The Mets began as a franchise in the Continental League proposed by Branch Rickey. When the major leagues absorbed this potential rival, as they had so many others, by selling ML franchise rights to some of its sounder backers, the gap that had been left in New York City by the departure of the Dodgers and Giants after 1957 was filled by the expansion Mets. Chief owner Joan Payson, a millionaire, had been a Giants fan, and her team consciously played to the nostalgia of veteran fans. Before their first season, the Mets hired Casey Stengel and George Weiss, both recently let go by the Yankees, as manager and general manager. Gil Hodges, Don Zimmer, Gus Bell, Roger Craig, Clem Labine, Richie Ashburn, Frank Thomas, Gene Woodling, Duke Snider, Jimmy Piersall, Roy McMillan, Yogi Berra, Warren Spahn, and Joe Pignatano, all local favorites or former stars who would be remembered, played for the Mets in their first four seasons. (Johnny Antonelli and Billy Loes were purchased, but decided they would rather retire than play for the ragtag team.) The tactic was a bigger success as a promotional device than as a plan to win ballgames. The Mets, playing at the old Polo Grounds, went 40-120 in their first year, the worst record in the 20th century. But the fans, referred to as the "New Breed," were in the mold of the old Brooklyn Dodger fans, taking their team to heart as much for its faults as for its virtues, and in their enthusiasm introduced banners at the ballpark. At first, the painted bedsheets were quickly confiscated by park security, but local sportswriters pressured George Weiss, whose dignified Yankee sensibilities were offended by such unserious behavior, into allowing this new splash of color to thrive. The Mets became the first club to have an official Banner Day promotion.

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Tenant: New York Mets (NL)
Opened: April 17, 1964
Surface: Bluegrass
Capacity: 55,601 (baseball)
Architect: Praeger-Kavanaugh-Waterbury
Construction: n/a
Owner: City of New York
Cost: $25.5 million

Location: Center field (E by NE), 126th Street; third base (N by NW), Whitestone Expressway/I-678 and Flushing Bay; home plate (W by SW), Grand Central Parkway; first base (S by SE), Roosevelt Avenue; in Queens, near Flushing Meadow Park, site of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fairs, just southeast of La Guardia Airport.

Dimensions: Foul lines: 330 (marked, l964), 341 (actual, 1964), 341 (1965), 338 (1979); power alleys: 371, 378 (current); center field: 410; backstop: 80; foul territory: very large. Fences: Foul lines: 16.33 (4 wire and railing above 12.33 brick, 1964), 12.33 (brick, 1965), 8 (wood, 1979); power alleys: 8 (wood); center field small section: 8.75 (wood), most 8 (wood).

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Polo Grounds "Mets Firsts"
New York, NY

Game 04/13/1962 Pirates 4, Mets 3
Umpires Bill Jackowski, Ed Sudol, Al Forman, Tom Gorman
Managers Casey Stengel, Mets
Danny Murtaugh, Pirates
Starting Pitchers Sherman Jones, Mets; Tom Sturdivant, Pirates
Ceremonial Pitch
Attendance 12,447
Batting
Batter Bill Virdon (ground out)
Hit Smoky Burgess (single)
Run Smoky Burgess
RBI Don Hoak
Single Smoky Burgess
Double Don Hoak
Triple Bill Mazeroski
Home Run Frank Thomas
Grand Slam Jim Davenport (06/01/1962)
IPHR Gil Hodges (05/16/1962)
Stolen Base Julian Javier (04/18/1962)
Sacrifice Hit Bob Friend (04/15/1962)
Sacrifice Fly Bob Skinner (04/15/1962)
Cycle Jim Hickman (08/07/1963)
Pitching
Win Tom Sturdivant
Loss Sherman Jones
Shutout Al Jackson (04/29/1962)
Save Roy Face
Hit by Pitch Wilmer Mizell hit Felix Mantilla (04/14/1962)
Wild Pitch Herb Moford
Balk Jim Golden (06/22/1962)
No-Hitter
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About The Mets Logo

The circular Mets logo, designed by sports cartoonist Ray Gatto and unveiled on November 16, 1961, has gone virtually unchanged throughout the history of the club. The shape of the insignia, with its orange stitching, represents a baseball, and the bridge in the foreground symbolizes that the Mets, in bringing back the National League to New York, represent all five boroughs.

It's not just a skyline in the background, but has special meaning. At the left is a church spire, symbolic of Brooklyn, the borough of churches. The second building from the left is the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn. Next is the Woolworth Building. After a general skyline view of midtown comes the Empire State Building. At the far right is the United Nations Building.

Shea Stadium is named after William Alfred Shea, an attorney who was instrumental in acquiring a new team for New York following the city's abandonment by the Giants and the Dodgers in the 1950s. Appointed chairman of the Baseball Commission by then New York mayor Robert Wagner, Shea first tried to get the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates, or the Philadelphia Phillies to move to New York, but had no luck. He then tried to organize a third major league, the Continental League, in 1958, with a franchise for New York, but the league died before a single game was played. In 1960, National League owners decided to expand to 10 teams and awarded franchises to Houston and New York. There were rumors that New York would be rejected unless it guaranteed construction of a new stadium. At Shea's suggestion, Wagner sent telegrams to each owner with such an assurance, and the Mets started play in 1962.

Originally, the Mets were to play only one season at the Polo Grounds, the former home of the New York Giants. However, construction of the new ballpark fell behind schedule. Shea Stadium cost $28.5 million to build and took 29 months from its groundbreaking on October 28, 1961, to its dedication on April 17, 1964. It was originally to be called Flushing Meadow Park, but a movement was quickly launched to name it in honor of Shea. The stadium contains 24 ramps and 21 escalators. It was also the first stadium capable of being converted from baseball to football and back using two motor-operated stands that moved on underground tracks. Shea Stadium is the noisiest outdoor ballpark in the majors because it is in the flight path of La Guardia Airport. The story goes that when the city scouted out stadium sites in 1962, they went during the winter, when flight paths into La Guardia are different, so they never anticipated the aircraft noise.

Plans were drawn up to add 15,000 seats and cover the stadium with a dome. Those plans were scrapped when studies showed the stadium might collapse under the weight of a roof. An article in the February 1, 1996 issue of the New York Times reported that the Mets plan on building a new ballpark in Queens some time in the next ten years. The owner said that he wanted the new park to resemble Ebbets Field with a retractable roof.

* Designed to be expandable to 90,000 seats.

* Right-center scoreboard is one of largest in the majors, 175 feet long and 86 feet high with Bulova clock on top, about 25 feet behind the outfield fence.

* Behind the fence in center, just to the right of the 410 mark, is a Mets Magic Top Hat. When a Met hits a homer, a red Big Apple rises out of the black top hat, which actually looks more like a big kettle.

* Worst visibility for hitters in the majors.

* Churchlike spire beyond center-field fence formerly graced by "Serval Zippers" sign.

* Christened April 16, 1964, with Dodgers Holy Water from the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and Giants Holy Water from the Harlem River at the exact location where it passed the old Polo Grounds.

* The Beatles played before 53,275 fans in August 1965 and again in August 1966.

* The New York Yankees played there from April 6, 1974, to September 28, 1975 while Yankee Stadium was renovated.

Team Founded: 1962

Team History:
1962-Present - New York Mets

Team Colors: Blue, White, Orange & Black

Derivative : Is shortened from a team that played in the city in the 1800s, the Metropolitans.

Official Web Site: mets.mlb.com

Mailing & Stadium Address:
Sterling Doubleday Enterprises, LP.
Shea Stadium
126th Street & Roosevelt Ave.
Flushing, NY. 11368
(718) 507-6387

Opened: April 17, 1964

First Official Game: April 17, 1964, 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh Pirates.

Stadium Capacity: 55,705

Surface: Natural Grass

Dimensions:
Home to Left-Field - 338 Feet
Home to Left-Center Field - 371 Feet
Home to Center Field - 410 Feet
Home to Righ-Center Field - 371 Feet
Home to Right Field - 338 Feet
Height of Outfield Walls - 8 Feet

Ground Rules:
A ball rolling under any part of the field boxes and staying out of sight, is one base on a throw by a pitcher from the rubber, or two bases on a throw by a fielder.

A ball hitting the side of the facing of the dugout is considered in the dugout.

A ball going into the dugout is one base on a throw by a pitcher from the rubber and two bases from the field.

A fair ball bouncing over the fence is two bases.

A fair ball bouncing over the temporary fence in foul territory fence in foul territory in left and right field is two bases.

A ball caught in the padding of the outfield fence is two bases.

Chairman of the Board: Nelson Doubleday
President & Chief Executive

Officer: Fred Wilpon

Director: Fred Wilpon, Saul B. Katz, Joe McIlvane, Marvin B. Tepper, Fay T. Vincent

General Manager: Jim Duquette

Manager: Art Howe

Retired Numbers: 14 - Gil Hodges 37 - Casey Stengel 41 - Tom Seaver

Mets in the Hall of Fame:
1966 - Casey Stengel 1971 - George Weiss 1972 - Yogi Berra 1973 - Warren Spahn
1979 - Willie Mays 1980 - Duke Snider 1992 - Tom Seaver 1995 - Richie Ashburn
1999 - Nolan Ryan

World Series Titles: (2) 1969, '86
National League Pennants: (4) 1969, '73, '86 '00
Division Titles: (4) 1969, '73, '86, '88
Wild Card: (2) 1999, '2000,

NL Most Valuable Player None
NL Cy Young Award 1969 - Tom Seaver 1973 - Tom Seaver 1975 - Tom Seaver 1985 - Dwight Gooden
Rookie of the Year 1969 - Tom Seaver 1972 - Jon Matlack 1983 - Darryl Strawberry 1984 - Dwight Gooden
Manager of the Year None
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Historical Moments:
1959-1960: Two years after the Dodgers and Giants departed New York, attorney William Shea announces the formation of a third major league, the Continental League, to begin play in 1961. One of the charter teams for the league would be placed in New York. The AL and NL saw a real threat in third league, and made a deal to expand for the first time in 60 years in exchange for the Continental League's folding. The AL and NL each took 2 of the League's charter franchises including the New York franchise which would become the Mets. Many people credit Shea for the new era of expansion and he is eventual rewarded by having a Stadium named in his honor.

1962: The Mets inaugural season is nothing to write home about. It took them 10 games just to get their first win. The Mets would not win much that first year losing 120 games the most in the 20th Century. However the Mets would be very popular despite the losing as they would be referred to as the "Lovable Losers", as the players went out of their way to entertain the fans.

1963: The Mets introduced the first Major League Mascot Mr. Met .Two career milestone Home Runs for two totally different players highlight the final season of baseball at the Polo Grounds. First there was Hall of Famer Duke Snider who hit a walk off HR for the 400th round tripper of his career. The second was the 100th by the eccentric Jimmy Piersall. Piersall would shock everyone by circling the bases backwards after hitting the career century mark off Dallas Green of the Phillies. The move would earn Piersall a one-way ticket out of New York, as manger Casey Stengel remarked there was "room for only one clown on the Mets". However the Mets were not much better on the field as they again finished with a league worst 51-111 record.

1964: The Mets move to Queens, in the new state of the art Shea Stadium in Flushing Queens, where for the first 2 seasons the Mets would be a side attraction to the World's Fair which was going on across the street from the new ballpark. The Mets would continue to play poor baseball with a 53-109 record, but they played in packed houses. The Mets would also host that years All-Star Game that was won by the NL on homer by the Phillies Johnny Callison in the 9th Inning.

1965: The long managerial career of Casey Stengel comes to an end after a slip in the shower, caused an injury that required hip replacement surgery. The Mets would once again lose more then 100 games, with a record of 50-112, as onetime New York Giants catcher Wes Westrum took over for Casey.

1966: The Mets win a lottery for USC star pitcher Tom Seaver, while another future Hall of Fame pitcher would make his debut Nolan Ryan who earns his first career strikeout on his way to his over 5,000 K record. The Mets also escape the cellar for the first time finishing in 9th place with a 66-95 record.

1967: While the Mets took a step backward losing 101 games and returning to last place signs of a bright future were not hard to miss as Tom Seaver had a successful debut season earning the NL Rookie of the Year.

1968: Under new Manager Gil Hodges the Mets show flashes of a winning team, as they finish with a 73-89 record. Rookie Pitchers Jerry Koosman, and Nolan Ryan give the Mets a solid young rotation to build around, while the acquisition of Tommie Agee does not look good at first, the young OF would have a good second half to build off after struggling most of the season.

1969: The Mets who never finished higher than 9th would enter the era of divisional play in spectacular fashion by actually contending for the top spot in the NL East. However the season will get off to a shaky start as the Mets lost the first game of the season to the expansion Montreal Expos. The signs this was a magic year first came in June when Tom Seaver pitched 8 2/3 of Perfect Baseball before a base hit by Jimmy Quals of the Cubs broke up the gem. However, the Mets would make their presence felt that series by gaining ground on the first place Chicago Cubs. Shortly after the series the Mets would acquire 1B Donn Clendenon from the Expos to sure up the offense. The Mets would stay close to the Cubs throughout the summer, as all of baseball expected them to wilt in the Dog Days. As September began it was the Cubs who would begin to wilt, as the Mets enter a key 2 game series at Shea with Cubs in early September. The Mets who trailed by 2.5 games would need a sweep to realistically stay in the race, and with a dash of black magic, and good baseball the Mets would sweep the Cubs. At one point during the sweep a black cat appeared and walking past the Cubs dugout out before darting down the visitors' clubhouse ramp. The Mets would go on to win 100 games while finishing 8 games better then the deflated Cubs. The Mets would go on to face the Atlanta Braves in the very first NLCS, surprisingly it was no contest as the Mets swept the Braves to claim their first ever NL Pennant. The Mets who were not even supposed to be in the World Series are not given a chance against the powerful Baltimore Orioles. After losing Game 1, Jerry Koosman out dueled Dave McNally 2-1 to even the series at a game apiece heading to Shea. The first game in Shea would quickly become the Tommie Agee show as the Mets won 5-0 thanks to a lead off homer, and two amazing catches by the CF. Both catches saved extra base hits with runners on base, as Nolan Ryan got the save in his only World Series appearance during his long illustrious career. Game 4 would be another pitchers duel as Tom Seaver battled Mike Ceullear. The Mets would take a 1-0 lead on a Donn Clendenon HR, but the Orioles would tie the game in the 9th. However, it could have been allot worse had it not been for RF Ron Swaboda, who made a diving catch that allowed only 1 run to score, instead of a 2. The game would go into extra innings when J.C. Martin's sacrifice bunt was thrown away allowing the winning run to score giving the Mets a 3-1 series lead. In Game 5 the Orioles would score 3 quick runs off Jerry Koosman, but the young lefty, would not allow another as the Mets crept back into the game on HRs by Donn Clendenon, and the unlikely Al Weis. The Mets would go on to win the game 5-3 to complete the biggest upset in World Series history. Donn Clendenon who hit 3 key HRs in the series was named World Series MVP, as the city embraced its Amazin' Mets. In a strange side not Mayor John Lindsay, was reelected largely thanks to the good feelings around the surprise World Champions.

1970: The Mets finish with an 83-79 record, as the magic that surrounded them in 1969 does not carry over. The pitching would continue to be strong as Tom Seaver ties a Major League record with 19 strikeouts in a game.

1971: After another 83-79 season the Mets make one of the worst trades in baseball history dealing Nolan Ryan and 3 minor leaguers to the California Angels for a washed up Jim Fregosi.

1972: Tragedy strikes the Mets on April 2nd as Gil Hodges, who playing golf during a short player's strike suffers a massive heart attack and dies. He would replaced by Yogi Berra as manger. The Mets would also make news they acquire Willie Mays, who returns to New York to finish out his career. The move would help more at the gate then in the field as Mays' best playing days are well behind him. Again the Mets would be surrounded by mediocrity as they again finish in 3rd place with an 83-73 record.

1973: Though out most of the season the Mets suffered through injuries, and languished in last place. However in a bad NL East they were not out of the race. In August, M. Donald Grant, the Mets Vice President who was involved with most of the day to day running of the Mets called for a team meeting to say that management still believed in the team. At that moment Mets reliever Tug McGraw stood up and shouted "You Gotta Believe!" That would be the Mets rallying cry the rest of the season, as the Mets began to gel. There were even flashbacks to the 1969 magic as Rusty Staub nailed a runner out at the plate on ball that bounced of the top of the fence. The Mets would go onto to claim the top spot in the NL East despite finishing with a mediocre 82-79 record. The Mets would stun baseball again in the NLCS against the Cincinnati Reds. The upstart Mets frustrated the Big Red Machine by splitting the first 2 games in Riverfront Stadium, while keeping their powerful lineup off balance with superb pitching. This frustration would boil over in Game 3 as Pete Rose and Mets SS Buddy Harrelson got tangled up in an ugly brawl. After the fight Rose was forced to wear a helmet in the OF from fans who were throwing objects his way. The Mets would go on to win the series in 5 games as Tug McGraw recorded the final out on a shovel from 1B John Milner. The Mets would face the powerful Oakland A's in the World Series, and were big underdogs again. However, the Mets would prove to a pesky challenge to the defending World Champions by getting 3 games to 2 lead heading back to Oakland for Game 6. However, the miracle would end there, as the A's would shut down the Mets in the final 2 games to claim their 2nd straight World Championship.

1974: The Mets would struggle mightily, as they would finish in 5th Place with a 71-91 record; things were so bad even Tom Seaver struggled with injuries finishing with only a 13-13 record.

1975: While the Mets struggled to finish 82-80, Tom Seaver bounced back nicely off a poor 1974, to win his 3rd career Cy Young while winning 22 games. The year would end on a sad note as both Mets owner Joan Payson, and Casey Stengel, the club's first manager pass away shortly after the season, within a few days of each other. .

1976: The Mets finish in 3rd place again with an 86-76 record, while long time fan favorite Jerry Koosman wins 20 games for the first time in his career, Also putting up big numbers was Dave Kingman who launched homers into the deepest parts of Shea on the way to a League leading 37 round trippers.

1977: The Mets get off to a terrible start and find themselves floundering in last place from the start of the season. However, the situation off the field may have been worse as the bad blood between ace pitcher Tom Seaver, and Mets Chairman M. Donald Grant began to boil over. As the struggling continued the desperate Mets fired manager Joe Frazier, and named 1B Joe Torre Player-Manager. Meanwhile the troubles between Seaver and Grant got worse and talk of a trade began to creep up. On June 15th the unthinkable happened Seaver was trade to the Cincinnati Reds for 5 mediocre players, that same day the popular Dave Kingman was also traded to the San Diego Padres. The moves were called the "Midnight Massacre", and singled trouble times for the Mets, who would finish in last place with a 64-98 record.

1978: The Mets continue to languish in last place with a 66-96 record, playing in front of an empty Shea Stadium with a team made up of players that belonged in the minor leagues.

1979: In the midst of a 3rd straight last place season, attendance hits rock bottom the Mets on the way to an awful 63-99 record were put for sale by Lorrinda deRoulette, the daughter of Joan Payson. Shea Stadium became a virtual ghost town among an awful season, in which the lone bright spot was Lee Mazilli's All-Star Game heroics. The sale would finally come at the end of the season when Publishing Magnate Nelson Doubleday, a distant relative to fabled baseball inventor Abner Doubleday, brought the team, and pledging to turn things around.

1980: One of Doubleday's first moves as owner was to hire Frank Cashen to be the club's General Manager. Cashen had past success in building the powerful Baltimore Orioles teams of the 60's and 70's. One of the 1st moves Cashen made was drafting Los Angeles High School star Darryl Strawberry with the 1st overall pick. While the move was for the future, the Mets played solid baseball for most of the season hanging around .500, before fading in the end to finish with a 67-95 record.

1981: In a season cut in 2 halves from a player's strike the Mets continue to struggle not challenging for first place in either half of the split season while finishing with an overall record of 41-62.

1982: The Mets would make wholesale changes heading into the season, first manager Joe Torre, was fired, and replaced by George Bamberger, The Mets than went out and acquired star OF George Foster from the Reds, which led to the trade of Lee Mazzilli at the end of spring training. The trade was blasted at first, but in the deal the Mets acquire 2 minor leaguers, would benefit the Mets in the future. Despite the changes the Mets continued to play poor baseball finishing in last place with a 65-97 record, which was only made worse with a midseason 15-game losing streak.

1983: The season began with optimism, as Tom Seaver is reacquired from the Reds, and pitches in front of a sold out Shea Stadium on Opening Day. Darryl Strawberry made a big splash in his first season by smacking 26 HR, to earn him Rookie of the Year honors. While the Mets continued to struggle, finishing in last palace with a 68-94 record, while going through 2 managers, attempts were made to improve the team in the middle of the season with the acquisition of steady-handed 1B Keith Hernandez from the St. Louis Cardinals. Hernandez at first rejected to the trade, not wanting to join a downtrodden team, but he would come to accept the move, as he was sold on the Mets future. That future would show itself bright as the Tidewater Tides (AAA) took the International League championship.

1984: The future that appeared so bright in Tidewater, would find itself in Shea Stadium, as Tides manager Davey Johnson, who ironically made the last out for the Orioles in the 1969 World Series took over the reigns of the young Mets. The Mets would suffer an early publicity hit as Tom Seaver is allowed to walk away and sign with Chicago White Sox. However, it only cleared the way for some for the young arms to make their way up to New York. While Ron Darling, the key pitcher in the Lee Mazzilli had a strong first full season; he was over shadowed by a 19-year old phenom Dwight Gooden. Gooden, who earned the name Dr. K, made big splash winning the Rookie of the Year while setting a new rookie strikeout record. This proved the catalyst as the Mets challenge the Chicago Cubs all season for the NL East title before finishing in 2nd with a 90-72 record.

1985: Not satisfied with second, the Mets would make a big splash acquiring the best catcher in baseball Gary Carter in a blockbuster trade with the Montreal Expos. Carter would pay immediate dividends hitting a walk off extra inning HR on opening day. The Mets would get off to a flying start and were in 1st place most of the fist 6 weeks of the season. However, the Mets would hit a bump in the road as RF Darryl Strawberry tore thumb ligaments making a diving catch. The injury put Strawberry on the DL for 6 weeks, and was among a number of key injuries the Mets suffered, as they fell in out of first and down in the standings. By the time Strawberry and the Mets returned the St. Louis Cardinals had taken over the top spot, and the Mets had a big climb ahead of them. With the Straw back in the mix the Mets would go back to the 1st place ball they played in April, and would make a charge. The Mets would battle the Cards tooth and nail to the last week of the season heading into a 3 game series in St, Louis in which the Mets need a sweep to stay alive. The Mets would take the first game on a majestic Strawberry HR, and the 2nd with the suburb pitching of Dwight Gooden who won the pitchers triple Crown on the way to becoming the youngest Cy Young winner of all-time. However, the Mets would lose the 3rd game and would wind up a few games short of 1st place with a 98-64 record.

1986: Coming off their solid 98-win season the Mets added Bob Ojeda to give them another solid lefty starter, something they lacked down the stretch. The Mets would have a shaky first week losing 3 of their first 5 games, but the struggles would not last long as the Mets closed out April with an 11-game winning streak. The winning streak was highlighted by a 4-game sweep of the Cardinals in St. Louis. The sweep was trigged by a dramatic game tying 3-run HR by Howard Johnson in the first game of the series. The sweep would serve to deflate the Cards, and spurred the Mets on to a dominating season. The Mets would run away and hide from the NL east competition getting contributions from everyone winning a club record 108 games. On the way to their 108-54 record the Mets developed a reputation of arrogance, which came from their HR curtain calls at Shea Stadium. The reputation was only fortified by 4 bench-clearing brawls that involved the hard-nosed team. The season would also see the return of one time fan favorite Lee Mazzilli, who replaced George Foster who was released after four and half largely unproductive. Mazzilli would allow both Lenny Dykstra and Mookie Wilson to play at the same time and gave the Mets a valuable bat off the bench heading into the postseason. Perhaps the roughest stretch of the regular seasons was a 3-game post all-star break losing streak to the Astros in Houston. The 3 losses were only made worse, when 4 Mets were arrested for drinking outside a Houston nightclub. The Mets would return to Houston for the NLCS. In Game 1 Dwight Gooden only made one mistake giving up a HR to Glen Davis. However, it was enough as Astros pitcher Mike Scott, a one-time Met shut down the Mets to give the Astros the opener. The Mets would bounce back behind the stellar pitching of Bob Ojeda in Game 2. As the series shifted to Shea, the Astros jumped out on the Mets quickly in Game 3 grabbing a 4-0 lead. A 3-run HR by Darryl Strawberry would tie it, but the Astros take a 5-4 lead into the 9th Inning. Wally Backman would lead the 9th off by reaching 1st Base on a drag bunt. He would then be moved over to 2nd on a sac bunt, which set up Len Dykstra with a chance to tie the game with a hit. However, the man they call Nails did them one better by hitting a dramatic 2-run HR to give the Mets a 6-5 win. After Mike Scott dominated the Mets in Game 4, the Mets were in the middle of another pitchers duel in Game 5 between Nolan Ryan, and Dwight Gooden. Neither would factor into the decision as the game went into extra innings, where Gary Carter who suffered through a miserable 1 for 20 slump knocked home Backman with a 12-inning single. The win gave the Mets a 3-2 series lead heading back to Houston. For the Mets Game 6 of the NLCS might as well been Game 7, as a loss would see the Mets face Mike Scott again. Scott who had dominated the Mets twice already in the series, was in the Mets heads as the team suspected him of scuffing the ball. However, the Mets had a tough enough time hitting Bob Knepper in Game 6 as he held them to just 1 hit, as the Astros held a 3-0 lead heading into the 9th Inning. However, the Mets would rally to send the game to extra innings knotted at 3. From here the game would become a marathon as nether managed to dent the scoreboard until the 14th Inning. The Mets would score in the top of the 14th, and set up Jessie Orosco to close the deal, but Billy Hatcher hit a HR of the foul pole to tie the game up and send it to a 15th Inning. The Mets would take the lead again in the 16th inning, but Orosco now in his 3rd inning of work began to tire. The Astros scored twice, and had the tie and winning runs on base with 2 outs as Orosco labored. Exhausted and pitching on fumes Orosco some how mustered up enough strength to strikeout Kevin Bass, to send the Mets on to the World Series.

1986: The Mets would go on to face the Boston Red Sox, who had won a dramatic ALCS of their own in the World Series. The Mets would get off to a bad start losing the first 2 Games at Shea Stadium. Desperately needing a wake up call Lenny Dykstra led off Game 3 with a HR sparking a 4-run 1st inning, which was enough cushion for Bob Ojeda who beat his former team 7-1. The Mets would then even the series in Game 4 as Gary Carter took advantage of the Green Monster nailing 2 Home Runs, and a double. However, the Red Sox would win Game 5 as Bruce Hurst shut the Mets down for a second time while Dwight Gooden was shelled for a second time. The Mets would go on to face the Boston Red Sox, who had won a dramatic ALCS of their own in the World Series. The Mets would get off to a bad start losing the first 2 Games at Shea Stadium. Desperately needing a wake up call Lenny Dykstra led off Game 3 with a HR sparking a 4-run 1st inning, which was enough cushion for Bob Ojeda who beat his former team 7-1. The Mets would then even the series in Game 4 as Gary Carter took advantage of the Green Monster nailing 2 Home Runs, and a double. However, the Red Sox would win Game 5 as Bruce Hurst shut the Mets down for a second time while Dwight Gooden was shelled for a second time. Down 3 games to 2 Game 6 was a must win for the Mets, but to do so they had to beat Roger Clemens, who dominated AL hitters all season long. The Mets would fall behind early only to catch up and tie the game at 2 in the 6th inning. The Sox would retake the lead in the 7th Inning on a Ray Knight error, but once again the Mets rallied. The game would go to extra innings where Sox OF Dave Henderson hit a lead off 10th Inning HR of Rick Aguilera. The Red Sox would pad their lead with another run, as the Mets look all but dead. The Sox quickly recorded the first two outs, as the trophy, and champagne were ready in the clubhouse, as the Shea Stadium's scoreboard congratulated them for winning the World Series. However, the Mets had not given up and Gary Carter singled to keep the Mets hopes alive. Kevin Mitchell who had to hurry up to the plate after he started to get undressed followed Carter with a single of his own. Ray Knight would keep the rally alive with a single of his own driving in Carter, and sending Mitchell to 3rd with the tying run. The Red Sox would bring in Bob Stanley to face Mookie Wilson. Stanley, would promptly throw a pitch in the dirt to bring home Mitchell with tying run, and moved Ray Knight to 2nd with winning run. Only seconds ago the Mets were given up for dead, but the ghost of "You Gotta Believe" came back. However, with a chance to win the game Mookie Wilson hit a slow roller down the 1st baseline that Bill Buckner bent down for, but the ball went through his legs allowing Ray Knight to score the wining run to set up a 7th and deciding game. After a one-day rain delay Bruce Hurst had the Mets hitters scratching their head again as the Red Sox grabbed a 3-0 lead. However, the Mets would rally with a 3 run 6th inning rally, which was sparked by a key pinch-hit from lee Mazzilli. The Mets would then take the lead for good on a 7th inning HR by Ray Knight who was named Series MVP, as the Mets won their 2nd World Championship with an 8-5 victory.

1987: The Mets chances of a repeat are hurt from the start as Dwight Gooden misses the first 2 months while sitting in Drug Rehab. The Mets would play good baseball for the most part, but not the type that won the World Series. Helping to lead the offense was Darryl Strawberry and Howard Johnson, who became the first teammates to have 30 HRs and 30 SBs in the same season. Once again the Mets would battle the Cardinals for the division title, but when Terry Pendleton hit a HR in a key game at Shea Stadium in September the Mets chances for a repeat were finished as they ended up in 2nd with a 92-70 record.

1988: The Mets would get off to a flying start on opening day as Darryl Strawberry hits the rim of Olympic Stadium in Montreal. The Mets were in first from the start of the season, and would fend easily fend off a challenge from the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the Division with a record of 100-62, as pitcher David Cone came of age winning 20 games. However, as the Mets celebrated the Division Title a problem began to develop, as Bob Ojeda was lost for the season after nearly slicing off his finger with a hedge trimmer. In the NLCS the Mets would face the Los Angeles Dodgers, and would grab a quick 2 games to 1 series lead. The Mets would enter the 9th Inning of Game 4 with a chance to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, a 2-run HR by Mike Scioscia off a tiring Dwight Gooden sent the game to extra innings where Kirk Gibson won it with a HR. the Dodgers would go on to take the series in 7 games on the way to an improbable World Championship.

1989: The Mets struggled from the start of the season as Rookie Greg Jeffries, who had been labeled can't miss was struggling mightily, while rubbing his teammates the wrong way. In attempt to shake things up Lenny Dykstra is traded to the Phillies for Juan Samuel, who spends a miserable half season in New York. In another unexplained move longtime Mets hero Mookie Wilson is traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Mets struggling but still in the race, a panic move was made as Frank Viola was acquired from the Twins for 5 young pitchers. The Mets would go on to finish in 2nd Place with an 87-75 record. Howard Johnson would be the biggest bright spot, as he once again became a member of the 30-30 club.

1990: The Mets get off to a shaky start, and sit below .500 after 41 games, when Manager Davey Johnson is fired, and replaced by longtime Met Buddy Harrelson. The move served as a wake up call as the Mets began to play solid baseball led by a strong pitching staff that had 4 of the top 5 strike out leaders in the NL. The strikeouts were almost necessary as the Mets led the Majors in errors. The Mets would challenge the Pittsburgh Pirates all season, before fading in September to finish in 2nd with a 91-71 record. After the season the Mets would take a hit as Darryl Strawberry, who had feuded with GM Frank Cashen all season signed with Los Angeles Dodgers.

1991: Just 5 years after the World Champions the Mets looked quite differently as most of the stars from the team were departed, ripping the heart out of the franchise. To replace Strawberry the Mets decided to go in a different direction singing Free Agent speedster Vince Coleman. The Mets would play solid baseball most of the first half staying close to the first place Pirates, as HoJo was well on his way to his third 30-30 season. However, the Mets problems would catch up to them all at once, as Dwight Gooden was sidelined with a rotator cuff injury. The Mets would suffer through a miserable 2nd half finishing in3rd place with a 77-84 record. The lone highlight at the end of the season came in the final game of the season when David Cone tied the NL record by striking out 19 Phillies

1992: The Mets completely overhaul the team signing switch hitting Legend Eddie Murray, who hits his 400th career HR, trading for pitcher Bret Saberhagen, hiring manager Jeff Torborg, and signing Pirates star slugger Bobby Bonillia, a New York native. Bonillia in signing his big money deal would say there was no way you could wipe the smile off my face. The press saw this as challenge, and despite 2 HRs on opening Day in St. Louis the smile was gone pretty quickly as he became one of the biggest free agent busts in baseball history. The Mets struggled throughout the season, as the Mets were never in the Eastern Division race finishing in 5th place with a record of 72-92. The Mets would then stun their fans further by trading away ace pitcher David Cone to the Toronto Blue Jays for 2 unproven commodities. Cone would go on to be a key contributor to the Blue Jays World Championship run.

1993: In a nightmarish 59-103 season which featured the Mets wearing gaudy uniforms with traditional Mets script now featuring an underscore. The Mets would be an embarrassment on and off the field from the start when Bobby Bonillia challenged reporter Bob Klapish to a tour of the Bronx. Meanwhile on the field Anthony Young continued to lose, continuing a personal losing streak he started after winning his first 2, and losing his last 14 decisions in 1992. It would get worse OF Vince Coleman who was a Mets killer with the Cardinals stays a Mets killer in his 3rd season with Mets. Coleman whose three Mets season were marked by injury and squabbles with coaches would give the Mets organization a black eye one day after a game in Los Angeles. Coleman, who always hated the fans, showed his disdain for autograph seekers by throwing a pack of firecrackers into a crowd causing a few fans to receive minor injuries, and nearly causing permanent hearing loss to a 5-year-old. Coleman would never play with the Mets again, while Anthony Young and the Mets kept losing. Things continued to get ugly in the Mets clubhouse, as Pitcher Bret Saberhagen decided to lighten the mood by loading a Super Soaker with bleach. Saberhagen would then do his best Rambo impersonation soaking half of the press core following the Mets in bleach. Anthony Young meanwhile would go see his losing streak extend to a Major League all-time worse 27 games before a dramatic 9th inning rally saved him from loss number 28, and gave him his first win of the year.

1994: Dwight Gooden's Mets career comes to embarrassing end as he is suspended for testing positive to drugs. Despite the loss of Gooden the Mets would play respectable baseball, and were only a few games below .500 at 55-58 on August 12th when the seasons ended prematurely due to a player's strike. In the surprise bounce back season 1B Rico Brogna became a fan favorite.

1995: The Mets get off to a bad start dooming any chances for the postseason. However, Rookie pitchers Bill Pulsipher, and Jason Isringhausen make there debuts and help lead the Mets to a good second half that took the Mets form the dregs of last place 20 games below .500, to finish 69-75.

1996: Labeled Generation K: Pulsipher, and Isringhausen, are joined by Rookie Paul Wilson, as Mets fans have hopes again. The Mets would get off to a promising start as Rey Ordonez threw a runner out at home from his knees down the OF foul line. However Generation K, fizzled like New Coke, as all 3 suffered season ending arm injuries that would adversely affect their entire careers. Manager Dallas Green would be the fail guy as he is replaced by Bobby Valentine in late August. The Mets would go on to finish with a 71-91 record. The highlight if the disappointing season had to be Todd Hundley who became the first catcher to hit 41 HRs in a season, and Lance Johnson who found the RF corner to his liking collecting 17 triples.

1997: On April 15th after a 3-9 start the Mets play host to Jackie Robinson night as number 42 is retired throughout all of baseball. The Mets would win the game, and would start to play solid baseball, as Bobby Valentine's sometimes-unorthodox managing style seemed to work. The Mets would rise form the ashes to climb above .500, and challenge for the NL Wild Card. The Mets would fall short but with a record of 88-74 snapped a span of 6 consecutive losing seasons.

1998: The Mets start the season short handed as Catcher Todd Hundley is out recovering from elbow surgery. The Mets entered the season with a solid pitching staff led by the newly acquired Al Leiter, but without Hundley had no offensive leader. Opening Day would be a preview of the early season as the Mets and Phillies battled 15 innings without scoring a run on unusually warm early spring day. The Mets would eventually win the game 1-0, but the offensive struggles would not end there. For most of the first 6 weeks the Mets played .500 baseball as they struggled to score runs, and draw fans. While the Yankees were on the way to a record-breaking season the Mets seemed doomed for mediocrity again. While the Mets struggled many questions began to surround the future of Todd Hundley, and if he would ever be the same. While Hundley recovered, an opportunity came to the Mets when Mike Piazza, was dealt to the Florida Marlins for the Los Angels Dodgers. The Marlins were just a weigh station for Piazza, who was clearly going to be traded again. Owner Nelson Doubleday seeing an opportunity urged GM Steve Phillips to acquire the star catcher, and on May 21st the deal was made, as Piazza became the Mets first superstar in years. The acquisition of Piazza would anger Hundley who tried to convert to LF, but failed miserably. However, that would be the only negative as the Mets were in the thick of the NL Wild Card race until the very end of the season. However in the end the club just ran out of gas losing their final 5 games to finish 88-74, which kept them only 1 game out of the playoffs.

1999: Spurred by the strong season the bolster their offense by signing 3B Robin Ventura. Ventura would make an early highlight when he belts a grand slam in both games of a May 20th Double Header against the Milwaukee Brewers. However, for most of the first 2 months the Mets struggled and after losing 7 games they would fall below .500. In an attempt to shake things up 3 coaches are fired, the move would work as the Mets would start playing the type of baseball that was expected. Over the next 6 weeks the Mets moved into first place, heading into the All-Star break. However, the Mets stay in 1st would be short lived as they had trouble beating the Braves. With a chance for a Division title the Mets entered a key 3-game series with the Braves in Atlanta. The Mets were swept triggering a 7-game losing streak knocking them out of the Wild card Spot in the final week of the season. Faced with their 2nd straight September collapse the Mets found themselves 2 games out of the wild card with 3 games to go. The Mets would win two straight games over the Pirates and with some help form the Milwaukee Brewers would tie the Cincinnati Reds going into the last game of the season. The Mets would win that last game on a Brad Clontz wild pitch to earn a one game playoff for the Wild Card in Cincinnati. The Mets would never trail in the 1-game playoff, as a first inning 2 run HR by Edgardo Alfonzo, and a complete game 5-0 shutout by Al Leiter spurred the Mets on to the postseason for the first time in 11 years. In the NLDS the Mets would face the Arizona Diamondbacks. In Game 1 they would face the unenviable task of facing Randy Johnson. However, a1st Innings HRs by Edgardo Alfonzo, and John Olerud gave the Mets an early lead. The D-Back would comeback to tie it, but Alfonzo played the hero again belting a 9th inning Grand Slam. The Mets would eventual win the series in Game 4 when Todd Pratt playing for an injured Mike Piazza defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks with a dramatic 10th inning walk off homer. In the NLCS the Mets would fall behind 3 games to 0 to the Atlanta Braves. However, the Mets refused to give up winning Game 4 with 2 runs in the 8th. The Mets would also win Game 5 in 15 innings on a "Grand Slam Single" by Robin Ventura. The Mets would fall behind quickly 5-0 in Game 6, but battled back to take a brief lead before falling on a bases loaded walk in the 11th Inning.

2000: The Mets open their season in of all places Tokyo, Japan playing a 2-game series with the Chicago Cubs. After losing the first game the Mets earn the split on a 9th inning Grand Slam by Benny Agbayani. The Mets would find themselves in another interesting 2 game series on July 8th when they played a Day/Night Double Header against the Yankees with Day game at Shea and night game on the road at Yankee Stadium. The first game was won by the Yankees as Dwight Gooden made his Shea Stadium return to shut down his old team. The nightcap, which was also won by the Yanks, was plagued with controversy as Mike Piazza was beaned by Roger Clemens, when he aimed a 90-mph fastball at the Mets star catcher's head. Piazza and the Mets would recover as the Mets gained the Wild Card spot for the second year in a row. After losing Game 1 of the NLDS to the Giants in San Francisco, the Mets saw their playoff lives pass before them, as JT Snow hit a dramatic 3-run HR to send the game to extra innings. The Mets would bounce back to send the series tied 1 game apiece to She Stadium. The Mets would win Game 3 on a dramatic 12th Inning HR, by Benny Agbayani, that served to deflate the Giants. The Mets would finish them off the next day as Bobby J. Jones pitches a 1 hitter to advance the Mets to the NLCS. The Mets would go on to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS. Surprisingly it would be no contest as Mets lefty Mike Hampton pitches 2 complete shutouts earning the NLCS MVP, and sending the Mets on to their 4th World Series. The World Series would see a rematch with Yankees in the first Subway Series in 44 years. The Mets would let several opportunities slip out of their fingers in Game 1, as Armando Benitez was unable to hold a 1-run lead in the 9th. The Yankees would go on to win that key game in 12 innings. The Yankees held off a late Mets charge in a Game 2, which was marred when Roger Clemens threw the barrel of a bat at Mike Piazza. As the series moved to Shea Stadium Yankees pitching kept the Mets off balance, but a 8th inning rally off a tiring Orlando Hernandez kept the Mets in the series with a 4-2 win. The Yankees would jump out quickly in Game 4 on a leadoff HR by Derek Jeter, the Yankees would take a 3-0 lead, before Mike Piazza hit a HR to get the Mets within a run. However, the Yanks pen kept the Mets off the scoreboard, and gave the Yankees an insurmountable 3-1 series lead. The Yankees would go on to beat the Mets in 5 Games, as the winning runs scored on a 9th Inning single off the bat of Luis Sojo.

2001: Coming of the NL Championship the Mets do little to improve the team, while suffering the free agent loss of pitcher Mike Hampton. The Mets get off to a terrible start, with the worst offense in baseball. Not even Mike Piazza is immune as his Average dips to .250 in May. While Mike Piazza began to get his numbers near normal the Mets offense continued to struggle, and the Mets toiled below .500. Out of the race the Mets began dumping players, to get ready to retool for next year. The Mets just could never get it going as they fell 14 games below .500 on August 17th. However the Mets would find something within themselves to turn the season around, and on September 9th were only 2 games below the break-even mark. On the morning of September 11th the world changed forever, as terrorist took down the World Trade Center. No team took the attacks, as personal as the team that has the New York Skyline in its logo. While all of sports took a week hiatus, the Mets landed a hand to rescue workers who were using Shea Stadium, as a parking lot. The Mets would even agree to donate 1 game's salary to the victim's families. When play resumed the Mets took off their regular caps, and wore those of Emergency Service Personal, who were involved in rescue efforts, after losing many of their brothers in the Towers, collapse. The Mets would play inspired baseball rising above .500 for the first time since early April heading into a September 21st game at Shea against the Braves. The game which came 10 days after the attacks, was the first official sporting event in New York since that terrible morning, had the feeling of USO show as Rescue Workers were honored. Before the Game Diana Ross sung a stirring rendition of God Bless America, as the game took on a World Series feeling. The 7th Inning stretch would see more entertainment as Liza Minnelli sung New York, New York surrounded by New York's finest and bravest. However, the biggest roars of the night were saved by Mike Piazza whose mammoth 2-run 8th inning HR, which had Fireman and Police jumping out of their seats. The win would keep the Mets on a role, but most importantly it gave a moment of joy to a city that had gone through much sorrow. The Mets hot streak would last another, before a heartbreaking loss in Atlanta a week later ended any chances for a miracle comeback. The Mets would go on to finish with a 82-80 record.

2002: After struggling offensively the Mets made several key off season moves, signing Free Agent Roger Cedeno, while trading for slugging 1B Mo Vaughn, OF Jeromy Burnitz and Roberto Alomar, the best all around 2B in baseball. However, what would end up happening would be a repeat of 1992 as the Mets sputtered from the start of the season, while playing through off the field distractions that included ridiculous rumors that star catcher Mike Piazza was gay. The season would slowly snowball down hill hitting rock bottom in August as the team went winless at home while losing 13-straight overall. In September the Mets would finally crash into last place finishing with a disappointing 75-86 record, as rumors of rampant Marijuana use surrounded the team. After such an embarrassing year the Mets had no choice but to fire Manager Bobby Valentine replacing him with Art Howe.

2003: Hoping to rebound off a disappointing last season the Mets started Free Agent Acquisition Tom Glavine on Opening Day hoping to get the season started off on the right foot. However, the Mets were slammed by the Chicago Cubs 15-2, and it will just be the start of another terrible season. Roberto Alomar and Mo Vaughn continued to struggle, as things went from bad to worse in May when Mike Piazza suffered a serious groin injury. The Mets would settle into last place and pile up the losses as the franchise decided to shift direction, and go for a youth movement. Vaughn was sent to the sidelines with a degenerative knee condition that ended his career, while Alomar was traded for prospects, as were Armando Benitez, and Jeremy Burnitz in separate deals. While the old was going out the door Jose Reyes the Mets top prospect would arrive and bring some excitement to a dreary summer batting over .300, and becoming an instant fan favorite with his enthusiasm and hustle. Also earning fan support was Cliff Floyd who played through pain most of the season and gave the Mets everything he had before going for surgery in August. September would bring more gloom for the Mets as Reyes was lost to an ankle injury and Piazza who returned from injury struggled badly to regain his form, as the Mets finished in last place with a record of 66-95. The end of the season would also mark the end of an era as longtime Mets announcer Bob Murphy retired after 41 seasons; sadly Murphy would pass away less then a year later.

2004: The Mets began the season with Mike Piazza splitting time between 1B and Catcher as he perused the all-time record for Home Runs as a Catcher, Piazza would finally get the record on June 5th, as the Mets played close to .500 baseball most of the first half. The solid play would continue into July where they swept the New York Yankees in a 3-game series over the July 4th weekend winning the season series against their cross-town rivals for the first time. However it would all go downhill from there. Piazza would struggle as he was uncomfortable at first while hitting a .266 and only driving in 54 RBI, as the Mets started the second half with losing 5 of 17. With their playoff hopes all but gone the Mets started to retool trading Ty Wiggington to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kris Benson, who they hoped to build their future rotation around. Meanwhile, David Wright a slugging 3B was called up from Norfolk and made an impressive debut hitting 14 homers in 69 games while batting a solid .293. However, the Mets would play terrible baseball in August and September posting a 21-35 record on the way to finishing in 4th place with a 71-91 record. After the season the Mets would undergo a complete transformation as they said good bye to long time reliever John Franco and Al Leiter who left through free agency, as Manager Art Howe was fired. Left to rebuild the Mets was new GM Omar Minaya, who made an immediate splash by signing the two top free agents in the market Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez, while naming Willie Randolph, as the Mets new Manager.

2005: With all the new additions there was a new buzz around the Mets who in promos were called the "New Mets." That buzz looked good through most of Opening Day as Pedro Martinez had a solid game and Carlos Beltran hit a Home Run as the Mets led the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 going to the 9th Inning. However, Closer Braden Looper struggled giving up hits to all three batters he faced including back-to-back homers as the Reds won the game 7-6. The stunning loss would have the Mets reeling right away as they dropped their first 5 games. In danger of starting 0-6, the Mets would rely on Beltran and Martinez again as Pedro held the Braves to 1-run, as Beltran sparked a late inning rally for a 6-1 win. The spark would carry over into their first homestand as the Mets swept Houston Astros and took the first 2 games of a series against the Florida Marlins to climb above .500. It would be this type of play that would symbolize the Mets Helter Skelter season, as a long losing streak would be followed by a long winning and vise versa. Through most of the season the Mets were within 3 games of .500, either above or below, actually hitting the .500 mark 27 different times during the season never being more the 5 games under or 8 games above. Some individual highlights included Mike Piazza returning to Catcher and finally passing Carlton Fisk for the most home runs hit in a career as a catcher, while Pedro Martinez became an instant fan favorite with a 15-8 record with a solid 2.82 ERA, as the bullpen blew several of Pedro's leads led by Looper who by the end of the season was booed every time he entered the game at home. The hitting was supplied by Cliff Floyd in the first half and David Wright in the second half, as Floyd led the team in Homers with 34 while driving in 98 RBI, as Wright in his first full year drove in a team high 102 RBI with 27 homers. While Piazza was setting milestones his time with the Mets was clearly in his final days as gone was the buzz when he came up to the plate as he just 19 homers while hitting a career low .251. Also struggling was Carlos Beltran who never quite lived up to expectations hitting .266 with just 16 homers. Despite the struggles of Beltran the Mets were in the race as September began as they were on a hot streak at the end of August, but as they did all season it was followed by perhaps their biggest slump of the year as they were in a scramble just to avoid last place in a competitive NL East in which all 5 teams were .500 or better. In the end they would wind up in 3rd place at 83-79.

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By Barbara McHugh
New York Mets

Shea Stadium opened on April 17, 1964 in Flushing Meadows, Queens as the New York Mets played the Pittsburgh Pirates before 48,736 fans. The $25.5 million stadium marked a new beginning for the young club that had played its first two years at the Polo Grounds. The stadium was originally to be called Flushing Meadow Park but was later named for the popular attorney, William A. Shea, who spearheaded the drive to bring National League baseball back to New York following the departure of the Dodgers and Giants in 1957.

The architectural firm of Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury designed the stadium to be the first all-purpose facility capable of hosting baseball and football games, seating 55,300 for baseball and 60,000 for the New York Jets football team.

With the Mets in a new ballpark adjacent to the World's Fair, Flushing became a mega attraction for tourists. Shea Stadium is located in the geographic and population center of New York City and since its opening has drawn over 73 million fans. Convenient access by train or car allows fans from all five boroughs to get to the ballpark easily.

At Shea Stadium's opening ceremonies, Bill Shea christened the Mets' new home with two symbolic bottles of water: one from the Gowanus Canal near Ebbets Field, former home of the Brooklyn Dodgers and one from the Harlem River near the Polo Grounds, where the New York Giants had played and later the Mets during the 1962 and 1963 seasons.

Jack Fisher started the first game at Shea with a called strike to Pittsburgh's leadoff batter, Dick Schofield, and got out of the inning without giving up any runs. In the second inning, future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell introduced the ballpark to its first home run, when he belted the 12th of his 475 career home runs. Fisher pitched well for seven innings but was relieved by Ed Bauta. Bauta picked up the loss in the ninth inning when Bill Mazeroski, another Hall of Famer, drove in the winning run for a 4-3 Pirates victory.

In 1964, Philadelphia's Jim Bunning pitched the first and only complete perfect game in Shea Stadium history, with a 6-0 win over the Mets in the first half of a doubleheader on June 21. In their first season at Shea the Mets attracted 1,732,597 paying customers, an increase of 700,000 over their 1963 attendance at the Polo Grounds. Shea was also the site of Major League Baseball's 1964 All-Star Game on July 7 of that inaugural season.

Over the years, Shea Stadium has hosted many other sports, entertainment and cultural events. The Stadium has opened its gates to college and pro football, soccer, boxing, religious conventions, a visit from Pope John Paul II, numerous musical events and even the Ice Capades. An overwhelming crowd of 60,000 screaming Beatles fans packed the stadium for the first major outdoor stadium concert on August 15, 1965. The Beatles were followed by other rock and roll legends including the Rolling Stones, The Who, The Police, Simon & Garfunkel, Elton John and Eric Clapton. Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix also made a little known appearance at Shea for the 1970 Summer Festival for Peace.

Shea Stadium has even served as the home field for the Mets' crosstown rivals, the New York Yankees. After the Yankees completed their stadium's 50th anniversary season in 1973, the team moved to Shea for the 1974 and 1975 seasons while Yankee Stadium underwent extensive renovations. Again in the 1998 season, the Yankees were forced to play at Shea due to a fallen piece of concrete at Yankee Stadium. On Wednesday April 15, the Yankees played Anaheim in a 12:05 p.m. day game and the Mets hosted the Cubs for their regularly scheduled 7:40 p.m. start, creating a very unusual doubleheader. In 1975, the New York football Giants also played at Shea, marking the first and only time two professional baseball teams, the Mets and Yankees and two professional football teams, the Jets and the Giants played at the same stadium in the same year.

In 1982, the giant DiamondVision video display screen debuted in left-center field. The screen -- 35 feet, 8 inches wide by 26 feet, 3 inches high -- shows replays, special in-game features, statistics and more. The 12-person production staff captured two 2001 I.D.E.A. Golden Matrix Awards for best overall video and best overall matrix scoreboard display.

Between 1985 and 1987 major stadium renovations included the addition of 50 suites on Shea's press level. The orange and blue panels were removed from the exterior and large blue wind screen panels were installed. Neon outlines of baseball players were placed on each of the six panels, making the present facade consistent with the stadium's principal function and foremost association -- the home of the New York Mets.

In their illustrious history, the Mets have captured four Eastern Division titles, two Wild Card titles, four National League Pennants and two World Series titles. On October 16, 1969 the team won its first World Championship with a 5-3 victory over the Orioles before 57,397 screaming fans at Shea. In October of 1986, the Mets did it again. Delayed one day by rain, the Mets defeated the Boston Red Sox 8-5 at Shea in Game 7 of the World Series to become World Champions for the second time in franchise history.

Shea has also been the site of several Major League Baseball records. Dwight Gooden established a Major League rookie record with 276 strikeouts in 1984. During that season, he hurled a one-hitter to defeat the Cubs, 10-0 on September 7. In that same season he became the first teenage rookie to lead the Majors in strikeouts. On September 14, 1996, Todd Hundley surpassed Roy Campanella's 43-year-old Major League record for the most home runs by a catcher in one season (41) in the seventh inning off of Atlanta's Greg McMichael. Most recently, Lenny Harris became baseball's career leader with his 151st pinch hit on October 6, 2001, surpassing Manny Mota with a one-out single to right field in the sixth inning against the Expos.

The inception of Interleague Play set the stage for the first "Subway Series" at Shea Stadium on June 26, 1998. All three games of the series sold out, drawing 160,740 fans, the most for a three-game series in Mets history.

On July 8, 2000 the Mets and Yankees were involved in yet another historic doubleheader, with the first game at Shea Stadium and the second at Yankee Stadium. This event took place due to a makeup game from a rainout during the previous series at Yankee Stadium in June. It was the first time in 97 years that two teams played each other twice in one day at two different ballparks. Three months later the Fall Classic came back to Shea when the Mets faced the Yankees in the first New York/New York World Series since 1956.

Shea also served as a relief center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Most of the gate areas were filled with food, supplies and makeshift lodging for the massive rescue effort. Ten days later, on September 21, the Mets made a star-spangled return against the Atlanta Braves. On one of the proudest nights in Shea Stadium history, 41,275 fans attended the symbolic comeback for New York and its citizens.

Shea Stadium Firsts
Game April 17, 1964: Pirates 4, Mets 3 (WP-Bob Friend; LP-Ed Bauta)
Batter Dick Schofield, Pirates (popped up to Mets second baseman Larry Burright against pitcher Jack Fisher)
Met Batter Tim Harkness (grounded out, shortstop Dick Schofield to first baseman Donn Clendenon against Bob Friend)
Hit April 17, 1964: Willie Stargell, Pirates; second inning home run off Jack Fisher
Met Hit April 17, 1964: Tim Harkness, third-inning single off Bob Friend
Single April 17, 1964: Bob Bailey, Pirates; second inning off Jack Fisher
Double April 17, 1964: Ron Hunt, Mets; fourth inning off Bob Friend
Triple April 18, 1964: Roberto Clemente, Pirates; sixth inning off Jerry Hinsley
Met Triple May 8, 1964: Jess Gonder; first inning off Ernie Broglio, St. Louis
Met Home Run April 23, 1964: Ron Hunt; eighth inning off Dick Ellsworth, Chicago
Stolen Base April 19, 1964: Joe Christopher, Mets; sixth inning vs. Pittsburgh
Strikeout April 17, 1964: Roberto Clemente, Pirates; first inning against Jack Fisher
Walk April 17, 1964: Jim Hickman, Mets; second inning against Bob Friend
Hit Batter April 17, 1964: Jim Hickman, Mets; fourth inning against Bob Friend
Wild Pitch May 6, 1964: Larry Bearnarth, Mets; fifth inning vs. Cincinnati
Error April 17, 1964: Bill Mazeroski, second base, Pirates (sixth inning)
Met Victory April 19, 1964: Mets 6, Pirates 0 (WP - Al Jackson; LP - Bob Veale)
Shutout April 19, 1964: Al Jackson, Mets; 6-0 (six-hitter) vs. Pittsburgh
Extra-Inning Game May 31, 1964: (second game) Giants, 8 Mets, 6, 23 innings (WP - Gaylord Perry; LP - Galen Cisco
Night Game May 6, 1964: Reds 12, Mets 4 (WP - Sammy Ellis, LP - Bill Wakefield)
Doubleheader May 10, 1964: Mets 4, Cardinals 1 (WP - Tracy Stallard, LP -Roger Craig); Cardinals 10, Mets 1 (WP - Ray Washburn, LP- Jerry Hinsley)

April 17, 1964 Opening Day
July 7, 1964 All Star Game
September 12, 1964 First Jets Game
June 17, 1965 Soccer: Brazil vs. England
August 15, 1965 Beatles
October 9, 1965 Army-Notre Dame
October 30, 1965 Pitt-Syracuse
May 21, 1966 Torres-Thornton Fight
August 23, 1966 Beatles
June 1-8, 1967 The Ice Capades
August 16, 1967 Ortiz-Laguna Fight
September 29, 1967 Benvenuti-Griffith Fight
December 29, 1968 Jets-Oakland AFL Championship
October 6 - 16, 1969 NLCS and World Series
Dec. 20, 1969 Jets-KC Inter Divisional Playoff
June 23-28, 1970 Billy Graham
August 6, 1970 Summer Festival for Peace Janis Joplin / Jimi Hendrix
July 9, 1971 Grand Funk Railroad
September 30, 1972 Morales-Sammartino Wrestling
July 3-4, 1973 Newport Jazz Festival
October 8-18, 1973 NCLS and World Series
1974-1975 NY Yankees Home Seasons
November 9, 1974 Grambling-N. Carolina A & T
November 15, 1975 Grambling-Norfolk State
October - December 1975 NY Football Giants Home Season
June 6, 1975 Sound of '76 concert
June 22, 1976 Soccer: Argentina - Italy
June 25, 1976 Boxing - Wrestling
July 23, 1976 Jethro Tull
August 17, 1976 Soccer: Cosmos - Washington
July 12-16, 1978 Jehovah's Witnesses
October 3, 1979 Pope John Paul II
June 20, 1980 Leonard-Duran Close Circuit TV
August 9, 1980 Sammartino-Zbysko Wrestling
October 12-13, 1982 The Who
August 6, 1983 Simon & Garfunkel
August 18, 1983 The Police
October 11-27, 1986 NLCS and World Series
October 8 -10, 1988 NLCS Series
October 10-11, 1989 Rolling Stones
October 25-26, 1989 Rolling Stones
October 28-29, 1989 Rolling Stones
August 21-22, 1992 Elton John/Eric Clapton
September 20-21, 1996 Promise Keepers
November 1, 1996 Soccer: Honduras - Colombia
September 5, 1997 Soccer: El Salvador - Colombia
October 8-17, 1999 NLDS and NLCS
October 7-26, 2000 NLDS, NLCS and World Series
August 20, 2003 Soccer: Slovakia - Colombia
October 1, 2003 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
October 3-4, 2003 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
June 24, 2006 ?Que Viva el Merengue en el Shea!
October 4-19, 2006 NLDS and NLCS

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Nickname:
Mets is a shortened form of Metropolitans. It is to represent the Mets as a team for the entire New York Metropolitan area.

Logo:
Designed by sports cartoonist Ray Gatto, the bridge represents the return of National League baseball to New York. The skyline in the background also has special meaning. At left is a church spire, symbolic of Brooklyn, the borough of churches. The second building from left is the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn. Next is the Woolworth Building, followed by a general view of midtown including the Empire State Building in the center. Than the last building on the right is the United Nations Building.

Colors:
Blue
Orange
Black
White
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Managers: (18)

Casey Stengel 1962-1967
Wes Westrum 1965-1967
Salty Parker 1967
Gil Hodges 1968-1971
Yogi Berra 1972-1975
Roy McMillan 1975
Joe Fraizer 1976-1977
Joe Torre 1977-1981
George Bamberger 1982-1983
Frank Howard 1983
Davey Johnson 1984-1990
Buddy Harrelson 1990-1991
Mike Cubbage 1991
Jeff Torborg 1992-1993
Dallas Green 1993-1996
Bobby Valentine 1996-2002
Art Howe 2003-2004
Willie Randolph 2005-Present
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Stadiums: (2)

Polo Grounds 1962-1963
Shea Stadium 1964-Present
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World Champions: (2) 1969, 1986
World Series Appearances: (4) 1969, 1973, 1986, 2000
LCS Appearances: (7) 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, 2006
Division Champions: (5) 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 2006
Wild Card: (2) 1999, 2000
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Hall of Famers:(11)

Richie Ashburn OF 1962
Yogi Berra C 1965
Gary Carter C 1985-1989
Willie Mays CF 1972-1973
Eddie Murray 1B 1992-1993
Nolan Ryan RHP 1966-1971
Tom Seaver RHP 1967-1977, 1983
Duke Snider CF 1963
Warren Spahn LHP 1965
Casey Stengel MGR 1962-1965
George Weiss President 1962-1966
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Retired Numbers: (4)
14 Gil Hodges1B 62-63, MGR 68-72
37 Casey Stengel MGR 1962-1965
41 Tom Seaver Pitcher 1967-77, 83
42 Jackie Robinson (Retired by MLB)
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All-Star Games Hosted: (1) 1964
All-Star Game MVP: (1) 1975 Jon Mattlack LHP
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AWARDS
Manager of the Year: None

Rookie of the Year: (4)
1967 Tom Seaver RHP
1972 Jon Mattlack LHP
1983 Darryl Strawberry RF
1984 Dwight Gooden RHP

Fireman Award: (2)
1990 John Franco LHP
2001 Armando Benitez RHP

Hank Aaron Award: None

Cy Young: (4)
1969 Tom Seaver RHP
1973 Tom Seaver RHP
1975 Tom Seaver RHP
1985 Dwight Gooden RHP

MVP: None
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LCS MVP: (1)
2000 Mike Hampton LHP

World Series MVP: (2)
1969 Donn Clendenon 1B
1986 Ray Knight 3B
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No Hitters: None

Cycle Hitters: (9)
8/7/1963 Jim Hickman
7/6/1970 Tommie Agee
6/25/1976 Mike Phillips
7/4/1985 Keith Hernandez
8/1/1989 Kevin McReynolds
7/3/1996 Alex Ochoa
9/11/1997 John Olerud
7/29/2004 Eric Valent
6/21/2006 Jose Reyes
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Best Season: 1986 (108-54)
Worst Season: 1962 (40-120)
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Odds and Ends:
Official Song: Meet The Mets
Mascot: Mr. Met
Music Video: Lets Go Mets (1986)
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Spring Training History: (2)
St. Petersburg, FL 1962-1987
Port St. Lucie, FL 1988-Present
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Uniform color and design
The colors of the uniform, orange, blue, black, and white, were chosen to represent the National League teams that had formerly inhabited the city of New York. The Orange and black represent the New York Giants. The Blue and white represent the Brooklyn Dodgers. The pinstripes on the Mets home uniforms was an idea taken from the New York Yankees, thus the Mets have intertwined New York's Major League Baseball history into their uniforms. The Mets always wore some form of grey jersey for their road uniform up until the 1998 season.

Before the 1997 season the Mets introduced their "snow white" home jerseys, as an alternate home jersey. These uniforms were completely white with no pinstripes, and the cap of the uniform was completely white. The "snow white" jerseys are still in use as a home jersey, and are worn more than the pinstripes now. The white cap is not in uniform circulation anymore. Before the 1998 season black was also added as an official Mets color. The Mets used their black cap as an alternate cap starting that season, and began using their black alternate jersey at home and on the road. By 2003 the Mets home pinstripe jersey was only worn sparingly, as the newer black outfits were worn more freequently. The black cap has become the Mets primary cap now, no matter what jersey they are wearing. Though these are the uniforms that the Mets wear most commonly, the team still states that the traditional pinstripe design is their official home uniform, while the black jerseys are the alternates.

Logo
The cap logo is identical to the logo used by the New York Giants, and is on blue cap reminiscent of the caps worn by the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the skyline logo, each part of the skyline has special meaning ? at the left is a church spire, symbolic of Brooklyn, the borough of churches; the second building from the left is the Williamsburg Savings Bank, the tallest building in Brooklyn; next is the Woolworth Building; after a general skyline view of midtown comes the Empire State Building; at the far right is the United Nations Building. The bridge in the center symbolizes that the Mets, in bringing back the National League to New York, represent all five boroughs

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Team captains
Keith Hernandez - 1987-1989
Gary Carter - 1988-1989 (co-captain)
John Franco - 2001-2004
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Shea Stadium
Flushing, New York
Tenant: New York Mets (NL)
Opened: April 17, 1964
Surface: Bluegrass
Capacity: 55,601 (baseball)

Architect: Praeger-Kavanaugh-Waterbury
Construction: n/a
Owner: City of New York
Cost: $25.5 million

Location: Center field (E by NE), 126th Street; third base (N by NW), Whitestone Expressway/I-678 and Flushing Bay; home plate (W by SW), Grand Central Parkway; first base (S by SE), Roosevelt Avenue; in Queens, near Flushing Meadow Park, site of the 1939 and 1964 World?s Fairs, just southeast of La Guardia Airport.

Dimensions: Foul lines: 330 (marked, l964), 341 (actual, 1964), 341 (1965), 338 (1979); power alleys: 371, 378 (current); center field: 410; backstop: 80; foul territory: very large.

Fences: Foul lines: 16.33 (4 wire and railing above 12.33 brick, 1964), 12.33 (brick, 1965), 8 (wood, 1979); power alleys: 8 (wood); center field small section: 8.75 (wood), most 8 (wood).

Shea Stadium is named after William Alfred Shea, an attorney who was instrumental in acquiring a new team for New York following the city's abandonment by the Giants and the Dodgers in the 1950s. Appointed chairman of the Baseball Commission by then New York mayor Robert Wagner, Shea first tried to get the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates, or the Philadelphia Phillies to move to New York, but had no luck. He then tried to organize a third major league, the Continental League, in 1958, with a franchise for New York, but the league died before a single game was played. In 1960, National League owners decided to expand to 10 teams and awarded franchises to Houston and New York. There were rumors that New York would be rejected unless it guaranteed construction of a new stadium. At Shea?s suggestion, Wagner sent telegrams to each owner with such an assurance, and the Mets started play in 1962.

Originally, the Mets were to play only one season at the Polo Grounds, the former home of the New York Giants. However, construction of the new ballpark fell behind schedule. Shea Stadium cost $28.5 million to build and took 29 months from its groundbreaking on October 28, 1961, to its dedication on April 17, 1964. It was originally to be called Flushing Meadow Park, but a movement was quickly launched to name it in honor of Shea. The stadium contains 24 ramps and 21 escalators. It was also the first stadium capable of being converted from baseball to football and back using two motor-operated stands that moved on underground tracks. Shea Stadium is the noisiest outdoor ballpark in the majors because it is in the flight path of La Guardia Airport. The story goes that when the city scouted out stadium sites in 1962, they went during the winter, when flight paths into La Guardia are different, so they never anticipated the aircraft noise.

Plans were drawn up to add 15,000 seats and cover the stadium with a dome. Those plans were scrapped when studies showed the stadium might collapse under the weight of a roof. An article in the February 1, 1996 issue of the New York Times reported that the Mets plan on building a new ballpark in Queens some time in the next ten years. The owner said that he wanted the new park to resemble Ebbets Field with a retractable roof.

Shea Stadium Trivia:
Designed to be expandable to 90,000 seats.
Right-center scoreboard is one of largest in the majors, 175 feet long and 86 feet high with Bulova clock on top, about 25 feet behind the outfield fence.

Behind the fence in center, just to the right of the 410 mark, is a Mets Magic Top Hat. When a Met hits a homer, a red Big Apple rises out of the black top hat, which actually looks more like a big kettle.
Worst visibility for hitters in the majors.
Churchlike spire beyond center-field fence formerly graced by "Serval Zippers" sign.

Christened April 16, 1964, with Dodgers Holy Water from the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn and Giants Holy Water from the Harlem River at the exact location where it passed the old Polo Grounds.
The only All-Star game to be played at Shea Stadium was in 1964, its inaugural season.

The Beatles played before 53,275 fans in August 1965 and again in August 1966.

The New York Yankees played there from April 6, 1974, to September 28, 1975 while Yankee Stadium was renovated.

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