Shea Stadium
Flushing, New York
Tenants: N.Y. Mets (NL 1964-present); N.Y. Jets (AFL/NFL 1964-83); N.Y. Yankees (AL 1974-75);
N.Y. Giants (NFL 1975)
Groundbreaking: October 28, 1961
1st National League game: April 17, 1964
1st American League game: April 6, 1974
1st AFL game: September 12, 1964

Last NFL Game: December 10, 1983
Surface: Natural grass
Seating Capacity: 57,369 (baseball)

Archictect: Praeger-Kavanaugh-Waterbury
Owner: City of New York
Cost: $28,500,000

Dimensions:
Foul lines: 341 ft. (1964), 338 ft. (1979)
Bullpens: 358 ft.
Power alleys: 371 ft.
Deep alleys: 396 ft.
Center field: 410 ft.

Fence height:
Foul lines: 16' 4" (1964), 12' 4" (1965), 8' (1979)
Bullpen to Bullpen: 8'

Hosted World Series: 1969, 1973, 1986, 2000
Hosted All-Star Game: 1964
Hosted A.F.L. Championship game: 1968
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NOTES, FACTS AND FEATURES

The NYPD maintains a sub-station at Shea Station. On game days, uniformed police officers are stationed on every
level of the stadium.

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.

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.   Rolling Stones, The Who, The Police, Simon & Garfunkel,
Elton John and Eric Clapton have all played Shea.  Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix also made a little known
appearance at Shea for the 1970 Summer Festival for Peace.

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.

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.

On July 8, 2000 the Mets and Yankees were involved in an 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.

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  hat.

Shea was 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 in the flight path of La Guardia Airport. 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.

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Radio: WFAN 660 AM, WADO 1280 AM (Sp)
TV: WPIX 11, MSG ,FSNY

In-park dining choices: Concession items include: Italian
sausages, Hebrew National Hot Dogs, Cascarino signature
New York Style Pizza, Kahn's DogHouse (regional hot
dogs).


New York Local Dining - Best Bets

Directions & Parking

Ballpark Tour & Vacation Packages
2006 Ticket prices

Inner Field Box $55
Inner Loge Box $60
Outer Field Box $41
Outer Loge Box $41
Mezzanine Box $41
Loge Reserved $36
Mezzanine Reserved $27
Upper Box $27
Upper Reserved $16
Loge Reserved, Back Rows $16
Mezz. Reserved, Back Rows $16

Seating Chart

Purchase Mets Tickets
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New York Mets
123-01 Roosevelt Avenue
Flushing, NY 11368-1699
718-507-METS
 Shea Stadium was born in the civic humiliation of the late 1950's when the Giants and Dodgers fled New York for
guaranteed stadium deals in California.  While many dismissed New York as a viable National League city, Mayor
Robert Wagner disagreed.  He appointed a committee chaired by lawyer William A. Shea to aquire a N.L. franchise.

 After failing to attract the Reds, Pirates and Phillies, he organized influential groups in eight cities, including New
York, and announced the formation of a third major baseball circut, the Continental League, with the well
respected Branch Rickey as its president.  The new league never did get off the ground, but at a 1960 N.L. owners
meeting in Chicago, William Shea was there to argue the case for one of the two expansion teams to be awarded
to New York.  On the eve of the meeting, Shea heard rumors that unless New York could guarantee a new
stadium, the owners would pass on the Big Apple.  Shea made a midnight call to Mayor Wagner and told him he
must send wires immediately to the owners and promise a new ballpark. On the strength of the Mayor's telegram,
N.L. owners awarded franchises to New York and Houston to start play in 1962.

 Ground was broken on the circular multi-purpose stadium on October 28, 1961.  The site that was selected was
adjacent to the World's Fair of 1939 and future fair in '64. Originally named Flushing Meadow Park, an idea was
started by a local business owner to name the stadium in honor of Bill Shea - largely responsible for both the new
franchise and their new home.  The idea gained quick and universal support - and Flushing Meadow Park became
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium.  At Shea Stadium's opening ceremonies, April 17, 1964, 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. Shea also immediately became home of the A.F.L.'s
New York Jets who, with the Mets, were forced to play their first few seasons in the historic but antiquated Polo
Grounds.


Iconic Moments: August 15, 1965.  The Beatles. In the Rock 'n' Roll's first-ever "stadium" concert, and the largest
grossing concert of any kind to date, The Beatles thrill the sold out Shea Stadium with "Twist and Shout", "Can't
Buy Me Love", "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help" among others.  The crowd was so loud that the band played the
whole show not sure if they were even being heard.  One year later on their last ever tour in the Summer of '66,
the Beatles played Shea again.  Amazingly, over 11,000 tickets went un-sold.

October 16, 1969.  World Series Game 5.   Ya Gotta Believe.  With the stunned Orioles down 3 games to 1, The
Mets chipped away at a 3-0 Baltimore lead with a 2-run homer by Don Clendenon in the 6th.  Al Weis tied the game
with a solo blast in the 7th and went ahead for good as Ron Swoboda drove in the eventual game-winner in the
8th.  Amazin!

October 25, 1986.  World Series Game 6. "Little roller up along first - be-HIND THE BAG!  IT GETS THROUGH
BUCKNER!  HERE COMES KNIGHT AND THE METS WIN IT!" - Vin Scully NBC broadcast.  Leading 5-4 in the 10th inning,
just one out away from their first Championship since 1918, the Red Sox watch it all roll slowly away from them...
literally. Bob Stanley's wild pitch allows Kevin Mitchell to score the tying run. Then, on the final pitch of a
fabulous at-bat, Mookie Wilson fights off a fastball and dribbles a grounder up the first-base line that slips between
Bill Buckner's legs and into history. Ray Knight dashes home with the game-winning run, forcing a Game 7 that New
York would win, and permanently adding Buckner's name to the list of notorious baseball "goats."  

The good:   Great scoreboard in Right field - nothing too fancy and one of the few truly comprehensive big boards
left in baseball - full player stats, full-time line-ups and out-of-town scores.
The bad:   Even though Shea is packed with history it its 40+ years, it's distinctively out-dated it its design and
atmosphere.  One of the few multi-use cookie-cutter stadiums still in operation.
The ugly:   It helps to be part mountain goat when scaling the steps in the upper deck.
An historic night in Flushing as The Beatles invade Shea Stadium
in the largest grossing concert ever to date - August 15, 1965.
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Media Credit - www.baseballfans.net
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium in the 1960s (above and below)