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Over the next five days, I will be making posts about my Five Favorite Moments at Shea Stadium, from games 
that I attended. In addition, each post will be followed by a quick video segment of me talking about the moment.
I hope you enjoy them, and feel free to share your favorite memories in each post as well.
My Fifth Favorite Moment at Shea Stadium was not a game, actually. Instead, it is of waiting in line outside of Shea, freezing cold, in the dark, shivering in a Mets jersey, hoping to get playoff tickets during September in 1999.
This was the first time in my adult life that the Mets had a chance to make it to the post-season, so, on behalf of my friends, I took off from work, drove down to Shea, and waited on line.
The majority of my family and friends are Yankees fans, all of whom had been riding sky-high during the 1990s. And so, to be at Shea, on my own, in line for playoff tickets, but surrounded by fellow, die-hard, passionate, proud Mets fans, was an exhilarating and inspiring feeling. I was able to talk Mets baseball with people, hang out and reminisce, which is something I never really had a chance to do – at least prior to MetsBlog.com.
Having the opportunity to see all of those people, all on the same page, together, having fun, outside of the stadium where no game was about to be played, was a very special moment for me.
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my #5 was 05/06 (cant remember) it was the second home game of the year and that same morning we got like 4 inches of snow. four of my buddies and i were in the last row of the upper deck behind home. had to take off the next day from work so i could get the feeling back into my toes but wow.. i have no idea how they played in that weather condition… needless to say it was a night game, that was freezing cold and windy…
Really great interview with The Jacket on WFAN right now, by the way.
for those of us at work, would you care to give us a quick recap?
Was just about to post this, very interesting stuff
Omar Manaya is on now…
sweatervest!!
I camped out at Shea that year for NLCS tickets. I drove down to Shea from NJ that night, got there ~10PM, and they had set up pens with police barriers around the stadium, each to hold 100 people. You got a ticket for the next days lottery. They gave out 2500 tickets, numbered 1-2500. I brought a sleeping bag and a pillow. I think I had a number in the 100s. People brought their portable TVs and that night, Pedro had come in relief for Boston and stymied Cleveland. People were drinking and raucous but I still managed to sleep off and on (always checking my wallet).
Next morning, all of the 2500 tickets had been given out and they had a few extra pens for the ~300 extra people they had. They let you leave the pens for about an hour or so in the morning to use the bathroom and get something to eat. (I think there were wristbands as well). The first 2500 were guaranteed to be able to buy tickets. They had a lottery to see who would go first, and then everyone following that number went next, etc. until they got to 2500, then they started back with #1 until they got all of the first 2500. Mr Met did the drawing. The number was in the 400s, which meant that I would be near the end of the 2500 (~2200) even though I got there before most people. A lot of people in my pen were yelling and complaining, but I was OK with it because they announced well in advance that this was what they were going to do, and I knew that I would still get tickets, albeit maybe not the best ones.
I didnt get to buy tickets until about 3PM (I skipped a day in med school for this) but when I put my hands on those tickets, it was all worth it. Plus, I ended up being there for the grand slam single, which was the best baseball game Ive ever been at.
Thats a hell of a story…and for all that work you were rewarded with one hell of a game.
Excellent feature, Matt….this fantastic site just keeps getting better and better…..
Mets.com has announced Santana as Sunday’s starter. Obviously this means little but I’m suprised they even bothered
Are you going somewhere with that? why would they not announce him.
to scare the phillies into throwing hamels????? brewers to pitch Sabathia??? I don’t get it either
Because it’s largely depenent on where they are as a team this weekend. If they have clinched a spot he won’t pitch Sunday. If they are in dire straits they could pitch him Saurday on short rest (god forbid).
If you pay attention to the team websites they often post TBD, so I’m suprised they;d post it there,but like I said those things change.
Jon Heyman wrote an article saying how all the NL teams in the playoffs want to face the Mets because of their brutal bullpen. So no one wants to play the Brewers because they have a good bullpen? They don’t exactly have a great one either.
Another “Yankees are the greatest” moron.
Well if that’s the case lets see the Cubs lay down for 2 more … and then sweep the Brewers. I wouldn’t complain about it, that’s for sure.
Every single year, there’s a team that nobody wants to face in the playoffs, and a team that everyone wants to face. And every single year, the team nobody wants to face loses, and the team everyone hopes to face wins. Sportscasters talk because that’s why they get their paychecks.
Probably cause they don’t want to face CC or Sheets twice. Same with Dbacks, who wants to face Webb twice and Haren once? NOONE
It wont be possible to face the Dbacks since they wont make the playoffs. I think the Dodgers are weaker than the Mets and honestly think the Mets will beat anyone they play.
Being that I haven’t lived in NYC since 1973, its hard to build a large group of Shea memories. But each time was in itself special.
Back in 1984 my cousin and I went to see them play the Pirates. We had a sheet which had the words painted on it “I Just Wanted To Be On TV”. We had asked my aunt to tape the game in the slim chance we were on TV. When we got home she said we weren’t on the tube. As it was, we watched the game anyways on tape. Lo and Behold, we were on TV. But it doesn’t end there. I got home to Florida a couple of weeks later and was watching This Week on Baseball and saw us on that. What a surprise that was.
Tonight’s lineup
Reyes (ss)
Murphy (lf)
Wright (3b)
Beltran (cf)
Delgado (1b)
Church (rf)
Schneider (c)
Reyes (2b)
Perez (lhp)
nd
Definitely should swap Reyes and Perez.
?
Perez is a better hitter. let him try to get on base and than at least Argenis can try to bunt him over..not that he’s even good at that.
why even suggest something so stupid?
Is it because you feel the need to just suggest something different than what Manuel has done with the lineup? Just to have some kind of opinion, to state it, for whatever reason? Is it because you enjoy watching Oliver Perez jump out of his shoes everytime he swings?
I think it’s because Argenis hasn’t had a hit, and one walk, in over a month.
Because Santana has more extra base hits than Argenis has hits.
Because Argenis would be cut from a AAA team.
Because Jose Lima could get Argenis out.
All outstanding points Ceetar. Oliver is clearly a much better hitter than Argenis.
he’s trying to be funny, ha ha
no castillo? wooo hooo
no complaints with this lineup…Murphy in the 2 hole is always good in my mind.
To me, what Matt just selected is what sports is all about. It’s not about the game its self, but the “universe” around it.
If anyone believes that sports are a religion reply by saying I
Amen!
Cerrone if you watc that video without sound you look like you’re having a seizure. Sweet.
My # 5 -
BJ in the mens room. Top that Cerrone!
By a Man?
Matt,
I will always be greatful for those tickets. I recall they herded you guys around like cattle for a ridiculous amount of time in the cold weather. I believe this allowed us to see Game 5 of the NLCS and the “Grand Slam Single” game. That was one of the most unbelievable games I have ever witnessed. Probably just stole your thunder for one of your Top 4 moments. Doh.
mine wa back in 75 i was 3 years old andy father ook me and my family to the game my father acually sprang for the field level seats and hewas getting autoraphs for my sister and i well rusty cwas finishig up his exercises and was heading back to the dgout when my father yelled “hey rust hws about a atoraph for your son .” well rusty looked at me and my red hair and laughed and obliged me with a signature alo fav moment was seeing doc gooden against the expo’s in 86 – he sruck ot 12 that nightif i remember correctly
Wow do you love to talk with your hands. =]