Ok, so I’m not actually saying goodbye to a friend or a loved one, but Shea Stadium.  Since both Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium are closing this year, many people are just focusing on the Yankees and not really caring about the Mets at all.

I totally understand that there is much more history in the Bronx than there is in Flushing, but there is a certain type of character to Shea that I don’t think will ever be replaced.  Virtually all of my memories at a professional baseball stadium have come at Shea… my first game, first subway series game, the heartbreak of seeing them collapse last season.

I watched a small video on Shea the other day and saw some of the most memorable moments at Shea that I could recall from my childhood, and I came extremely close to shedding a tear.  I have never dealt with my home stadium closing or my favorite team moving to a different city, so this is all new to me.  It will be tough to say goodbye to Shea because it has been a part of me for so long, especially in my childhood.

I am very thankful that I will be able to walk through the gates of Shea one last time to enjoy one more game this Satruday (thanks to my terrific girlfriend!).  Every inning, every out, and every pitch will be magnified for me because I won’t ever feel the friendliness that is Shea Stadium ever again.  People who have not been to Shea think it’s basically a shithole and don’t care about it closing its doors for good.  All you have to do is spend 9 innings at Shea and you’ll see the personality of the Stadium that I’m talking about and that will be forever in my memory.

Goodbye Shea…thanks for all of the memories.