Opinion: I Will Miss the Braves Playing at Shea
“L-A-R-R-Y … L-A-R-R-Y”
Ahh, the sweet sound of serenading Chipper Jones at Shea Stadium.
For all of its lack of charm, there is something to be said of how that chant, along with the “Tomahawk Chop,” sound in Shea.
This weekend will be last time the Braves play at Shea. So, it’s worth noting that I have more great memories of them at Shea, as compared to other teams.
From Andruw Jones to John Rocker, this series has never been short of despised personalities in the last decade or so, especially the aforementioned Chipper.
In fact, there are too many to choose from.
My two favorite moments against the Braves at Shea involve my favorite Mets player of all-time, Mike Piazza. I will never forget September 21, 2001, when Piazza put New York City on his shoulders and lifted its spirits with a massive home run off of Steve Karsay. Forget about Bobby Thompson, for me, that was “The Shot Heard Around the World,’ the sound of which hit still sends chills down my spine.
My second favorite memory is June 30, 2000, when Piazza capped a 10-run inning with a laser of a three-run home run to left field to beat the Braves.
Todd Zelie’s quote about that game described it the best:
“There was no doubt it was going to stay fair. It was just whether it was going to hit the wall or go through the wall.”
The resiliency of the 2000 N.L. Champs resemble the same “never-say-die” attitude that the 2008 edition showcases each night.
So, for all of you who are going to the games this weekend, make sure you, the Shea faithful, let Larry hear it one last time and send him home with a sweep!
