:20 PM I went out there this morning, photos on facebook. Here's a vid shot as the 7 train arrives in Willets Pt. metirish Jan 17 2009 01:59 PM Great pictures btw. soupcan Jan 18 2009 01:53 PM These are from baseballfever... Kong76 Jan 18 2009 02:08 PM Even dollar cost averaging down to ~ 7 1/2, that sums up my Citigroup stock feelings. I've been somewhat unaffected by most of the images, but this one is particularly eerie to me: Kong76 Jan 18 2009 02:10 PM I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed? I thought they'd be more far along. Benjamin Grimm Jan 18 2009 03:30 PM I'm not sure they have to. The existing parking lot served Shea for the last few years, and Shea held more fans than Citi will. Kong76 Jan 18 2009 03:37 PM I don't mean they have to, I just thought that was the plan. Since groundbreaking, parking there has been a pain in the neck and I took the train mostly to games. I like to tailgate, plan on doing it a lot this year, and it's easier to do with a car. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 18 2009 04:26 PM ="Kong76":3gm6qt5k]I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed? I thought they'd be more far along.[/quote:3gm6qt5k] Official plan is the last bits of Shea are to be disappeared by June 30. Those photos put mine to shame! metirish Jan 23 2009 02:23 PM Vince Coleman Firecracker Jan 23 2009 02:43 PM An auto body shop in a Quonset hut. Fantastic. Willets Point Jan 23 2009 02:44 PM I've got dibs on "City * Field * Collision" as my band's name. Frayed Knot Jan 24 2009 11:28 AM The ends of the horseshoe are starting to disappear http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907755#imgXR http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907756#imgXR G-Fafif Jan 24 2009 11:53 AM It's a stump, but it's our stump. dgwphotography Jan 24 2009 01:07 PM soupcan Jan 26 2009 12:33 PM More at stadiumpage.com Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 12:56 PM btw, Harvey Araton tees off the Yanx in a piece in Sunday's NYTimes. Specifically it's the sweet time they're taking in getting rid of the old park even though the new one is nearly finished and that the whole deal was based on trading stadium space for park land, park land that now seems destined for 2011 at the earliest. Their answer as to when they'll get around to even starting deconstruction is essentially "when we fuckin' get around to it - now go away and stop bothering us", even as they had no problem making a public spectacle about marching their offices across to the new digs the street last week. "Mayor Bloomberg, tear down this stadium" metirish Jan 26 2009 01:16 PM The arrogance of all involved is sickening , how I despise all things Yankees. SteveJRogers Jan 26 2009 02:14 PM Supposedly they are going to use YSII for a movie production, plus the plan was that either the Mets or Yankees would use YSII to play games if either Citi Field or YSIII weren't ready come April. So despite the arrogance, there really are valid reasons why it is still up. Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 02:36 PM Even if using YSII was the on-paper 'just-in-case' backup plan in the event that some wild mishap went on with the construction of either of the new stadiums the virtually ZERO chance such a plan would ever be put into place has now shrunk to roughly that of the Lions being put into next week's Super Bowl were a case of bubonic plague to sweep through either the Steeler or Cardinal camp. And, as the article mentions, they've yet to even select a company that would do the deconstruction or set a date as to when it might start. So the reason it's not only still up but will be so for at least another year has everything to do with the fact that they haven't finished milking the old girl for every cent she's worth and if that means that the city that just re-re-issued more tax-free bonds as the price climbed over a billion dollars and the local kids in the neighborhood they claim to care so much for (whenever they weren't threatening to leave that is) go without a public park for the next few years well then that's none of their damn business. metirish Jan 28 2009 08:10 PM New York Times ] In Dead of Winter, Shea Stadium Is Melting Away By KEN BELSON Published: January 28, 2009 With each passing day, Shea Stadium, the home of the Mets since 1964, fades further from Citi Field, the team�s new home. In the last few weeks, demolition crews have been ripping down entire sections of Shea from both ends of the outfield decks toward its middle. What was once a semi-enclosed bowl with 57,000 seats is now a skeleton of a grandstand. In the first weeks after the Mets finished their final season at Shea (with another desultory loss that knocked them out of playoff contention), crews removed the seats, signs and anything else that could be sold to collectors or reused in city parks. Then demolition crews started knocking out the field level and the concrete decks that made up the loge and the mezzanine. But the structure of the stadium, built for nearly $30 million, was largely intact. Not so anymore. Since the beginning of the year, crews have clawed away at Shea�s walls and beams, exposing escalators, elevator banks and air ducts. The stands above Gates A and E have vanished and parts of the neon players that adorned the outside of the stadium are gone, too. Twelve sections of the upper deck still have their concrete floors, but the other sections that remain are outlined only by their steel beams. Unlike stadiums in other cities that have been imploded, Shea had to be taken down piece by piece because of building codes. The rat-a-tat-tat of the construction machinery drowned out the noise of the jets taking off from LaGuardia Airport. Tarps on chain link fences say �Almost Home,� a reference to the soon-to-be-opened Citi Field, but also the six-month process of erasing Shea. In all, nearly 10,000 tons of steel and another 2,500 tons of concrete will be pulled out of Shea. Some of the concrete will be ground up and reused as the base material for the parking lot that will be installed in its place. The lot will include space for 2,000 cars and signs marking where home plate and the pitcher�s mound once were. Team representatives said that the demolition will be completed some time in the coming weeks, which is not hard to imagine. On Wednesday, lines of dump trucks made their way onto what was once the outfield, weaving around piles of crumpled metal and concrete covered in snow. Several Web sites have sprung up that have chronicled the destruction of the place where Seaver once threw, Piazza once squatted and the Stork, George Theodore, once roamed. In a way, the sites are a testament to the morbid curiosity of Mets fans, who have endured many morbid Mets teams. �It�s interesting how they are doing it piece by piece,� said Eric Okurowski, a 31-year master�s candidate and a life-long Met fan from Babylon, N.Y., who runs stadiumpage.com. �Most old stadia are blown up and it takes just a few seconds. It�s pretty interesting seeing it come apart in pieces over the course of four months.� Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. As Shea diminishes, Citi Field emerges. While less imposing than Shea, the new stadium, at least from the outside, has an elegance that Shea lacked. Instead of the lattice of concrete ramps that constituted Shea�s exterior, Citi Field is covered in brick and punctuated with arches and an entrance rotunda. Flood lights highlight the outside while klieg lights illuminate what is left of Shea. More Articles in Sports �A version of this article appeared in print on January 29, 2009, on page B18 of the New York edition. apmorris Jan 29 2009 04:58 PM ="metirish"]New York Times ] Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. Anyone going? (bring a camera) metirish Jan 29 2009 05:28 PM People are going http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/ G-Fafif Jan 30 2009 03:38 PM Damn, dirty apes... apmorris Jan 30 2009 04:43 PM ="G-Fafif"]Damn, dirty apes... Awesomenessness Kong76 Jan 30 2009 07:24 PM Classic pic. dgwphotography Jan 31 2009 05:41 AM that's just brilliant. Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 05:44 AM That really is brilliant. metirish Jan 31 2009 05:47 AM Yeah it's very clever. themetfairy Jan 31 2009 06:19 AM It's just a model.... batmagadanleadoff Jan 31 2009 04:06 PM I'm guessing that the picture has something to do with the Statue Liberty finale in Planet of.... But that picture never came up on my browser. Not today. Not yesterday. Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 04:14 PM Me neither. I had to right click, select "Copy Location" and paste the following in my browser: http://faithandfear.blogharbor.com/_photos/heston.jpg Edgy DC Feb 02 2009 07:05 AM You MANIACS! soupcan Feb 05 2009 07:11 AM From stadiumpage.com Just a matter of time now.... Benjamin Grimm Feb 05 2009 08:06 AM It's starting to look more like the grandstand you'd see at a race track. Frayed Knot Feb 05 2009 08:11 AM Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Even though the pain and heartache Seems to follow me wherever I go Though I try and try to hide my feelings They always seem to show Then you try to say you're leaving me And I always have to say no... Tell me why Is it so That I ... Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Evertime I think I had enough I start heading for the door There's a very strange vibration That pierces me right to the core It says turn around you fool You know you love her more and more Tell me why Is it so Don't wanna let yo go I never can say goodbye soupcan Feb 06 2009 10:55 AM These are from wcbs880.com. And there are a few more there as well. G-Fafif Feb 08 2009 03:10 PM Shea among the ruins... Kong76 Feb 08 2009 03:47 PM I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling. "That's all that's left? When was that picture taken?" "Uh, I guess last time it snowed." ... (I'm obnoxious in real life too) and I told her this is like a 25 page thread of the destruction of Shea and we started talking about our Moms and games and tailgates and she got me all throaty too and crying and screw you all but ok I admit that it's hard to see the old thing disappear and I've been suppressing the sadness. There, I said it. dgwphotography Feb 09 2009 07:41 AM the first time we go there this year will be a shock. Edgy DC Feb 09 2009 07:50 AM We should go and have a tribute concert in the parking lot. G-Fafif Feb 09 2009 10:37 AM ="Kong76":1akaid2f]I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling.[/quote:1akaid2f] My wife, who worked downtown throughout the fall of 2001, invoked Ground Zero in terms of what it reminded her of looking at. soupcan Feb 13 2009 10:09 AM Another from baseballfever.com metirish Feb 13 2009 10:27 AM Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Benjamin Grimm Feb 13 2009 10:48 AM They should leave that last chunk in place. smg58 Feb 13 2009 12:34 PM I drove past it the other day. It's really sad to see it. soupcan Feb 14 2009 07:21 AM I'm at LaGuardia waiting for a flight. Drove past Citi and Shea. Shea looks so sad and insignificant. I'm excited and wistful at the same time. cooby Feb 14 2009 08:22 AM Please, check for ice and geese. Not joking. soupcan Feb 14 2009 08:38 AM We're flying Continental - what could go wrong? dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:44 AM ="metirish"] It's fitting that that's the last piece left... Frayed Knot Feb 14 2009 09:49 AM Think of it as an image of Koosman throwing the final pitch of the '69 WS. It could be Orosco/'86 too but it looks more like Koosman. dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:51 AM hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:57 AM ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. SteveJRogers Feb 14 2009 11:49 AM ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? A Boy Named Seo Feb 14 2009 11:58 AM ="metirish"]Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Nice pic, Irish. Poor, little Shea getting swallowed up by Citi on both sides. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 01:46 PM We took a ride out there today. We packed up a camera, a couple of Heineken keg cans (KB drove) and set out. I was kind of emotional getting ready but by the time we were in the car and on our way I was kinda excited. There were a bunch of people milling about doing the same thing we were and while I didn't talk to anyone we all smiled and nodded to each other like we got it. What we really should have done was cooked a few hot dogs one more time but the beer was enough I guess to count as a tailgate of sorts. The pictures posted all over the internet get redundant after awhile I suppose, but I got a few unique images. metirish Feb 15 2009 02:20 PM Great pictures , thanks. themetfairy Feb 15 2009 03:08 PM Nice shots Kase! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 05:20 PM Thanks, sir. Beautiful and gut-wrenching. (All in all, this offseason's been like a months-long wake... except one where the guests take parts of the deceased with them as souvenirs.) A Boy Named Seo Feb 15 2009 05:30 PM Great shots, man. Love the one of you raising your can of Heiny in salutation. holychicken Feb 15 2009 05:49 PM Whoa, crazy, KC. I was there today too and took some very similar pictures. I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash. He was very happy to be out running about like that. Edgy DC Feb 15 2009 06:01 PM Should have a concert out there. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 06:05 PM Or an Irish wake? -Loading up on Jameson fifths/Cueing up "Body of an American" on the iPods. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 06:13 PM holyc: I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash <<< I didn't see any little brown pups running about. It's funny, but I really thought I'd run into at least one Mets' fan I knew out there. Running into you woulda been cool and we coulda done a Heiny. holychicken Feb 15 2009 07:42 PM Yeah, I figured there would be no one there but the when I saw the number of people there I figured I would see someone I knew. I checked everyone saw there, but didn't recognize anyone as well. I figured my dog would have stuck out tho more than me DocTee Feb 15 2009 08:27 PM Cool pics, thanks for sharing them. Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground, ghetto style, to remember Shea, your fallen friend? Kong76 Feb 16 2009 01:11 PM Tee: Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground <<< I have to confess that I did deposit some used Heiny behind some construction materials. Edgy DC Feb 16 2009 01:13 PM I'm going to guess you haven't puked at Shea since October 12, 1982. Kong76 Feb 16 2009 06:24 PM I had to google the date but I didn't yak that night. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2009 09:25 AM Nice shotz guys. ah, screw it. Zvon Feb 17 2009 12:28 PM ="SteveJRogers"] ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? That's the Desert Storm logo/thing they added to sets of cards for the troops overseas back in the day. themetfairy Feb 17 2009 02:00 PM Zvon! How have you been? attgig Feb 17 2009 03:53 PM http://twitpic.com/photos/bluenautica one last piece remaining. Frayed Knot Feb 18 2009 11:14 AM Last piece down (video available via Newsday's main sports page) It's all over but the sweeping. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:02 AM These I guess are almost a week old. From http://www.stadiumpage.com Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 08:14 AM To heck with your copyright, Gary. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:32 AM 'Zactly. Zvon Feb 24 2009 02:38 PM ="Edgy DC":33njl1ow]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:33njl1ow] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh. holychicken Feb 24 2009 03:59 PM ="Zvon":13ygrx4a] ="Edgy DC":13ygrx4a]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:13ygrx4a] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh.[/quote:13ygrx4a] Simple crop job ought to do. Edgy DC Mar 16 2009 02:56 PM Mini-Shea ripped up from the ground. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/you-too-can-own-a-piece-of-the-mini-city/ Farmer Ted Mar 16 2009 03:14 PM They couldn't save those two satellite dishes? Coulda saved me a few bucks with DirecTV.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Pedro Pistacio took a no-hiiter into the seventh the day after a crisp one-hitter by Testes. It was game two of a three-game sweep over Milwaukee and, for a minute there, it looked like the 2002 Mets had scrapped together a winning rotation of Leiter-Estes-Astacio-D'Amico-Trachsel.

That plan blew up in the parking lot like so many SUVs.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Is that logo stitched together? It acually looks like a giant shoulder patch.

[soupcan]

D'Amico.

I had high hopes for him.

[soupcan]

="John Cougar Lunchbucket":esm8z809]For some reason $21 million is the number I remember but geez.[/quote:esm8z809] I think you're right.

dgwphotography Jan 15 2009 11:19 AM

="batmagadanleadoff"] ="soupcan"] That neon batter just reminded me of Gary Carter' follow through, particularly the way Gary would take an inside pitch and line drive one-bounce it to the outfielder for a single. Are there any other Mets that the neon hitter resembles? flip it around, and it's Mex.

attgig Jan 15 2009 12:16 PM

="metirish"] Fans rush onto the field and players celebrate after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969 > i wonder if that will ever be allowed in pro sports. when did that stop? it's only on college that you see fans rushing the field. why is that?

Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 12:19 PM

Because student athletes don't need/demand protection from the masses the way millionnaire atheletes do. Why is the cop screening home plate doing the time warp?

metirish Jan 15 2009 12:23 PM

How about the guy down the RF line jumping from the stands?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 15 2009 12:23 PM

I think it stopped in 1986, at least in New York. The fans rushed the field after the division clincher, but the mounted cops prevented it in the World Series. I think, though, that the Phillies had the cops on horseback for the 1980 World Series.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 17 2009 12:20 PM

I went out there this morning, photos on facebook. Here's a vid shot as the 7 train arrives in Willets Pt.

metirish Jan 17 2009 01:59 PM

Great pictures btw.

soupcan Jan 18 2009 01:53 PM

These are from baseballfever...

Kong76 Jan 18 2009 02:08 PM

Even dollar cost averaging down to ~ 7 1/2, that sums up my Citigroup stock feelings. I've been somewhat unaffected by most of the images, but this one is particularly eerie to me:

Kong76 Jan 18 2009 02:10 PM

I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed? I thought they'd be more far along.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 18 2009 03:30 PM

I'm not sure they have to. The existing parking lot served Shea for the last few years, and Shea held more fans than Citi will.

Kong76 Jan 18 2009 03:37 PM

I don't mean they have to, I just thought that was the plan. Since groundbreaking, parking there has been a pain in the neck and I took the train mostly to games. I like to tailgate, plan on doing it a lot this year, and it's easier to do with a car.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 18 2009 04:26 PM

="Kong76":3gm6qt5k]I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed? I thought they'd be more far along.[/quote:3gm6qt5k] Official plan is the last bits of Shea are to be disappeared by June 30. Those photos put mine to shame! metirish Jan 23 2009 02:23 PM Vince Coleman Firecracker Jan 23 2009 02:43 PM An auto body shop in a Quonset hut. Fantastic. Willets Point Jan 23 2009 02:44 PM I've got dibs on "City * Field * Collision" as my band's name. Frayed Knot Jan 24 2009 11:28 AM The ends of the horseshoe are starting to disappear http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907755#imgXR http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907756#imgXR G-Fafif Jan 24 2009 11:53 AM It's a stump, but it's our stump. dgwphotography Jan 24 2009 01:07 PM soupcan Jan 26 2009 12:33 PM More at stadiumpage.com Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 12:56 PM btw, Harvey Araton tees off the Yanx in a piece in Sunday's NYTimes. Specifically it's the sweet time they're taking in getting rid of the old park even though the new one is nearly finished and that the whole deal was based on trading stadium space for park land, park land that now seems destined for 2011 at the earliest. Their answer as to when they'll get around to even starting deconstruction is essentially "when we fuckin' get around to it - now go away and stop bothering us", even as they had no problem making a public spectacle about marching their offices across to the new digs the street last week. "Mayor Bloomberg, tear down this stadium" metirish Jan 26 2009 01:16 PM The arrogance of all involved is sickening , how I despise all things Yankees. SteveJRogers Jan 26 2009 02:14 PM Supposedly they are going to use YSII for a movie production, plus the plan was that either the Mets or Yankees would use YSII to play games if either Citi Field or YSIII weren't ready come April. So despite the arrogance, there really are valid reasons why it is still up. Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 02:36 PM Even if using YSII was the on-paper 'just-in-case' backup plan in the event that some wild mishap went on with the construction of either of the new stadiums the virtually ZERO chance such a plan would ever be put into place has now shrunk to roughly that of the Lions being put into next week's Super Bowl were a case of bubonic plague to sweep through either the Steeler or Cardinal camp. And, as the article mentions, they've yet to even select a company that would do the deconstruction or set a date as to when it might start. So the reason it's not only still up but will be so for at least another year has everything to do with the fact that they haven't finished milking the old girl for every cent she's worth and if that means that the city that just re-re-issued more tax-free bonds as the price climbed over a billion dollars and the local kids in the neighborhood they claim to care so much for (whenever they weren't threatening to leave that is) go without a public park for the next few years well then that's none of their damn business. metirish Jan 28 2009 08:10 PM New York Times ] In Dead of Winter, Shea Stadium Is Melting Away By KEN BELSON Published: January 28, 2009 With each passing day, Shea Stadium, the home of the Mets since 1964, fades further from Citi Field, the team�s new home. In the last few weeks, demolition crews have been ripping down entire sections of Shea from both ends of the outfield decks toward its middle. What was once a semi-enclosed bowl with 57,000 seats is now a skeleton of a grandstand. In the first weeks after the Mets finished their final season at Shea (with another desultory loss that knocked them out of playoff contention), crews removed the seats, signs and anything else that could be sold to collectors or reused in city parks. Then demolition crews started knocking out the field level and the concrete decks that made up the loge and the mezzanine. But the structure of the stadium, built for nearly $30 million, was largely intact. Not so anymore. Since the beginning of the year, crews have clawed away at Shea�s walls and beams, exposing escalators, elevator banks and air ducts. The stands above Gates A and E have vanished and parts of the neon players that adorned the outside of the stadium are gone, too. Twelve sections of the upper deck still have their concrete floors, but the other sections that remain are outlined only by their steel beams. Unlike stadiums in other cities that have been imploded, Shea had to be taken down piece by piece because of building codes. The rat-a-tat-tat of the construction machinery drowned out the noise of the jets taking off from LaGuardia Airport. Tarps on chain link fences say �Almost Home,� a reference to the soon-to-be-opened Citi Field, but also the six-month process of erasing Shea. In all, nearly 10,000 tons of steel and another 2,500 tons of concrete will be pulled out of Shea. Some of the concrete will be ground up and reused as the base material for the parking lot that will be installed in its place. The lot will include space for 2,000 cars and signs marking where home plate and the pitcher�s mound once were. Team representatives said that the demolition will be completed some time in the coming weeks, which is not hard to imagine. On Wednesday, lines of dump trucks made their way onto what was once the outfield, weaving around piles of crumpled metal and concrete covered in snow. Several Web sites have sprung up that have chronicled the destruction of the place where Seaver once threw, Piazza once squatted and the Stork, George Theodore, once roamed. In a way, the sites are a testament to the morbid curiosity of Mets fans, who have endured many morbid Mets teams. �It�s interesting how they are doing it piece by piece,� said Eric Okurowski, a 31-year master�s candidate and a life-long Met fan from Babylon, N.Y., who runs stadiumpage.com. �Most old stadia are blown up and it takes just a few seconds. It�s pretty interesting seeing it come apart in pieces over the course of four months.� Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. As Shea diminishes, Citi Field emerges. While less imposing than Shea, the new stadium, at least from the outside, has an elegance that Shea lacked. Instead of the lattice of concrete ramps that constituted Shea�s exterior, Citi Field is covered in brick and punctuated with arches and an entrance rotunda. Flood lights highlight the outside while klieg lights illuminate what is left of Shea. More Articles in Sports �A version of this article appeared in print on January 29, 2009, on page B18 of the New York edition. apmorris Jan 29 2009 04:58 PM ="metirish"]New York Times ] Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. Anyone going? (bring a camera) metirish Jan 29 2009 05:28 PM People are going http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/ G-Fafif Jan 30 2009 03:38 PM Damn, dirty apes... apmorris Jan 30 2009 04:43 PM ="G-Fafif"]Damn, dirty apes... Awesomenessness Kong76 Jan 30 2009 07:24 PM Classic pic. dgwphotography Jan 31 2009 05:41 AM that's just brilliant. Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 05:44 AM That really is brilliant. metirish Jan 31 2009 05:47 AM Yeah it's very clever. themetfairy Jan 31 2009 06:19 AM It's just a model.... batmagadanleadoff Jan 31 2009 04:06 PM I'm guessing that the picture has something to do with the Statue Liberty finale in Planet of.... But that picture never came up on my browser. Not today. Not yesterday. Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 04:14 PM Me neither. I had to right click, select "Copy Location" and paste the following in my browser: http://faithandfear.blogharbor.com/_photos/heston.jpg Edgy DC Feb 02 2009 07:05 AM You MANIACS! soupcan Feb 05 2009 07:11 AM From stadiumpage.com Just a matter of time now.... Benjamin Grimm Feb 05 2009 08:06 AM It's starting to look more like the grandstand you'd see at a race track. Frayed Knot Feb 05 2009 08:11 AM Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Even though the pain and heartache Seems to follow me wherever I go Though I try and try to hide my feelings They always seem to show Then you try to say you're leaving me And I always have to say no... Tell me why Is it so That I ... Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Evertime I think I had enough I start heading for the door There's a very strange vibration That pierces me right to the core It says turn around you fool You know you love her more and more Tell me why Is it so Don't wanna let yo go I never can say goodbye soupcan Feb 06 2009 10:55 AM These are from wcbs880.com. And there are a few more there as well. G-Fafif Feb 08 2009 03:10 PM Shea among the ruins... Kong76 Feb 08 2009 03:47 PM I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling. "That's all that's left? When was that picture taken?" "Uh, I guess last time it snowed." ... (I'm obnoxious in real life too) and I told her this is like a 25 page thread of the destruction of Shea and we started talking about our Moms and games and tailgates and she got me all throaty too and crying and screw you all but ok I admit that it's hard to see the old thing disappear and I've been suppressing the sadness. There, I said it. dgwphotography Feb 09 2009 07:41 AM the first time we go there this year will be a shock. Edgy DC Feb 09 2009 07:50 AM We should go and have a tribute concert in the parking lot. G-Fafif Feb 09 2009 10:37 AM ="Kong76":1akaid2f]I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling.[/quote:1akaid2f] My wife, who worked downtown throughout the fall of 2001, invoked Ground Zero in terms of what it reminded her of looking at. soupcan Feb 13 2009 10:09 AM Another from baseballfever.com metirish Feb 13 2009 10:27 AM Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Benjamin Grimm Feb 13 2009 10:48 AM They should leave that last chunk in place. smg58 Feb 13 2009 12:34 PM I drove past it the other day. It's really sad to see it. soupcan Feb 14 2009 07:21 AM I'm at LaGuardia waiting for a flight. Drove past Citi and Shea. Shea looks so sad and insignificant. I'm excited and wistful at the same time. cooby Feb 14 2009 08:22 AM Please, check for ice and geese. Not joking. soupcan Feb 14 2009 08:38 AM We're flying Continental - what could go wrong? dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:44 AM ="metirish"] It's fitting that that's the last piece left... Frayed Knot Feb 14 2009 09:49 AM Think of it as an image of Koosman throwing the final pitch of the '69 WS. It could be Orosco/'86 too but it looks more like Koosman. dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:51 AM hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:57 AM ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. SteveJRogers Feb 14 2009 11:49 AM ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? A Boy Named Seo Feb 14 2009 11:58 AM ="metirish"]Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Nice pic, Irish. Poor, little Shea getting swallowed up by Citi on both sides. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 01:46 PM We took a ride out there today. We packed up a camera, a couple of Heineken keg cans (KB drove) and set out. I was kind of emotional getting ready but by the time we were in the car and on our way I was kinda excited. There were a bunch of people milling about doing the same thing we were and while I didn't talk to anyone we all smiled and nodded to each other like we got it. What we really should have done was cooked a few hot dogs one more time but the beer was enough I guess to count as a tailgate of sorts. The pictures posted all over the internet get redundant after awhile I suppose, but I got a few unique images. metirish Feb 15 2009 02:20 PM Great pictures , thanks. themetfairy Feb 15 2009 03:08 PM Nice shots Kase! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 05:20 PM Thanks, sir. Beautiful and gut-wrenching. (All in all, this offseason's been like a months-long wake... except one where the guests take parts of the deceased with them as souvenirs.) A Boy Named Seo Feb 15 2009 05:30 PM Great shots, man. Love the one of you raising your can of Heiny in salutation. holychicken Feb 15 2009 05:49 PM Whoa, crazy, KC. I was there today too and took some very similar pictures. I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash. He was very happy to be out running about like that. Edgy DC Feb 15 2009 06:01 PM Should have a concert out there. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 06:05 PM Or an Irish wake? -Loading up on Jameson fifths/Cueing up "Body of an American" on the iPods. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 06:13 PM holyc: I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash <<< I didn't see any little brown pups running about. It's funny, but I really thought I'd run into at least one Mets' fan I knew out there. Running into you woulda been cool and we coulda done a Heiny. holychicken Feb 15 2009 07:42 PM Yeah, I figured there would be no one there but the when I saw the number of people there I figured I would see someone I knew. I checked everyone saw there, but didn't recognize anyone as well. I figured my dog would have stuck out tho more than me DocTee Feb 15 2009 08:27 PM Cool pics, thanks for sharing them. Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground, ghetto style, to remember Shea, your fallen friend? Kong76 Feb 16 2009 01:11 PM Tee: Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground <<< I have to confess that I did deposit some used Heiny behind some construction materials. Edgy DC Feb 16 2009 01:13 PM I'm going to guess you haven't puked at Shea since October 12, 1982. Kong76 Feb 16 2009 06:24 PM I had to google the date but I didn't yak that night. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2009 09:25 AM Nice shotz guys. ah, screw it. Zvon Feb 17 2009 12:28 PM ="SteveJRogers"] ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? That's the Desert Storm logo/thing they added to sets of cards for the troops overseas back in the day. themetfairy Feb 17 2009 02:00 PM Zvon! How have you been? attgig Feb 17 2009 03:53 PM http://twitpic.com/photos/bluenautica one last piece remaining. Frayed Knot Feb 18 2009 11:14 AM Last piece down (video available via Newsday's main sports page) It's all over but the sweeping. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:02 AM These I guess are almost a week old. From http://www.stadiumpage.com Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 08:14 AM To heck with your copyright, Gary. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:32 AM 'Zactly. Zvon Feb 24 2009 02:38 PM ="Edgy DC":33njl1ow]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:33njl1ow] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh. holychicken Feb 24 2009 03:59 PM ="Zvon":13ygrx4a] ="Edgy DC":13ygrx4a]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:13ygrx4a] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh.[/quote:13ygrx4a] Simple crop job ought to do. Edgy DC Mar 16 2009 02:56 PM Mini-Shea ripped up from the ground. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/you-too-can-own-a-piece-of-the-mini-city/ Farmer Ted Mar 16 2009 03:14 PM They couldn't save those two satellite dishes? Coulda saved me a few bucks with DirecTV.

[dgwphotography]

="batmagadanleadoff"] ="soupcan"] That neon batter just reminded me of Gary Carter' follow through, particularly the way Gary would take an inside pitch and line drive one-bounce it to the outfielder for a single. Are there any other Mets that the neon hitter resembles?

flip it around, and it's Mex.

[Guest attgig]

="metirish"] Fans rush onto the field and players celebrate after the Mets defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969 >

i wonder if that will ever be allowed in pro sports. when did that stop? it's only on college that you see fans rushing the field. why is that?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Because student athletes don't need/demand protection from the masses the way millionnaire atheletes do.

Why is the cop screening home plate doing the time warp?

[metirish]

How about the guy down the RF line jumping from the stands?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think it stopped in 1986, at least in New York.

The fans rushed the field after the division clincher, but the mounted cops prevented it in the World Series.

I think, though, that the Phillies had the cops on horseback for the 1980 World Series.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I went out there this morning, photos on facebook.

Here's a vid shot as the 7 train arrives in Willets Pt.

[metirish]

Great pictures btw.

[soupcan]

These are from baseballfever...

[Guest Kong76]

Even dollar cost averaging down to ~ 7 1/2, that sums up my Citigroup
stock feelings.

I've been somewhat unaffected by most of the images, but this one is
particularly eerie to me:

[Guest Kong76]

I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have
the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed?

I thought they'd be more far along.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm not sure they have to. The existing parking lot served Shea for the last few years, and Shea held more fans than Citi will.

[Guest Kong76]

I don't mean they have to, I just thought that was the plan.

Since groundbreaking, parking there has been a pain in the neck and I took
the train mostly to games. I like to tailgate, plan on doing it a lot this year,
and it's easier to do with a car.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

="Kong76":3gm6qt5k]I know the home opener is late this year, but are they really gonna have the ol' girl completely gone by then and a parking lot installed? I thought they'd be more far along.[/quote:3gm6qt5k] Official plan is the last bits of Shea are to be disappeared by June 30. Those photos put mine to shame!

metirish Jan 23 2009 02:23 PM

Vince Coleman Firecracker Jan 23 2009 02:43 PM

An auto body shop in a Quonset hut. Fantastic.

Willets Point Jan 23 2009 02:44 PM

I've got dibs on "City * Field * Collision" as my band's name.

Frayed Knot Jan 24 2009 11:28 AM

The ends of the horseshoe are starting to disappear http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907755#imgXR http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907756#imgXR

G-Fafif Jan 24 2009 11:53 AM

It's a stump, but it's our stump.

dgwphotography Jan 24 2009 01:07 PM

soupcan Jan 26 2009 12:33 PM

More at stadiumpage.com

Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 12:56 PM

btw, Harvey Araton tees off the Yanx in a piece in Sunday's NYTimes. Specifically it's the sweet time they're taking in getting rid of the old park even though the new one is nearly finished and that the whole deal was based on trading stadium space for park land, park land that now seems destined for 2011 at the earliest. Their answer as to when they'll get around to even starting deconstruction is essentially "when we fuckin' get around to it - now go away and stop bothering us", even as they had no problem making a public spectacle about marching their offices across to the new digs the street last week. "Mayor Bloomberg, tear down this stadium"

metirish Jan 26 2009 01:16 PM

The arrogance of all involved is sickening , how I despise all things Yankees.

SteveJRogers Jan 26 2009 02:14 PM

Supposedly they are going to use YSII for a movie production, plus the plan was that either the Mets or Yankees would use YSII to play games if either Citi Field or YSIII weren't ready come April. So despite the arrogance, there really are valid reasons why it is still up.

Frayed Knot Jan 26 2009 02:36 PM

Even if using YSII was the on-paper 'just-in-case' backup plan in the event that some wild mishap went on with the construction of either of the new stadiums the virtually ZERO chance such a plan would ever be put into place has now shrunk to roughly that of the Lions being put into next week's Super Bowl were a case of bubonic plague to sweep through either the Steeler or Cardinal camp. And, as the article mentions, they've yet to even select a company that would do the deconstruction or set a date as to when it might start. So the reason it's not only still up but will be so for at least another year has everything to do with the fact that they haven't finished milking the old girl for every cent she's worth and if that means that the city that just re-re-issued more tax-free bonds as the price climbed over a billion dollars and the local kids in the neighborhood they claim to care so much for (whenever they weren't threatening to leave that is) go without a public park for the next few years well then that's none of their damn business.

metirish Jan 28 2009 08:10 PM

New York Times ] In Dead of Winter, Shea Stadium Is Melting Away By KEN BELSON Published: January 28, 2009 With each passing day, Shea Stadium, the home of the Mets since 1964, fades further from Citi Field, the team�s new home. In the last few weeks, demolition crews have been ripping down entire sections of Shea from both ends of the outfield decks toward its middle. What was once a semi-enclosed bowl with 57,000 seats is now a skeleton of a grandstand. In the first weeks after the Mets finished their final season at Shea (with another desultory loss that knocked them out of playoff contention), crews removed the seats, signs and anything else that could be sold to collectors or reused in city parks. Then demolition crews started knocking out the field level and the concrete decks that made up the loge and the mezzanine. But the structure of the stadium, built for nearly $30 million, was largely intact. Not so anymore. Since the beginning of the year, crews have clawed away at Shea�s walls and beams, exposing escalators, elevator banks and air ducts. The stands above Gates A and E have vanished and parts of the neon players that adorned the outside of the stadium are gone, too. Twelve sections of the upper deck still have their concrete floors, but the other sections that remain are outlined only by their steel beams. Unlike stadiums in other cities that have been imploded, Shea had to be taken down piece by piece because of building codes. The rat-a-tat-tat of the construction machinery drowned out the noise of the jets taking off from LaGuardia Airport. Tarps on chain link fences say �Almost Home,� a reference to the soon-to-be-opened Citi Field, but also the six-month process of erasing Shea. In all, nearly 10,000 tons of steel and another 2,500 tons of concrete will be pulled out of Shea. Some of the concrete will be ground up and reused as the base material for the parking lot that will be installed in its place. The lot will include space for 2,000 cars and signs marking where home plate and the pitcher�s mound once were. Team representatives said that the demolition will be completed some time in the coming weeks, which is not hard to imagine. On Wednesday, lines of dump trucks made their way onto what was once the outfield, weaving around piles of crumpled metal and concrete covered in snow. Several Web sites have sprung up that have chronicled the destruction of the place where Seaver once threw, Piazza once squatted and the Stork, George Theodore, once roamed. In a way, the sites are a testament to the morbid curiosity of Mets fans, who have endured many morbid Mets teams. �It�s interesting how they are doing it piece by piece,� said Eric Okurowski, a 31-year master�s candidate and a life-long Met fan from Babylon, N.Y., who runs stadiumpage.com. �Most old stadia are blown up and it takes just a few seconds. It�s pretty interesting seeing it come apart in pieces over the course of four months.� Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. As Shea diminishes, Citi Field emerges. While less imposing than Shea, the new stadium, at least from the outside, has an elegance that Shea lacked. Instead of the lattice of concrete ramps that constituted Shea�s exterior, Citi Field is covered in brick and punctuated with arches and an entrance rotunda. Flood lights highlight the outside while klieg lights illuminate what is left of Shea. More Articles in Sports �A version of this article appeared in print on January 29, 2009, on page B18 of the New York edition.

apmorris Jan 29 2009 04:58 PM

="metirish"]New York Times ] Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. Anyone going? (bring a camera)

metirish Jan 29 2009 05:28 PM

People are going http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/

G-Fafif Jan 30 2009 03:38 PM

Damn, dirty apes...

apmorris Jan 30 2009 04:43 PM

="G-Fafif"]Damn, dirty apes... Awesomenessness

Kong76 Jan 30 2009 07:24 PM

Classic pic.

dgwphotography Jan 31 2009 05:41 AM

that's just brilliant.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 05:44 AM

That really is brilliant.

metirish Jan 31 2009 05:47 AM

Yeah it's very clever.

themetfairy Jan 31 2009 06:19 AM

It's just a model....

batmagadanleadoff Jan 31 2009 04:06 PM

I'm guessing that the picture has something to do with the Statue Liberty finale in Planet of.... But that picture never came up on my browser. Not today. Not yesterday.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 31 2009 04:14 PM

Me neither. I had to right click, select "Copy Location" and paste the following in my browser: http://faithandfear.blogharbor.com/_photos/heston.jpg

Edgy DC Feb 02 2009 07:05 AM

You MANIACS!

soupcan Feb 05 2009 07:11 AM

From stadiumpage.com Just a matter of time now....

Benjamin Grimm Feb 05 2009 08:06 AM

It's starting to look more like the grandstand you'd see at a race track.

Frayed Knot Feb 05 2009 08:11 AM

Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Even though the pain and heartache Seems to follow me wherever I go Though I try and try to hide my feelings They always seem to show Then you try to say you're leaving me And I always have to say no... Tell me why Is it so That I ... Never can say goodbye No no no no, I Never can say goodbye Evertime I think I had enough I start heading for the door There's a very strange vibration That pierces me right to the core It says turn around you fool You know you love her more and more Tell me why Is it so Don't wanna let yo go I never can say goodbye

soupcan Feb 06 2009 10:55 AM

These are from wcbs880.com. And there are a few more there as well.

G-Fafif Feb 08 2009 03:10 PM

Shea among the ruins...

Kong76 Feb 08 2009 03:47 PM

I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling. "That's all that's left? When was that picture taken?" "Uh, I guess last time it snowed." ... (I'm obnoxious in real life too) and I told her this is like a 25 page thread of the destruction of Shea and we started talking about our Moms and games and tailgates and she got me all throaty too and crying and screw you all but ok I admit that it's hard to see the old thing disappear and I've been suppressing the sadness. There, I said it.

dgwphotography Feb 09 2009 07:41 AM

the first time we go there this year will be a shock.

Edgy DC Feb 09 2009 07:50 AM

We should go and have a tribute concert in the parking lot.

G-Fafif Feb 09 2009 10:37 AM

="Kong76":1akaid2f]I called KB over and asked if she wanted to see an eerie picture on my laptop and she saw this and started bawling.[/quote:1akaid2f] My wife, who worked downtown throughout the fall of 2001, invoked Ground Zero in terms of what it reminded her of looking at. soupcan Feb 13 2009 10:09 AM Another from baseballfever.com metirish Feb 13 2009 10:27 AM Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Benjamin Grimm Feb 13 2009 10:48 AM They should leave that last chunk in place. smg58 Feb 13 2009 12:34 PM I drove past it the other day. It's really sad to see it. soupcan Feb 14 2009 07:21 AM I'm at LaGuardia waiting for a flight. Drove past Citi and Shea. Shea looks so sad and insignificant. I'm excited and wistful at the same time. cooby Feb 14 2009 08:22 AM Please, check for ice and geese. Not joking. soupcan Feb 14 2009 08:38 AM We're flying Continental - what could go wrong? dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:44 AM ="metirish"] It's fitting that that's the last piece left... Frayed Knot Feb 14 2009 09:49 AM Think of it as an image of Koosman throwing the final pitch of the '69 WS. It could be Orosco/'86 too but it looks more like Koosman. dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:51 AM hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... dgwphotography Feb 14 2009 09:57 AM ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. SteveJRogers Feb 14 2009 11:49 AM ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? A Boy Named Seo Feb 14 2009 11:58 AM ="metirish"]Great pictures over there...taken this morning from the #7 train Nice pic, Irish. Poor, little Shea getting swallowed up by Citi on both sides. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 01:46 PM We took a ride out there today. We packed up a camera, a couple of Heineken keg cans (KB drove) and set out. I was kind of emotional getting ready but by the time we were in the car and on our way I was kinda excited. There were a bunch of people milling about doing the same thing we were and while I didn't talk to anyone we all smiled and nodded to each other like we got it. What we really should have done was cooked a few hot dogs one more time but the beer was enough I guess to count as a tailgate of sorts. The pictures posted all over the internet get redundant after awhile I suppose, but I got a few unique images. metirish Feb 15 2009 02:20 PM Great pictures , thanks. themetfairy Feb 15 2009 03:08 PM Nice shots Kase! LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 05:20 PM Thanks, sir. Beautiful and gut-wrenching. (All in all, this offseason's been like a months-long wake... except one where the guests take parts of the deceased with them as souvenirs.) A Boy Named Seo Feb 15 2009 05:30 PM Great shots, man. Love the one of you raising your can of Heiny in salutation. holychicken Feb 15 2009 05:49 PM Whoa, crazy, KC. I was there today too and took some very similar pictures. I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash. He was very happy to be out running about like that. Edgy DC Feb 15 2009 06:01 PM Should have a concert out there. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 15 2009 06:05 PM Or an Irish wake? -Loading up on Jameson fifths/Cueing up "Body of an American" on the iPods. Kong76 Feb 15 2009 06:13 PM holyc: I was the jackass with my little brown dog off the leash <<< I didn't see any little brown pups running about. It's funny, but I really thought I'd run into at least one Mets' fan I knew out there. Running into you woulda been cool and we coulda done a Heiny. holychicken Feb 15 2009 07:42 PM Yeah, I figured there would be no one there but the when I saw the number of people there I figured I would see someone I knew. I checked everyone saw there, but didn't recognize anyone as well. I figured my dog would have stuck out tho more than me DocTee Feb 15 2009 08:27 PM Cool pics, thanks for sharing them. Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground, ghetto style, to remember Shea, your fallen friend? Kong76 Feb 16 2009 01:11 PM Tee: Did you pour some of that Heiny on the ground <<< I have to confess that I did deposit some used Heiny behind some construction materials. Edgy DC Feb 16 2009 01:13 PM I'm going to guess you haven't puked at Shea since October 12, 1982. Kong76 Feb 16 2009 06:24 PM I had to google the date but I didn't yak that night. John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2009 09:25 AM Nice shotz guys. ah, screw it. Zvon Feb 17 2009 12:28 PM ="SteveJRogers"] ="Iubitul"] ="Iubitul"]hmmmm.... I always saw Matlack in that image... Actually, no. Bob Ojeda. What is that watermark on the other side of the card top? That's the Desert Storm logo/thing they added to sets of cards for the troops overseas back in the day. themetfairy Feb 17 2009 02:00 PM Zvon! How have you been? attgig Feb 17 2009 03:53 PM http://twitpic.com/photos/bluenautica one last piece remaining. Frayed Knot Feb 18 2009 11:14 AM Last piece down (video available via Newsday's main sports page) It's all over but the sweeping. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:02 AM These I guess are almost a week old. From http://www.stadiumpage.com Edgy DC Feb 24 2009 08:14 AM To heck with your copyright, Gary. soupcan Feb 24 2009 08:32 AM 'Zactly. Zvon Feb 24 2009 02:38 PM ="Edgy DC":33njl1ow]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:33njl1ow] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh. holychicken Feb 24 2009 03:59 PM ="Zvon":13ygrx4a] ="Edgy DC":13ygrx4a]To heck with your copyright, Gary.[/quote:13ygrx4a] I'll photoshop that out. Shhhh.[/quote:13ygrx4a] Simple crop job ought to do. Edgy DC Mar 16 2009 02:56 PM Mini-Shea ripped up from the ground. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/you-too-can-own-a-piece-of-the-mini-city/ Farmer Ted Mar 16 2009 03:14 PM They couldn't save those two satellite dishes? Coulda saved me a few bucks with DirecTV.

[metirish]

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

An auto body shop in a Quonset hut. Fantastic.

[Willets Point]

I've got dibs on "City * Field * Collision" as my band's name.

[Frayed Knot]

The ends of the horseshoe are starting to disappear

http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907755#imgXR

http://www.wfan.com/pages/3706726.php?imageGalleryXRefId=907756#imgXR

[G-Fafif]

It's a stump, but it's our stump.

[dgwphotography]

[soupcan]

More at stadiumpage.com

[Frayed Knot]

btw, Harvey Araton tees off the Yanx in a piece in Sunday's NYTimes.

Specifically it's the sweet time they're taking in getting rid of the old park even though the new one is nearly finished and that the whole deal was based on trading stadium space for park land, park land that now seems destined for 2011 at the earliest.
Their answer as to when they'll get around to even starting deconstruction is essentially "when we fuckin' get around to it - now go away and stop bothering us", even as they had no problem making a public spectacle about marching their offices across to the new digs the street last week.

"Mayor Bloomberg, tear down this stadium"

[metirish]

The arrogance of all involved is sickening , how I despise all things Yankees.

[stevejrogers]

Supposedly they are going to use YSII for a movie production, plus the plan was that either the Mets or Yankees would use YSII to play games if either Citi Field or YSIII weren't ready come April.

So despite the arrogance, there really are valid reasons why it is still up.

[Frayed Knot]

Even if using YSII was the on-paper 'just-in-case' backup plan in the event that some wild mishap went on with the construction of either of the new stadiums the virtually ZERO chance such a plan would ever be put into place has now shrunk to roughly that of the Lions being put into next week's Super Bowl were a case of bubonic plague to sweep through either the Steeler or Cardinal camp.
And, as the article mentions, they've yet to even select a company that would do the deconstruction or set a date as to when it might start.

So the reason it's not only still up but will be so for at least another year has everything to do with the fact that they haven't finished milking the old girl for every cent she's worth and if that means that the city that just re-re-issued more tax-free bonds as the price climbed over a billion dollars and the local kids in the neighborhood they claim to care so much for (whenever they weren't threatening to leave that is) go without a public park for the next few years well then that's none of their damn business.

[metirish]

New York Times

] In Dead of Winter, Shea Stadium Is Melting Away By KEN BELSON Published: January 28, 2009 With each passing day, Shea Stadium, the home of the Mets since 1964, fades further from Citi Field, the team�s new home. In the last few weeks, demolition crews have been ripping down entire sections of Shea from both ends of the outfield decks toward its middle. What was once a semi-enclosed bowl with 57,000 seats is now a skeleton of a grandstand. In the first weeks after the Mets finished their final season at Shea (with another desultory loss that knocked them out of playoff contention), crews removed the seats, signs and anything else that could be sold to collectors or reused in city parks. Then demolition crews started knocking out the field level and the concrete decks that made up the loge and the mezzanine. But the structure of the stadium, built for nearly $30 million, was largely intact. Not so anymore. Since the beginning of the year, crews have clawed away at Shea�s walls and beams, exposing escalators, elevator banks and air ducts. The stands above Gates A and E have vanished and parts of the neon players that adorned the outside of the stadium are gone, too. Twelve sections of the upper deck still have their concrete floors, but the other sections that remain are outlined only by their steel beams. Unlike stadiums in other cities that have been imploded, Shea had to be taken down piece by piece because of building codes. The rat-a-tat-tat of the construction machinery drowned out the noise of the jets taking off from LaGuardia Airport. Tarps on chain link fences say �Almost Home,� a reference to the soon-to-be-opened Citi Field, but also the six-month process of erasing Shea. In all, nearly 10,000 tons of steel and another 2,500 tons of concrete will be pulled out of Shea. Some of the concrete will be ground up and reused as the base material for the parking lot that will be installed in its place. The lot will include space for 2,000 cars and signs marking where home plate and the pitcher�s mound once were. Team representatives said that the demolition will be completed some time in the coming weeks, which is not hard to imagine. On Wednesday, lines of dump trucks made their way onto what was once the outfield, weaving around piles of crumpled metal and concrete covered in snow. Several Web sites have sprung up that have chronicled the destruction of the place where Seaver once threw, Piazza once squatted and the Stork, George Theodore, once roamed. In a way, the sites are a testament to the morbid curiosity of Mets fans, who have endured many morbid Mets teams. �It�s interesting how they are doing it piece by piece,� said Eric Okurowski, a 31-year master�s candidate and a life-long Met fan from Babylon, N.Y., who runs stadiumpage.com. �Most old stadia are blown up and it takes just a few seconds. It�s pretty interesting seeing it come apart in pieces over the course of four months.� Okurowski and several other die-hard fans are organizing a final farewell at Shea at noon Saturday to share stories and take photographs of what is left of the ballpark. As Shea diminishes, Citi Field emerges. While less imposing than Shea, the new stadium, at least from the outside, has an elegance that Shea lacked. Instead of the lattice of concrete ramps that constituted Shea�s exterior, Citi Field is covered in brick and punctuated with arches and an entrance rotunda. Flood lights highlight the outside while klieg lights illuminate what is left of Shea. More Articles in Sports �A version of this article appeared in print on January 29, 2009, on page B18 of the New York edition.