Thanks for the misery.
The sun officially set on Shea Stadium yesterday after fans endured a torturous, rain-delayed, scoreboard-watching choke in the last-ever game at the old ballpark.
Sherman: These Losers Can’t Finish – Again
Vaccaro: Legends Of The Free-Fall Need Fix
“Only the Mets can turn a celebration into a funeral,” said Corey Kanterman, 36, of Manhattan. “It’s two years in a row of disappointment on the last day.”
“It’s like a bad dream you can’t wake up from,” added his wife, Emily, 30. “You still appreciate all the history, but it’s bittersweet.”
Fans’ dreams of a final playoff October in Flushing officially died at 4:59 p.m. with a 4-2 loss to the Florida Marlins. About half the fans stayed for a heartfelt tribute to the team’s all-time greats.
Jerry Says Farewell To His ‘Feld Of Dreams
“There’s a lot of depression going on right now. This is one of the biggest celebrations at Shea and all the fans are leaving,” said Mike Drobnis, 57, from Old Bridge, NJ.
Through their tears, many fans were still able to appreciate the sentimental goodbye to the Queens ballpark their team called home for 44 years.
“I don’t want to believe it,” said Marc Millar, 42, of Brooklyn. “I grew up with this place. CitiField just wont be the same.”
Added Charleston Moses, 40, of Brooklyn, “Last year, I walked out crying cause the Mets lost. Now I’m crying because the stadium is gone.”
Police said they made 10 arrests – nine for petit larceny and one of an unlicensed vendor. One fan who didn’t get caught was seen swiping seating charts off ticket windows.
After the game, 42 of the greatest former Mets – including Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Yogi Berra – walked on to the field one final time. Each player walked the bases, touching home plate one final time.
Franchise pitcher Tom Seaver delivered the last-ever pitch at Shea to Mike Piazza just before a fireworks display lit the darkening sky.
Additional reporting by Frank Rosario