Shea Goodbye

Yesterday, thanks to Legalbgl and his wife, Mrs. Lawhawk and I were able to attend the last game at Shea Stadium. It was a packed house as the entire 2008 Mets season came down to the last game. If the Mets won, they could be guaranteed to play at least one more game. If the Mets lost, they would have needed the Milwaukee Brewers to lose to assure a one-game playoff.

Well, as you know by now, the Brewers won, and the Mets lost. Again.

I will be posting photos of the events from yesterday later. Let's just say that once the Brewers score was posted as a win, the stadium's crowd got so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Once again, the Mets bullpen failed them, allowing the winning runs - back to back home runs.

Here's the answer to a variety of trivia questions:

Last Mets home run at Shea: a 2-run home run by Carlos Beltran.
Last home run at Shea: Dan Uggla of the Marlins
Pitcher to give up last home run: Luis Ayala
The losing pitcher: Scot Schoeneweis, Mets
The winning pitcher: Joe Nelson, Marlins
The last out: The Marlins' Matt Lindstrom retired Ryan Church on a flyout. Lindstrom got the last save recorded at Shea.

Following the game, the atmosphere was as bad as a funeral. Fans booed loudly as Marlins players spent more time on the field celebrating the win and again booed as some of the Marlins players came back on the field to scoop up dirt from the infield.

That was followed by a closing ceremony that included many of the former Mets greats who roamed the field, including players from the two championship teams - 1969 and 1986. Among those who were in attendance: Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Daryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, Ron Darling, Keith Hernandez, and perhaps the loudest cheers came when Mike Piazza took the field.

The last pitch was a ceremonial pitch thrown by Seaver to Piazza, who both then walked out through the center field gate together, waving to the crowd. A short fireworks display followed, and that was it.

So long Shea.