1967 | Clear plexiglass replaced parts of the outfield wall in right and leftfield so fans could see who was warming up in the bullpens. |
1973 | Shea became the first ballpark to feature distance markers behind the outfield walls to better judge long home runs (they were removed in 1979) |
1978 | The outfield fences were extended foul line to foul line, cutting the distance in the corners from 341 feet to 338 feet on the advice of then manager Joe Torre. Prior to his suggestion, the corners had a brick wall with an orange line. If the ball hit above the line it was a home run; a ball hit under the line was in play. |
1979-1980 | A matrix scoreboard was built in left-centerfield to display statistics. In addition, the original wooden seats were removed and plastic ones were installed. |
1980 | The orange and blue steel panels were removed from the exterior of the stadium and large blue wind shield panels were installed. A picnic area and leftfield bleachers were also added during this time period. |
1981 | The Big Apple Top Hat was built behind the centerfield wall in 1981 (every Mets home run at Shea is topped off with the Big Apple lighting up and rising out of the black Top Hat). The company that produced the Apple was located in Edgewood, NJ and also made floats that appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. |
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. |
1985-1987 | Major stadium renovations during this time included the addition of 50 suites on Shea's press level. The entire outside of the stadium was painted "Mets blue" and neon outlines of baseball players were placed on each of the six panels. |
1988 | A new scoreboard is put in place. White Way Sign Company built the new board that fit in into the shell of the old one. Also, prior to the 1988 season, the wooden outfield wall is replaced with a padded fence. Auxiliary scoreboards located along the façade of the Loge section down the right and leftfield lines were moved and tri-vision signage was added. |
1992 | Huge dioramas are hung inside Shea featuring color action shots of memorable players and moments in Mets history. |
1999 | Seats were added behind home plate. |
2000 | Seats were added along the right and leftfield baselines. |
2003 | Collages highlighting the 1969 and 1986 world championships were painted on the side of the right and leftfield façades. Also the ring around the stadium below press row features highlights throughout Mets history. |
Shea Stadium Moments |
April 17, 1964 |
First Mets game at Shea |
July 7, 1964 |
All-Star Game at Shea. The NL scores four times in the ninth inning to beat the AL |
September 12, 1964 |
First Jets game at Shea |
August 15, 1965 |
The Beatles play at Shea |
October 9, 1965 |
Army - Notre Dame college football - Future President Nixon attended the game |
October 30, 1965 |
Pitt - Syracuse college football - Floyd Little, Larry Csonka and current Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin played for Syracuse |
August 26, 1966 |
The Beatles return engagement at Shea |
June 1-8, 1967 |
Ice Capades - In June? Outside? Very unique |
December 29, 1968 |
Jets - Raiders AFC Championship Game. The Jets advance to the Super Bowl III with 27-23 win |
July 9, 1969 |
Tom Seaver's Imperfect Game The Franchise retires 25 straight Cubs before the perfect game is broken up by Jimmy Qualls. That outing is one of the turning points of the magical 1969 season. The crowd rocks Queens, 59,083 fans are in attendance including Nancy and Seaver's parents. |
September 9, 1969 |
Black Cat Game |
September 24, 1969 |
Mets clinch NL East with a 6-0 win over St. Louis |
October 6, 1969 |
Mets defeat Atlanta, 7-4, in Game Three of the NLCS to advance to the World Series |
October 14, 1969 |
First World Series game at Shea. The Mets beat the Orioles, 5-0 |
October 15, 1969 |
A 2-1 Mets walkoff win over the Orioles in Game Four of the World Series |
October 16, 1969 |
Mets win their first world championship with a 5-3 win over Baltimore |
April 22, 1970 |
Tom Seaver strikes out 19 Padres in a 2-1 win over the Padres |
June 23-28, 1970 |
Billy Graham |
August 6, 1970 |
Summer Festival for Peace (Janis Joplin) |
July 9, 1971 |
Grand Funk Railroad |
May 14, 1972 |
Willie Mays first game at Shea as a Met |
October 9, 1973 |
NLCS Game Five - The winner take all game ends in a 7-2 Mets win over Cincinnati |
October 18, 1973 |
The Mets beat Oakland, 2-0, in Game Five of the World Series |
October 12, 1975 |
The Giants (NFL) host the Dallas Cowboys in their first game at Shea The Cowboys win 13-7 |
November 1, 1975 |
The Giants beat the San Diego Chargers 35-24 for their first win at Shea |
November 15, 1975 |
Grambling - Norfolk State college football - Legendary coach Eddie Robinson is at Shea. Future Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams is the quarterback |
August 17, 1976 |
Cosmos-Washington (pro soccer) - Pele at Shea |
October 3, 1979 |
Pope John Paul II |
October 15, 1980 |
Howard Cosell and ABCs Monday Night Football makes it first appearance at Shea. The Jets beat Minnesota, 14-7 |
October 12-13, 1982 |
The Who |
August 6, 1983 |
Simon & Garfunkel |
August 18, 1983 |
The Police |
September 17, 1986 |
Mets clinch NL East with a 4-2 win over Chicago |
October 11, 1986 |
Lenny Dykstra's two-run home run in the ninth lifted New York to a 6-5 win in Game Three of the NLCS vs. Houston |
October 14, 1986 |
Gary Carter's 12th inning single gave the Mets a 2-1 win in Game Five of the NLCS vs. Houston |
October 25, 1986 |
Game Six of the World Series vs. Boston. Enough said |
October 27, 1986 |
Game Seven of the World Series vs. Boston. New York wins its second title with an 8-5 triumph |
September 22, 1988 |
Mets clinch NL East with a 3-1 win over Philadelphia |
October 8, 1988 |
New York scored five times in the eighth inning to beat the Dodgers in Game Three of the NLCS |
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 |
April 15, 1997 |
President Clinton comes with Bud Selig and Rachel Robinson to celebrate Jackie Robinson |
April 15, 1998 |
After a piece of concrete falls at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees play Anaheim at 12:05 p.m. at Shea while the Mets host the Cubs for their regularly scheduled 7:40 p.m. start in an unusual Shea doubleheader |
October 9, 1999 |
Todd Pratt hits a solo home run in Game Four of the NLDS vs. Arizona to send the Mets to the NLCS |
October 17, 1999 |
Robin Ventura's 15-inning grand slam single over Atlanta in Game Five of the NLCS |
June 30, 2000 |
New York scored a franchise-record 10 runs in the eighth inning highlighted by Mike Piazza's three-run home run as New York tops the Braves 11-8 |
October 7, 2000 |
Benny Agbayani's solo home run in Game Three of the NLDS in the 10th inning gave the Mets a 3-2 win over San Francisco |
October 8, 2000 |
Bobby Jones one hits the Giants as the Mets advance to the NLCS with a 4-0 win in Game Four of the NLDS |
October 16, 2000 |
Mets advance to the World Series with a 7-0 win over St. Louis in Game Five of the NLCS |
September 21, 2001 |
Mike Piazza's home run helps heal the city in the first sporting event in New York after 9/11 |
October 1-3, 2003 |
Bruce Springsteen |
May 19, 2006 |
David Wright's RBI single in the ninth inning off Marino Rivera and the Yankees |
September 18, 2006 |
Mets clinch NL East with a 4-0 win over Florida |
October 4, 2006 |
Two Dodgers are tagged out at home as the Mets beat the Dodgers 6-5 in Game One of the NLDS |
October 18, 2006 |
John Maine forces a Game Seven as the Mets beat the Cardinals, 4-2, in Game Six of the NLCS |
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