North Fork Mets Fans And Their Shea Stories

Shea Stadium Will Say Goodbye To Some North Fork Fans
That Have Been Going To Opening Day For 39 Years

By Phyllis Lombardi

Breaking up is hard to do. Whether from a first love, retirement from a job you cherished, leaving a neighborhood that's been home for most of your life.

The North Fork became my fork more than 25 years ago. I was joyous then, and am still, about living here. And yet on moving day I walked from room to room in the home I was leaving, saying goodbye to each room. The bedrooms where three cribs had held three children years before. The kitchen where I learned to cook. The dining room where we had our birthday parties. Even the back porch where we took off our muddy shoes.

I'd painted all the rooms, many times. Made curtains for the windows. Matter of fact, I was cleaning the dining room windows on a November day in 1963 when the radio brought me news from Dallas. I picked up the phone to call my husband at work and my mother at her home. Yes, tough, this coming and going.

Now something else is passing from the scene. Not as important as a job or precious as a home. But special nevertheless. There are many North Fork baseball fans bracing themselves for the end of this 2008-season-demolition of Shea Stadium, the Flushing home of those sometimes mighty, sometimes maddening Metropolitans. The Mets.

There's a new stadium ($800 million) in the works, this is the time to reminisce. North Forkers have their Shea stories, stories reaching Hall of Fame proportions with the passage of time. (Yes, I know there's gonna be a new Yankee Stadium, also in 2009. Maybe we'll talk about that later.)

For now, meet two Mets fans - Mary Ann and Don Healy. They have a home in Whitestone, minutes from Shea, but spend lots of summer and winter time in a cozy home on the North Fork. Don, a U.S. Postal Service employee, attends games with co-workers as well as with Mary Ann.

You know what's admirable about these two fans? They admit right out their team had, in 2007, the biggest collapse in the history of major league baseball. They're upset too, and think the Mets are really dumb to build a new stadium with no retractable roof. Nevertheless, they're excited about new Met pitcher Johan Santana. You gotta believe!

And listen to this. Two years ago Mary Ann and Don traveled to Port St. Lucie, Florida, for one of those Mets Amazin' Getaways - a week at the Mets spring training site, games at Tradition Field and even breakfast with the champions. How special.

Then there's my Met-fan husband. He and I disagree on many things, but usually resolve our differences. However, he's just plain nasty when it comes to baseball. What kind of a fan says he's almost as happy when my Yankees lose as he is when his Mets win? Anyway, he's seen the glory days of Tom Terrific Seaver and the gory days of 120 losses in one season, 1962 - a record that still stands. He wants me to remind you of Marvelous Marv Thornberry, Met first baseman often looked upon as a comic figure by fans and press alike. And the manager that year, Mr. Casey "Can't anyone around here play this game?" Stengel.

Bill Andreas lives in Aquebogue and is the manager of a grocery store in Cutchogue, and knows Shea Stadium like the back of his glove hand. This 2008 season marks 39 consecutive years of Bill's attendance at opening day at Shea. That's impressive. He started the streak with his father years ago and now Bill is accompanied by his two sons.

"It will be sad to see the stadium go. It's part of my life," he said.

Bill pushed back his jacket sleeve and checked his orange and blue Mets wristwatch. He had to get back to work. Bill, it's clear the Mets have given you the time of your life.

If goodbyes must be said, best they be said quickly. Let a Frank Sinatra ballad extend our North Fork farewell to Shea Stadium.

And there used to be a ballpark, Where the field was warm and green

And the people played their crazy game, With a joy I'd never seen.

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