Went to Shea last night...

[Jet Moses]

Me and T-Mac caught the LIRR to Shea, last night. Glavine pitched a great game. Shawn Green got the game tying RBI and Milledge got the game winning RBI.

It was Ralph Kiner night. I didn't realize what a great player he was. Lead the league in homeruns 6 years in a row (back when homerun's meant something).

Reyes has to stop swinging at the first pitch. It was chaos coming out of that packed house and we wound up having to relax for an hour in the El-Chicano in beautiful downtown Flushing NY, while waiting for the crowd to dissipate. Then we had to catch a local 7 train back to Manhattan.

A good time had by all!

[Bugg]

Me and T-Mac caught the LIRR to Shea, last night. Glavine pitched a great game. Shawn Green got the game tying RBI and Milledge got the game winning RBI.

It was Ralph Kiner night. I didn't realize what a great player he was. Lead the league in homeruns 6 years in a row (back when homerun's meant something).

Reyes has to stop swinging at the first pitch. It was chaos coming out of that packed house and we wound up having to relax for an hour in the El-Chicano in beautiful downtown Flushing NY, while waiting for the crowd to dissipate. Then we had to catch a local 7 train back to Manhattan.

A good time had by all!

IF you want to have a really fun evening, drive next time. Until the new stadium is up and Shea asphalted over, going to a Mets game is hellacious.

[Scott Dierking]

Me and T-Mac caught the LIRR to Shea, last night. Glavine pitched a great game. Shawn Green got the game tying RBI and Milledge got the game winning RBI.

It was Ralph Kiner night. I didn't realize what a great player he was. Lead the league in homeruns 6 years in a row (back when homerun's meant something).

Reyes has to stop swinging at the first pitch. It was chaos coming out of that packed house and we wound up having to relax for an hour in the El-Chicano in beautiful downtown Flushing NY, while waiting for the crowd to dissipate. Then we had to catch a local 7 train back to Manhattan.

A good time had by all!

I haven't been to the stadium in years, but will be making my last visit in September when the Phillies visit.

It will be a sweet/sour moment for me when that stadium comes down.

[NorthCoastJetsFan]

I haven't been to the stadium in years, but will be making my last visit in September when the Phillies visit.

It will be a sweet/sour moment for me when that stadium comes down.

Same for me, SD.

I know Shea doesn't have the history of Yankee Stadium (although the '69 season, the Pete Rose fight, and Buckner stand out as signature moments), and I know it's worn out and needs to be replaced. And I'll be happy when the Mets move into CitiField.

That doesn't mean that a little piece of me will be gone when they knock Shea down. I've gone to tons of games there, had great times and great memories. Every time I walk in there, I still think of my long-passed grandfather.

I suspect a lot of Yankee fans feel the same way about the Stadium.

[Scott Dierking]

Same for me, SD.

I know Shea doesn't have the history of Yankee Stadium (although the '69 season, the Pete Rose fight, and Buckner stand out as signature moments), and I know it's worn out and needs to be replaced. And I'll be happy when the Mets move into CitiField.

That doesn't mean that a little piece of me will be gone when they knock Shea down. I've gone to tons of games there, had great times and great memories. Every time I walk in there, I still think of my long-passed grandfather.

I suspect a lot of Yankee fans feel the same way about the Stadium.

Yankee was the first stadium I went to, but Shea is my first love.

From watching the wind swept games of the Jets, OJ breaking 2000, Caster breaking the end zone, Kevin Long scoring from 2, the glory 0f '86, the dismal of Joan Payson, Rusty Staub banging his shoulder-There is so much I will carry with me.

I remember having a mezzanine seat for my first game, and feeling both scared and excited as teh Mets took the lead and the footings were literally shaking. I actually witnessed Pete Rose hit 3 homers in one game. Probably the only game he ever did that in.

[faba]

I have gone to like 5 or 6 games this year At Shea-I remember my father taking me with Borden tickets sitting up in the last rows. Good memories that will not be forgotten.

[toon88]

I haven't been to the stadium in years, but will be making my last visit in September when the Phillies visit.

It will be a sweet/sour moment for me when that stadium comes down.

SD...leave now!

it is bad enough going to Shea this year with all the construction on Citifield taking up the majority of parking, but you'll be going with the U.S. Open across the street also. Get there early and plan to sit tight after the game. I've been to about 7 or 8 games this year and they have become 7-8 hour excursions. My advice, hit the bar at the Ramada before AND after the game! enjoy!

[Maxman]

I haven't been to the stadium in years, but will be making my last visit in September when the Phillies visit.

It will be a sweet/sour moment for me when that stadium comes down.

Hopefully the spirit of Dykstra and Mookie Wilson will be transferred to the new stadium. It would be a shame to lose all that magic.

[Scott Dierking]

SD...leave now!

it is bad enough going to Shea this year with all the construction on Citifield taking up the majority of parking, but you'll be going with the U.S. Open across the street also. Get there early and plan to sit tight after the game. I've been to about 7 or 8 games this year and they have become 7-8 hour excursions. My advice, hit the bar at the Ramada before AND after the game! enjoy!

We are making a weekend of it in Manhattan (boy's weekend), so time will not be of the essence. Going up with a couple of Phillies fans.

[Scott Dierking]

Hopefully the spirit of Dykstra and Mookie Wilson will be transferred to the new stadium. It would be a shame to lose all that magic.

I have tpo admit being a little melancholy seeing Yankee stadium gone, too. That is tough to see, but you can't stop progress.

I hope we get to see a little Roy Staiger, Don Haun and Joel Youngblood in thenew stadium also.

[Sharrow]

There's a lifesize statue of Kiner's hands holding a bat at PNC, its pretty neat.

[Scott Dierking]

There's a lifesize statue of Kiner's hands holding a bat at PNC, its pretty neat.

When I lived in Shadyside, I used to like going to old Forbes Field home plate inside (is it a library?).

Best thing about baseball is its history.

[Jet Moses]

IF you want to have a really fun evening, drive next time. Until the new stadium is up and Shea asphalted over, going to a Mets game is hellacious.

Yeah, me and T-Mac were making fun of the car traffic on our way to the LIRR platform, "suckers!" Yeah, but the joke was on us. Ha!

I haven't been to the stadium in years, but will be making my last visit in September when the Phillies visit.

It will be a sweet/sour moment for me when that stadium comes down.

There is alot of history in that dump. Even the Beatles played there.

Same for me, SD.

I know Shea doesn't have the history of Yankee Stadium (although the '69 season, the Pete Rose fight, and Buckner stand out as signature moments), and I know it's worn out and needs to be replaced. And I'll be happy when the Mets move into CitiField.

That doesn't mean that a little piece of me will be gone when they knock Shea down. I've gone to tons of games there, had great times and great memories. Every time I walk in there, I still think of my long-passed grandfather.

I suspect a lot of Yankee fans feel the same way about the Stadium.

Yankee stadium is beautiful.

[Jet Moses]

My advice, hit the bar at the Ramada before AND after the game! enjoy!

No love for El-Chicano?

[nj meadowlands]

Yeah, me and T-Mac were making fun of the car traffic on our way to the LIRR platform, "suckers!" Yeah, but the joke was on us. Ha!

There is alot of history in that dump. Even the Beatles played there.

Yankee stadium is beautiful.

Is the parking at Shea right now as bad the Meadowlands is going to be?

I think Yankee stadium has been handling it pretty well-- the parking garage is a big help

[toon88]

Is the parking at Shea right now as bad the Meadowlands is going to be?

I think Yankee stadium has been handling it pretty well-- the parking garage is a big help

my belief is the meadowlands will be worse, even with the wonderful parking system they have implored this year. between Xanadu and stdaium construction, to go along with them finally trying to stick to the, "one spot parking" rule, it is going to be a fiasco. those of you coming from LI, SI and beyond, plan on a 10 hour day in beautiful north jersey, at least.

[nj meadowlands]

my belief is the meadowlands will be worse, even with the wonderful parking system they have implored this year. between Xanadu and stdaium construction, to go along with them finally trying to stick to the, "one spot parking" rule, it is going to be a fiasco. those of you coming from LI, SI and beyond, plan on a 10 hour day in beautiful north jersey, at least.

toon-- if you or anyone you know is interested, I'll be offering fanboat rides through the swamp for $5 a ride.

[Jet Moses]

Is the parking at Shea right now as bad the Meadowlands is going to be?

I think Yankee stadium has been handling it pretty well-- the parking garage is a big help

I can only go by what I saw, and it looked a little tight, to say the least.

[Jet Moses]

my belief is the meadowlands will be worse, even with the wonderful parking system they have implored this year. between Xanadu and stdaium construction, to go along with them finally trying to stick to the, "one spot parking" rule, it is going to be a fiasco. those of you coming from LI, SI and beyond, plan on a 10 hour day in beautiful north jersey, at least.

That actually sounds optimistic. I think it's gonna be worse.

[toon88]

toon-- if you or anyone you know is interested, I'll be offering fanboat rides through the swamp for $5 a ride.

I'm in!!!!!!

[Thor99]

Best thing about baseball is its history.

Wrong as usual. It's OPS.

[Scott Dierking]

I actually witnessed Pete Rose hit 3 homers in one game.

I am watching the Reds feed of the game, and in the coincidences of the coincidences, the AFLAC trivia question was who is the only Red to ever hit 3 homers in a game against the Mets?

[JetCane]

Hopefully the spirit of Dykstra and Mookie Wilson will be transferred to the new stadium. It would be a shame to lose all that magic.

Mets take three out of four from the WKRP Reds.

[GimmeShelter]

Wrong as usual. It's OPS.

LOL.

[JetCane]

Me and T-Mac caught the LIRR to Shea, last night. Glavine pitched a great game. Shawn Green got the game tying RBI and Milledge got the game winning RBI.

It was Ralph Kiner night. I didn't realize what a great player he was. Lead the league in homeruns 6 years in a row (back when homerun's meant something).

Reyes has to stop swinging at the first pitch. It was chaos coming out of that packed house and we wound up having to relax for an hour in the El-Chicano in beautiful downtown Flushing NY, while waiting for the crowd to dissipate. Then we had to catch a local 7 train back to Manhattan.

A good time had by all!

The is my transportation of choice to get to

...............................................................................

***************************

07/14/2007 11:28 PM ET

Kiner cheered by fans, colleagues

Broadcaster the center of attention during pregame ceremony

By Lauren Kobylarz / MLB.com

A moving tribute was given to Ralph Kiner prior to the Mets game on Saturday night.

NEW YORK -- It wasn't a Cadillac, but it got the job done.

A white 1962 Plymouth convertible eased around the field at Shea Stadium on Saturday night, carrying the man who has been the voice of the Mets for 46 years.

As a broadcaster for the Mets since the club's beginnings, Ralph Kiner has been a hallmark of the team, noted for his dedication, humor and insight. He's been remembered for countless interviews, colorful phrases -- several involving Cadillacs -- and 369 home runs in his 10 years as a Major Leaguer.

"Home-run hitters drive Cadillacs; singles hitters drive Fords," Kiner once said.

Kiner wasn't behind the wheel on Saturday night at Shea Stadium, though, so the make of the car probably didn't matter.

The blue-and-orange logo on the hood of the Plymouth didn't, either, as it spelled out what the crowd already knew: It was Ralph Kiner Night at Shea Stadium. The Mets joined the fans in celebrating the Hall of Famer in a 30-minute ceremony on Saturday night before their game against Cincinnati.

The longest-tenured sportscaster in baseball, Kiner sat in the backseat with his wife, Ann, as the Plymouth came to a halt in the foul territory behind first base. Thousands of fans honored him with a standing ovation.

"It means an awful lot to me to be recognized by the people that hired you over the years and be recognized after all these years," Kiner said. "To be a broadcaster in New York is not easy, especially when you had some seasons like we had for years and years. But the good years, obviously, were '69, '73, '86, and later on, 2000 -- that was really worth all the losing years that we've had."

Kiner and his wife climbed out of the car as WFAN's Howie Rose introduced them -- not that they needed an introduction -- to the already-standing crowd. The pair left the Plymouth behind first base and made the long walk out to a small stage planted in center field to meet Rose and many of Kiner's family and friends.

Stepping to the podium, Kiner thanked his fans, fellow broadcasters, and the Mets franchise that he has come to know inside and out. The Mets awarded Kiner and his wife, who enjoy traveling together, a cruise to the destination of their choice.

Hall of Famer and former Mets pitcher Tom Seaver presented Kiner with a plaque honoring the all-time longest-standing sportscaster for his excellence and dedication, a plaque identical to the one that will hang in Shea's Diamond Club. The broadcast booth at the new Citi Field, which is set to open in 2009, will also bear Kiner's name.

From his playing days, Seaver recalled fond memories of his appearances on Kiner's postgame show, Kiner's Korner. Now a broadcaster himself, Seaver has taken a tip or two from the man that Rose called "the soundtrack of summer."

"One of the great things from a broadcasting standpoint that I learned from Ralph was that Ralph Kiner wanted the spotlight on you, he didn't want it on himself," Seaver said. "He wanted you to be the center of the platform. He wanted you to be the center of the presentation ... of whatever was going on, without any qualms whatsoever."

Kiner, a three-time Emmy Award winner, remembered his first day on Kiner's Korner, when the player he was interviewing bolted with the microphone still attached, bringing the whole set with him.

"It was a mess, that first show," Kiner said.

Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" wound through the loudspeakers at Shea as the big screen played a montage of clips from Kiner's career as both a broadcaster and player.

Kiner was never a Met on the field, but spent 10 seasons making a name for himself as a big-time hitter. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1975.

"He was a unique home-run hitter," Bob Friend said. "Ralph used to hit those shock-and-awe deals. I'm telling you they were a mile high, and they'd never come down. They'd be over the fence about 50 feet, and they'd just break the pitcher's heart."

During a reception before the ceremony, Gary Thorne read a poem entitled "A Tribute to Ralph Kiner" that was written by Ed Charles, the Mets' unofficial poet laureate. Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Charles, Bud Harrelson, Keith Hernandez, Jerry Koosman, Ed Kranepool, Joe Pignatano and Rusty Staub all joined Seaver, Friend and Rose on the field to honor the man whom each of them looks up to.

"You can't help from liking him," Berra said.

************

It was cool seeing Yogi and Mrs Yogi there, too. There both look great.

[JetCane]

Then we had to catch a local 7 train back to Manhattan.

[Jet Moses]

The

***************************

From his playing days, Seaver recalled fond memories of his appearances on Kiner's postgame show, Kiner's Korner.

JC, the 7 is always an experience. Once or twice I stayed on it one stop too many and wound up in Brooklyn.

I know you'll appreciate this one:

http://www.jerrygrote.com/

[JetCane]

JC, the 7 is always an experience. Once or twice I stayed on it one stop too many and wound up in Brooklyn.

I know you'll appreciate this one:

http://www.jerrygrote.com/

I liked Grote. He was a solid, hard-nosed catcher. He didnt hit for high average or power, but he had the tools of the trade thing going.

Going deeper on the back wall, it was cool seeing ed kranepool there last night. A lot of guys out there brought back memories, including Kiner.

Kiner's Corner, Bob Murphy RIP, Lindsey Nelson, they were aight.

[faba]

I grew up listening to Kiner, Murphy and Nelson- those are years that you can never be relived.

Ralph Kiner because of injuries and war committment had a shorter career or he would have been up there on the home run list.

[Jet Moses]

I liked Grote. He was a solid, hard-nosed catcher. He didnt hit for high average or power, but he had the tools of the trade thing going.

Going deeper on the back wall, it was cool seeing ed kranepool there last night. A lot of guys out there brought back memories, including Kiner.

Kiner's Corner, Bob Murphy RIP, Lindsey Nelson, they were aight.

I can remember watching the Mets on channel 9 at my grandmother's house. I loved the camera angle's, and those old National league ump who wore their chest protector's underneath the blue shirt.

I grew up listening to Kiner, Murphy and Nelson- those are years that you can never be relived.

Ralph Kiner because of injuries and war committment had a shorter career or he would have been up there on the home run list.

Yeah, those days are gone. But I don't want to get maudlin so to bring things up to the present-

I really don't know why the fans boo'd Griffey. The guy has been a class act his entire career in baseball. I wish he never got injured because I would have liked to have seen him break Aaron's record, not that POS Barry Bonds.

[Scott Dierking]

I can remember watching the Mets on channel 9 at my grandmother's house. I loved the camera angle's, and those old National league ump who wore their chest protector's underneath the blue shirt.

Yeah, those days are gone. But I don't want to get maudlin so to bring things up to the present-

I really don't know why the fans boo'd Griffey. The guy has been a class act his entire career in baseball. I wish he never got injured because I would have liked to have seen him break Aaron's record, not that POS Barry Bonds.

Part of the reason thay may have booed Griffey is that he vetoed a trade to the Mets in '90

[BP]

The last time I went to Shea was 1990 with a friend who's a Met fan. I went to almost every Jet home game there from 1978-1983, and I don't miss that ****hole at all. watching football games there was a joke.

[Scott Dierking]

The last time I went to Shea was 1990 with a friend who's a Met fan. I went to almost every Jet home game there from 1978-1983, and I don't miss that ****hole at all. watching football games there was a joke.

Man, talk about a Yankee fan intercepting a Met thread.

But wait, Shea was a Jet home too.

How does a multi-purpose facility stadium get treated. Is there off-limit cross-fan bantering allowed?

This whole only being able to talk about your own team stuff is difficult to track.

I guess that is why I am the forum "idiot" and "tool".

[nj meadowlands]

Man, talk about a Yankee fan intercepting a Met thread.

But wait, Shea was a Jet home too.

How does a multi-purpose facility stadium get treated. Is there off-limit cross-fan bantering allowed?

This whole only being able to talk about your own team stuff is difficult to track.

I guess that is why I am the forum "idiot" and "tool".

or Drama Queen?

[Scott Dierking]

or Drama Queen?

80-Exactly what is it with you-You come on here taking a soap box stands of how everyone needs to keep it "baseball", yet you are one of the biggest name callers out there.

Practice what you preach.