Zvon

Couldn't the bears have adopted?

Metropolitan Park

="Nymr83"] what evidence is there that he would be a more effective option, as a starter, than either a FA acquisition, a trade acquisition, or a minor leaguer currently in the organization? I'm all for an acquisition through market or trade. If it's a proven successful starter, I'd even rather go that route. But if they don't do that and there's a spot open.... I figure Perez and Hernandez are gone, so the way things stand now I consider Niese as part of the rotation. You think they should give the open spot to Brandon Knight? Now I can see why Heilman is insulted. I know this is really not a good point business wise but Heilman has always wanted to be a starter. For this team, he has always done whats been asked of him and he has paid his dues. It's a fact he can pitch at the major league level. He should be given what he requests. A shot at a spot or a trade. If we do acquire a real starter I have no problem with Neise and Heilman trying out for that 5th spot during the spring. And if Aaron gets it Neise can be a nice fallback should he fail.

Wonder how many F bombs he dropped when they told him that.

I agree with Aaron about one thing. He should get out of the bullpen, or at least the role he plays there. Why not make him long man out and a spot starter. At least that puts him in a position to crack the rotation. Personally I feel if Omar ends up short in the rotation dept. and he looks to fill that spot from within, and there is nobody better or as experienced, Heilman should be given that shot. Like Ben said, as of now: "He can't be any worse than the guy we don't have." Or grant his wish and trade him. I'd like to hear the exact reasons why the Mets don't feel like he can be a starter (and I don't mean his starting numbers- which don't exactly help his cause). I remember when I couldn't wait to run Looper out a town on a rail, and giving him an opportunity to start would have been totally insane to me. But he did get that chance with the Cards and he won 24 games over the last two seasons. Ate up 199 innings last year. If there's a spot open come spring I'll be surprised and a bit concerned. But that would be a good time to see what Aaron can do.

="metirish":1zykiufq]I got to say that seeing those pictures excites me.[/quote:1zykiufq] I have to admit they excite me too. Edgy DC Nov 18 2008 08:56 PM Looking at those pictures, it's be kind of cool if they just paved over the field area and let the structure stand, letting early comers park and tailgate on the former field. Willets Point Nov 18 2008 09:17 PM ="Edgy DC":ez0b190s]Looking at those pictures, it's be kind of cool if they just paved over the field area and let the structure stand, letting early comers park and tailgate on the former field.[/quote:ez0b190s] And in a thousand years it will have the derelict charm of the Roman Coliseum. Hey, it already has the feral cats. Benjamin Grimm Nov 19 2008 04:29 AM I've thought the same thing. They'd just have to pop out some passageways so that traffic could flow easily. SteveJRogers Nov 25 2008 02:15 PM From baseball-fever.com a view from behind home plate (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) Benjamin Grimm Nov 25 2008 02:18 PM That porch in right field looks like a drawer that needs to be pushed shut. (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) metirish Nov 25 2008 02:26 PM From baseball-fever (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) G-Fafif Nov 25 2008 02:27 PM Orange foul poles, my heart be still. (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) Benjamin Grimm Nov 25 2008 02:29 PM I can picture a slicing line drive landing in fair territory and bouncing into the stands at the lower left. I guess it would still be a ground-rule double if that happened, even though the stands it bounces into are in foul territory. I wonder what "Hal the Referee" would say? (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 25 2008 02:31 PM ="G-Fafif":17s8qtsk]Orange foul poles, my heart be still.[/quote:17s8qtsk] Yeah. Looked like earlier versions had 'em yellow. Maybe they were just renderings. (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) Frayed Knot Nov 25 2008 02:34 PM Oh it would be a G-R double. Stuff like that happens all the time in Philly (both the new place and the old) and both in YSII and in RF in Boston (and I'm sure others as well). Hard to tell, but these jutting stands in LF don't look to have as extreme an angle as those in Philly but looks like we'll still get our share of goofy bounces back towards fair territory for balls that stay low enough to hit the facing of the stands and not bounce into the seats themselves. (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) metirish Nov 25 2008 02:35 PM This link here has a better picture of the lines and the foul pole. http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=60954&page=341 Also there are drawings of the park. (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) Farmer Ted Nov 25 2008 02:46 PM There appear to be extra tunnels in the upper deck behind home plate. Quick outs for the upper level fat cats. What is that press-box-looking-structure behind home plate (about 15 feet up from playing level? (Merged from More Citi Field photos, 11/25/2008) Benjamin Grimm Dec 02 2008 04:08 PM ]Citi Field nearly ready to open its doors Builders of Mets' new ballpark influenced by other stadiums By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com NEW YORK -- The left-field wall rises conspicuously high at Citi Field, making it both a point of note and, recently, a point of contention. "Eighteen feet," Mets COO Jeff Wilpon guessed on Tuesday, before a site worker pegged the actual height at 16 feet. And Wilpon was pleased. Citi Field, he said, may retain its predecessor's reputation as a pitcher-friendly park, but it hardly caters only to those on the mound. Toward the end of September, in fact, Wilpon invited players David Wright, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans out for a private batting practice session at the new park, and all three of them managed to yank a pitch over the wall. "Evans put it halfway up the left-field deck," Wilpon said. "It's totally reachable." Such details of the new stadium have now become focal points, because Citi Field is so close to completion. A stroll through the park on Tuesday revealed that all the seats have been installed, the press box and Diamond Club are already encased in glass, and workers have begun installing major appliances within the concession stands. Yet of greater interest to Wright, Murphy, Evans and others in uniform, of course, is what lies deeper within the stadium. Lockers have been fully installed in the home clubhouse -- Wright has already chosen his -- and the carpet and bathroom tiles feature images of the fluorescent icons affixed to Shea Stadium's exterior walls. Adjacent rooms lead to some typical clubhouse amenities -- the manager's office, kitchen and weight room, to name a few -- save for one in the back that houses a hot tub, a cold tub and an underwater treadmill. Unlike anything at Shea Stadium, that room, along with one for indoor batting cages and pitching mounds, will allow players to rehab injuries at Citi Field, rather than always fly to the team's Spring Training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla. In designing this ballpark, the Mets patched together ideas and influences from stadiums around the country. An overhang in right field, for example, protrudes above the warning track in a nod to the old Tiger Stadium. In the upper deck, a two-tiered layout reveals influence from Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. Pieces of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Coors Field in Denver are present, though Wilpon noted that his greatest influence in the design of Citi Field was seven-year-old PNC Park in Pittsburgh. "I wanted to super-size Pittsburgh," said Wilpon, who went on a nationwide ballpark tour before building his own. "I really liked Pittsburgh the best." Yet the one influence, even more than Pittsburgh's, that Wilpon wanted to capture was that of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn -- the inspiration for Citi Field's exterior and perhaps its most prominent feature, the Jackie Robinson Rotunda. Still incomplete, the rotunda will become Citi Field's main entranceway, allowing fans to spill out of the Willits Point subway station and into a miniature baseball shrine. An escalator leads up to the seating bowl and down below, Robinson's nine values -- a staple of the Jackie Robinson Foundation's message -- are featured. Before Opening Day, workers will also erect a nine-foot No. 42 for fans to see as they enter the park. Steps outside the rotunda lies something similarly striking, if only for its incompleteness. Shea Stadium, home of the Mets for 44 years, has been reduced to an empty dirt bowl, its seats stripped, its sod removed and nearly all of its signage disappeared. Wilpon said he hoped that Shea would be completely disassembled and converted into a parking lot by Opening Day, with small markers at the site of home plate and the pitcher's rubber. Already, Shea Stadium's frame is nearly lost in the shadow of Citi Field, which -- despite holding only 42,500 seats, roughly a 25 percent drop from Shea -- seems built on a much greater scale. There are open areas for picnic tables and standing room, and a "GA Club" behind home plate in which ticket-holders can mingle. There is a Diamond Plaza near the rotunda where Shea Stadium's old home run apple will rest, and a large concrete basin in center field for Citi Field's new apple. There are tiered bullpens in center field -- the Mets will have the lower one, closer to the field -- and a plaza outside the rotunda for greenery. Wilpon was steps away from that plaza, inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, when he looked up and admired his handiwork. "Powerful, right?" he said. "It's now becoming what we want it to become." G-Fafif Dec 02 2008 04:34 PM Very pretty pictures of a very pretty ballpark-to-be. But their immediate impact is to make me sad in that it's so not Shea. I know, I know: that's the idea. A few innings inside could have me changing my tune pretty quickly, but it just looks like something else from somewhere else right now. Edgy DC Dec 02 2008 04:56 PM ="Anthony DiComo":3aqa8uko]Toward the end of September, in fact, Wilpon invited players David Wright, Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans out for a private batting practice session at the new park, and all three of them managed to yank a pitch over the wall.[/quote:3aqa8uko] What in particular gets your attention about this sentence? metirish Dec 02 2008 04:59 PM That Nick Evens hit one out , that it was towards the end of September ,that " yank a pitch over the wall" doesn't sound that far. Benjamin Grimm Dec 02 2008 05:10 PM I like that the tiles and carpeting include a tribute to Shea Stadium. Edgy DC Dec 02 2008 05:14 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 02 2008 05:23 PM Richard Pryor had this observation to make during a seventies routine. People were talking about this dystopic futureshock sci-fi movie, called Logan's Run that left them unsettled. He went to it and was unsettled for a different reason. "I noticed there were no colored folks in this movie. Somebody's not expecting us to be around." Not that I think they're eradicating peeps of color from the roster, but while some Omar-critics may find it depressing that only five of 17 batters on the roster are caucasian, I noticed three of those five were the only ones invited to Jeff Wilpon's (who I don't think is a moron) private sleepover. Dude needs to broaden his experience. This ain't the Greenvale School. Edgy DC Dec 02 2008 05:16 PM And yeah, I'm not too keen on Wilpon not understanding that they should be focused on the business at hand in late September. Nymr83 Dec 02 2008 05:18 PM It seems obvious that Wright would be the first one invited and Murphy was being rewarded for his explosive rookie performance. Nick Evans? really? you need Nick Evans to test out your new park? I understand not inviting Delgado who might not be back but where was Beltran? Reyes? Edgy DC Dec 02 2008 05:23 PM Pat Zachry. I mean, good sources have assured me that they speak English and everything. G-Fafif Dec 02 2008 05:48 PM ]Still incomplete, the rotunda will become Citi Field's main entranceway, allowing fans to spill out of the Willits Point subway station Anthony DiComo obviously drives to games and has never seen the sign for the station (or met our own Willets Point). With the ballpark name in at least a little limbo, one hopes the MTA hasn't invested in new station signs just yet. metirish Dec 02 2008 05:58 PM ="metirish"]That Nick Evens hit one out , that it was towards the end of September ,that " yank a pitch over the wall" doesn't sound that far. I had not read the article when I made that comment , so Wilpon was talking about a 16 foot high wall in LF , not sure if I'm Nick Evens I think that the boss is giving me a compliment here. ] Evans put it halfway up the left-field deck," Wilpon said. "It's totally reachable." Edgy DC Dec 02 2008 06:10 PM I want it noted, suckers, that one of the primary indictments of Shea --- that the outfield field-level seats largely face directly toward the outfield, rather than the infield where most of the action occurs, does not appear to be improved upon at all at Citi. soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:23 AM bb-f again ="Edgy DC"]I want it noted, suckers, that one of the primary indictments of Shea --- that the outfield field-level seats largely face directly toward the outfield, rather than the infield where most of the action occurs, does not appear to be improved upon at all at Citi. Not so! Angled seats... metirish Dec 04 2008 08:54 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 04 2008 09:44 AM High staircase and escalator obviously , people falling and going splat on the Robinson rotunda is to be expected I would think. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 09:25 AM ="soupcan":188c6xn0]Not so! Angled seats...[/quote:188c6xn0] Well, shut my mouth. Rows angled maybe ten degrees toward the infield. Seats angled ten degrees more. That's something. Benjamin Grimm Dec 04 2008 09:27 AM I do like the improved legroom. You can even have a guy in a hardhat kneel down in front of your seat, if that's your idea of a good time. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 09:30 AM You've been reading my blog. soupcan Dec 04 2008 01:12 PM Cool little video tour of Citi[/url:3bdfxevb] metirish Dec 04 2008 01:18 PM ="soupcan":3fpddl03]Cool little video tour of Citi[/url:3fpddl03][/quote:3fpddl03] Very cool , at the 2:10 mark they show a fenced in patch of green next to the stand in what I think is left of center field , is that the bullpen? Farmer Ted Dec 04 2008 01:28 PM Mets logo on the end seat of each row. Looking classy. soupcan Dec 04 2008 01:29 PM A lot of nice hi-res shots like this at metsblog.com on the front page. This the first pic I've seen of the nice w - i - d - e concourses. seawolf17 Dec 04 2008 01:34 PM ="metirish":cf49cmfu]High staircase and escalator obviously , people falling and going splat on the Robinson rotunda is to be expected I would think.[/quote:cf49cmfu] Considering what happened this year, you'd think they'd be conscious of that. Benjamin Grimm Dec 04 2008 01:40 PM They should string circus-style safety nets below each of the escalators. That concourse does look nice. It's easy to see how you could be standing on the hot dog line while keeping an eye on the game. That, I think, is the best thing that the new stadium will have over Shea. I also like the visible steel infrastructure, although that's hardly an innovation. John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 04 2008 01:43 PM ="Benjamin Grimm":3jnxf2zm] I also like the visible steel infrastructure, although that's hardly an innovation.[/quote:3jnxf2zm] Yeah, though its supposed to subtly remind you of the bridge on the Mets logo, which is supposed to remind you of how the Mets reached across the city to "bridge" fans of the Giants and Dodgers, and the Eastsiders and Westsiders, and Kiddies and Wives, and the Butcher, the Baker and the People on the Street. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 01:49 PM Thank God the Mets brought kiddies and wives together. Willets Point Dec 04 2008 03:19 PM ="Edgy DC":h0g9fccu]You've been reading my blog.[/quote:h0g9fccu] I want to read this blog. Valadius Dec 04 2008 04:02 PM I like the use of brick on the inside of the stadium rather than just the facade. Rockin' Doc Dec 04 2008 05:23 PM No one will ever pull an Endy on that left field wall. How tall is that wall in left field? Zvon Dec 04 2008 05:33 PM What I like: almost everything. It looks beautiful, real low to the ground. User friendly for the fan. On the whole a nice new home for my Metsies. What I don't like: I've never been a fan of the two tier bullpen. Hate em! Bullpen fights could make things exciting though. I really like the use of chain link fence here, but that one outjutting looks like trouble to me. Once again, the whole right field set up should make things exciting. (I'm not against "exciting", I just do not like silly injuries) I like an outfield wall where there's always a possibility of pulling one back into the park. So I'm not too thrilled with the height of that left field wall. I am assuming that these are the outfield walls (that there wont be wooden ones placed a foot or so in front of those we see, which I think I'd prefer). I'm sure that if they go with these concrete walls that will be padded with the best material available, but I still don't like the idea of a wall with absolutely no give to it. Don't mind me. Im just being an idiopathic idiosyncrat. themetfairy Dec 04 2008 05:57 PM Not at all Zvon - I enjoyed your illustrative input. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 06:05 PM I like an outfield wall with a hidden door that an outfielder can suddenly disappear through. Valadius Dec 04 2008 06:36 PM It's almost like they're setting up for a Field of Dreams cornfield stunt. Frayed Knot Dec 04 2008 09:20 PM Or a Manny signing. soupcan Dec 07 2008 04:02 PM Old Apple goes here? Benjamin Grimm Dec 07 2008 05:23 PM My understanding (could be wrong, though) is that the old apple is going to be inside the stadium but somewhere in centerfield. Edgy DC Dec 07 2008 05:36 PM That'll be an all-nu apple. soupcan Dec 07 2008 05:42 PM You saying all-nu inside or all-nu outside? Edgy DC Dec 07 2008 07:15 PM All-nu inside. soupcan Dec 07 2008 07:21 PM Right - but that podium or hole or whatever is outside, so I'm thinking that's where the old one will go. Or a statue..? Frayed Knot Dec 07 2008 07:23 PM Yeah, my understanding was nu-apple inside, apple-classic on view somewhere outside. G-Fafif Dec 07 2008 08:08 PM Both will be out in center, according to Metsblog, which was on the media tour last week. ]For starters, Jeff Wilpon told reporters that the old Home-Run Apple from Shea Stadium will be on display in back of the concourse in center field, which was good to hear. However, a new Apple will pop up from a concrete cannister beneath the center-field scoreboard. That thing they're building outside, obviously, is a kiddie pool. soupcan Dec 12 2008 02:41 PM So the outside is an homage to Ebbets. The green seats are supposedly a nod to the Polo Grounds. Where's Shea? Oh there it is, on the floor of the locker room. Is that the ugliest damn rug you've ever seen or what? Edgy DC Dec 12 2008 02:44 PM That honor still belongs to the late Joe Pepitone. Zvon Dec 12 2008 02:49 PM That is one ugly rug. So Shea gets the honor of being stepped on? Valadius Dec 12 2008 04:58 PM Pepitone's rug looks like Blagojevich's. metirish Dec 12 2008 05:03 PM ="Edgy DC":befgt7hd]That honor still belongs to the late Joe Pepitone. [/quote:befgt7hd] Very funny. dgwphotography Dec 12 2008 05:11 PM ="Edgy DC"]That honor still belongs to the late Joe Pepitone. I'm think Phil here would give Joe a run for his money: themetfairy Dec 12 2008 05:14 PM That has to be Phil's own hair. Nobody would construct a toupee THAT ugly! metsguyinmichigan Dec 12 2008 05:43 PM ="metirish":3bn5ocf6]="Edgy DC":3bn5ocf6]That honor still belongs to the late Joe Pepitone. [/quote:3bn5ocf6] Very funny.[/quote:3bn5ocf6] WOW. And the rug on the guy on the right in the tan coat is horrible, too! And if I were Phil Spector's attorney, I'd go for the insanity defense and just point to him sitting there with that 'do and sit back and wait for the acquittal. soupcan Dec 12 2008 07:11 PM Pepitone's dead? Edgy DC Dec 12 2008 07:59 PM Guess not. My boo-boo. Sorry, Joe. I just sent a white elephant Christmas gift to my sister's Yankfan boyfriend. It was a Yankee hat that my brother got Pepitone's autograph on. What did he ever think I'd want with that. One time Pepitone, after missing a ballgame with a niggling injury while playing in Japan, was photographed at a disco later, out dancing with his wig. To this day, supposedly, American players who come to Japan and play the diva are called "Pepitones." Willets Point Dec 13 2008 05:52 PM ="soupcan":1k1wbb9f] Is that the ugliest damn rug you've ever seen or what?[/quote:1k1wbb9f] The carpet will be vastly improved by frequently soaking it in champagne. Farmer Ted Dec 13 2008 06:47 PM I was living in NC in the mid 90s and in charge of putting on a sports-related banquet. The Yankees had a minor league team in Greensboro for a number of years and the committee board voted to have a former Yankee or a current member of the organization to be the featured speaker. I swallowed my pride and called the Bronx. The PR office hack said someone would be in touch in a few days. Phone rings 20 minutes later. Pepitone on the other end. No shit. I explain we're looking for a speaker yadda yadda yadda and he says "I'll do it (basically volunteering himself). We can work on a fee but you need to fly me down there. Great times I had in that town." Apparently he had the gig of lining up the Yankees alumni for public appearances. I went back to the committee and told them Pepitone was the best I could do (not that I tried any harder). The room busted into hysterical laughter and we found someone else from a different sport to speak. Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 07:03 PM There was an episode of Mad About You where Jamie asked what ballplayer they can get for a personal appearance on a limited budget. Paul's answer was an aging swinger of a sixties Yankee firstbaseman clearly based on the Pep. cooby Dec 13 2008 07:56 PM I swear I was thinking about Joe Pepitone this morning. And why? Ashie62 Dec 17 2008 07:05 AM ="cooby":3lcpnzjo]I swear I was thinking about Joe Pepitone this morning. And why?[/quote:3lcpnzjo] Did you wake up with a woody? Rockin' Doc Dec 17 2008 10:24 AM I believe that would be a physical impossibility for cooby. metsmarathon Dec 17 2008 11:46 AM well, this thread sure has taken some strange strange turns hasn't it? Edgy DC Jan 07 2009 07:49 AM NEW YORK-- Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration will forgo luxury boxes at the new Yankees and Mets ballparks, the city said Tuesday after months of criticism about its handling of the stadium projects. The administration has worked out a new deal with the Yankees to get extra money, instead of a luxury box. A separate and similar agreement is being worked out with the Mets for their new park, a Bloomberg spokesman said. Senior Bloomberg aides had fought hard to get the luxury boxes, describing the perk in internal e-mails as "a big issue to the mayor" during negotiations with the teams in 2006. That battle for the boxes only recently came to light as state and federal lawmakers launched investigations into how the teams and the administration went about making those deals. The decision to give up the luxury boxes comes as Bloomberg seeks reelection this year and repeatedly cites the city's enormous budget shortfalls. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 07 2009 07:56 AM They gave it up at the same time they were forced to cough up reams of smoking guns on how filthy the whole thing was, including begging by the MFYs to increase their duistribution of public $$ to cover shit like their scoreboard and video board. Mets are also asking for more but about half the MFYs overall since the project was so much less expensive. Centerfield Jan 07 2009 03:17 PM I think the Mets should sign Manny and ask the public to pick up the tab.

themetfairy wrote: So...., who's watching the Watchmen? The latest trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/watchmen.html?showVideo=1 My daughter cannot wait for it to come out. Same with my son, lol. Whenever there's a new preview that's all he can talk about for days. I've always been a comic fan but Watchman somehow got under my radar back in '86. I must have been all up in the Dark Knight Returns. I wanted to see what it was all about so I recently got the .cbr files (for viewing comics on a PC) of the entire graphic novel series. (btw, they are just coming out with "Motion Comic" versions of these-i think 1-4 have been released. Can find em on itunes I think) I was pretty much blown away by it. The complexity of the characters, the alternate view of history (Nixon WAS the one TWICE!), and the fantastic plot created by Alan Moore was a totally singular experience. So I have to admit I'm pretty pumped for the movie myself.

="metirish":3sk2dk60]Reliable guys to get the ball to that closer are very important .[/quote:3sk2dk60] I agree, but if I was Omar I'd make my priority the closer (that could be easy if its a simple money game) and then do the hard work, do what a good GM should do, and find ways to strengthen that bullpen. Nymr83 Nov 15 2008 04:19 PM How do you guys feel about pursuing Trevor Hoffman? He and the Padres aren't speaking (they made a lowball offer and then withdrew even that and refuse to speak to him) and he's probably one of the few talented relievers amenable to a short deal. i know he's OLD, but what if its just for a year with an option? smg58 Nov 15 2008 05:12 PM Trevor could be a bargain. His year finished much better than it started. The catch is he's not more than a 50-inning pitcher at this point, but if you get a couple of innings-eaters in place, he could still be a good fit. Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2008 05:47 PM I'd prefer more than a one-year solution. This year there are several relievers available, and not a lot of competition for them. (Or so it seems, at least.) Next year conditions might not be as favorable. Kong76 Nov 15 2008 05:48 PM C'mon guys, if Trevor is our closer for 2009 I'll taking up knitting instead of watching the closing innings of Mets' games. There's only one closer that should be on the Mets' radar. Edgy DC Nov 15 2008 07:58 PM I'll say three with Rodriguez, Fuentes, and Wood in the mix. Trevor Hoffman? Gaby Hoffman, maybe, but not Trevor. Fman99 Nov 15 2008 08:14 PM ="smg58":25fovtlb]Trevor could be a bargain. His year finished much better than it started. The catch is he's not more than a 50-inning pitcher at this point, but if you get a couple of innings-eaters in place, he could still be a good fit.[/quote:25fovtlb] He's beyond done. He's had numerous late season chances to earn his pay and come up empty. We already have guys who can do that. DocTee Nov 15 2008 08:46 PM I prevor Hoffman to Fuentes. My preference is Kerry Wood. Frayed Knot Nov 16 2008 06:08 AM Hoffman's numbers this season weren't as bad as I thought. Only 45 innings worth (missed some time due to injury) but a real good WHiP and his K/BB and H/IP ratios suggest he deserved a better ERA than the 3.7 he put up. On the other hand he just turned 41, had a real good pitchers park to call home, and a fastball/changeup pitcher with a diminshing fastball kinda scares you. And then there's some interesting stuff in Joel Sherman's NYPost column today - enough to suggest that they're not just going to throw money at the problem and hope for the best. There is growing belief in the industry, in fact, that Rodriguez will have to retreat from his five-year, $75 million demands and accept four years. Yet, the Mets still might prefer Fuentes. K-Rod did set the season record with 62 saves in 2008. But one Mets official had this insight: "When it comes to statistics, we are not basing this decision on save totals; at least not save totals alone." The Mets will honor, among other items, strikeout-to-walk ratio and on-base percentage against. And I came across this stat just out of curiosity: Rodriguez registered 1-2-3 frames in a career-low 29.2 percent of his innings (all figures courtesy of Elias). That ranked 151st out of 253 pitchers who worked at least 60 innings in 2008. Fuentes (41.3) was 13th, Wood (38.1) was 28th, Street (38.0), even with diminished stuff, was 29th, and another free agent, Brandon Lyon (37.7) was 31st. Rodriguez's stuff is not as electric as in the past, possibly because his high-effort delivery has robbed some life from his arm, though he is just 26. The Mets could wonder if the lack of clean 1-2-3 innings will continue to grow with age now, and if Rodriguez loses more stuff, will he be able to extract himself from difficulty with the same excellence? John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 16 2008 06:15 AM I don;t want K-Rod because expectations that will come along with him will be nearly impossible to meet. A guy like Fuentes could exceed expectations and doesn't have such a brand name that he could be shuffled to a setup role without the world coming to an end. Frayed Knot Nov 16 2008 09:32 AM On the trade front, the scribes have a bit of disagreement on the status of ChiSox closer Bobby Jenks. The Post's Sherman declares it a virtually still-born idea citing too high an asking price (Fartinez + ?) combined with questions about decreasing K-rates and whether the Sox are making him available in the first place because they know something about him that other teams will only find out the hard way. Newsday's Davidoff, on the other hand, suggests a trade is in some ways preferable to the FA route and includes insider-ish quotes on how those plummeting K-rates are really signs of Jenks becoming a more complete pitcher. I do know Jenks had a real ass-hat rep early in his career. He came out of some trailer-park/white-trash kind of background complete with the requisite drinking problem which was at least part of what led to his release from the Angels org while still a minor-leaguer despite his ability to hit triple-digits on the radar gun. He of course then went on to anchor the Sox pen in their '05 run to the WS and I haven't heard about any problems since so maybe all that nonsense is behind him. Benjamin Grimm Nov 17 2008 09:17 AM ]Mets expected to make offers soon BY DAVID LENNON November 17, 2008 The Mets' true offseason strategy will reveal itself this week when general manager Omar Minaya finally extends offers to his top free-agent targets. A person familiar with the situation did not specify which day Minaya will deliver the numbers to Francisco Rodriguez or Brian Fuentes. He also could make an offer to starting pitchers such as Derek Lowe. That represents a significant step, considering that the Mets have talked about a number of different options - including a trade for the White Sox's Bobby Jenks - in order to fill their vacant closer slot. But now that Minaya is ready to talk years and dollars, it appears that his preference is to see where the free-agent market goes first. The Mets' plan will be much different from what the Yankees did Friday in making an offer to CC Sabathia that is said to be for six years and about $140 million. Expect Minaya to start small and work his way up the ladder in a negotiating process that should extend into the winter meetings, which begin Dec. 8 in Las Vegas. Ideally, Minaya would prefer no longer than a three-year deal for K-Rod or Fuentes, and it's realistic to think that the first to agree to that length could become the Mets' closer. Rodriguez's agent, Paul Kinzer, hinted at a five-year contract for his client, but four is more likely and three is a possibility, depending on the market. The Mets already have suggested that K-Rod, despite the best resume among the candidates, is not a slam-dunk to anchor their bullpen. But it's difficult to determine if their reservations about Rodriguez - floated publicly as concerns - are legit or merely a negotiating ploy to get him at their price. The money, it seems, is not nearly as important to the Mets as the number of years. They learned their lesson with Billy Wagner, who will collect $10.5 million on the DL next year - the final season of his four-year, $43-million contract - because of Tommy John surgery. Number 6 Nov 17 2008 12:58 PM ="Frayed Knot":1grv257o]He came out of some trailer-park/white-trash kind of background complete with the requisite drinking problem...[/quote:1grv257o] I don't know you, but I've read your posts and I generally respect your point of view. Here, though, I think you may want an opportunity to choose your words more carefully. MFS62 Nov 19 2008 08:42 AM I think that there will be help for the bullpen that is already on the roster. Duaner Sanchez. He had the kind of surgery that had never been attempted before for a pitcher. It was not TJ surgery. Doctors didn't know if he would ever pitch again. He did, and at times showed some of his prior effectiveness. Then, it appeared he experienced arm fatigue and his performance level decreased. Now, with a full winter to rest, I think he can again be a valuable contributor to the bullpen Later John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 19 2008 08:45 AM I'd say there's a better chance Duaner Sanchez is finished than becomes a closer. Benjamin Grimm Nov 19 2008 09:03 AM He may still have something to contribute, but I certainly wouldn't want to position the Mets to where they're counting on him for 2009. Figure anything he provides is a bonus, but don't expect much. seawolf17 Nov 20 2008 11:18 AM From Jayson Stark: ]The Marlins traded Kevin Gregg but will plug in the up-and-coming Matt Lindstrom ... The Padres pushed Hoffman out their door, and they probably will stay in-house and go with Heath Bell. (sigh) smg58 Nov 20 2008 06:36 PM Bill James does all sorts of weird statistical analyses on his website, but this one jumped out at me. Duaner Sanchez in 2006: 44 shutout innings in 55.1 IP Duaner Sanchez in 2008: 46 shutout innings in 58.1 IP He clearly had an issue with blowup innings this year, but he had good outings at the same rate that he had them in 06. That gives me some reason for optimism with him. Not enough that I'd want him to close, but certainly enough to tender him a contract. I also think he's likely to be worth more than anything we could get in return. Nymr83 Nov 20 2008 06:56 PM I'd like to see Sanchez back in a middle relief role, he could regain his form now that he is further removed from his injury, and its not like he was TERRIBLE last year, just slightly below average. Edgy DC Nov 20 2008 07:44 PM But he wasn't overpowering anybody. I got the notion that any success he had was just the ball bouncing well for him. That's mostly my impression. His strikeout rate was pretty similar, and velocity can return in year two after surgery, but it's not like his surgery has a lot of precedent either. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 20 2008 07:46 PM ="smg58":3f37zrot] He clearly had an issue with blowup innings this year, but he had good outings at the same rate that he had them in 06. That gives me some reason for optimism with him. Not enough that I'd want him to close, but certainly enough to tender him a contract. I also think he's likely to be worth more than anything we could get in return.[/quote:3f37zrot] And get nothing for Tim Hamulack? I'm willing to be proven wrong here but I'd be very surprised if Sanchez is ever more than a fringe major leaguer from this point. He showed seriously diminished velocity from about June on and when the Mets needed someone to step up and give them some quality and durability late last year he was nowhere to be found. Benjamin Grimm Nov 27 2008 07:38 AM ="Adam Rubin"]Brian Fuentes' price Rocks Omar Minaya By ADAM RUBIN DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Thursday, November 27th 2008, 12:45 AM Brian Fuentes' agent tells Mets he's looking for three-year deal, in the $30 million-$33 million range. Brian Fuentes' representatives told the Mets the free agent closer is seeking a three-year deal worth $10 million to $11 million annually, according to a source familiar with the discussion. That price tag is a bit high for the Mets, but they are still interested in the former Rockie. GM Omar Minaya contacted the agents for Francisco Rodriguez and Fuentes on Tuesday, trying to lay the groundwork for in-person meetings. The Mets appear to be moving on parallel tracks with both free agents, content to sign either if the price is right. But a $30 million-plus commitment to Fuentes over three years is more than the what the Mets think he's worth. "Right now we're talking with the agents," Omar Minaya told Jim Duquette on XM Radio Wednesday. "But we are getting a pretty good idea as far as what terms they're looking for. Once we get an idea of the terms they're looking for, we have a better idea what we think it's going to take to get these guys done - understanding that markets do change, and they fluctuate. "Right now we're in the early stages. My understanding is a lot of clubs are reevaluating this market, more so because of the unfortunate financial strain that is going on not only in baseball but throughout the world." Signing the 33-year-old Fuentes, who made $5 million last year, over the more expensive K-Rod ($10M in 2008) would make acquiring a higher-priced set-up man - such as Colorado's Huston Street - easier to justify. Street, shipped to the Rockies this month after compiling 94 saves over the past four seasons with Oakland, may be flipped to another organization. He made $3.3 million last season and is arbitration eligible. Street won't be eligible for free agency until after the 2010 season - the same offseason Aaron Heilman becomes a free agent. Minaya also confirmed the Mets' widely reported interest in free agent outfielder Raul Iba�ez, although the GM noted that pitching is the priority for now. Minaya acknowledged trying to acquire Iba�ez from the Mariners last July. "Last year we did talk to them during the trading deadline about him," Minaya said. "Unfortunately, we were not able to get a trade done. We've heard very good reports about him - not only as a player, but as a person. I understand the Phillies, they're one of the teams that's considering him. We are also keeping an eye on that situation, even though we're focusing right now on pitching primarily. But he is a good player." As for re-signing Oliver Perez, Minaya said: "We definitely have Oliver on our radar, but I don't know what his asking price is. Sometime during the winter meetings we will probably sit down with (Perez's agent) Scott (Boras) and kind of get a better feel for what exactly he is looking for." Edgy DC Nov 27 2008 07:53 AM Not on the radar at all, it seems: Kerry Wood. bmfc1 Nov 27 2008 08:42 AM There must be a good reason why Fuentes was removed for awhile as the Rockies closer. He's way overpriced. I'd take him as the 8th inning guy but that's it. smg58 Nov 27 2008 09:21 AM Waiting might not be a bad strategy in this market. Other than the Mets and Angels, it's not clear who has both the need for a closer and the money to spend for a high-priced one. So somebody will become available for a really good price eventually. Edgy DC Nov 27 2008 10:02 PM A FOX sports report (among others) has the Mets considering Joseph Jason (J.J.) Putz. Coming off a down, injury-bitten year, but he's got a wickit splitter and enters to "Thunderstruck." The M's take the theme-song thingie a little further than usual with him, playing a bit o' the song after each out. Ah-AH-a-ah-ah-a-AH-ah. Thun-Dah! Ah-AH-a-ah-ah-a-AH-ah. Thun-Dah! TheOldMole Nov 28 2008 08:32 AM Every New York team should have a Putz. Rockin' Doc Nov 28 2008 10:46 AM I think the Yankees are owned by Putzes. dgwphotography Nov 28 2008 11:01 AM ="Rockin' Doc":s6sgsdk7]I think the Yankees are owned by Putzes.[/quote:s6sgsdk7] It is High! It is FAR! IT.... IS.... GONE!!!!!!!! John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 28 2008 11:06 AM I got nothing against JJ Putz personally but I'd be surprised if stories like this aren't leaked so as to make free agents scared. DocTee Nov 28 2008 01:02 PM ]Not on the radar at all, it seems: Kerry Wood. I'm disappointed by the Mets' apparent lack of interest in any other than Fuentes or K-Rod. My preference is for Wood, or Arizona's Brandon Lyon (who'd come much, much cheaper than any of the aforementioned). Nymr83 Nov 28 2008 01:15 PM I don't want Wood, that injury history is way too scary. Gwreck Nov 28 2008 01:40 PM ="Edgy DC"] The M's take the theme-song thingie a little further than usual with him, playing a bit o' the song after each out. Ah-AH-a-ah-ah-a-AH-ah. Thun-Dah! Ah-AH-a-ah-ah-a-AH-ah. Thun-Dah! In fairness, the Mets were doing something similar, playing part of Enter Sandman after every Wagner K. Edgy DC Nov 28 2008 08:04 PM Well, to be honest, I'm about fed up to here with the concept of theme songs and I think it's time the Mets zagged no matter who they get. Frayed Knot Nov 29 2008 04:41 AM ="DocTee"]]Not on the radar at all, it seems: Kerry Wood. I'm disappointed by the Mets' apparent lack of interest in any other than Fuentes or K-Rod. My preference is for Wood, or Arizona's Brandon Lyon (who'd come much, much cheaper than any of the aforementioned). An article in today's NYTimes suggests just the opposite. Citing the always popular "people in baseball with knowledge of their stategy" they say that the Mets are persuing any and all options to fill their spot - or spots - in the pen. Specifically they mention not only the already held discussions with agents for Rodriguez & Fuentes but also those with other teams concerning Putz, Valverde, Street, and Jenks, as well as "evaluating" the situations with Wood & Hoffman (sounds like more as a fallback). Lyons isn't mentioned although I have no idea about his availability. MFS62 Nov 29 2008 04:31 PM On ESPN2 during the BC-Maryland game the tickert just said: "Mets believe they can sign free agent P Francisco Rodriguez to a 3-year deal because there are no other takers, ESPN's Peter Gammons reports" No link. Two comments: 1) It was Gammons 2) Don't count your chickens, etc. etc. Later Benjamin Grimm Nov 29 2008 05:05 PM As of now, my hunch is that the Mets will end up signing Rodriguez to a four-year deal. Kong76 Nov 29 2008 05:31 PM I agree. Or three years at really sick money per year. Gwreck Dec 05 2008 12:10 PM Some thoughts on this today from Buster Olney's blog at ESPN: ]� The Mets' front office believes, rightly, that it is in the driver's seat in the closers market, and part of their internal discussion has been about making offers to some relievers while informing them that the first one to jump at their proposal will be signed, and the others will be out of luck. The reason why this could be such an effective strategy for the Mets is they are the only team that appears willing to spend relatively big money on a multi-year deal for a closer. For example: It is not known exactly what the Mets intend to offer to the top-flight closers, but let's say they proposed a three-year, $36 million deal to Francisco Rodriguez; a three-year, $30 million offer to Brian Fuentes; and a two-year, $18 million offer to Kerry Wood. And then they could tell all three that the first to bite gets the contract. The Cardinals, Brewers, Indians and other teams are looking for closers, but probably won't spend at the same level as the Mets. The Indians, in fact, are willing to let the market play out, and at some point, some closer will be available at a good price, whether it be one of the free agents (like Trevor Hoffman) or perhaps a trade for J.J. Putz or Huston Street. Benjamin Grimm Dec 05 2008 12:24 PM What do we think of the speculation that the Mets could get Street from the Rockies for Heilman? If I'm Omar, I'd do that in a heartbeat. (I don't know if Street would be the answer for the ninth inning, but he'd be an upgrade for the eighth inning.) I just don't see the reason why the Rockies would do this, other than the idea that some teams see Heilman as a more viable starter than the Mets do. smg58 Dec 05 2008 12:58 PM Heilman won't be enough, but apparently the Rockies would bite if we threw in Feliciano. That still seems like a good offer to me, but I don't see the harm in waiting for a bit and seeing what our other options are. Edgy DC Dec 05 2008 01:20 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Dec 05 2008 01:21 PM Can we pronounce it Howston Street? Benjamin Grimm Dec 05 2008 01:20 PM ="Edgy DC"]Can we pronounce it Howston Street? If he comes to New York, I intend to do just that. Centerfield Dec 05 2008 01:31 PM ="smg58":2djctsow]Heilman won't be enough, but apparently the Rockies would bite if we threw in Feliciano. That still seems like a good offer to me, but I don't see the harm in waiting for a bit and seeing what our other options are.[/quote:2djctsow] Just let us know when the deal is done. Nymr and I are in the car waiting to drive them to Colorado. Benjamin Grimm Dec 05 2008 01:33 PM I don't want to drive to Denver, but I'll chip in for gas money for you guys. Frayed Knot Dec 06 2008 06:42 AM Read something in the last day or two (I forget where at this point) that Omar may try the 'first-come/first-served' approach with the group of FA closers. IOW, put out more or less simultaneous (though not identical) offers to Rodriguez, Fuentes & Wood and inform tham all that the first one to accept gets the job while those who snooze, lose. So maybe KRod gets offered 3x$14, Fuentes 2x12, and Wood 1+option in an attempt to snag a closer on what the Mets consider reasonable terms. Now this is a similar tact he tried with FA catchers Ramon Hernandez and (Benjy Molina?) a few years back although neither bit. That, in turn, caused Omar to trade for LoDuca instead. So maybe the trade route involving the Putz/Street/Valverde crowd is on the back burner in case the FA gambit falls through. Gwreck Dec 06 2008 03:14 PM ="Frayed Knot":3fkccx50]Read something in the last day or two (I forget where at this point) that Omar may try the 'first-come/first-served' approach with the group of FA closers.[/quote:3fkccx50] About 7 posts up in this thread? (It was Buster Olney at ESPN.com). Benjamin Grimm Dec 08 2008 07:46 AM According to numerous sources, Omar met with Francisco Rodriguez yesterday, and expects to come home from the winter meetings with a deal closed for a closer. Me, I'd be surprised if he got it all done in the next few days, but he might very well lay the groundwork for an announcement some time next week. I'm still expecting it will be Rodriguez. metirish Dec 08 2008 08:00 AM It should be noted that Jeff Wilpon went with Minaya and his crew(Bernazard , Ricco etc) to the meetings , took Wilpon's jet there in fact. Benjamin Grimm Dec 08 2008 08:10 AM That's not cool. They should have driven there in a hybrid vehicle. Edgy DC Dec 08 2008 08:32 AM A golf cart with a Mets hat. G-Fafif Dec 08 2008 03:20 PM Three years reportedly[/url:10qpkdcm] on the table for K-Rod from Mets, though he's not considered likely to jump at it. attgig Dec 08 2008 04:21 PM on a totally different train.... and probably more smokescreen than anything else (a la hoffman), but how about smoltz? he's coming back from injury, yeah. he's old. yeah but, we know he can close.

The thing about storming (and that's a very apt description) of the field in '73, and why it did get out of control, was that every kid wanted to be part of that moment, to be part of the celebration like in '69. And as the game went on we all had the same idea : to get down to field level so it was possible. We did the same thing during game four. I ended up on the 1st base side then. Rose hit that extra inning homer and the celebration was over. I was right on the rail behind the added box on the 3rd base side late in game 5. The Reds families were sitting in them. Eventually the game was stopped and they were led out to the Reds bullpen for their safety. And it's not that we were bothering them personally in any way, shape or form (fans did taunt them when they were being led away though, lol). Its just that there was a sea of people behind them that became like one big giant swaying creature. We could not move independently, could hardly even breath. And you know what I did then? I jumped the rail into the make shift box. Like the Reds families I was a bit concerned for my safety. Unfortunately everyone along the rail ended up jumping into the box like lemmings. Again we became crammed. I saw the fans on the 1st base side did the same thing, but they were so packed in that the little wooden wall that enclosed the section collapsed, and they spilled out onto the field. The game had to be halted again. Tug was on the mound at this point. He was pissed off. I remember him approaching the pile of people waving his arms over and over in an upward motion as if to say EVERYONE! BACK UP AND INTO THE STANDS! It was pretty crazy. I got so sandwiched in the corner of the box that I felt that we were gonna burst out on this side too. I jumped out and went down into the Reds dugout. I was able to hide in plain sight there for quite a few minutes, sitting on a stool in the far corner of the dugout. Eventually a cop came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I told him...I was trying to stay alive, lol. He told me I had to stay alive back up in the stands. This was when I was shown on TV, when the cop was talking to me. (my parents and brothers got to see that from home. My bros thought it was the koolest thing, my folks were like wtf were you doing?). I've told this story before here (I have also mentioned looking for the footage of me on TV and it is nowhere to be found.) but I don't think I ever stressed the point that what happened occurred because too many kids had this dream of being in a '69 like celebration highlight reel. And what actually happened was we so embarrassed the team, the game, the city, that that footage will forever be locked away and forgotten. One of my best Shea memories though.

="Edgy DC":38ctzctd]That's a great story. How about Barry Gibb chicken dancing to your right?[/quote:38ctzctd] No hug for him. Zvon Nov 14 2008 02:31 PM The thing about storming (and that's a very apt description) of the field in '73, and why it did get out of control, was that every kid wanted to be part of that moment, to be part of the celebration like in '69. And as the game went on we all had the same idea : to get down to field level so it was possible. We did the same thing during game four. I ended up on the 1st base side then. Rose hit that extra inning homer and the celebration was over. I was right on the rail behind the added box on the 3rd base side late in game 5. The Reds families were sitting in them. Eventually the game was stopped and they were led out to the Reds bullpen for their safety. And it's not that we were bothering them personally in any way, shape or form (fans did taunt them when they were being led away though, lol). Its just that there was a sea of people behind them that became like one big giant swaying creature. We could not move independently, could hardly even breath. And you know what I did then? I jumped the rail into the make shift box. Like the Reds families I was a bit concerned for my safety. Unfortunately everyone along the rail ended up jumping into the box like lemmings. Again we became crammed. I saw the fans on the 1st base side did the same thing, but they were so packed in that the little wooden wall that enclosed the section collapsed, and they spilled out onto the field. The game had to be halted again. Tug was on the mound at this point. He was pissed off. I remember him approaching the pile of people waving his arms over and over in an upward motion as if to say EVERYONE! BACK UP AND INTO THE STANDS! It was pretty crazy. I got so sandwiched in the corner of the box that I felt that we were gonna burst out on this side too. I jumped out and went down into the Reds dugout. I was able to hide in plain sight there for quite a few minutes, sitting on a stool in the far corner of the dugout. Eventually a cop came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I told him...I was trying to stay alive, lol. He told me I had to stay alive back up in the stands. This was when I was shown on TV, when the cop was talking to me. (my parents and brothers got to see that from home. My bros thought it was the koolest thing, my folks were like wtf were you doing?). I've told this story before here (I have also mentioned looking for the footage of me on TV and it is nowhere to be found.) but I don't think I ever stressed the point that what happened occurred because too many kids had this dream of being in a '69 like celebration highlight reel. And what actually happened was we so embarrassed the team, the game, the city, that that footage will forever be locked away and forgotten. One of my best Shea memories though. A Boy Named Seo Nov 14 2008 02:40 PM I re-read that part about you being in the Reds dugout a couple times thinking I misread or misunderstood you. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Wild story, man. Thanks for sharing. dgwphotography Nov 15 2008 12:28 PM I think I'm one of the one's in real pain over this that TMF is referring to. The thing is not once has the countdown, the ceremonies, or anything that the Mets did or didn't do play a role in it. It is simply the fact that a place that has been a desired destination for me for over 35 years is no longer there. Shea is a place that I dreamed about visiting since my aunt gave me my first yearbook in 1972. It's the knowledge that I will never feel the attachment to the new place that I do to the old place. It's the fact that it was a home away from home of sorts - a place where I knew ever nook and cranny, where I knew where to get the best knishes, or the best dogs. A place that is home to so many memories. Whatever the Mets did or didn't do to mark this occasion plays no role in how I feel about it. Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2008 01:43 PM I agree with that, except for the part about feeling real pain. I feel a touch of sadness, and a sense of loss, but I wouldn't call it pain. Kong76 Nov 15 2008 04:31 PM I'd like to get a copy of that CAD file with the non bearting typo. Hell, they show part of the guy's name and addy and it was easily discovered who and where he is. Maybe he's got a sense of humor and would leak one to us. Edgy DC Nov 15 2008 07:56 PM Scarsdale. Vic can take a short drive and knock on his door. cooby Nov 16 2008 08:19 PM Zvon, great picture, great stories! cooby Nov 16 2008 08:20 PM And what does "Non Bearting" mean? soupcan Nov 18 2008 11:01 AM All of these from baseball-fever.com Edgy DC Nov 18 2008 11:11 AM What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:17 AM Soup's top photo shows the location of our old seats. Crushing. Willets Point Nov 18 2008 11:25 AM ="Edgy DC":133d3wiq]What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign?[/quote:133d3wiq] Maybe Bubba Sponge? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:31 AM Missed the Spongetech sign. Very sponge worthy. soupcan Nov 20 2008 10:01 AM More pictures available at nycsubway.org 9/1963 5/10/1964 8/1/1979 8/1/1979 Tiles removed between 1979 and 1980. 8/16/1980 9/24/2008 holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:01 AM Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 24 2008 09:47 AM ="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:56 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":22rs38rb]Is she like, legal?[/quote:22rs38rb] Oh, I see. You see a dark-skinned person and immediately think "illegal immigrant." You should be ashamed! ehehhe SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 11:37 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? Uh, 'Bucket, aren't you very much attached at the moment? Now Chicken, I ask you the same question! Benjamin Grimm Nov 24 2008 11:39 AM I find it a little odd to be lusting after someone when all you know is the shape of her nose. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 11:44 AM And which pores are and aren't corrupted. holychicken Nov 24 2008 12:06 PM Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:08 PM ="holychicken":21z05y4i]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:21z05y4i] It's okay, you can still post it. We don't mind. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 12:25 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 24 2008 12:42 PM Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:38 PM ="Edgy DC":1hrzmxox]Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man.[/quote:1hrzmxox] Must be a Yankee fan thing. SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 01:14 PM ="holychicken":26x42lii]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:26x42lii] Geez, I was just following Bucket's lead. I mean I need some Met Chick love more than he does! soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:12 AM All from baseball-fever John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 04 2008 08:18 AM Mike Mulligan always said his Steam Shovel could take down one stadium as fast as 100 men could in a day, although he was never quite sure of that. Benjamin Grimm Dec 04 2008 08:26 AM So now they're chewing away at the Loge level? Are they going to get to a point where there's just an unattached Upper Level (or Upper Tank as Keith Hernandez would call it) floating high in the air? soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:28 AM Yeah that's weird isn't it? You'd think they'd go top to bottom rather than the other way around. I'd like to think that they are professional demolishers and know what they are doing rather than they might just be stupid. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 09:21 AM I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. << dgwphotography Dec 04 2008 10:58 AM ="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... HahnSolo Dec 04 2008 11:21 AM ="Edgy DC":2sv0q5gv] I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. <<[/quote:2sv0q5gv] Those two guys are still waiting for their hot pretzel ordered at the last home game. G-Fafif Dec 04 2008 12:30 PM Talk about your stiff Breezes playing havoc with Shea's outfield. Valadius Dec 04 2008 02:00 PM Part of me is rooting to see the picture of them ripping down that Fox News sign. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 02:14 PM You strike me as somewhat partisan. Am I right? soupcan Dec 04 2008 02:17 PM Who Vlad? Nah - he's as fair and balanced as they come. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 03:45 PM I sent those latest photos to a friend of mine. He wrote back that he thought they were building a new stadium and not just fixing up Shea and slappin' on a new coat of paint like in years gone by. Chucklehead. Zvon Dec 04 2008 04:57 PM ="Iubitul"]="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... Yes. Especially in comparison with the others. It does bring the shaded areas out. Zvon Dec 04 2008 05:02 PM I wish they would get this over with. How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? themetfairy Dec 04 2008 05:12 PM It may take a while. I remember Old Comiskey Park was in a state of partial demolition when we visited New Comiskey in August of 1991. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:22 PM Z: How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? <=== Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition? Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:52 PM tmf: It may take a while. <=== They don't really have much time if they plan to level the joint and make it a parking lot. My guess is they'll finish well before opening day. I don't want to get into union contracts twice tonight, but they make it worth it to finish on time so there's no lolligaggin' nowadays. Zvon Dec 05 2008 03:10 PM ="KC":21ab889l]Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition?[/quote:21ab889l] Sorry. I meant the usage of explosive charges. Kong76 Dec 05 2008 03:42 PM I figured, I was just goofin'. soupcan Dec 09 2008 08:13 AM Upper deck wrecking ball. BAM! Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:32 AM They should have painted the wrecking ball to look like a baseball. metirish Dec 09 2008 08:33 AM That would have been really taking the piss on those that see that as a sad event. Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:37 AM It would be a nod to tradition. It's what they did with the Ebbets Field wrecking ball. The same ball was used a few years later on the Polo Grounds: Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:50 AM Cincinnati's Crosley Field too! soupcan Dec 13 2008 02:19 PM Wow - now I'm even starting to have a hard time looking... baseball-fever.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 13 2008 02:36 PM Yikes. Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 02:55 PM GYAH! Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:10 PM They didn't sell the panels depicting the leap and Seaver's head? Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 07:23 PM It looks like the terrorist hit we were praying wouldn't happen actually did. Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:44 PM Fuck terrorists, an accidental plane crash on a foggy evening in the wrong flight path was what I thought mighta happened one day. *62 Dec 14 2008 12:56 PM The pictures may be gruesome but the Stadium has overstayed its welcome. I may miss living in Brooklyn desperately, but 3,000 sq. ft. is way better than 920. Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:11 PM I don't get the reference. *62 Dec 14 2008 05:39 PM I love Shea for lots of reasons, and will miss it some ..... but it's a dump. Better? Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:53 PM I thought those numbers referred to something. Rockin' Doc Dec 14 2008 06:57 PM I think *62 lives in Florida if my memory is correct. He apparently once lived in Brooklyn and apparently hung out at Shea quite a bit in the past. I think he was stating that he missed living in Brooklyn, but preferred the 3000 sq. ft. of living space he can now afford over the 920 sq. ft. of living space he had in Brooklyn. Living in the south and comparing costs for homes with my friends and relatives relatives that live near the city, I understand what he is referring too. Then again, maybe I miss interpreted the meaning of his post. Either way, it's nice to have *62 posting here again. I hope he hangs around. soupcan Dec 16 2008 01:42 PM StadiumPage.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 16 2008 02:04 PM It's amazing that just ten weeks ago it was still full of color and people and noise. soupcan Dec 18 2008 07:45 PM soupcan Dec 29 2008 07:51 AM soupcan Jan 05 2009 12:40 PM G-Fafif Jan 05 2009 12:52 PM Impressive Photoshopping, Soup. Quite interesting to see what Shea Stadium would look like if somebody went mad and started to tear it down. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please put Shea back together again. Thank you. batmagadanleadoff Jan 05 2009 01:18 PM ="soupcan"]http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/soupcan11/shea5-1.jpg 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? Edgy DC Jan 05 2009 02:35 PM Looks kind of slender for Carter. It also looks like a guy going to right, while Carter more typically pulled. metirish Jan 13 2009 01:35 PM from 01/10/2009 metsguyinmichigan Jan 13 2009 02:35 PM They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me! Zvon Jan 13 2009 02:58 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":8phckkps]They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me![/quote:8phckkps] Why sell just their feet? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 13 2009 04:19 PM wham G-Fafif Jan 13 2009 04:53 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1virpusd]wham[/quote:1virpusd] "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" vs. "Baby I'm Your Man" Whoops...wrong thread. metirish Jan 15 2009 08:00 AM Newsday today has a classic Shea pictures collection. Die-hard fans dance in the aisles at 1:50 a.m. during the 21st inning of a 25-inning marathon game between the Mets and the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. (AP Photo / September 12, 1974) A view of Shea Stadium during the national anthem before a New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1973. (AP Photo / June 9, 1973) 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 A view of Shea Stadium after after souvenir-hunting fans ripped up the sod following the Mets' victory in the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969) Pirates first baseman Willie Stargell waves to the crowd at Shea Stadium during Willie Stargell Night at Shea. The man at left wiping his eye is Nelson Doubleday, Mets chairman of the board. (Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill / September 27, 1982 The new owners of the Mets pose at Shea Stadium. From left: Stephen E. O'Neil, president of City Investing Company; Nelson Doubleday, president of Doubleday Co.; Fred Wilpon, Chairman of the Board of Sterling Equities and John O. Pickett, owner of the NHL New York Islanders, who was instrumental in setting up the sale of the team. Pickett was not listed as an owner of the club. (AP File Photo / January 25, 1980) Car fire involving several cars in the Shea Stadium parking lot during a game in 2002. (AP Photo / April 27, 2002) Workers Angelo DiMaria, left, and Dominico Bannezo clean off old paint and rust as they get Shea Stadium ready for Opening Day in 2001. (Newsdya / J. Conrad Williams Jr / March 28, 2001) > soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:09 AM Amazing how much Jeff looks like his dad used to. Even down to the bad hairdo. ="metirish"] Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 08:10 AM Car Fire Day: Best. Promotion. Ever. HahnSolo Jan 15 2009 08:36 AM I miss crazy old Uncle Nelson. soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:39 AM 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. Farmer Ted Jan 15 2009 08:45 AM I only recall $350 million or so to finally kick Doubleday to the curb in '02. Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 09:02 AM Who pitched on Car Fire Day? metirish Jan 15 2009 09:07 AM ="Edgy DC":kdd41i0v]Who pitched on Car Fire Day?[/quote:kdd41i0v] I remember that game , I should say I remember it from watching it on TV and the announcers talking about the fire in the parking lot and showing it. I'll guess that Steve Trachsel pitched . John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 15 2009 09:14 AM ="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.

="Willets Point"]Question for Zvon. Is your shirt open showing your Siegfried & Roy hairless chest or were you wearing a fleshtone t-shirt? lol. I never went around displaying my slinky chest so I'm sure that's a T-shirt. Doubt it was fleshtone, probly orange. Thing is I'm not positive that's me. First time I saw the pic I looked right past that guy searching for me. Eventually I got back to him and thought that must be me. I have no recollection of what I wore that day. I do know I was a skinny guy with long hair who always wore white sneaks. If I had on a flannel shirt, which I wore often enough, it be rolled up at the sleeves. And the path I took puts me right about where that guy is. After that I ran to the edge of the home plate grass, stopped... saw that girl on the mound (looks like she's going for the rubber <[joke setup<]).. our eyes met...I ran to her on the mound and we did a Koosman/Grote type jump and hug. Twirled in a circle, split and ran in different directions. I never saw her again but I'll never forget that moment.

I have an off season wish list and this guy stands alone at the top. Closer is not a spot the Mets should hope falls into place. I hope for additional bullpen moves , but alla that can fall into place. Nothing is more important than getting a bona fide closer.

What a bazaar world we live in where Boog Powell can get modeling work.

So...., who's watching the Watchmen? The latest trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/watchmen.html?showVideo=1

="Edgy DC":3fjgok91]Classy look. Apparently, nobody was allowed in that day --- by law --- except 21-year-old white males with shoulder-length hair, workshirts, and bellbottoms.[/quote:3fjgok91] Not so. I was 15. Kong76 Nov 13 2008 04:34 AM EDC: Classy look. Apparently, nobody was allowed in that day --- by law --- except 21-year-old white males with shoulder-length hair, workshirts, and bellbottoms ------------- I never noticed, but you're right. It looks like they just opened a gate for field level gen adm for a Deep Purple concert or something and all the guys are scrambling to get a good spot. Cool picture to be in. G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 05:42 AM It's fascinating, from a cultural perspective, to contrast the crowds storming the field images from '69 and '73. The tumult of the '60s may have waned away from the ballpark, but its remnants seem to have become codified in places that were largely shielded from change while change was at its most intense: like the ballpark. (Which is probably what pissed Dick Young off so.) It's often been said there was more of an edge to the '73 rushing of the field than '69's, for what that's worth. I don't remember the Orioles complaining they were frightened for their well-being the way the Reds did. That YouTube clip that MLB pulled earlier this year, the pregame show from Game Four of the '73 World Series, showed (to me anyway) what a different world we were living in versus four years earlier, not just in style but substance. If you recall, Kubek, Seaver and Hunter were all taking Charlie Finley to task for his handling of the Mike Andrews situation. Questioning authority, kind of a radical concept in establishment circles in 1969, was part of the polyester fabric of the game by 1973. Probably not a coincidence this was the same year as the Senate's Watergate hearings nor that within two weeks there would be such a backlash to the Saturday Night Massacre. soupcan Nov 14 2008 09:54 AM Latest shots from wcbs880 chopper... Field level is completely gone now. Here's some interesting stuff that I got from baseball fever. Shea Demolition Plans: Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 09:58 AM What's a "NON-BEARTING STRUCTURE"? Benjamin Grimm Nov 14 2008 10:00 AM Before anyone else beats me to it, let me just get this out of the way: It figures! The stupid Mets can't even get the spelling right! Willets Point Nov 14 2008 10:04 AM Question for Zvon. Is your shirt open showing your Siegfried & Roy hairless chest or were you wearing a fleshtone t-shirt? Zvon Nov 14 2008 01:26 PM ="Willets Point"]Question for Zvon. Is your shirt open showing your Siegfried & Roy hairless chest or were you wearing a fleshtone t-shirt? lol. I never went around displaying my slinky chest so I'm sure that's a T-shirt. Doubt it was fleshtone, probly orange. Thing is I'm not positive that's me. First time I saw the pic I looked right past that guy searching for me. Eventually I got back to him and thought that must be me. I have no recollection of what I wore that day. I do know I was a skinny guy with long hair who always wore white sneaks. If I had on a flannel shirt, which I wore often enough, it be rolled up at the sleeves. And the path I took puts me right about where that guy is. After that I ran to the edge of the home plate grass, stopped... saw that girl on the mound (looks like she's going for the rubber <[joke setup<]).. our eyes met...I ran to her on the mound and we did a Koosman/Grote type jump and hug. Twirled in a circle, split and ran in different directions. I never saw her again but I'll never forget that moment. Benjamin Grimm Nov 14 2008 01:27 PM I had no idea that Marlo Thomas was there that day! metirish Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM WOW , what a great picture , guy in the yellow shirt at second stands out and I count three suits that might be security , one to the right of yellow shirt and one to the left of Buddy and one n front of him. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM That's a great story. How about Barry Gibb chicken dancing to your right? Zvon Nov 14 2008 01:37 PM ="Edgy DC":38ctzctd]That's a great story. How about Barry Gibb chicken dancing to your right?[/quote:38ctzctd] No hug for him. Zvon Nov 14 2008 02:31 PM The thing about storming (and that's a very apt description) of the field in '73, and why it did get out of control, was that every kid wanted to be part of that moment, to be part of the celebration like in '69. And as the game went on we all had the same idea : to get down to field level so it was possible. We did the same thing during game four. I ended up on the 1st base side then. Rose hit that extra inning homer and the celebration was over. I was right on the rail behind the added box on the 3rd base side late in game 5. The Reds families were sitting in them. Eventually the game was stopped and they were led out to the Reds bullpen for their safety. And it's not that we were bothering them personally in any way, shape or form (fans did taunt them when they were being led away though, lol). Its just that there was a sea of people behind them that became like one big giant swaying creature. We could not move independently, could hardly even breath. And you know what I did then? I jumped the rail into the make shift box. Like the Reds families I was a bit concerned for my safety. Unfortunately everyone along the rail ended up jumping into the box like lemmings. Again we became crammed. I saw the fans on the 1st base side did the same thing, but they were so packed in that the little wooden wall that enclosed the section collapsed, and they spilled out onto the field. The game had to be halted again. Tug was on the mound at this point. He was pissed off. I remember him approaching the pile of people waving his arms over and over in an upward motion as if to say EVERYONE! BACK UP AND INTO THE STANDS! It was pretty crazy. I got so sandwiched in the corner of the box that I felt that we were gonna burst out on this side too. I jumped out and went down into the Reds dugout. I was able to hide in plain sight there for quite a few minutes, sitting on a stool in the far corner of the dugout. Eventually a cop came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I told him...I was trying to stay alive, lol. He told me I had to stay alive back up in the stands. This was when I was shown on TV, when the cop was talking to me. (my parents and brothers got to see that from home. My bros thought it was the koolest thing, my folks were like wtf were you doing?). I've told this story before here (I have also mentioned looking for the footage of me on TV and it is nowhere to be found.) but I don't think I ever stressed the point that what happened occurred because too many kids had this dream of being in a '69 like celebration highlight reel. And what actually happened was we so embarrassed the team, the game, the city, that that footage will forever be locked away and forgotten. One of my best Shea memories though. A Boy Named Seo Nov 14 2008 02:40 PM I re-read that part about you being in the Reds dugout a couple times thinking I misread or misunderstood you. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Wild story, man. Thanks for sharing. dgwphotography Nov 15 2008 12:28 PM I think I'm one of the one's in real pain over this that TMF is referring to. The thing is not once has the countdown, the ceremonies, or anything that the Mets did or didn't do play a role in it. It is simply the fact that a place that has been a desired destination for me for over 35 years is no longer there. Shea is a place that I dreamed about visiting since my aunt gave me my first yearbook in 1972. It's the knowledge that I will never feel the attachment to the new place that I do to the old place. It's the fact that it was a home away from home of sorts - a place where I knew ever nook and cranny, where I knew where to get the best knishes, or the best dogs. A place that is home to so many memories. Whatever the Mets did or didn't do to mark this occasion plays no role in how I feel about it. Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2008 01:43 PM I agree with that, except for the part about feeling real pain. I feel a touch of sadness, and a sense of loss, but I wouldn't call it pain. Kong76 Nov 15 2008 04:31 PM I'd like to get a copy of that CAD file with the non bearting typo. Hell, they show part of the guy's name and addy and it was easily discovered who and where he is. Maybe he's got a sense of humor and would leak one to us. Edgy DC Nov 15 2008 07:56 PM Scarsdale. Vic can take a short drive and knock on his door. cooby Nov 16 2008 08:19 PM Zvon, great picture, great stories! cooby Nov 16 2008 08:20 PM And what does "Non Bearting" mean? soupcan Nov 18 2008 11:01 AM All of these from baseball-fever.com Edgy DC Nov 18 2008 11:11 AM What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:17 AM Soup's top photo shows the location of our old seats. Crushing. Willets Point Nov 18 2008 11:25 AM ="Edgy DC":133d3wiq]What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign?[/quote:133d3wiq] Maybe Bubba Sponge? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:31 AM Missed the Spongetech sign. Very sponge worthy. soupcan Nov 20 2008 10:01 AM More pictures available at nycsubway.org 9/1963 5/10/1964 8/1/1979 8/1/1979 Tiles removed between 1979 and 1980. 8/16/1980 9/24/2008 holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:01 AM Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 24 2008 09:47 AM ="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:56 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":22rs38rb]Is she like, legal?[/quote:22rs38rb] Oh, I see. You see a dark-skinned person and immediately think "illegal immigrant." You should be ashamed! ehehhe SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 11:37 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? Uh, 'Bucket, aren't you very much attached at the moment? Now Chicken, I ask you the same question! Benjamin Grimm Nov 24 2008 11:39 AM I find it a little odd to be lusting after someone when all you know is the shape of her nose. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 11:44 AM And which pores are and aren't corrupted. holychicken Nov 24 2008 12:06 PM Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:08 PM ="holychicken":21z05y4i]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:21z05y4i] It's okay, you can still post it. We don't mind. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 12:25 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 24 2008 12:42 PM Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:38 PM ="Edgy DC":1hrzmxox]Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man.[/quote:1hrzmxox] Must be a Yankee fan thing. SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 01:14 PM ="holychicken":26x42lii]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:26x42lii] Geez, I was just following Bucket's lead. I mean I need some Met Chick love more than he does! soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:12 AM All from baseball-fever John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 04 2008 08:18 AM Mike Mulligan always said his Steam Shovel could take down one stadium as fast as 100 men could in a day, although he was never quite sure of that. Benjamin Grimm Dec 04 2008 08:26 AM So now they're chewing away at the Loge level? Are they going to get to a point where there's just an unattached Upper Level (or Upper Tank as Keith Hernandez would call it) floating high in the air? soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:28 AM Yeah that's weird isn't it? You'd think they'd go top to bottom rather than the other way around. I'd like to think that they are professional demolishers and know what they are doing rather than they might just be stupid. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 09:21 AM I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. << dgwphotography Dec 04 2008 10:58 AM ="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... HahnSolo Dec 04 2008 11:21 AM ="Edgy DC":2sv0q5gv] I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. <<[/quote:2sv0q5gv] Those two guys are still waiting for their hot pretzel ordered at the last home game. G-Fafif Dec 04 2008 12:30 PM Talk about your stiff Breezes playing havoc with Shea's outfield. Valadius Dec 04 2008 02:00 PM Part of me is rooting to see the picture of them ripping down that Fox News sign. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 02:14 PM You strike me as somewhat partisan. Am I right? soupcan Dec 04 2008 02:17 PM Who Vlad? Nah - he's as fair and balanced as they come. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 03:45 PM I sent those latest photos to a friend of mine. He wrote back that he thought they were building a new stadium and not just fixing up Shea and slappin' on a new coat of paint like in years gone by. Chucklehead. Zvon Dec 04 2008 04:57 PM ="Iubitul"]="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... Yes. Especially in comparison with the others. It does bring the shaded areas out. Zvon Dec 04 2008 05:02 PM I wish they would get this over with. How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? themetfairy Dec 04 2008 05:12 PM It may take a while. I remember Old Comiskey Park was in a state of partial demolition when we visited New Comiskey in August of 1991. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:22 PM Z: How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? <=== Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition? Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:52 PM tmf: It may take a while. <=== They don't really have much time if they plan to level the joint and make it a parking lot. My guess is they'll finish well before opening day. I don't want to get into union contracts twice tonight, but they make it worth it to finish on time so there's no lolligaggin' nowadays. Zvon Dec 05 2008 03:10 PM ="KC":21ab889l]Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition?[/quote:21ab889l] Sorry. I meant the usage of explosive charges. Kong76 Dec 05 2008 03:42 PM I figured, I was just goofin'. soupcan Dec 09 2008 08:13 AM Upper deck wrecking ball. BAM! Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:32 AM They should have painted the wrecking ball to look like a baseball. metirish Dec 09 2008 08:33 AM That would have been really taking the piss on those that see that as a sad event. Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:37 AM It would be a nod to tradition. It's what they did with the Ebbets Field wrecking ball. The same ball was used a few years later on the Polo Grounds: Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:50 AM Cincinnati's Crosley Field too! soupcan Dec 13 2008 02:19 PM Wow - now I'm even starting to have a hard time looking... baseball-fever.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 13 2008 02:36 PM Yikes. Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 02:55 PM GYAH! Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:10 PM They didn't sell the panels depicting the leap and Seaver's head? Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 07:23 PM It looks like the terrorist hit we were praying wouldn't happen actually did. Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:44 PM Fuck terrorists, an accidental plane crash on a foggy evening in the wrong flight path was what I thought mighta happened one day. *62 Dec 14 2008 12:56 PM The pictures may be gruesome but the Stadium has overstayed its welcome. I may miss living in Brooklyn desperately, but 3,000 sq. ft. is way better than 920. Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:11 PM I don't get the reference. *62 Dec 14 2008 05:39 PM I love Shea for lots of reasons, and will miss it some ..... but it's a dump. Better? Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:53 PM I thought those numbers referred to something. Rockin' Doc Dec 14 2008 06:57 PM I think *62 lives in Florida if my memory is correct. He apparently once lived in Brooklyn and apparently hung out at Shea quite a bit in the past. I think he was stating that he missed living in Brooklyn, but preferred the 3000 sq. ft. of living space he can now afford over the 920 sq. ft. of living space he had in Brooklyn. Living in the south and comparing costs for homes with my friends and relatives relatives that live near the city, I understand what he is referring too. Then again, maybe I miss interpreted the meaning of his post. Either way, it's nice to have *62 posting here again. I hope he hangs around. soupcan Dec 16 2008 01:42 PM StadiumPage.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 16 2008 02:04 PM It's amazing that just ten weeks ago it was still full of color and people and noise. soupcan Dec 18 2008 07:45 PM soupcan Dec 29 2008 07:51 AM soupcan Jan 05 2009 12:40 PM G-Fafif Jan 05 2009 12:52 PM Impressive Photoshopping, Soup. Quite interesting to see what Shea Stadium would look like if somebody went mad and started to tear it down. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please put Shea back together again. Thank you. batmagadanleadoff Jan 05 2009 01:18 PM ="soupcan"]http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/soupcan11/shea5-1.jpg 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? Edgy DC Jan 05 2009 02:35 PM Looks kind of slender for Carter. It also looks like a guy going to right, while Carter more typically pulled. metirish Jan 13 2009 01:35 PM from 01/10/2009 metsguyinmichigan Jan 13 2009 02:35 PM They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me! Zvon Jan 13 2009 02:58 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":8phckkps]They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me![/quote:8phckkps] Why sell just their feet? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 13 2009 04:19 PM wham G-Fafif Jan 13 2009 04:53 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1virpusd]wham[/quote:1virpusd] "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" vs. "Baby I'm Your Man" Whoops...wrong thread. metirish Jan 15 2009 08:00 AM Newsday today has a classic Shea pictures collection. Die-hard fans dance in the aisles at 1:50 a.m. during the 21st inning of a 25-inning marathon game between the Mets and the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. (AP Photo / September 12, 1974) A view of Shea Stadium during the national anthem before a New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1973. (AP Photo / June 9, 1973) 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 A view of Shea Stadium after after souvenir-hunting fans ripped up the sod following the Mets' victory in the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969) Pirates first baseman Willie Stargell waves to the crowd at Shea Stadium during Willie Stargell Night at Shea. The man at left wiping his eye is Nelson Doubleday, Mets chairman of the board. (Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill / September 27, 1982 The new owners of the Mets pose at Shea Stadium. From left: Stephen E. O'Neil, president of City Investing Company; Nelson Doubleday, president of Doubleday Co.; Fred Wilpon, Chairman of the Board of Sterling Equities and John O. Pickett, owner of the NHL New York Islanders, who was instrumental in setting up the sale of the team. Pickett was not listed as an owner of the club. (AP File Photo / January 25, 1980) Car fire involving several cars in the Shea Stadium parking lot during a game in 2002. (AP Photo / April 27, 2002) Workers Angelo DiMaria, left, and Dominico Bannezo clean off old paint and rust as they get Shea Stadium ready for Opening Day in 2001. (Newsdya / J. Conrad Williams Jr / March 28, 2001) > soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:09 AM Amazing how much Jeff looks like his dad used to. Even down to the bad hairdo. ="metirish"] Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 08:10 AM Car Fire Day: Best. Promotion. Ever. HahnSolo Jan 15 2009 08:36 AM I miss crazy old Uncle Nelson. soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:39 AM 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. Farmer Ted Jan 15 2009 08:45 AM I only recall $350 million or so to finally kick Doubleday to the curb in '02. Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 09:02 AM Who pitched on Car Fire Day? metirish Jan 15 2009 09:07 AM ="Edgy DC":kdd41i0v]Who pitched on Car Fire Day?[/quote:kdd41i0v] I remember that game , I should say I remember it from watching it on TV and the announcers talking about the fire in the parking lot and showing it. I'll guess that Steve Trachsel pitched . John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 15 2009 09:14 AM ="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.

whats all this then....? Pages of posts but nary an image. Addressing the issue of pain... Some of us do feel pain in regard to Shea's demise. It's not even that bad. Its a pang....a feeling of remorse. It hurts on a level that's hard to express, and its a passing phase. Eventually this will be a thing of the past. Not yet though, seeing it being ripped down bit by bit, here and at other places as well. I have been going around and collecting pictures of Shea myself. Anything I come across. Early days,recent times,....even the demolition. So I bop in here and I see there have been additions to the Shea Photo thread, and I'm like, "Oh kool! Maybe its one I haven't seen. Hope its the older Shea...but any nice pic of Shea would be sweet to see..." I hope to see pictures of Shea in way of a recollection, an homage. That's just me though. Maybe there should be a seperate thread for Shea's demolition, ...I dunno. But it's really not a big deal. As you can see I'll still check out this thread, hoping for kool pics of Shea Stadium when it was in use. I've come across some really great Shea photos online recently, especially at Baseball Fever. Like this one. I am 95% positive that thats me running onto the field after game 5 of the '73 NLCS.

="metsmarathon"]the "o's" on the alternate uni hat is awful. It really is. I don't really like the real looking bird either. I really loved the old cartoon bird. I was never an Oriole fan but I did buy one of these hats around age 13. And if I played infield during sandlot games I was Brooks. If I played outfield, Met hat and I was Agee.

I'd love seeing those two become Mets for 2009. I don't think FMART is going anywhere though. At least I would hope not at this point. Btw, Nymr83s bark is worse than his bite Mario.

="themetfairy":3vpl9tnq]One advantage to implosions (yes, I realize that wasn't possible in this case) is that they're quick. This is like a band-aid being slowly and painfully peeled off.[/quote:3vpl9tnq] I couldn't have said it better. I have to say I am a bit surprised how the destruction of Shea is effecting me. It has to be this slow torturous way I'm viewing it bit by bit. ="seawolf17":3vpl9tnq]No kidding. I should stop opening this thread.[/quote:3vpl9tnq] I'm with you seawolf17. Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 01:12 PM We let this happen. More than a few advocated it's happening. It's no time to turn away now. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 01:22 PM I'll own up to wanting the new stadium. I'm not denying that. But I've seen this transition done in several other cities during the past few years, and to a team they've all handled it better than the Mets have. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 01:34 PM I'm enjoying the pictures and saving everyone one of them. Keep 'em coming, I stopped licking my wound about ten days ago. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 01:35 PM tmf: they've all handled it better than the Mets have <<< How so? soupcan Nov 11 2008 01:39 PM I'll miss the old girl too but c'mon. Think of what it will be like having wide walkways! Benjamin Grimm Nov 11 2008 01:42 PM Wide walkways and legroom are nothing to sneeze at. I'd feel differently if I still lived in New York. But as rarely as I get to Shea Queens to see the Mets play anymore, I don't think Citi Field will ever feel like home to me. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 01:44 PM I remember the Phillies homage to the Vet in 2003 - a stadium that was younger than Shea and didn't have nearly the history Shea did. IIRC they were the first to take down a number before each game, but they made sure that every number was taken down by someone with a meaningful connection to the team or the stadium (not a Lincoln Mercury dealer in the lot). Their post-game ceremony after their final game was very moving (I'll find the link to it shortly), without the idiotic delay that Mets fans had to endure after Shea's final game. They had books ghost written by the Phillies Phanatic helping prepare younger fans for the move. From top to bottom it just seemed like a much better thought out operation. Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 01:49 PM That has little to do with photos of the de-construction. Is a delay before a ceremony such a big deal? themetfairy Nov 11 2008 01:52 PM The delay before the ceremony was just endemic of the half-assed job the Mets did in properly celebrating Shea's final season. They had an opportunity to do the old girl real justice, and they dropped the ball every chance they could. I couldn't find that footage of the final game ceremony at the Vet on the Phillies' site (and I feel very dirty trolling around there - ick!). But it had much more of a well-planned feel to it. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 01:56 PM How did we get from handling the transition in a day by day demolition thread which you said other teams did better to closing ceremonies and silly number countdowns? themetfairy Nov 11 2008 02:06 PM ="KC"]How did we get from handling the transition in a day by day demolition thread which you said other teams did better to closing ceremonies and silly number countdowns? I mentioned the transition in general. You asked for details. I think that if the Mets did a better job in paying homage to Shea this past season that people wouldn't be as upset about its destruction as they are. Agree or disagree with that premise - it's merely a theory. Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 02:08 PM I wouldn't feel dirty seeking for it if you liked it. If you like it, you like it. It's all MLB's website anyhow. I'm just not ready to kick the Mets because they don't demolish the stadium in a manner comparable to the White Sox or the Rangers. Or such having anything to do with why folks say they won't open this thread. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 02:12 PM You seem to be switching gears, going from "we let this happen/some advocated for it" to "I'm not ready to kick the Mets." You cool with this or not? Kong76 Nov 11 2008 02:15 PM tmf: I mentioned the transition in general. You asked for details <<< How did all the others "to a team" handle the dismantling of their old stadium better than the Mets? Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 02:21 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 11 2008 02:27 PM You're excerpting phrases out of sentences there. It's clear to anybody that I didn't support a new stadium. How it's demolished is a moot point and I don't see how it can be done better, or indeed has been done better by everyone else. Frayed Knot Nov 11 2008 02:25 PM Maybe they can demolish the stadium by bringing each piece out on a velvet pillow laid out on a sled pulled by a puppy dog. I'm sure we'd all feel better then. This wound-licking is getting too much. I want video of the destruction and i hope it's bloody. Benjamin Grimm Nov 11 2008 02:29 PM I don't think the Mets did such a bad job with the last year of Shea. Yeah, there were too many Lincoln-Mercury dealers pulling down the numbers. But I think the closing ceremony was nicely done. Very nicely done. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 02:36 PM The physical demolition of Shea has to be done in this manner because implosion is not possible. My point is that I don't think that people would be reacting to the demolition process as painfully as they are if the Mets had done a better job of honoring Shea properly in its final season. Benjamin Grimm Nov 11 2008 02:38 PM Speaking only for myself, I just find it a little bit sad. No pain though. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 02:39 PM I know people who are in real pain over this. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 02:44 PM There's no way I could cull what fairy's point was from what she typed, I don't read posters minds, we were talking about the demolition pics. Problem with getting too wrapped up in the Mets will never be the same with- out good ol' Shea is before you know it's twenty years from now and you're writing letters to the paper like Bob L about how greener the grass was there and popcorn fresher. The bathroom floors were even drier and less sticky 20 years from now too I bet and those wonderful sight lines ... themetfairy Nov 11 2008 02:50 PM If that's the case, then I weep for the yet-to-be-finished Citi Field. Frayed Knot Nov 11 2008 02:54 PM I think we're starting to sound like the wound-lickers we used to make fun of; - oh no, this stadium is being destroyed worse than any other stadium in the history of destroyed stadiums - only the Mets could paint their foul lines crooked - why did Shea have to die so young? Kong76 Nov 11 2008 02:57 PM tmf: I know people who are in real pain over this <<< Send 'em here! Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 03:00 PM ="Frayed Knot":3qcqh3up]I think we're starting to sound like the wound-lickers we used to make fun of; - oh no, this stadium is being destroyed worse than any other stadium in the history of destroyed stadiums - only the Mets could paint their foul lines crooked - why did Shea have to die so young?[/quote:3qcqh3up] Wait a minute, that second one wuz you. Edgy DC Nov 11 2008 03:00 PM ="KC"]tmf: I know people who are in real pain over this <<< Send 'em here! I think they're minors. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 03:02 PM Actually, Iubital's post yesterday ("it doesn't surprise me") started me on this build up of let's stop the wound licking that was bound to come out. I think. I ain't going back to look. (OE: meaning the foul line not lining up) themetfairy Nov 11 2008 03:18 PM ="Edgy DC"]="KC"]tmf: I know people who are in real pain over this <<< Send 'em here! I think they're minors. No - the minors I know aren't as connected to Shea as most of the adults I know. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 03:24 PM How do they feel about the demolition? Do the also feel that it's being handled "to a team" much worse by the Mets? Or are they just bitter about the closing ceremonies and number countdown too? Send 'em here. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 03:32 PM Who are you talking about? Kong76 Nov 11 2008 03:39 PM The people who are in real pain over this, McFly. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 03:45 PM I'll leave it to them to specifically reply to you or not. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 03:50 PM If they're here (and I suspected they were) then you should have left them out of your poor defense to begin with and let them speak for themselves. You wiggled off like four hooks in this thread. G-Fafif Nov 11 2008 04:06 PM There is beauty, pain and joy in baseball. When they gut and pry apart where you experienced most of it, a person is likely to reflect on all three and feel, upon viewing the kinds of pictures in question, one of those sensations in particular. The beauty and the joy may have been carried out safely before MeiGray could sell them, but it is not surprising that the pain should linger and overshadow for many if not all across the duration of the demolition. Later? Who knows? We haven't been there yet. I suspect the beauty and the pain and the joy will coalesce into the warmer memories the magic of distance allows. Reality says somebody's doing a job in taking down Shea Stadium. Reality says the plan has been on the table long enough for everybody to adjust to the plan. But baseball and reality were never intended to mesh so easily. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 04:17 PM Eloquent as ever, and on topic. Bravo! themetfairy Nov 11 2008 04:29 PM ="KC":cumx5g68]If they're here (and I suspected they were) then you should have left them out of your poor defense to begin with and let them speak for themselves. You wiggled off like four hooks in this thread.[/quote:cumx5g68] Don't ask direct questions if you're not going to like the answers. What was I supposed to do? Ignore you? G-Fafif Nov 11 2008 04:32 PM ="KC":3vuetxpl]Eloquent as ever, and on topic. Bravo![/quote:3vuetxpl] Thanks much, but just throwing the last pitch of what TMF stated quite reasonably, I think...Benitez to the Fairy's Leiter, as it were. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 04:33 PM Thanks G. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 04:35 PM I disagree, I think she said something and then changed it to something else and then played on then something else. I have to stop, I'm gonna start getting PM's about causing waves in the bath tub. Frayed Knot Nov 11 2008 04:38 PM ="Edgy DC"]="Frayed Knot"]I think we're starting to sound like the wound-lickers we used to make fun of; - oh no, this stadium is being destroyed worse than any other stadium in the history of destroyed stadiums - only the Mets could paint their foul lines crooked - why did Shea have to die so young? Wait a minute, that second one wuz you. Yes, but I was just noting the fact that they looked off via the angle in that aerial shot. What followed was a reply which stated that only the Mets could do something like that as if the new stadium really will have foul poles 150' from home plate on account of this organization being so incompetant that the thought of seeing where the lines actually lead hasn't yet occured to anyone during this whole multi-million dollar operation. I'd bring up the one post wondering if they really had to ruin the grass with all that machinery during the deconstruction but I don't think that one was totally serious (although I waver at times). G-Fafif Nov 11 2008 04:39 PM I find it way more upsetting that I posted my way up from Richie Hebner only to morph into Jerry DiPoto. Who ranks these things? Oh right. Us. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 04:46 PM ="KC":6z6ktyl3]I disagree, I think she said something and then changed it to something else and then played on then something else. I have to stop, I'm gonna start getting PM's about causing waves in the bath tub.[/quote:6z6ktyl3] I did nothing of the kind. I answered a question that you asked me. You chose not to like the answer. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 05:05 PM I ain't outlining it for you, and don't be so fucking snippy. You're not always right. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 05:07 PM I'm just playing defense here. I'm not the one accusing people of changing things around. Nor have I done or said anything that merits you swearing at me. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 05:16 PM I'm sorry, but you're just freakin' maddening sometimes. Poorly handled transition does not equal demolition. Go wiggle yourself. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 05:24 PM I never said it equaled demolition. I was talking about people's reactions to the demolition. And nothing I said justifies the kind of reaction you're having. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 05:33 PM No, your first response was about the closing ceremonies and the count down .... have you been drinking with cooby? I'm comfortable with my reaction for purposes of this thread and I apologize for cursing and that's all I have to say on the matter. C'mon, "go wiggle yourself" was pretty funny. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 05:43 PM No, I have not been drinking. This is what you consider an apology? I made a comment about the transition being handled poorly. You asked me to extrapolate. I did, and you reacted in a pretty hostile manner. If you don't like my opinion that's your prerogative. But you needn't go off like that just because you disagree with it. Kong76 Nov 11 2008 05:50 PM I apologized for cursing, that's it. Your reading comprehension skills are taking a beating in this thread. themetfairy Nov 11 2008 05:54 PM No. I'm simply taking a beating for not seeing an issue exactly the way that you do. Kong76 Nov 12 2008 04:20 AM A beating? If I was gonna get nasty I'd dig up a picture of you in a Phillies uniform and really stick it to you. I'm ultimately taking the beating when we argue because the bath house mentality of this board will almost always side with you. Mean ol' KC. *sigh* HahnSolo Nov 12 2008 06:42 AM Hi, I'm here for the "intelligent, lively and provocative discussion of the Mets, Ed Kranepool, and on a good day, the Ramones." Am I in the right place? Kong76 Nov 12 2008 06:58 AM seawolf17 Nov 12 2008 07:17 AM ="HahnSolo":3u9spspm]Hi, I'm here for the "intelligent, lively and provocative discussion of the Mets, Ed Kranepool, and on a good day, the Ramones." Am I in the right place?[/quote:3u9spspm] Eff that. I come here for the weekly KC/Scarlet fights. Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 07:35 AM I missed a GREAT NIGHT. Zvon Nov 12 2008 08:48 PM whats all this then....? Pages of posts but nary an image. Addressing the issue of pain... Some of us do feel pain in regard to Shea's demise. It's not even that bad. Its a pang....a feeling of remorse. It hurts on a level that's hard to express, and its a passing phase. Eventually this will be a thing of the past. Not yet though, seeing it being ripped down bit by bit, here and at other places as well. I have been going around and collecting pictures of Shea myself. Anything I come across. Early days,recent times,....even the demolition. So I bop in here and I see there have been additions to the Shea Photo thread, and I'm like, "Oh kool! Maybe its one I haven't seen. Hope its the older Shea...but any nice pic of Shea would be sweet to see..." I hope to see pictures of Shea in way of a recollection, an homage. That's just me though. Maybe there should be a seperate thread for Shea's demolition, ...I dunno. But it's really not a big deal. As you can see I'll still check out this thread, hoping for kool pics of Shea Stadium when it was in use. I've come across some really great Shea photos online recently, especially at Baseball Fever. Like this one. I am 95% positive that thats me running onto the field after game 5 of the '73 NLCS. Edgy DC Nov 12 2008 09:05 PM Classy look. Apparently, nobody was allowed in that day --- by law --- except 21-year-old white males with shoulder-length hair, workshirts, and bellbottoms. Zvon Nov 12 2008 09:15 PM ="Edgy DC":3fjgok91]Classy look. Apparently, nobody was allowed in that day --- by law --- except 21-year-old white males with shoulder-length hair, workshirts, and bellbottoms.[/quote:3fjgok91] Not so. I was 15. Kong76 Nov 13 2008 04:34 AM EDC: Classy look. Apparently, nobody was allowed in that day --- by law --- except 21-year-old white males with shoulder-length hair, workshirts, and bellbottoms ------------- I never noticed, but you're right. It looks like they just opened a gate for field level gen adm for a Deep Purple concert or something and all the guys are scrambling to get a good spot. Cool picture to be in. G-Fafif Nov 13 2008 05:42 AM It's fascinating, from a cultural perspective, to contrast the crowds storming the field images from '69 and '73. The tumult of the '60s may have waned away from the ballpark, but its remnants seem to have become codified in places that were largely shielded from change while change was at its most intense: like the ballpark. (Which is probably what pissed Dick Young off so.) It's often been said there was more of an edge to the '73 rushing of the field than '69's, for what that's worth. I don't remember the Orioles complaining they were frightened for their well-being the way the Reds did. That YouTube clip that MLB pulled earlier this year, the pregame show from Game Four of the '73 World Series, showed (to me anyway) what a different world we were living in versus four years earlier, not just in style but substance. If you recall, Kubek, Seaver and Hunter were all taking Charlie Finley to task for his handling of the Mike Andrews situation. Questioning authority, kind of a radical concept in establishment circles in 1969, was part of the polyester fabric of the game by 1973. Probably not a coincidence this was the same year as the Senate's Watergate hearings nor that within two weeks there would be such a backlash to the Saturday Night Massacre. soupcan Nov 14 2008 09:54 AM Latest shots from wcbs880 chopper... Field level is completely gone now. Here's some interesting stuff that I got from baseball fever. Shea Demolition Plans: Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 09:58 AM What's a "NON-BEARTING STRUCTURE"? Benjamin Grimm Nov 14 2008 10:00 AM Before anyone else beats me to it, let me just get this out of the way: It figures! The stupid Mets can't even get the spelling right! Willets Point Nov 14 2008 10:04 AM Question for Zvon. Is your shirt open showing your Siegfried & Roy hairless chest or were you wearing a fleshtone t-shirt? Zvon Nov 14 2008 01:26 PM ="Willets Point"]Question for Zvon. Is your shirt open showing your Siegfried & Roy hairless chest or were you wearing a fleshtone t-shirt? lol. I never went around displaying my slinky chest so I'm sure that's a T-shirt. Doubt it was fleshtone, probly orange. Thing is I'm not positive that's me. First time I saw the pic I looked right past that guy searching for me. Eventually I got back to him and thought that must be me. I have no recollection of what I wore that day. I do know I was a skinny guy with long hair who always wore white sneaks. If I had on a flannel shirt, which I wore often enough, it be rolled up at the sleeves. And the path I took puts me right about where that guy is. After that I ran to the edge of the home plate grass, stopped... saw that girl on the mound (looks like she's going for the rubber <[joke setup<]).. our eyes met...I ran to her on the mound and we did a Koosman/Grote type jump and hug. Twirled in a circle, split and ran in different directions. I never saw her again but I'll never forget that moment. Benjamin Grimm Nov 14 2008 01:27 PM I had no idea that Marlo Thomas was there that day! metirish Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM WOW , what a great picture , guy in the yellow shirt at second stands out and I count three suits that might be security , one to the right of yellow shirt and one to the left of Buddy and one n front of him. Edgy DC Nov 14 2008 01:34 PM That's a great story. How about Barry Gibb chicken dancing to your right? Zvon Nov 14 2008 01:37 PM ="Edgy DC":38ctzctd]That's a great story. How about Barry Gibb chicken dancing to your right?[/quote:38ctzctd] No hug for him. Zvon Nov 14 2008 02:31 PM The thing about storming (and that's a very apt description) of the field in '73, and why it did get out of control, was that every kid wanted to be part of that moment, to be part of the celebration like in '69. And as the game went on we all had the same idea : to get down to field level so it was possible. We did the same thing during game four. I ended up on the 1st base side then. Rose hit that extra inning homer and the celebration was over. I was right on the rail behind the added box on the 3rd base side late in game 5. The Reds families were sitting in them. Eventually the game was stopped and they were led out to the Reds bullpen for their safety. And it's not that we were bothering them personally in any way, shape or form (fans did taunt them when they were being led away though, lol). Its just that there was a sea of people behind them that became like one big giant swaying creature. We could not move independently, could hardly even breath. And you know what I did then? I jumped the rail into the make shift box. Like the Reds families I was a bit concerned for my safety. Unfortunately everyone along the rail ended up jumping into the box like lemmings. Again we became crammed. I saw the fans on the 1st base side did the same thing, but they were so packed in that the little wooden wall that enclosed the section collapsed, and they spilled out onto the field. The game had to be halted again. Tug was on the mound at this point. He was pissed off. I remember him approaching the pile of people waving his arms over and over in an upward motion as if to say EVERYONE! BACK UP AND INTO THE STANDS! It was pretty crazy. I got so sandwiched in the corner of the box that I felt that we were gonna burst out on this side too. I jumped out and went down into the Reds dugout. I was able to hide in plain sight there for quite a few minutes, sitting on a stool in the far corner of the dugout. Eventually a cop came up to me and asked what I was doing there. I told him...I was trying to stay alive, lol. He told me I had to stay alive back up in the stands. This was when I was shown on TV, when the cop was talking to me. (my parents and brothers got to see that from home. My bros thought it was the koolest thing, my folks were like wtf were you doing?). I've told this story before here (I have also mentioned looking for the footage of me on TV and it is nowhere to be found.) but I don't think I ever stressed the point that what happened occurred because too many kids had this dream of being in a '69 like celebration highlight reel. And what actually happened was we so embarrassed the team, the game, the city, that that footage will forever be locked away and forgotten. One of my best Shea memories though. A Boy Named Seo Nov 14 2008 02:40 PM I re-read that part about you being in the Reds dugout a couple times thinking I misread or misunderstood you. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Wild story, man. Thanks for sharing. dgwphotography Nov 15 2008 12:28 PM I think I'm one of the one's in real pain over this that TMF is referring to. The thing is not once has the countdown, the ceremonies, or anything that the Mets did or didn't do play a role in it. It is simply the fact that a place that has been a desired destination for me for over 35 years is no longer there. Shea is a place that I dreamed about visiting since my aunt gave me my first yearbook in 1972. It's the knowledge that I will never feel the attachment to the new place that I do to the old place. It's the fact that it was a home away from home of sorts - a place where I knew ever nook and cranny, where I knew where to get the best knishes, or the best dogs. A place that is home to so many memories. Whatever the Mets did or didn't do to mark this occasion plays no role in how I feel about it. Benjamin Grimm Nov 15 2008 01:43 PM I agree with that, except for the part about feeling real pain. I feel a touch of sadness, and a sense of loss, but I wouldn't call it pain. Kong76 Nov 15 2008 04:31 PM I'd like to get a copy of that CAD file with the non bearting typo. Hell, they show part of the guy's name and addy and it was easily discovered who and where he is. Maybe he's got a sense of humor and would leak one to us. Edgy DC Nov 15 2008 07:56 PM Scarsdale. Vic can take a short drive and knock on his door. cooby Nov 16 2008 08:19 PM Zvon, great picture, great stories! cooby Nov 16 2008 08:20 PM And what does "Non Bearting" mean? soupcan Nov 18 2008 11:01 AM All of these from baseball-fever.com Edgy DC Nov 18 2008 11:11 AM What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:17 AM Soup's top photo shows the location of our old seats. Crushing. Willets Point Nov 18 2008 11:25 AM ="Edgy DC":133d3wiq]What? The auction house couldn't generate any action on the spongetech.com sign?[/quote:133d3wiq] Maybe Bubba Sponge? Farmer Ted Nov 18 2008 11:31 AM Missed the Spongetech sign. Very sponge worthy. soupcan Nov 20 2008 10:01 AM More pictures available at nycsubway.org 9/1963 5/10/1964 8/1/1979 8/1/1979 Tiles removed between 1979 and 1980. 8/16/1980 9/24/2008 holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:01 AM Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 24 2008 09:47 AM ="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? holychicken Nov 24 2008 09:56 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":22rs38rb]Is she like, legal?[/quote:22rs38rb] Oh, I see. You see a dark-skinned person and immediately think "illegal immigrant." You should be ashamed! ehehhe SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 11:37 AM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket"]="holychicken"]Might be a bit late for this coming in after all of the destruction pics . . . but this is one of my favorite pictures of shea. It is my gf's younger sister. Is she like, legal? Uh, 'Bucket, aren't you very much attached at the moment? Now Chicken, I ask you the same question! Benjamin Grimm Nov 24 2008 11:39 AM I find it a little odd to be lusting after someone when all you know is the shape of her nose. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 11:44 AM And which pores are and aren't corrupted. holychicken Nov 24 2008 12:06 PM Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:08 PM ="holychicken":21z05y4i]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:21z05y4i] It's okay, you can still post it. We don't mind. Edgy DC Nov 24 2008 12:25 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 24 2008 12:42 PM Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man. seawolf17 Nov 24 2008 12:38 PM ="Edgy DC":1hrzmxox]Butts, schmutz. Steve's a snot man.[/quote:1hrzmxox] Must be a Yankee fan thing. SteveJRogers Nov 24 2008 01:14 PM ="holychicken":26x42lii]Exactly. I didn't even post a picture of her most desirable body part, her posterior. Dear god, tell me my gf doesn't read this forum or she will surely whup me.[/quote:26x42lii] Geez, I was just following Bucket's lead. I mean I need some Met Chick love more than he does! soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:12 AM All from baseball-fever John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 04 2008 08:18 AM Mike Mulligan always said his Steam Shovel could take down one stadium as fast as 100 men could in a day, although he was never quite sure of that. Benjamin Grimm Dec 04 2008 08:26 AM So now they're chewing away at the Loge level? Are they going to get to a point where there's just an unattached Upper Level (or Upper Tank as Keith Hernandez would call it) floating high in the air? soupcan Dec 04 2008 08:28 AM Yeah that's weird isn't it? You'd think they'd go top to bottom rather than the other way around. I'd like to think that they are professional demolishers and know what they are doing rather than they might just be stupid. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 09:21 AM I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. << dgwphotography Dec 04 2008 10:58 AM ="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... HahnSolo Dec 04 2008 11:21 AM ="Edgy DC":2sv0q5gv] I don't know. These two guys aren't winning any smart awards with me right now. <<[/quote:2sv0q5gv] Those two guys are still waiting for their hot pretzel ordered at the last home game. G-Fafif Dec 04 2008 12:30 PM Talk about your stiff Breezes playing havoc with Shea's outfield. Valadius Dec 04 2008 02:00 PM Part of me is rooting to see the picture of them ripping down that Fox News sign. Edgy DC Dec 04 2008 02:14 PM You strike me as somewhat partisan. Am I right? soupcan Dec 04 2008 02:17 PM Who Vlad? Nah - he's as fair and balanced as they come. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 03:45 PM I sent those latest photos to a friend of mine. He wrote back that he thought they were building a new stadium and not just fixing up Shea and slappin' on a new coat of paint like in years gone by. Chucklehead. Zvon Dec 04 2008 04:57 PM ="Iubitul"]="soupcan"] Zvon - is it me, or does this look tone-mapped? It looks like it has that HDR glow to it... Yes. Especially in comparison with the others. It does bring the shaded areas out. Zvon Dec 04 2008 05:02 PM I wish they would get this over with. How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? themetfairy Dec 04 2008 05:12 PM It may take a while. I remember Old Comiskey Park was in a state of partial demolition when we visited New Comiskey in August of 1991. Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:22 PM Z: How are they gonna take down the highest heights sans demolition? <=== Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition? Kong76 Dec 04 2008 05:52 PM tmf: It may take a while. <=== They don't really have much time if they plan to level the joint and make it a parking lot. My guess is they'll finish well before opening day. I don't want to get into union contracts twice tonight, but they make it worth it to finish on time so there's no lolligaggin' nowadays. Zvon Dec 05 2008 03:10 PM ="KC":21ab889l]Cranes and stuff, and how is what they've been doing not demolition?[/quote:21ab889l] Sorry. I meant the usage of explosive charges. Kong76 Dec 05 2008 03:42 PM I figured, I was just goofin'. soupcan Dec 09 2008 08:13 AM Upper deck wrecking ball. BAM! Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:32 AM They should have painted the wrecking ball to look like a baseball. metirish Dec 09 2008 08:33 AM That would have been really taking the piss on those that see that as a sad event. Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:37 AM It would be a nod to tradition. It's what they did with the Ebbets Field wrecking ball. The same ball was used a few years later on the Polo Grounds: Benjamin Grimm Dec 09 2008 08:50 AM Cincinnati's Crosley Field too! soupcan Dec 13 2008 02:19 PM Wow - now I'm even starting to have a hard time looking... baseball-fever.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 13 2008 02:36 PM Yikes. Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 02:55 PM GYAH! Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:10 PM They didn't sell the panels depicting the leap and Seaver's head? Edgy DC Dec 13 2008 07:23 PM It looks like the terrorist hit we were praying wouldn't happen actually did. Kong76 Dec 13 2008 07:44 PM Fuck terrorists, an accidental plane crash on a foggy evening in the wrong flight path was what I thought mighta happened one day. *62 Dec 14 2008 12:56 PM The pictures may be gruesome but the Stadium has overstayed its welcome. I may miss living in Brooklyn desperately, but 3,000 sq. ft. is way better than 920. Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:11 PM I don't get the reference. *62 Dec 14 2008 05:39 PM I love Shea for lots of reasons, and will miss it some ..... but it's a dump. Better? Edgy DC Dec 14 2008 05:53 PM I thought those numbers referred to something. Rockin' Doc Dec 14 2008 06:57 PM I think *62 lives in Florida if my memory is correct. He apparently once lived in Brooklyn and apparently hung out at Shea quite a bit in the past. I think he was stating that he missed living in Brooklyn, but preferred the 3000 sq. ft. of living space he can now afford over the 920 sq. ft. of living space he had in Brooklyn. Living in the south and comparing costs for homes with my friends and relatives relatives that live near the city, I understand what he is referring too. Then again, maybe I miss interpreted the meaning of his post. Either way, it's nice to have *62 posting here again. I hope he hangs around. soupcan Dec 16 2008 01:42 PM StadiumPage.com Benjamin Grimm Dec 16 2008 02:04 PM It's amazing that just ten weeks ago it was still full of color and people and noise. soupcan Dec 18 2008 07:45 PM soupcan Dec 29 2008 07:51 AM soupcan Jan 05 2009 12:40 PM G-Fafif Jan 05 2009 12:52 PM Impressive Photoshopping, Soup. Quite interesting to see what Shea Stadium would look like if somebody went mad and started to tear it down. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please put Shea back together again. Thank you. batmagadanleadoff Jan 05 2009 01:18 PM ="soupcan"]http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q308/soupcan11/shea5-1.jpg 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? Edgy DC Jan 05 2009 02:35 PM Looks kind of slender for Carter. It also looks like a guy going to right, while Carter more typically pulled. metirish Jan 13 2009 01:35 PM from 01/10/2009 metsguyinmichigan Jan 13 2009 02:35 PM They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me! Zvon Jan 13 2009 02:58 PM ="metsguyinmichigan":8phckkps]They're not saving any of the neon players? I know they're huge. but heck, they could slice them up and sell them for $10 a foot to geeks like me![/quote:8phckkps] Why sell just their feet? John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 13 2009 04:19 PM wham G-Fafif Jan 13 2009 04:53 PM ="John Cougar Lunchbucket":1virpusd]wham[/quote:1virpusd] "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go" vs. "Baby I'm Your Man" Whoops...wrong thread. metirish Jan 15 2009 08:00 AM Newsday today has a classic Shea pictures collection. Die-hard fans dance in the aisles at 1:50 a.m. during the 21st inning of a 25-inning marathon game between the Mets and the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. (AP Photo / September 12, 1974) A view of Shea Stadium during the national anthem before a New York Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers game in 1973. (AP Photo / June 9, 1973) 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 A view of Shea Stadium after after souvenir-hunting fans ripped up the sod following the Mets' victory in the 1969 World Series. (AP Photo / October 16, 1969) Pirates first baseman Willie Stargell waves to the crowd at Shea Stadium during Willie Stargell Night at Shea. The man at left wiping his eye is Nelson Doubleday, Mets chairman of the board. (Newsday / Paul J. Bereswill / September 27, 1982 The new owners of the Mets pose at Shea Stadium. From left: Stephen E. O'Neil, president of City Investing Company; Nelson Doubleday, president of Doubleday Co.; Fred Wilpon, Chairman of the Board of Sterling Equities and John O. Pickett, owner of the NHL New York Islanders, who was instrumental in setting up the sale of the team. Pickett was not listed as an owner of the club. (AP File Photo / January 25, 1980) Car fire involving several cars in the Shea Stadium parking lot during a game in 2002. (AP Photo / April 27, 2002) Workers Angelo DiMaria, left, and Dominico Bannezo clean off old paint and rust as they get Shea Stadium ready for Opening Day in 2001. (Newsdya / J. Conrad Williams Jr / March 28, 2001) > soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:09 AM Amazing how much Jeff looks like his dad used to. Even down to the bad hairdo. ="metirish"] Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 08:10 AM Car Fire Day: Best. Promotion. Ever. HahnSolo Jan 15 2009 08:36 AM I miss crazy old Uncle Nelson. soupcan Jan 15 2009 08:39 AM 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. Farmer Ted Jan 15 2009 08:45 AM I only recall $350 million or so to finally kick Doubleday to the curb in '02. Edgy DC Jan 15 2009 09:02 AM Who pitched on Car Fire Day? metirish Jan 15 2009 09:07 AM ="Edgy DC":kdd41i0v]Who pitched on Car Fire Day?[/quote:kdd41i0v] I remember that game , I should say I remember it from watching it on TV and the announcers talking about the fire in the parking lot and showing it. I'll guess that Steve Trachsel pitched . John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 15 2009 09:14 AM ="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.

Edgy DC wrote: Check out who paid good lettuce to sponsor Santana's page: http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/santajo02.shtml HaHa. All this shows me is that they are fools. Lincecum is no surprise.

This is a bit surprising. I think he would have made a great Met coach. Why didn't we just demote him?

Haha, got me too. I also was like "what did that goofball say now?" Thats a nice step up the ladder for Carter. (the ladder that he has been adding extensions to via his piehole)

Edgy DC wrote: I hope his car isn't overturned in its Margate driveway this morning. I deny everything and demand proof.

This is great! There was a day when this would be a fantastic highlight of the season past. It would be enough. Still is for me.

The get up and the Camaro in the pic had me leaning....... then the Pink Floyd T-shirt clinched it. Omar! Go get Swish!!!!!!