If Shea Stadium Could Speak: Thanks For The Memories
Shea Goodbye
Hello, my name is Shea Stadium. I'm 44 years old, and I'm feeling sort of blue these days. You see, the Mets were eliminated from postseason play on Sunday. Normally, this is about the time I start to prepare for a long winter's nap so I can be all ready for next season. But this time is different. You see, next spring I'm being replaced by a brand new ballpark and I'm going, well, I don't want to talk about that right now.
All season long fans from across the country have come to pay tribute to me. For some, it was their first visit here but I also have lots of friends who are here all the time. One of those longtime friends is a company named Future Tech Enterprise -- you may know them as a Holbrook, N.Y.-based solution provider.
On Sept. 24, they made their annual trip out to see the New York Mets, bringing with them lots of customers, employees and vendor friends. More than 220 in all. It was a great time and everybody really seemed like they had fun, even though the Mets lost another heartbreaker, 9-6, to the Chicago Cubs in extra innings. Still, I'm glad they came and I wanted to share some of their favorite memories.
The Final Season
As you can see, they even made a special logo for me this year to commemorate my final season. You can't walk 15 feet without someone trying to sell you a souvenir to remind you of that fact. Personally, I think they charge too much for this kind of stuff now. I remember when I first opened beer cost about $1. Now it's $8. Yikes!
CitiField
You remember I mentioned a new ballpark? Well, here she is. Yeah, yeah, I know she looks beautiful—but, remember, everyone said the same thing about me at one time. And I used to be home to a professional football team, too. I don't see CitiField being able to do that. I just wish they didn't have to build her right beside me. I guess it's kind of like if you owned a data center and someone came and built a bigger one right next door and you knew all your customers were going to be taking their business there. Hmmmph.
Anyway, let's talk about some memories….
Subway Series
This is Mary Ellen Calla, a sales assistant at Future Tech. Her favorite Mets memory is Game 5 of the 2000 World Series.
She said, "We sat in the [left field] picnic area and we were in like sardines. We didn't even have a seat. We sat on the stairs. But the atmosphere was awesome. The Yankees won, but my sister is a Yankees fan so she got to watch them celebrate."
She also said she remembers crying as a kid after the Mets traded away Tom Seaver and her dad told her she had to root for the team, not the player. Years later, she told the same thing to her own 6-year-old who cried when the Mets didn't re-sign Mike Piazza.
Foul Ball
Before the game, FutureTech had a big buffet dinner for all its guests in a big tent beyond left field. Here's Account Executive Sam Barall (l.) and Director of Sales Larry Zafrin (r.) enjoying a moment with a couple of customers from the New York Department of Education.
Zafrin said his favorite memory here was from a game he attended with his kids. "We were sitting behind the first base line and a ball was hit our way and my son got the ball. My friends said they saw us on TV. That was pretty special," he said.
A Good Time
Here's Larry Zafrin again with a couple of customers from Globecomm Systems. One of the Globecomm customers, on the right, said his favorite memory was not a Mets game, but a Jets-Dolphins matchup from the early 1980s that pitted quarterbacks Ken O'Brien and Dan Marino in a high-scoring shootout.
Play Ball
Oh, yeah, there was a game that day. Oliver Perez pitches to Alfonso Soriano here. When this picture was taken, the Mets were still in contention. I'm so not ready to say goodbye.
Swiss Mister
I mentioned that people have come from all over the country to say goodbye to me. Apparently, they also came straight from the Matterhorn.
Ladies Night
Five members of the Future Tech team pose behind left field. From left are: Christine Chwalek, Margo Hall, Catherine Calame, Barbara Jasinski and Emily O'Bray.
Catherine said her favorite Shea memory occurred about a month ago when Billy Joel played the last concert here.
"We got to see so many music legends in the best stadium ever built. Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Steven Tyler, Garth Brooks, Roger Daltrey," she said.
I don't know if Catherine was kidding about the "best stadium ever built" comment, but I appreciate the compliment. If I wasn't painted so blue, I'd be blushing.
Grand Slam
There's nothing more exciting than a grand slam hit by a home team player. On this night, Carlos Delgado smacked one into the picnic area, right near where Future Tech was sitting.
All Smiles
I can't tell you how many business deals I've seen closed within my walls over the last 44 years, but there have been a lot. One of the great things about a baseball game is the game is slow enough, OK, sometimes boring enough, that you can actually have a conversation. Here's Tom Kecki (l.), FutureTech account manager, with a customer from North Shore-Long Island Jewish Hospital.
Kecki said his favorite Shea memory was "the first time I took my kids to a game —over 24 years ago—and the magic is still the same."
Spirits Alive
Mike Lima, national account manager for Future Tech (r.), poses with three Southern Wine and Spirts executives.
His favorite memory was the first time he brought his children. I'm going to miss the children, but I'm glad they'll have their own memories from being here. Mike's favorite memory is a good one. He said, "We were in the first box behind third base and there was a ground ball. The third-base coach picked it up and handed it to my son. He was 5. In 20 years, I never got a ball and he got one his first time. You can't do anything better than that."
The Gang's All Here
Here's some more FutureTech fun. Associates Barbara Jasinski, Larry Zafrin, Gerry Micena and Bill Kohler look good, but I think I'm looking pretty good too, no?
Game 6
Bill Kohler, CIO of Future Tech (l.) poses with another customer. One of Bill's favorite Shea memories is one of mine too. Here's Bill's recollection: "When I was in college, in 1986, I was here when Mookie Wilson hit the ball between Bill Buckner's legs. That was a great game. I called my dad before that hit and he said come on home. They're going to lose. But we stayed for the whole game. I called him back up after the Mets won."
Blackberry
So they tell me you guys are technology experts. Is this thing a phone, or a camera? Things sure have changed a lot since 1964.
Scoreboard
I was so happy to have Future Tech here, I had to let them know. They say CitiField is going to have a big high-definition screen but I don't know what that means.
A Yankee Fan in Mets Country
Nick Gigante, (second from l.) senior account executive, for Future Tech, is a Yankees fan, but that's OK, I forgive him. He's losing his favorite stadium this year too, so I know how he feels. Gigante, posing here with customers from Astoria Federal Savings, said, "I was here for the Buckner game with my father. It was a wild night."
He said one of his favorite Yankee Stadium memories came this year at the All-Star Game. "That was an experience," he said.
Let's Go Mets
Mets fans like FutureTech's Catherine Calame weren't ready to throw in the towel yet.
Goodbye
Well, that's about it. It's time to say good night, soon for good. Thanks to all the fans who supported me through the years. I guess you could say I've reached my EOL cycle and it's time for the Mets to get a product refresh.