View source for Shea Stadium

{{Short description|Stadium in Queens, New York (1964–2009)}}
{{About|the former stadium in Queens, New York|other uses|Shea Stadium (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox venue
| name = William A. Shea Municipal Stadium
| fullname = William A. Shea Municipal Stadium
| image = Shea 10-12-07.jpg
| image_size = 240
| caption = Shea Stadium in 2007
| nickname = Shea Stadium<br />''Shea''
| address = 123–01 Roosevelt Avenue
| location = [[Flushing, Queens]], New York City
| coordinates = {{coord|40|45|20|N|73|50|53|W|type:landmark_scale:2000|display=it}}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-zoom = 13
| pushpin_map = New York City#USA New York#USA
| pushpin_label = Shea Stadium
| pushpin_relief = yes
| broke_ground = October 28, 1961
| opened = {{Start date|1964|04|17}}
| closed = {{End date|2008|09|28}} (Final game)
| demolished = October 14, 2008 – February 18, 2009
| owner = [[New York City|City of New York]]<br />[[New York Mets]]
| operator = [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]] (1964–1981)<br />[[New York Mets]] (1964–2008)
| surface = Kentucky Bluegrass
| construction_cost = [[United States dollar|$]]28.5 million<br />(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|28500000|1964}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = Praeger-Kavanagh-Waterbury<ref name="History of Shea"/>
| general_contractor = Carlin–Crimmins J.V.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/sheast.htm|title=Shea Stadium|publisher=Ballparks.com|access-date=October 15, 2011}}</ref>
| former_names = Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium<br />(1961–1962)<ref name="fmpms">[http://i36.tinypic.com/vcqnnk.jpg Scanned image] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030122117/http://i36.tinypic.com/vcqnnk.jpg |date=October 30, 2008 }} of the groundbreaking ceremony in which it is named Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium.</ref>
| tenants = [[New York Mets]] ([[Major League Baseball|MLB]]) 1964–2008<br />[[New York Jets]] ([[American Football League|AFL]] / [[National Football League|NFL]]) 1964–1983<br />[[New York Yankees]] (MLB) 1974–1975<br />[[New York Giants]] (NFL) 1975<br />[[St. John's Red Storm football|St. John's Red Storm]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) 2000
| seating_capacity = [[Baseball]]: 57,333<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/citifield_comparison.jsp|title=Citi Field Side-by-Side Comparison|publisher=Major League Baseball Advanced Media| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422182823/http://www.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/citifield_comparison.jsp |archive-date=April 22, 2021| access-date=February 20, 2010}}</ref><br />[[American football|Football]]:{{spaces|2}}60,372<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Gerry|last2=Morrison|first2=Mike|last3=Morrison|first3=Michael|title=ESPN Sports Almanac 2008: America's Best-Selling Sports Almanac|year=2007|publisher=ESPN|location=New York|isbn=978-1-933060-38-5|page=583|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZDjlaWRn2GIC&q=%22shea+stadium%22+%2260372%22|access-date=September 26, 2011}}</ref>
| dimensions = {{aligned table|class=nowrap
|Left field            |{{convert|338|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|''Left field (1964–1977)''  |''{{convert|341|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}''
|Medium left-center    |{{convert|358|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Left-center           |{{convert|371|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Left-center (deep)    |{{convert|396|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Center                |{{convert|410|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Right-center (deep)   |{{convert|396|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Right-center          |{{convert|371|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Medium right-center   |{{convert|358|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|Right field           |{{convert|338|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}
|''Right field (1964–1977)'' |''{{convert|341|ft|m|0|abbr=on}}''}} [[File:SheaStadiumBaseballFieldDimensions.svg|200px]]
}}
'''William A. Shea Municipal Stadium''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|eɪ}} {{respell|SHAY}}), typically shortened to '''Shea Stadium''', was a [[multi-purpose stadium]] in [[Flushing Meadows–Corona Park]] in [[Queens]], New York City.<ref name="fmcpark">[http://i34.tinypic.com/2n15h5l.jpg Scanned picture] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514092412/http://i34.tinypic.com/2n15h5l.jpg |date=May 14, 2011 }} of the dedication handout that shows the stadium is in [[Flushing Meadows–Corona Park]].</ref> Opened in 1964, it was home to the [[New York Mets]] of [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) from [[1964 New York Mets season|1964]] to [[2008 New York Mets season|2008]], as well as the [[New York Jets]] of the [[American Football League]] (AFL) and the [[National Football League]] (NFL) from [[1964 New York Jets season|1964]] to [[1983 New York Jets season|1983]].

The stadium was named in honor of [[William Shea]], who was most responsible for bringing [[National League (baseball)|National League]] baseball back to New York after the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Dodgers]] and [[New York Giants (baseball)|Giants]] left for California in 1957. It was demolished in [[2009 New York Mets season|2009]] following the opening of the adjacent [[Citi Field]], the ballpark built to replace it and the current home of the Mets. The former footprint of Shea Stadium is part of Citi Field's parking lots.

==History==
===Planning and construction===
The origins of Shea Stadium go back to the [[Major League Baseball relocation of 1950s–60s|relocations]] of the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] and [[New York Giants (baseball)|New York Giants]] in 1957, which left New York without a [[National League (baseball)|National League]] baseball team.

Prior to the Dodgers' departure, [[New York City]] official [[Robert Moses]] tried to interest owner [[Walter O'Malley]] in the site as the location for a [[Brooklyn Dodgers proposed domed stadium|new stadium]], but they did not reach an agreement. O'Malley preferred to pay for construction himself and own the stadium outright, and thus control the revenue from parking, concessions, and other events. The city, in contrast, wanted to build the stadium, rent it to the users, and retain the ancillary revenue rights to pay off its construction bonds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.walteromalley.com/docu_detail.php?gallery=1&set=17&pageNum=1&docuID=133|title=Historic Documents: September 12, 1957 – September 7, 1962|work=walteromalley.com|access-date=February 20, 2010|archive-date=December 19, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091219074254/http://www.walteromalley.com/docu_detail.php?gallery=1&set=17&pageNum=1&docuID=133|url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, O'Malley wanted to build in Brooklyn, while Moses insisted on Flushing Meadows. When Los Angeles offered O'Malley what New York City would not—complete ownership of a stadium—he left for southern California in a preemptive bid to install the Dodgers there before a new or existing major league franchise could beat him to it. At the same time, [[Horace Stoneham]] moved his New York Giants from [[Manhattan]]'s [[Polo Grounds]] to [[San Francisco]] (although he originally considered moving them to [[Minneapolis]]), ensuring that there would be two National League teams in California, and preserving the [[Dodgers–Giants rivalry|long standing rivalry]] with the Dodgers.

In {{mlby|1960}}, the National League agreed to grant an expansion franchise to the owners of the New York franchise in the abortive [[Continental League]], provided that the team play in a new stadium. Mayor [[Robert F. Wagner Jr.]] personally wired all of the National League owners to assure them that the city would build a stadium.

Unlike O'Malley, the owners of the franchise that eventually became the Mets felt Queens was the logical home for their new ballpark. They wanted to secure the loyalties of both Dodgers and Giants fans, and feared that a team in Manhattan or Brooklyn would be seen as a ''de facto'' revival of the respective borough's former franchise, thus possibly alienating fans in the other borough. A club playing in Flushing Meadows (located roughly the same distance from Manhattan and Brooklyn) would not only likely avoid the same perception, but presumably capture the loyalty of fans in Queens as well, thus potentially confining support for the [[New York Yankees]] of the [[American League]] to their home borough of [[The Bronx]] on the mainland.

Nevertheless, Moses and [[William A. Shea]], the New York lawyer who had led the effort to bring [[National League (baseball)|National League]] baseball back to New York, faced a problem. New York state law of the time did not allow a city to borrow money to build a stadium. The only way for the city to finance a stadium would be to demonstrate that the stadium could pay for itself. With this in mind, Moses and Shea proposed to have the new team pay substantial rent in order to pay off 30-year bonds. This provision came back to haunt the Mets years later; they never met that monetary commitment, and it caused them financial problems for years.<ref name=SABRMets>{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/topic/new-york-mets-team-ownership-history/|title=New York Mets team ownership history|author1=Leslie Heaphy|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]|date=2017}}</ref>

On October 6, 1961, the Mets signed a 30-year stadium lease,<ref>{{citation|title=Mets Lease New Park|agency=Associated Press|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=000fAAAAIBAJ&pg=5543,1094365&dq=new+york+mets&hl=en|newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal|date=October 7, 1961|access-date=June 3, 2014}}</ref> with an option for a 10-year renewal. Rent (for a facility originally budgeted to cost $9 million) was set at $450,000 for the first year, to be reduced by $20,000 in each subsequent year until it reached $300,000 annually.

In their inaugural season in [[1962 New York Mets season|1962]], the expansion Mets played in the Polo Grounds, sharing the facility with the [[New York Jets|New York Titans]] of the upstart [[American Football League]] which had begun play in 1960. The original plans were for both teams to move to a new stadium in [[1963 New York Mets season|1963]]. In October 1962, Mets official Tom Meany said, "Only a series of blizzards or some other unforeseen trouble might hamper construction."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metsfantasycards.blogspot.com/2013/08/|title = Shea Stadium History Pt. One- the House That Shea Built: 1964–1980|date = August 31, 2013}}</ref> That unforeseen trouble surfaced in a number of ways: the severe winter of 1962–1963, the bankruptcies of two subcontractors, and labor issues. The result was that both the Mets and the football team (by then renamed the Jets) were forced to play at the Polo Grounds for one more year.

[[File:Shea Stadium 1964.png|left|thumb|<!--A game at-->Shea during its inaugural [[1964 New York Mets season|1964 season]]]]
It was originally called "Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium"<ref name=lmtrdbk>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bd9iAAAAIBAJ&pg=4010%2C4671795 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=(AP photo) |title=Ground breaking for new stadium |date=October 31, 1961 |page=8}}</ref><ref name=tinge>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3bBeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6095%2C2309587 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Tinge of Brooklyn marked ground breaking for stadium |date=December 14, 1961 |page=16 }}</ref><ref name="fmpms">[http://i36.tinypic.com/vcqnnk.jpg Scanned image] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030122117/http://i36.tinypic.com/vcqnnk.jpg |date=October 30, 2008 }} of the groundbreaking ceremony in which it is named Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium.</ref> – the name of [[Flushing Meadows–Corona Park|the public park]] within which it was built – but a movement to rename it in honor of Shea was successful.<ref name=open/>

===Opening===
After 29 months of construction and $28.5 million spent, Shea Stadium opened on April 17, [[1964 New York Mets season|1964]],<ref name=hotmfot>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NllYAAAAIBAJ&pg=5707%2C4727074 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=AP photo |title=Home of the Mets |date=April 17, 1964 |page=16}}</ref> with the [[1964 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] beating the Mets {{nowrap|4–3}} before a crowd of {{nowrap|50,312.<ref name=pspmetop>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u3VQAAAAIBAJ&pg=5182%2C420915 |work=Milwaukee Sentinel |agency=UPI |title=Pirates spoil Met opener |date=April 18, 1964 |page=2, part 2 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=ljbdrm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kHofAAAAIBAJ&pg=7597%2C667462 |work=Pittsburgh Press |last=Biederman |first=Lester J.|title=Bob Friend continues mastery over Mets |date=April 18, 1964 |page=6}}</ref><ref name=confreign>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=N1lYAAAAIBAJ&pg=2251%2C4895727 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Confusion, problems reign in Shea park opener |date=April 18, 1964 |page=16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=196404170NYN|title=Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets – April 17, 1964 Box Score|magazine=Baseball Almanac|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref>}} There were no prior exhibition games or events, and the stadium was barely finished in time for the home opener. Because of a jurisdictional dispute between Local 3 of the [[International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers]] and Local 1106 of the [[Communications Workers of America]], the telephone and telegraph wiring was not finished in time for opening day.<ref name=open /><ref>{{cite news|title=A Dispute Arises at Shea Stadium|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/14/a-dispute-arises-at-shea-stadium.html|access-date=November 3, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=April 14, 1964|page=43}}</ref> The stadium opened five days before the [[1964 New York World's Fair|1964–65 New York World's Fair]], across Roosevelt Avenue. Although not officially part of the fair grounds, the stadium sported steel panels on its exterior in the blue-and-orange colors of the Fair, the same team colors of the Mets. The panels were removed in 1980.

===Demolition===
{{multiple image | direction = vertical | width = 250
|align=right
|image1=Shea_stadium_demolition_by.jpg
|image2=Shea Stadium (2009).jpg
|footer=Demolition in progress. Top photo: close-up view of the stadium during demolition. Bottom photo: demolition as viewed from the [[IRT Flushing Line]] with [[Citi Field]] visible in the background.
}}
In accordance with New York City law, in 2009 Shea Stadium was [[Deconstruction (building)|dismantled]], rather than [[Building implosion|imploded]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=March 30, 2008 |title=You Can't Just Blow Up History |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/sports/baseball/30apart.html |access-date=January 13, 2009 |work=[[The New York Times]] |quote=And explosive charges will not be set off to blow the ballparks to smithereens, or more technically, to implode them. The city also prohibits implosions.}}</ref> The company with the rights to sell memorabilia was given two weeks after the final game to remove seats, signage and other potentially sellable and collectible items before demolition was to begin. The seats were the first ($869 per pair plus tax, a combination of [[1986 World Series|'86]] and [[1969 World Series|'69]], the team's two World Series championship years),<ref>{{cite news|title=At $869 a Pair, Shea Seats Sell Briskly|url=http://www.nysun.com/new-york/at-869-a-pair-shea-seats-sell-briskly/85215/|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The New York Sun|date=September 5, 2008|access-date=January 9, 2010}}</ref> followed by other memorabilia such as the foul poles, dugouts, stadium signage, and the giant letters that spelled out "SHEA" at the front of the building.

After salvaging operations concluded, demolition of the ballpark began on October 14, 2008. On October 18, the scoreboard in right field was demolished, with the [[bleacher]]s, [[batter's eye]] and [[bullpen]]s shortly thereafter.<ref>{{cite news|title=Demolition Takes Shea Stadium Piece by Piece|first=Richard|last=Sandomir|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/sports/baseball/24mets.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 23, 2008|access-date=August 26, 2009}}</ref>

By November 10, the field, dugouts and the rest of the field level seats had been demolished.<ref>{{cite web|title=Photo Gallery: Shea Stadium Dismantlement|url=http://www.wfan.com/pages/3289493.php?contentType=37&contentId=43098&contentRating=1|work=WFAN|location=New York City|date=November 10, 2008|access-date=February 20, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809181833/http://www.wfan.com/pages/3289493.php?contentType=37&contentId=43098&contentRating=1|archive-date=August 9, 2009 }}</ref>

[[File:Shea home plate.JPG|thumb|right|Plaque commemorating the location of Shea Stadium's home plate, now in Citi Field's parking lot]]

On January 31, 2009, Mets fans all over New York came to Shea Stadium for one final farewell. Fans took a tour of the site, told stories, and sang songs.<ref>{{cite news|title=On a Mound of Debris at Shea Stadium, Mets Fans Kiss That One Goodbye|first=Matthew R.|last=Warren|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/nyregion/01shea.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 31, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2009}}</ref> The last remaining section of seats was demolished on February 18. Fans stood in awe as the remaining structure of Shea Stadium (one section of ramps) was torn down at 11:22 am.<ref>{{cite news|title=Shea Stadium's Demolition Is Complete|first=Jim|last=Baumbach|url=http://www.newsday.com/news/shea-stadium-s-demolition-is-complete-1.891025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514052131/http://www.newsday.com/news/shea-stadium-s-demolition-is-complete-1.891025|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2011|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=February 18, 2009|access-date=October 24, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Shea Stadium Demolition Ends|first=Bridget J.|last=Wentworth|url=http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2009/02/final_piece_of_shea_stadium_de.html|newspaper=[[The Star-Ledger]]|location=Newark|date=February 18, 2009|access-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref>

The locations of Shea's home plate, pitcher's mound, and bases are marked in Citi Field's parking lot. The plaques feature engravings of the [[neon sign]]s depicting baseball players that graced the exterior of the stadium from 1988 onward.<ref>{{cite news|title=Signs of Glory Rise at Citi Field, From 1969, 1986 and 2000|first1=Ken|last1=Belson|first2=Chris|last2=Hine|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E4D91238F936A2575BC0A96F9C8B63|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 15, 2009|access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref>

===Redevelopment===
{{further|Metropolitan Park (Queens)}}
{{As of|2025}}, Mets owner [[Steve Cohen (businessman)|Steve Cohen]] is trying to build a park, casino and entertainment complex at the site, called [[Metropolitan Park (Queens)|Metropolitan Park]], which had the support of the [[New York City Council]] and then-mayor [[Eric Adams]], but is pending approval by the [[New York State Legislature]] and the [[New York State Gaming Commission]]. The [[Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Metropolitan Park]] would be built on the site.<ref>{{cite news |first=Katie |last=Honan |title=Adams Open to Mets Owner Steve Cohen's Pitch for Citi Field Casino and Willets Point Makeover |url=https://www.thecity.nyc/2022/4/5/23012420/adams-mets-steve-cohen-citi-field-casino-willets-point |work=[[The City (website)|The City]] |date=April 5, 2022 |access-date=January 11, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=John|last=Flanigan  |title=Mets owner Steve Cohen unveils $8 billion proposal to build up area around Citi Field |url=https://sny.tv/articles/mets-owner-steve-cohen-unveils-proposal-build-up-area-citi-field |work=[[SNY]] |date=November 7, 2023 |access-date=November 7, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Shane |last=O'Brien |title=City Council votes overwhelmingly in favor of $8B Metropolitan Park casino zoning changes |url=https://qns.com/2025/03/city-council-approves-8b-metropolitan-park/ |work=QNS.com |date=March 12, 2025 |access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref>  Local coalition Fed Up opposes the park alienation, instead advocating for a “Phoenix Meadows Vision Plan” which would create public green space over the parking lot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schwach |first1=Ryan |title=Park proposed for site where Cohen has pitched casino |url=https://queenseagle.com/all/2024/2/6/park-proposed-for-site-where-cohen-has-pitched-casino |website=Queens Daily Eagle |publisher=Queens Public Media |date=February 6, 2024 |access-date=10 October 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Geringer-Sameth |first1=Ethan |title=Jessica Ramos nearing decision on Steve Cohen’s Queens casino |url=https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2024/02/jessica-ramos-nearing-decision-steve-cohens-queens-casino/394023/ |website=City & State New York |access-date=10 October 2025 |date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>

==Stadium usage==
===Baseball===
[[File:Shea Stadium 1969.jpeg|thumb|<!--Shea Stadium-->A Mets game in [[1969 New York Mets season|1969]]]]
Shea Stadium was the home of the New York Mets starting in 1964, and it hosted its only [[1964 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] that first year, in which [[Johnny Callison]] of the [[1964 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] hit a [[walk-off home run]] in the ninth inning to win the game. A month earlier, on Father's Day, Callison's teammate, future [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Hall of Fame]] member and [[United States Senate|U.S. Senator]] [[Jim Bunning]], pitched a [[Perfect game (baseball)|perfect game]] against the Mets.<ref>{{cite news|quote=The Phils won the contest...before 32,904 fans who were screaming for Bunning during the last two innings...Yesterday's perfect pitching turned the usually loyal Met fans into Bunning fans in the late innings. From the seventh inning on...Bunning had the crowd...behind him.|title=Bunning Pitches a Perfect Game; Mets Are Perfect Victims, 6 to 0|first=Gordon S. Jr.|last=White|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 22, 1964|page=1}}</ref>

The stadium was often criticized by baseball purists for many reasons, even after it was retrofitted to be a baseball-only stadium after the Jets left. The upper deck was one of the highest in the majors. The lower boxes were farther from the field than similar seats in other parks because they were still on the rails that had swiveled them into position for football.<ref name="Storied"/> Outfield seating was limited, in part because the stadium had been designed to be fully enclosed. (The planned enclosure was never built.)

At one time, Shea's foul territory was one of the largest in the majors. A large foul territory was common for ballparks built to accommodate football fields during the 1960s;<ref name="Storied"/> in Shea's case the fact that it was designed to be fully enclosed also increased the foul territory. However, seats added over the years in the lower level greatly reduced the size of foul territory by the 21st century. Shea always had a natural grass surface, in contrast to other multi-purpose stadiums such as [[Three Rivers Stadium]], [[Veterans Stadium]], and [[Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati)|Riverfront Stadium]], which were built during the same era but had [[artificial turf]].

Shea Stadium hosted postseason baseball in 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000, and 2006; it hosted the [[World Series]] in {{wsy|1969}}, {{wsy|1973}}, {{wsy|1986}}, and {{wsy|2000}}. It was the home of the [[1969 New York Mets season|1969]] "Miracle Mets", led by former Brooklyn Dodger [[Gil Hodges]], that defied 100–1 odds and won the World Series after seven straight seasons in last or next-to-last place. Shea became famous for the bedlam that took place after the Mets won the decisive Game 5 of the [[1969 World Series|World Series]], as fans stormed the field in celebration. Similar scenes took place a few weeks earlier after the Mets clinched the [[National League East]] title, and then defeated the [[1969 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the [[1969 National League Championship Series|first National League Championship Series]] to win the pennant.

[[Tommie Agee]], [[Lenny Dykstra]], [[Todd Pratt]], [[Robin Ventura]], and [[Benny Agbayani]] hit post-season [[walk-off home run]]s at Shea. Ventura's may have been the most famous of the postseason walk-off hits, but it was famously called "the [[Grand Slam Single]]" because after making the game-winning hit he was mobbed by his teammates before he could reach second base, and because he did not touch each of the bases it did not count as a home run. This technicality probably made Ventura (who was known for hitting grand slams) and the hit itself even more famous.

Agee was the only player in the history of the ballpark to hit a<!-- home run--> fair ball into the upper deck in left field. The spot was marked with a sign featuring Agee's number 20 and the date, which was April 10, 1969.<ref name=aghmtwi>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=odBKAAAAIBAJ&pg=3953%2C2335763 |work=Schenectady Gazette |location=New York |agency=Associated Press |title=Mets turn back Expos as Agee homers twice |date=April 11, 1969 |page=22}}</ref> Teammate [[Cleon Jones]] said the ball was still rising when it hit the seats, so it very likely could have been the longest home run hit at Shea.{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} It came in the second inning, and Agee hit another in the seventh over the center field wall; both solo shots were off of [[1969 Montreal Expos season|Montreal Expos]] starter [[Larry Jaster]], and the Mets {{nowrap|won 4–2.<ref name=aghmtwi/>}}

In [[1971 New York Mets season|1971]], [[Dave Kingman]] – then with the [[1971 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] and later to play for the Mets on two occasions – hit a home run that smashed the windshield of the Giants' team bus, parked behind the left field bullpen.

For many years, the Mets' theme song, "[[Meet the Mets]]", was played at Shea before every home game. [[Jane Jarvis]], a local jazz artist, played the popular songs on the Thomas organ at Mets games for many years at the stadium.<ref>{{cite news|title=Recalling a Meeting With the Pied Piper of Shea|first=Glenn|last=Collins|url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/recalling-a-meeting-with-the-pied-piper-of-shea/|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 1, 2010|access-date=February 15, 2012}}</ref>

On October 3, 2004, it was the venue for the last game in the history of the [[2004 Montreal Expos season|Montreal Expos]], and the Mets won {{nowrap|8–1.<ref>{{cite news|title=Zeile Exits on High Note, Spoiling Expos' Farewell|first=Dave|last=Caldwell|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/04/sports/baseball/04mets.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 4, 2004|access-date=January 16, 2010}}</ref>}} Montreal's major league history had also started at Shea Stadium, 35 years earlier.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mets Lose on Opening Day for 8th Time in Row as Expos Win, 11–10; Montreal Victor in Its First Game|first=Joseph|last=Durso|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00D15F6355D137A93CBA9178FD85F4D8685F9|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 9, 1969|access-date=January 16, 2010}}</ref> The following year, the Expos relocated to [[Washington, D.C.]], and became the [[2005 Washington Nationals season|Nationals]].

The last game played at Shea Stadium was a 4–2 loss to the [[2008 Florida Marlins season|Florida Marlins]] on September 28, 2008. However, the Mets were in the thick of the playoff chase until the last day. A win would have meant another game at Shea as the Mets were scheduled to play the [[2008 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]] in a one-game playoff for the National League Wild Card berth. Following the game, there was a "Shea Goodbye" tribute in which many players from the Mets' glory years entered the stadium and touched home plate one final time so that fans could pay their last respects to the players and the stadium the Mets called home for 45 years. The ceremony ended with [[Tom Seaver]] throwing a final pitch to [[Mike Piazza]]; then, as the [[Beatles]]' "[[In My Life]]" played on the stadium speakers, the two former Met stars walked out of the centerfield gate and closed it behind them, followed by a display of blue and orange fireworks set to [[Fanfare for the Common Man]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bitter Repeat on Stadium's Final Day|first=Ben|last=Shpigel|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/sports/baseball/29mets.htm|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 28, 2008|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Immersed in Gloom, a Farewell to Shea Still Enchants|first=Joshua|last=Robinson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/sports/baseball/29ceremony.htm|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 28, 2008|access-date=August 15, 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Shea Stadium (51069133137).jpg|thumb|A panoramic view of Shea Stadium from the upper deck behind home plate before a baseball game in 2008. The construction of [[Citi Field]] is visible beyond the outfield wall.]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Shea Shea Shea.jpg|thumb|right|Fans staying well after the conclusion of the September 27, 2008 next-to-last game at Shea (and last Mets win there), taking pictures and one last look.]] -->

Three [[National League Division Series]] were played at Shea Stadium. The Mets won all three, and never lost a Division Series game at Shea.
* '''[[1999 National League Division Series|1999]]''' against the [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] – Mets won 3 games to 1
* '''[[2000 National League Division Series|2000]]''' against the [[San Francisco Giants]] – Mets won 3 games to 1
* '''[[2006 National League Division Series|2006]]''' against the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] – Mets won 3 games to 0

Seven [[National League Championship Series]] were played at Shea Stadium.
* '''[[1969 National League Championship Series|1969]]''' against the [[Atlanta Braves]] – Mets won 3 games to 0
* '''[[1973 National League Championship Series|1973]]''' against the [[Cincinnati Reds]] – Mets won 3 games to 2
* '''[[1986 National League Championship Series|1986]]''' against the [[Houston Astros]] – Mets won 4 games to 2
* '''[[1988 National League Championship Series|1988]]''' against the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] – Dodgers won 4 games to 3
* '''[[1999 National League Championship Series|1999]]''' against the [[Atlanta Braves]] – Braves won 4 games to 2
* '''[[2000 National League Championship Series|2000]]''' against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] – Mets won 4 games to 1
* '''[[2006 National League Championship Series|2006]]''' against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] – Cardinals won 4 games to 3{{ref|a}}

{{note|a}}The decisive seventh game of this series was played at Shea Stadium, marking the only time that the Mets lost the deciding game of a National League Championship Series at Shea.

Four [[World Series]] were played in Shea Stadium.
* '''{{wsy|1969}}''' against the [[1969 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] – Mets won 4 games to 1
* '''{{wsy|1973}}''' against the [[1973 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] – A's won 4 games to 3
* '''{{wsy|1986}}''' against the [[1986 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] – Mets won 4 games to 3
* '''{{wsy|2000}}''' against the [[2000 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] – Yankees won 4 games to 1

The Yankees' World Series win in 2000 was the only time that a visiting team won a World Series at Shea Stadium. The Mets won both their World Series titles at Shea Stadium (in Game 5 in 1969, and Game 7 in 1986).

[[File:Shea Crowded.jpg|thumb|left|Shea Stadium prior to the start of a New York Mets game in [[2008 New York Mets season|2008]]. Shea had the best attendance in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] that year, averaging over 51,000 fans per game.]]
The [[New York Yankees]] played their home games in Shea Stadium during the 1974 and 1975 seasons while [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] was being renovated. The move to Shea was helped by the city and the Mets, with the former helping in setting up office space in Flushing Meadows Park. [[Joe DiMaggio]] participated in his final [[Old Timers Day]] game in 1975 at Shea.<ref>{{cite news |last=Russell |first=David |date=August 20, 2014 |url=https://www.qgazette.com/articles/when-mets-yankees-called-shea-stadium-home/ |title=When Mets, Yankees Called Shea Stadium Home |work=Queens Gazette |access-date=February 10, 2024}}</ref>

On the afternoon of April 15, 1998, the Yankees also played one home game at Shea, against the [[Anaheim Angels]] after a beam collapsed at Yankee Stadium two days before, destroying several rows of seats.<ref>{{cite web|title=April 15, 1998 Anaheim Angels at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA199804150.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The New York Yankees Greatest Hits|first=Albert|last=Lin|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/features/1998/yankees/timeline/|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|year=1999|access-date=January 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224133322/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/features/1998/yankees/timeline/|archive-date=December 24, 2009}}</ref> With the Mets playing a game at Shea that evening against the [[Chicago Cubs]], the Yankees used the visitor's locker room and dugout and the Angels used the home dugout and old locker room of the New York Jets.<ref>{{cite news|title=One Stadium, Four Teams, No Problem|first=N. R.|last=Kleinfield|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/16/nyregion/one-stadium-four-teams-no-problem.html?pagewanted=print|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 16, 1998|access-date=January 18, 2010}}</ref> Former Mets star [[Darryl Strawberry]], by then playing for the Yankees, hit a home run during the game. Stadium operators partially raised the Mets' home run apple signal before lowering it back down, to the delight of the crowd. The Yankees won the game, 6–3.<ref>{{cite news|title=Strawberry Gets The Apple to Rise|first=Murray|last=Chass|author-link=Murray Chass|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/16/sports/baseball-strawberry-gets-the-apple-to-rise.html?pagewanted=print|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 16, 1998|access-date=January 18, 2010}}</ref>

Shea Stadium also hosted the first extra-inning regular season baseball opener played in New York, on March 31, 1998,<ref>{{cite news|title=Mets Take An Opener For the Ages|first=George|last=Vecsey|author-link=George Vecsey|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 1, 1998|page=C1}}</ref> when the Mets opened their season against their [[Mets–Phillies rivalry|rival]] [[Philadelphia Phillies]], playing the longest scoreless opening day game in the National League and the longest one in Major League Baseball since 1926.<ref>{{cite news|title=For Openers, Zilch Phils Fall in 14th Without a Run|first=Jim|last=Salisbury|newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=April 1, 1998|page=E1}}</ref><ref name=1998OpeningDay>{{cite news|title=A Midsummer Classic in March as Mets Nip Phillies|first=Jason|last=Diamos|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E5D71E3BF932A35757C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 1, 1998|page=C1}}</ref> The Mets won the game 1–0 in the bottom of the 14th inning.<ref name=1998OpeningDay/>

During the [[New York City blackout of 1977|1977 New York City blackout]] the stadium was plunged into darkness at approximately 9:30&nbsp;p.m. during a game between the Mets and the Chicago Cubs. It occurred during the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Mets trailing the Cubs 2–1 and [[Lenny Randle]] at bat. Jane Jarvis, Shea's organist (affectionately known as Shea's "Queen of Melody") played "[[Jingle Bells]]" and "[[White Christmas (song)|White Christmas]]".<ref name="Great Moments">{{cite web|title=Great Moments at Shea Stadium|first=Marty|last=Noble|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080319&content_id=2444907&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|date=September 22, 2008|access-date=July 26, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521054537/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080319&content_id=2444907&vkey=news_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym|archive-date=May 21, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> The game was eventually completed on September 16, with the Cubs defeating the Mets 5–2.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mets Finish Two-Month Loss to Cubs|first=Parton|last=Keese|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 17, 1977}}</ref>

===Boxing===
Shea Stadium held boxing matches in the mid-1960s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cassidy|first=Robert|url=http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3617054|title=Remembering Shea stadium|work=espn.com|date=August 9, 2008|access-date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>

===Football===
[[File:Shea Stadium concept, New York Titans ticket order form, 1962.jpg|thumb|A concept drawing of Shea Stadium in football configuration]]
The [[New York Jets]] of the [[American Football League]] and later, the [[National Football League]] played at Shea for 20 seasons, from [[1964 New York Jets season|1964]] through [[1983 New York Jets season|1983]] (excluding their first home game in [[1977 New York Jets season|1977]], played at [[Giants Stadium]]). The stadium hosted three Jets playoff games: the AFL Championship in [[1968 American Football League Championship Game|1968]] (defeating the [[1968 Oakland Raiders season|Oakland Raiders]], 27–23), an AFL Inter-Divisional Playoff in [[1969 American Football League playoffs|1969]] (a 13–6 loss to the [[1969 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]]) and the [[1981–82 NFL playoffs|1981]] AFC Wild Card Playoff game (lost 31–27 to the [[1981 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills]]).

For most of the Jets' tenure at Shea, they were burdened by onerous lease terms imposed at the insistence of the Mets. Until 1978, the Jets could not play their first home game until the Mets' season was finished. For instance, in [[1969 New York Jets season|1969]], the defending Super Bowl champion Jets did not play a home game until October 20 due to the Mets advancing to (and winning) the World Series.  As a result, the 1969 Jets opened with five consecutive road games, and then played all seven home games in consecutive weeks before closing with two road games. Even after [[1978 New York Jets season|1978]], the Mets' status as Shea's primary tenants would require the Jets to go on long road trips (switching Shea from baseball to football configuration was a complex process involving electrical, plumbing, field, and other similar work). The stadium was also not well maintained in the 1970s. The Jets moved to [[Giants Stadium]] for the [[1984 New York Jets season|1984 season]], enticed by the more than 15,000 additional seats there. Fans ripped apart Shea after the last game of the 1983 season, which also was the last game for [[Pro Football Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] quarterback [[Terry Bradshaw]], who threw two touchdown passes to lead the [[1983 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]] to a 34–7 victory.<ref name="nyt-1983-12-11">{{cite news|title=Unruly Fans Mar Shea Farewell As Jets Lose, 34–7|first=Gerald|last=Eskenazi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/11/sports/unruly-fans-mar-shea-farewell-as-jets-lose-34-7.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 11, 1983|access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref> Even the scoreboard operator had a field day, displaying the home team as the "N.J. Jets".<ref>{{cite news|title=Shea Housed The Jets For 20 Seasons|first=Brad|last=Groznik|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/glossy/0308shea/Pages/multi_use_stadium.htm|newspaper=Queens Tribune|access-date=January 9, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617103054/http://www.queenstribune.com/glossy/0308shea/pages/multi_use_stadium.htm|archive-date=June 17, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:1986 Jeno's Pizza - 29 - O.J. Simpson.jpg|thumb|left|O.J. Simpson pictured breaking the NFL's single-season rushing record at Shea Stadium]]
It was at Shea Stadium on December 16, 1973, that [[O. J. Simpson]] became the first running back to gain 2,000 yards in a single season<ref>{{cite news|title=Simpson Breaks Mark as Bills Rout Jets|first=Murray|last=Chass|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB081FFE3B59147A93C5A81789D95F478785F9|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 17, 1973|access-date=July 26, 2010}}</ref> (and, to date, the only player to do it in 14 games or fewer). In the 1983 season, a Jets game against the [[1983 Los Angeles Rams season|Los Angeles Rams]] featured an 85-yard touchdown run by rookie [[Eric Dickerson]], as well as a brawl between Rams offensive tackle [[Jackie Slater]] and Jets defensive end [[Mark Gastineau]] when Slater blindsided Gastineau after the Jet performed his infamous "Sack Dance" over fallen Rams quarterback [[Vince Ferragamo]].

The [[National Football League|NFL]]'s [[New York Giants]] played their [[1975 New York Giants season|1975 season]] at Shea while [[Giants Stadium]] was being built. The Giants were {{nowrap|5–9}} that year (2–5 at Shea). Their coach was [[Bill Arnsparger]] and their quarterback was [[Craig Morton]]. The Giants played their final five home games of [[1973 New York Giants season|1973]] and all seven in [[1974 New York Giants season|1974]] at the [[Yale Bowl]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]]; Yankee Stadium was closed in October<!-- 1,--> 1973 for a massive renovation, which was completed in time for the [[1976 New York Yankees season|1976]] baseball season.

On the night of October 9, 1965, Shea Stadium hosted the football [[Army–Notre Dame football rivalry|rivalry]] between [[1965 Army Cadets football team|Army]] and [[1965 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]] for the only time. The Fighting Irish blanked the Cadets, 17–0, beginning a 15-game winning streak for Notre Dame in the storied series.

In 1966, the [[Brooklyn Dodgers (Continental Football League)|Brooklyn Dodgers]] of the minor [[Continental Football League]] unsuccessfully sued the Jets in an attempt to use the stadium; the team wound up playing on [[Downing Stadium|Randall's Island]] and soon folded. In 1974, the [[Charlotte Hornets (WFL)|New York Stars]] of the nascent [[World Football League]] also made inquiries to play at Shea, whose schedule was already overcrowded by the Mets, Jets and Yankees (and the following year, the Giants; see below). The Stars also moved out to Randall's Island, playing only a handful of games before shifting to [[Charlotte, North Carolina]].

The football field at Shea extended from around home plate to centerfield, with the baseline seating rotating out to fill left and right fields.

===Soccer===
The first [[soccer]] game at Shea Stadium occurred during [[International Soccer League]] tournament play on June 17, 1965.<ref>{{cite news|title=Portuguesa Upsets West Ham In Soccer at Shea Stadium, 6–3|first=William J.|last=Briordy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/06/18/archives/portuguesa-upsets-west-ham-in-soccer-at-shea-stadium-63.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 18, 1965|access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref>

The original [[New York Cosmos (1970-85)|New York Cosmos]] beat the [[Washington Diplomats]], 2–0, in an [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|NASL]] playoff game at Shea on August 17, 1976.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kilpatrick |first=David |date=April 28, 2015 |url=http://www.nycosmos.com/news/2015/04/28/homes-away-from-home-looking-at-cosmos-and-brooklyn-soccer-history |title=Cosmos Homes Away From Home |website=New York Cosmos |access-date=December 10, 2022 |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404220423/https://www.nycosmos.com/news/2015/04/28/homes-away-from-home-looking-at-cosmos-and-brooklyn-soccer-history |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[New York United]] of the [[American Soccer League (1933–1983)|American Soccer League]] called Shea home in 1980.<ref>{{cite news|title=Soccer Team to Call Shea Stadium Home|first=Alex|last=Yannis|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/02/21/archives/soccer-team-to-call-shea-stadium-home.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 21, 1980|access-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Date !! Winning team !! Result !! Losing team !! Tournament !! Attendance
|-
| June 17, 1965 || '''{{flagdeco|BRA}} [[Associação Portuguesa de Desportos|Portuguesa]]''' || 6–3 || {{flagdeco|ENG}} [[West Ham United]] || International friendly || 5,130<ref>{{cite news |last=Briordy |first=William J. |date=June 18, 1965 |title=Portugesa Upsets West Ham In Soccer at Shea Stadium, 6–3 |page=39 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/06/18/archives/portuguesa-upsets-west-ham-in-soccer-at-shea-stadium-63.html |work=The New York Times |url-access=subscription |accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| August 17, 1976 || '''{{flagdeco|USA}} [[New York Cosmos (1971–1985)|New York Cosmos]]''' || 2–0 || {{flagdeco|USA}} [[Washington Diplomats]] || [[1976 North American Soccer League season#Playoffs|NASL playoffs]] || 22,698<ref>{{cite news |date=August 18, 1976 |title=Cosmos Win, 2–0, At Shea |page=61 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/08/18/archives/cosmos-win-20-at-shea-diplomats-beaten-20-by-cosmos.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
|}

===Concerts===
[[File:Aerial view Shea Stadium with Manhattan in background 1981.jpg|thumb|Shea Stadium and vicinity, with the [[Manhattan]] skyline in the distance, 1981]]
On Sunday, August 15, 1965, [[The Beatles]] opened their [[The Beatles' 1965 US tour|1965 North American tour]] [[The Beatles at Shea Stadium|there]] to a record audience of 55,600.<ref>{{cite book|last=Badman|first=Keith|title=The Beatles Off The Record|year=2000|publisher=Omnibus|location=London|isbn=0-7119-7985-5|page=193}}</ref>  "[[Beatlemania]]" was at one of its peaks at their Shea concert. Film footage shows many teenagers and women crying, screaming, and even fainting. The crowd noise was such that security guards can be seen covering their ears as the Beatles entered the field. The sound of the crowd was so deafening that none of the Beatles (or anyone else) could hear what they were playing. Nevertheless, it was the first concert to be held at a major stadium and set records for attendance and revenue generation, demonstrating that outdoor concerts on a large scale could be successful and profitable, and led the Beatles to return to Shea for a successful encore on August 23, 1966.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Fleming|first=Colin|date=August 14, 2015|title=Why Beatles' Shea Show Was Even Greater Than You Knew|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/why-the-beatles-shea-stadium-show-was-even-greater-than-you-knew-227621/|access-date=October 9, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref>

The next major music event to play Shea Stadium after the Beatles' successful appearances was the Summer [[Festival for Peace]] on August 6, 1970.<ref name="Great Moments"/> It was a day-long fundraiser, which featured many of the era's biggest-selling and seminal rock, folk, blues and jazz performers including: [[Janis Joplin]], [[Paul Simon]], [[Creedence Clearwater Revival]], [[Steppenwolf (band)|Steppenwolf]], The [[James Gang]], [[Miles Davis]], [[Tom Paxton]], [[John Sebastian]], and others.

The next music show at Shea Stadium was the historic concert by [[Grand Funk Railroad]] in 1971, which broke the Beatles' then-record for fastest ticket sales. [[Humble Pie (band)|Humble Pie]] was the opening band. The same filmmakers for the documentary of the Rolling Stones concert at Altamont were commissioned to film it, but to date, a final film has not been released.

The stadium subsequently hosted numerous concerts, including [[Jethro Tull (band)|Jethro Tull]] with opening act [[Robin Trower]] in July 1976 (billed as Tull v. Boeing because of the proximity to [[LaGuardia Airport]]), [[The Who]] with opening acts [[The Clash]] and [[David Johansen]] in October 1982 (two concerts), and [[Simon & Garfunkel]] in August 1983. On August 18, 1983, [[The Police]] played in front of 70,000 fans at Shea, a concert that the band's singer and bassist [[Sting (musician)|Sting]] described as "like playing the top of [[Mount Everest|Everest]]", and announced near the end of the concert: "We'd like to thank the Beatles for lending us their stadium."<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/sevenages/events/stadium-rock/police-play-shea-stadium/ "Police play Shea Stadium"]. BBC. Retrieved January 26, 2014</ref> [[The Rolling Stones]] performed at Shea for a six-night run in October 1989, and [[Elton John]] and [[Eric Clapton]] played a concert in August 1992. [[Bruce Springsteen]] and the [[E Street Band]] ended [[The Rising Tour]] with three concerts at Shea in early October 2003, with [[Bob Dylan]] making a special guest appearance at the final show to perform "Highway 61 Revisited" with Springsteen.<ref name="Great Moments"/>

The last concert event was a two-night engagement by [[Billy Joel]] on July 16 and 18, 2008. The concert was dubbed ''[[The Last Play at Shea]]'', and featured many special guest appearances, including former Beatle [[Paul McCartney]] who closed the second show with an emotional rendition of [[the Beatles]] classic "[[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]]". Other artists that joined Joel on stage for the shows were former Shea performer [[Roger Daltrey]] of [[The Who]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Don Henley]], [[John Mayer]], [[John Mellencamp]], [[Garth Brooks]], and [[Steven Tyler]] of [[Aerosmith]]. The concert was the subject of a [[Last Play at Shea|documentary film of the same name]], which is used along with Shea's history to tell the story of changes in American suburban life.<ref>{{cite news|title='Last Play at Shea' Documentary Tells Stadium's Story|first=Glenn|last=Gamboa|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/last-play-at-shea-documentary-tells-stadium-s-story-1.1872400?p=|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=April 20, 2010|access-date=July 26, 2010|archive-date=August 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804170925/https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/last-play-at-shea-documentary-tells-stadium-s-story-1.1872400?p=|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Pete Flynn was a Shea groundskeeper who did the improbable by driving the Beatles from the stage to a centerfield gate in 1965, then driving Paul McCartney from the stadium's rear entrance to the stage to perform at [[Billy Joel]]'s "Last Play at Shea" concert 43 years later in 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/sports/baseball/obituary-pete-flynn-dead-mets-groundskeeper.amp.html|title=Pete Flynn, Mets groundskeeper for almost 50 years, dies at 79|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 23, 2017|last1=Slotnik|first1=Daniel E.}}</ref>

===Other events===
The 1978 International Convention of [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] was held at Shea Stadium from July 12 to 16, 1978.<ref name="Great Moments"/>
During his tour of America in October 1979, [[Pope John Paul II]] was also among those hosted by Shea Stadium.<ref>{{Cite news|title=At Shea, A Moving Goodbye|first=Anna|last=Quindlen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/04/archives/at-shea-a-moving-goodbye-special-problems-of-a-city.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 4, 1979|access-date=October 23, 2009}}</ref> On the morning of the Pontiff's visit, Shea Stadium was awash in torrential rain, causing ankle-deep mud puddles, and threatened to ruin the event. But as the [[Popemobile]] entered the stadium, the rain stopped although the deep mud remained.

On December 9, 1979, as part of the halftime show of a [[National Football League]] game between the [[New York Jets]] and [[New England Patriots]], a model airplane group put on a remote control airplane display. The grand finale was a remote control airplane, weighing 40&nbsp;lbs, made to look like a red flying lawnmower. The pilot lost control of the airplane, and it crashed into the stands, hitting Kevin Rourke, of [[Lynn, Massachusetts]] and John Bowen of [[Nashua, New Hampshire]]. Both suffered serious head injuries; Rourke survived but Bowen died four days later.<ref>{{cite web|title=A spectator at a football game was killed by a flying model lawnmower|url=http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/lawnmower.asp|website=[[Snopes.com]]|date=October 31, 2007 |access-date=November 7, 2007}}</ref>

Between 1972 and 1980, Shea also hosted a [[Showdown at Shea]] event three separate times, by the then [[World Wrestling Federation]]. In 1980, it hosted a [[simulcast]] of the first fight between Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, won by Duran.

From 1970 to 1987, the [[Cape Cod Baseball League]] (CCBL) played its annual all-star game at various major league stadiums. The games were interleague contests between the CCBL and the [[Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League]] (ACBL). The 1982 and 1986 games were played at Shea. The 1986 contest starred game MVP and future [[Cincinnati Reds]] all-star pitcher [[Jack Armstrong (baseball)|Jack Armstrong]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://capecodbaseball.org/news/asgnews/index.html?article_id=298 |title=Cape League All-Star Game |publisher=capecodbaseball.org |access-date=August 16, 2019}}</ref>

In the aftermath of the [[September 11 attacks]], the stadium became a staging area for rescuers, its parking lots filled with food, water, medical supplies, even makeshift shelters where relief workers could sleep. Ten days later Shea reopened for the first post-attack sporting event in New York where the Mets beat the [[Atlanta Braves|Braves]], behind a dramatic home run by Mets catcher [[Mike Piazza]].<ref name="sports.espn.go.com"/>

===In popular culture===
In the television serial drama ''[[Mad Men]]'', the main character, [[Don Draper]], has his secretary buy a pair of tickets for the Beatles' concert at Shea Stadium in 1965.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hinckley |first=David |date= April 27, 2015 | url = http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/real-history-shaped-mad-men-top-10-article-1.2200572| title = 10 moments in history that helped shape 'Mad Men,' from the war to assassinations| website = [[New York Daily News]] |access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref>

[[The Rutles]] film ''[[All You Need is Cash]]'' refers to the ballpark as Che Stadium, "named after the Cuban guerilla leader, [[Che Guevara|Che Stadium]]."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/observer/omm/the10/story/0,11109,1132388,00.html |last=Kermode |first=Mark |title=The 10 rock comedies |work=The Guardian |location=London, UK |date=February 1, 2004 |access-date=May 4, 2020}}</ref>

In the [[Batman (TV series)|1966-1968 live action Batman TV series]], Shea Stadium was parodied as Spayed Stadium in the episode "Catwoman Goes to College".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://transcripts.foreverdreaming.org/viewtopic.php?t=78479| title=02x49 - Catwoman Goes to College - Transcripts - Forever Dreaming|access-date=December 10, 2022}}</ref>

In 1987, [[Marvel Comics]] rented Shea Stadium to [[Spider-Man's wedding (live performance)|re-enact the wedding]] of [[Spider-Man|Peter Parker/Spider-Man]] and [[Mary Jane Watson]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Gross|first=Michael|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/02/style/spider-man-to-wed-model.html|title=Spider-Man to Wed Model|date=June 2, 1987|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

In the 2007 documentary series ''[[Seven Ages of Rock]]'', Shea Stadium was named the most hallowed venue in all of [[rock music]].

In ''[[Godzilla: The Series]]'', the stadium was destroyed in a fight between [[Godzilla]] and the electromagnetic dream monster Crackler.

Shea Stadium was used for filming the 1973 movie ''[[Bang the Drum Slowly (film)|Bang The Drum Slowly]]'' starring Robert De Niro and Michael Moriarty and the 1978 film ''[[The Wiz (film)|The Wiz]]''. In the latter film, the exterior pedestrian ramps were used for a motorcycle chase scene with [[Michael Jackson]] and [[Diana Ross]].

A scene in the 2002 movie ''[[Two Weeks Notice]]'' takes place at Shea.

In ''[[Men in Black (1997 film)|Men in Black]]'', a Mets game at Shea was featured in the film, with outfielder [[Bernard Gilkey]] dropping a fly ball after being distracted by an alien spacecraft in the sky. Shea was also featured in ''[[Men in Black 3]]'' which is where K and J intercept Griffin and the ArcNet in 1969 before Boris the Animal can capture it.

Shea Stadium was also the setting for two episodes of ''[[The King of Queens]]'': "Doug Out" (1999) and "Catching Hell" (2005).

The exterior part of the Stadium is featured in the 2006 videogame ''[[Driver: Parallel Lines]]''.

===1975: Four teams, one year and one stadium===
The Mets, Yankees, Jets and Giants all called Shea home in 1975, the only time in professional sports history that two baseball teams and two football teams shared the same facility in the same year.<ref name="History of Shea">{{cite web|title=History of Shea Stadium|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/nym/ballpark/history.jsp|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|access-date=August 18, 2010}}</ref>

As Yankee Stadium was being renovated and Giants Stadium was nearing completion, there were scheduling clashes between the four teams once the calendar turned to September. Neither the Jets nor the Giants could play "home" games at Shea Stadium until the baseball season ended for the Mets and Yankees. The matter was simplified when neither baseball team qualified for the postseason; still, there was a two-week overlap as the NFL season started on Sunday, September 21 while the MLB campaign ended on Sunday, September 28. This meant the Jets opened at home on Sunday, October 5, the third week of the season, and the Giants on Sunday, October 12, the season's fourth week. It also meant that the Giants and Jets had to play a combined 14 home games in the final 12 weeks of the 14-week NFL season. To do so, the Giants played two Saturday afternoon home games, neither of which were televised, and both of which were played the day before a Sunday Jets home game. New York football fans thus enjoyed either the Jets or the Giants hosting a Sunday home game every weekend from October 5 through December 21.<ref>Topel, Brett (2016) ''When Shea Was Home:  The Story of the 1975 Mets, Yankees, Giants, and Jets.'' New York: Sports Publishing [http://sportspubbooks.com/titles/843-9781613218709-when-shea-was-home]</ref> Shea wound up hosting all four teams on consecutive Sundays: Mets (September 21), Yankees (September 28), Jets (October 5) and Giants (October 12).

In total, the "Big Four" drew 3,738,546 customers to Shea: 1,730,566 by the Mets (76 home dates); 1,288,048 by the Yankees (71 home dates); 361,102 by the Jets (seven home games) and 358,830 by the Giants (also seven). Having both the Giants and Jets share Shea Stadium for one season foreshadowed what was to come in the future with the [[Meadowlands Sports Complex|Meadowlands]], after the Jets left Flushing Meadows for New Jersey following the 1983 NFL season. <!--Here's a table depicting the sports calendar at Shea Stadium in 1975:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Date
! Home team
! Visitor
! Outcome
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 8 || Mets || Phillies || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504080NYN W, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 10 || Mets || Phillies || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504100NYN L, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 11 || Yankees || Tigers || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504110NYA L, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 12 || Yankees || Tigers || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504120NYA L, 7–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 13 || Yankees || Tigers || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504131NYA W, 6–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 13 || Yankees || Tigers || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504132NYA L, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 15 || Yankees || Red Sox || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504150NYA L, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 16 || Yankees || Red Sox || [http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197504160NYA L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 19 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197504190.shtml L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 20 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197504201.shtml W, 8–6]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 20 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197504202.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 22 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197504220.shtml W, 9–5]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| April 23 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197504230.shtml W, 7–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 26 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504260.shtml W, 10–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 27 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504271.shtml L, 7–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 27 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504272.shtml W, 10–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 28 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504280.shtml W, 6–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 29 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504290.shtml L, 3–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| April 30 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197504300.shtml W, 6–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 1 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505010.shtml W, 5–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 2 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505020.shtml W, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 3 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505030.shtml L, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 6 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505060.shtml L, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 7 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505070.shtml L, 6–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 8 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505080.shtml L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 9 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505090.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 10 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505100.shtml L, 7–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 11 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505110.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 12 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505120.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 14 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505140.shtml W, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 15 || Yankees 9 || Mets 4 || Mayor's Trophy Game
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 16 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505160.shtml L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 17 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505170.shtml L, 6–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 18 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505180.shtml W, 9-]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 19 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505190.shtml W, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 20 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505200.shtml W, 6–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 21 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505210.shtml L, 4–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 23 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505230.shtml W, 11–7]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 24 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505240.shtml W, 9–5]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| May 25 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197505250.shtml W, 5–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 26 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505260.shtml W, 6–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 27 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505270.shtml L, 10–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 28 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505280.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 30 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505300.shtml L, 6–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| May 31 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197505310.shtml W, 7–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 1 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506010.shtml L, 4–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 2 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506020.shtml W, 2–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 3 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506030.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 4 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506040.shtml W, 1–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 5 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506050.shtml W, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 6 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506060.shtml L, 4–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 7 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506070.shtml L, 7–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 8 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506080.shtml W, 7–6]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 9 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506090.shtml L, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 10 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506100.shtml W, 6–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 11 || Yankees || Twins || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506110.shtml W, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 13 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506130.shtml W, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 14 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506140.shtml L, 7–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 15 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506150.shtml W, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 16 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506160.shtml W, 10–7]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 17 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506171.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 17 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506172.shtml W, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| June 18 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197506180.shtml L, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 20 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506200.shtml L, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 21 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506210.shtml L, 7–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 22 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506220.shtml L, 2–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 23 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506231.shtml L, 1–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 23 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506232.shtml L, 4–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 24 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506240.shtml W, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 25 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506250.shtml W, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 27 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506270.shtml W, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 28 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506280.shtml W, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 29 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506291.shtml L, 9–6]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 29 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506292.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| June 30 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197506300.shtml W, 5–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 1 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507010.shtml L, 5–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 2 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507020.shtml W, 7–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 3 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507030.shtml W, 4–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 4 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507040.shtml L, 5–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 5 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507050.shtml L, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 6 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507060.shtml W, 6–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 7 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507070.shtml W, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 8 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507080.shtml W, 4–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 9 || Yankees || Rangers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507090.shtml L, 4–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 10 || Yankees || Twins || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507100.shtml L, 6–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 11 || Yankees || Twins || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507111.shtml L, 11–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 11 || Yankees || Twins || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507112.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 12 || Yankees || Twins || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507120.shtml W, 8–7]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 17 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507170.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 18 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507180.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 19 || Mets || Braves || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507190.shtml W, 5–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 20 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507200.shtml W, 10–9]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 21 || Mets || Astros || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507210.shtml L, 6–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 22 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507220.shtml W, 3–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 23 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507230.shtml W, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| July 24 || Mets || Reds || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197507240.shtml L, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 25 || Yankees || Red Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507250.shtml W, 8–6]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 26 || Yankees || Red Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507260.shtml L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 27 || Yankees || Red Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507271.shtml L, 1–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 27 || Yankees || Red Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507272.shtml L, 6–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 28 || Yankees || Tigers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507280.shtml L, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 29 || Yankees || Tigers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507290.shtml W, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| July 30 || Yankees || Tigers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197507300.shtml W, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 1 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508010.shtml W, 5–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 2 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508020.shtml W, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 3 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508031.shtml W, 12–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 3 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508032.shtml L, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 4 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508040.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 5 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508051.shtml L, 7–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 5 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508052.shtml L, 7–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 6 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508060.shtml W, 9–6]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 7 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508070.shtml W, 7–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 8 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508080.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 9 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508090.shtml L, 2–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 10 || Mets || Dodgers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508100.shtml L, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 11 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508110.shtml W, 8–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 12 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508120.shtml W, 9–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 13 || Mets || Padres || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508130.shtml L, 8–5]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 15 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508151.shtml L, 6–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 15 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508152.shtml W, 9–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 16 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508160.shtml W, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| August 17 || Mets || Giants || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197508170.shtml W, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 19 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508190.shtml L, 7–6]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 20 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508200.shtml L, 5–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 21 || Yankees || White Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508210.shtml L, 2–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 22 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508220.shtml W, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 23 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508230.shtml W, 12–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 24 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508241.shtml L, 9–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 24 || Yankees || Angels || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508242.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 26 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508260.shtml W, 7–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 27 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508270.shtml L, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 28 || Yankees || A's || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508280.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 29 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508290.shtml W, 6–5]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 30 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508300.shtml L, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| August 31 || Yankees || Royals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197508310.shtml L, 7–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 1 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509010.shtml W, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 2 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509020.shtml L, 8–4]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 3 || Mets || Pirates || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509030.shtml L, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 5 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509050.shtml W, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 6 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509060.shtml L, 6–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 7 || Mets || Cardinals || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509070.shtml L, 12–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 8 || Yankees || Tigers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509080.shtml W, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 9 || Yankees || Tigers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509090.shtml W, 9–6]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 10 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509100.shtml W, 8–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 11 || Yankees || Brewers || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509110.shtml W, 10–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 13 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509131.shtml L, 7–1]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 13 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509132.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 14 || Yankees || Indians || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509140.shtml W, 6–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 15 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509150.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 16 || Mets || Expos || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509160.shtml W, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 17 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509170.shtml L, 5–2]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 18 || Mets || Cubs || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509180.shtml W, 7–5]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 19 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509190.shtml L, 4–3]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 20 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509200.shtml W, 9–7]
|-bgcolor="#DF7401"
| September 21 || Mets || Phillies || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN197509210.shtml L, 4–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 22 || Yankees || Red Sox || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509220.shtml L, 6–4]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 27 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509271.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 27 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509272.shtml W, 7–3]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 28 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509281.shtml L, 3–0]
|-bgcolor="#BDBDBD"
| September 28 || Yankees || Orioles || [https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197509282.shtml W, 3–2]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| October 5 || Jets || Patriots || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197510050nyj.htm W, 36–7]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| October 12 || Giants || Cowboys || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197510120nyg.htm L, 13–7]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| October 19 || Jets || Dolphins || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197510190nyj.htm L, 43–0]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| October 25 || Giants || Cardinals || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197510250nyg.htm L, 20–13]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| October 26 || Jets || Colts || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197510260nyj.htm L, 45–28]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| November 1 || Giants || Chargers || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511010nyg.htm W, 35–24]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| November 2 || Jets || Bills || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511020nyj.htm L, 24–23]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| November 9 || Giants || Redskins || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511090nyg.htm L, 21–13]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| November 16 || Giants || Eagles || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511160nyg.htm L, 13–10]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| November 23 || Jets || Cardinals || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511230nyj.htm L, 37–6]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| November 30 || Jets || Steelers || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197511300nyj.htm L, 20–7]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| December 7 || Giants || Colts || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197512070nyg.htm L, 21–0]
|-bgcolor="#FA5858"
| December 14 || Giants || Saints || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197512140nyg.htm W, 28–14]
|-bgcolor="#01DF01"
| December 21 || Jets || Cowboys || [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197512210nyj.htm L, 31–21]
|} -->

==Features==
===Design===
Shea was a circular stadium, with the grandstand forming about two-thirds of a circle around the field and ending a short distance beyond the foul lines. The remainder of the perimeter was mostly empty space beyond the outfield fences. This space was occupied by the [[bullpen]]s, [[scoreboard]]s, and a section of bleachers beyond the left field fence. The stadium boasted 54 restrooms, 21 escalators, seats for 57,343 fans (although as seating configuration changed constantly over the life of the stadium, that number varied often, dropping to 55,601 by the 1986 World Series, and then increased again over following years to between approximately 56,000 and 57,000, until its closing), and a massive 86' x 175' scoreboard. Also, rather than the standard light towers, Shea featured lamps along its upper reaches. Some deemed Shea a showplace, praised for its convenience, even its "elegance".<ref name="sports.espn.go.com">{{cite web|title=One Last Trip Home|first=J. R.|last=Moehringer|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=moehringer/080929|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=September 29, 2008|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref> The stadium's scoreboard in right field, one of the largest in MLB when it opened, weighed over 60 tons. One of its distinctive features was a giant rearview slide projector screen on the top center of the scoreboard; it was intended to display a picture of the current player at bat (a groundbreaking innovation at the time); however, due to lighting issues (it only worked at night when the light was really low; during day games, the picture would not show up at all), it was not used very often and was eventually covered with a giant Mets logo (or a Jets logo when they played).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.allamericanscoreboards.com/pages/about/news/archives/1965-shae_stadium.php |title=The Beatles at Shea Stadium |website=All American Scoreboards |access-date=December 19, 2017 |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051437/http://www.allamericanscoreboards.com/pages/about/news/archives/1965-shae_stadium.php |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thisgreatgame.com/ballparks-shea-stadium.html|title=The Ballparks: Shea Stadium|website=This Great Game|date=July 28, 2020|access-date=December 19, 2017|archive-date=January 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180104204503/http://www.thisgreatgame.com/ballparks-shea-stadium.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The stadium was located close to [[LaGuardia Airport]]. For many years, interruptions for planes flying overhead were common at Shea; the noise was so loud that radio and television broadcasts could not be heard.  Players would usually ask for time during noisy flight approaches and takeoffs.

[[File:Ball Games (60).jpg|thumb|One of the [[neon]] players on the outside of Shea Stadium]]
Shea was originally designed with two motor-operated stands that allow the field level seats to rotate on underground tracks, allowing the stadium to be converted between a baseball and an [[American football]]/[[soccer]] configuration. In 1981, a new Mitsubishi DiamondVision screen was installed in left field.<!--Not in citation: ; the messageboard on the main scoreboard subsequently became covered with a [[Budweiser]] advertisement for the rest of the stadium's life.<ref name="History of Shea"/> --> After the [[New York Jets]] football team moved to [[Giants Stadium]] in [[East Rutherford, New Jersey]] in [[1984 NFL season|1984]], the Mets took over operation of the stadium and retrofitted it for exclusive baseball use. As part of the refitting, Shea Stadium's exterior was painted blue and [[neon sign]]s of baseball player silhouettes were added to the windscreens prior to the [[1988 MLB season|1988 season]]. Around the same time, the original scoreboard was removed, and a new one installed in its place (fitting into the shell left behind by the old one) allowing for a much greater space for information and entertainment after the original message board above the main scoreboard was covered up by the Budweiser advertisement in 1982. Also, after years of injuries to players crashing into the wooden outfield wall, most notably to 1973 star player Rusty Staub, where one injury caused a dislocated shoulder and forced him to miss or play severely injured during that Championship Season, the original wall finally had padding added to it, as most in baseball already did, greatly reducing injuries to outfielders.<ref name="History of Shea"/>

[[File:Shea Stadium exterior 1964.jpg|thumb|left|Shea's exterior, pictured here in 1964, was decorated with blue and orange panels from 1964 until their removal in 1980.]]
Banks of ramps that provided access from the ground to the upper levels were built around the outside circumference of the stadium. The ramps were not walled in and were visible from outside the stadium. The ramps were originally partly covered with many rectangular panels in blue and orange, the Mets' colors. These panels can be seen in the 1970s movie ''[[The Wiz (film)|The Wiz]]'', which used the exterior pedestrian ramps for a motorcycle chase scene with [[Michael Jackson]] and [[Diana Ross]]. The 1960s-style decorations were removed in 1980.<ref name="History of Shea"/> The banks of ramps resulted in the outer wall of the stadium jutting out where the banks existed.

The design also allowed for Shea Stadium to be expandable to 90,000 seats, simply by completely enclosing the grandstand. It was also designed to be later enclosed by a dome if warranted. In March 1965, a plan was formally announced to add a glass dome and add 15,000 seats.<ref name="Storied">{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Curt|author-link=Curt Smith (author)|title=Storied Stadiums|url=https://archive.org/details/storiedstadiumsb00curt|url-access=registration|year=2001|publisher=Carroll & Graf|location=New York City|isbn=0-7867-1187-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dome Is Proposed for Shea Stadium|first=Charles G.|last=Bennett|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0716F9355415738DDDA10994DB405B858AF1D3|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 18, 1965|access-date=August 20, 2008}}</ref> The Mets strongly objected to the proposal.<ref>{{cite news|title=Glass Dome for Shea Stadium? Mets Object; Project Would Cost $9 Million and Add 14,000 Seats|first=Paul L.|last=Montgomery|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/10/24/archives/glass-dome-for-shea-stadium-mets-object-project-would-cost-9.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 12, 1965|access-date=August 20, 2008}}</ref> The idea was later dropped after engineering studies concluded that the stadium's foundation would be unable to support the weight of the dome.<ref name="Storied"/>

The distances to the right and left field foul poles were initially both {{convert|341|ft|m}}. There was a horizontal orange line that determined where a batted ball was a home run or still in play. In [[1978 MLB season|1978]], Manager [[Joe Torre]] suggested moving in the fences to {{convert|338|ft|m}} in the corners with a wall in front of the original brick wall, to decrease the number of disputed calls.<ref>{{cite web|title=Be It Ever So Humble, There's No Place Like Shea|first=Paul|last=Lukas|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/080926|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=September 26, 2008|access-date=January 2, 2010}}</ref>

Originally, all of the seats were wooden, with each level having a different color. The field boxes were yellow, the loge level seats were brown, the mezzanine seats were blue, and the upper deck seats were green. Each level above the field level was divided into box seats below the entrance/exit portals and reserved seats above the portals. The box seats were a darker shade than the reserved seats. The game ticket was the same color as the seat that it represented, and the signs in the lobby for that section were the same color as the seat and the ticket. Before the [[1980 MLB season|1980]] baseball season, they were replaced with red (upper deck), green (mezzanine), blue (loge), and orange (field level) plastic seats.

[[File:Sheastadiumfromtheair.jpg|thumb|left|Shea Stadium in 2005]]
Unlike Yankee Stadium, Shea was built on an open field, so there was no need to have it conform to the surrounding streets.

Before Shea Stadium closed in 2008, it was the only stadium in the major leagues with orange foul poles. This tradition is carried on at [[Citi Field]] as the foul poles there are the same color.

In [[2003 MLB season|2003]], large murals celebrating the Mets' two world championships were added, covering the two ends of the grandstand. The 1986 mural was removed after the 2006 season because of deterioration (the wall was re-painted solid blue, and a window was opened on the mezzanine level where fans could view the progress of Citi Field), but the 1969 mural survived until the final game at the end of {{baseball year|2008}}.

[[File:Shake shack citi.JPG|thumb|The skyline from Shea's scoreboard, now on top of the [[Shake Shack]] in Citi Field]]

With its refurbishment in 1988, the scoreboard was topped by a representation of the [[New York Skyline]], a prominent part of the team logo. After the [[September 11 terrorist attacks|September 11 terrorist attack]], the Twin Towers of the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] were kept unlit, with a red-white-and-blue ribbon placed over them. The scoreboard was demolished in October 2008, but the skyline was preserved and is now located on the [[Shake Shack]] in Citi Field's "Taste Of The City" food court behind the giant scoreboard in center field.<ref>{{cite news|title=For Mets Fans, a Menu Beyond Peanuts and Cracker Jack|first=Glenn|last=Collins|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/nyregion/25metsfood.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 24, 2009|access-date=August 26, 2009}}</ref>

During the [[2007 MLB season|2007]] and [[2008 MLB season|2008 season]]s, the construction of Citi Field was visible beyond the left and center field walls of Shea.

From 1973 to 1979, fans could estimate the distance of home run balls, since there were several signs beyond the outfield wall giving the distance in feet from home plate, in addition to the nine markers within the field.<ref name="History of Shea"/>

===Home Run Apple===
{{further|Home Run Apple}}
[[File:Mets home run apple.jpg|thumb|Shea's home run apple]]
The Home Run Apple came out of a magic hat after every Mets home run at Shea Stadium. It was first installed in May 1980 as a symbol of the Mets' advertising slogan "The Magic Is Back!" (the hat originally said "Mets Magic" in script but was changed in the mid-1980s to a simple "Home Run" in block capital letters).<ref>{{cite news|title=Mets' Home Run Apple Loved to Core|first=Anthony|last=McCarron|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2008/04/20/2008-04-20_mets_home_run_apple_loved_to_core.html|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)]]|date=April 21, 2008|access-date=January 24, 2010}}</ref> A bigger apple was placed in center field at Citi Field. The original apple was installed inside Citi Field's bullpen gate and was visible from outside, on 126th Street. In 2010, the original Shea apple was relocated outside the Citi Field, in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda.<ref>{{cite news|title=Home Run Apple A Core Value for Mets Fans|first=Laura|last=Albanese|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/home-run-apple-a-core-value-for-mets-fans-1.1833338|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514053711/http://www.newsday.com/sports/home-run-apple-a-core-value-for-mets-fans-1.1833338|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 14, 2011|newspaper=[[Newsday]]|date=March 26, 2010|access-date=March 27, 2010}}</ref>

===Seating capacity===
{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Baseball
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball primary style|New York Mets}};"| Years
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball primary style|New York Mets}};"| Capacity
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|1964–1984
| 55,300<ref name=open>{{cite news|title=Shea Stadium Opens With Big Traffic Jam|first=Leonard|last=Koppett|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C10F7385415738DDDA10994DC405B848AF1D3|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 18, 1964|access-date=August 19, 2013|page=1}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|1985–1993
| 55,601<ref>{{cite news|title=Sports of the Times; An Empty Patch in Right Field|first=Ira|last=Berkow|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/13/sports/sports-of-the-times-an-empty-patch-in-right-field.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 13, 1990|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|1994–2001
| 55,777<ref>{{cite news|title=New York Awaits Robinson Tribute: President Will Lead Mid-Game Celebration|first=Kevin|last=Acee|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NEW+YORK+AWAITS+ROBINSON+TRIBUTE+%3A+PRESIDENT+WILL+LEAD+MIDGAME...-a083863905|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|date=April 14, 1997|access-date=August 19, 2013|archive-date=April 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140420185817/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/NEW+YORK+AWAITS+ROBINSON+TRIBUTE+%3A+PRESIDENT+WILL+LEAD+MIDGAME...-a083863905|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|2002–2003
| 56,749<ref>{{cite book|title=Official Major League Fact Book 2003 Edition|edition=1|volume=1|year=2003|publisher=Sporting News|location=New York|isbn=0-89204-701-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/officialmajorlea00spor/page/60 60]|url=https://archive.org/details/officialmajorlea00spor/page/60}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|2004
| 57,405<ref>{{cite book|title=The Scouting Notebook 2005|first1=Thom|last1=Henninger|first2=Tony|last2=Nistler|first3=Don|last3=Zminda|edition=1|volume=1|date=January 10, 2005|publisher=Sporting News|location=New York|isbn=0-89204-768-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/scoutingnotebook0000bail/page/532 532]|url=https://archive.org/details/scoutingnotebook0000bail/page/532}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|2005
| 57,369<ref>{{cite book|title=The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia|first1=Pete|last1=Palmer|first2=Gary|last2=Gillette|first3=Stuart|last3=Shea|first4=Matthew|last4=Silverman|first5=Greg|last5=Spira|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eUe37F9gN00C&q=en&pg=PT1752|access-date=August 19, 2013|year=2006|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=1-4027-3625-8|page=1729}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="{{Baseball secondary style|New York Mets}};"|2006–2008
| 57,333<ref>{{cite web|title=Big, Bigger, Biggest of the Big Leagues|first=Mark|last=Newman|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060330&content_id=1375806&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb|publisher=[[Major League Baseball Advanced Media]]|date=March 30, 2006|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Football
|-
! scope="row" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets}};"| Years
! scope="row" style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|New York Jets}};"| Capacity
|-
! scope="row" style="{{NFLAltPrimaryStyle|New York Jets}};"|1964–1983
| 60,372<ref>{{cite news|title=Jets Get City Offer On Shea|first=Maurice|last=Carroll|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/21/sports/jets-get-city-offer-on-shea.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 21, 1983|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
|}
{{col-break}}{{col-end}}

==Homages==
{{Flushing Meadows-Corona Park map|highlight=15}}Four players in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] named their children after Shea Stadium.<ref name="SheaHomages">{{cite web|title=Jones Has 17 Home Runs at Shea Stadium|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1871546&type=story|publisher=[[ESPN]]|date=August 31, 2004|access-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref>
* Former [[Atlanta Braves]] third baseman [[Chipper Jones]] named his second son Shea after Jones' success in Shea Stadium against the Mets; he hit 19 home runs there, more than any other road park.<ref name=SheaHomages/>
* Former [[Cincinnati Reds]] shortstop [[Barry Larkin]] named his eldest daughter Brielle D'Shea, as he enjoyed playing at Shea Stadium.<ref name=SheaHomages/>
* Former [[Houston Astros]] third baseman [[Gary Cooper (third baseman)|Gary Cooper]] named his youngest daughter Shea. He also named his son Camden after [[Camden Yards]] in Baltimore.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=Shea Stadium (New York) – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/shea-stadium-new-york/ |access-date=December 13, 2023 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Former [[New York Mets]] third baseman [[David Wright]] named his first daughter Olivia Shea. Wright spent his entire baseball career playing for the Mets.

[[John Matlock]], who played [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] for the Jets at the stadium, named his daughter Shea.<ref>{{cite news |title=Guard Commits to UConn Women's Team |url=https://www.courant.com/1992/11/05/guard-commits-to-uconn-womens-team/ |access-date=November 21, 2023 |work=[[Hartford Courant]] |date=November 5, 1992}}</ref> Major League pitcher [[Shea Spitzbarth]] was named after the stadium.<ref>{{cite news |last1=DiPaola |first1=Jerry |title=Pirates' Shea Spitzbarth thought of being a fireman; now he puts out MLB fires |url=https://triblive.com/sports/shea-spitzbarth-contemplated-becoming-a-fireman-but-his-job-now-is-putting-out-fires-for-pirates/ |access-date=November 21, 2023 |work=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]] |date=August 3, 2021}}</ref> Actor [[Kevin James]], a devoted Mets fan, named his youngest daughter Shea Joelle.<ref>{{cite web |last=Best |first=Neil |date=January 9, 2009 |url=http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/01/i_went_to_the_big.html |title=Kevin James named his daughter Shea, as in stadium |website=Newsday |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605004613/http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/watchdog/blog/2009/01/i_went_to_the_big.html |archive-date=June 5, 2009}}</ref> Major League catcher [[Shea Langeliers]] was named after the stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Langeliers turns Citi Field into Shea's stadium with huge series |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/a-s-win-series-vs-mets-in-long-finale-battle |access-date=2026-03-04 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Shea Stadium}}
* [http://ballparkdigest.com/200904061708/major-league-baseball/visits/shea-stadium-new-york-mets Ballpark Digest Visit to Shea Stadium]
* [http://www.pbase.com/mjscanlon/image/60934035 Shea Stadium Opening Day 2006 Photo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100610225701/http://www.adventuresofagoodman.com/sheastadium-newyorkmets-ballpark-photos.html A Photographic Documentary of the Final Summer of Shea]
<!-- * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071119041713/http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-pp-sheastadium,0,2295371.flash Virtual Tours] of Shea Stadium, by Newsday.com -- link broken-->
* [https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/080926 ESPN: "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like Shea"]
* Corey Kilgannon (September 30, 2008), [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/nyregion/30shea.html "In Mudville, Queens, Shea Scavengers Hunt Soggy Discarded Relics"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', page B3, retrieved on October 3, 2008
* James Barron (October 11, 2008), [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/11/nyregion/11ashes.html "With Stadiums Going, Going, Ashes May Be Gone"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', Page A17, retrieved on October 12, 2008 ''[Relatives grieve over ashes smuggled into and left under or over Shea and Yankee stadiums.]''
* [http://www.scottssportsland.com/ess15.htm Pics from the 3B Side, 2008 Season] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208154424/http://www.scottssportsland.com/ess15.htm |date=December 8, 2011 }}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Polo Grounds]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Home of the<br />[[New York Mets]]|years = 1964–2008}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Citi Field]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Polo Grounds]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Home of the<br />[[New York Jets]]|years = 1964–1983}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Giants Stadium]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Home of the<br />[[New York Yankees]]|years = 1974–1975}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Yale Bowl]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Home of the<br />[[New York Giants]]|years = 1975}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Giants Stadium]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Cleveland Stadium|Municipal Stadium]]}}
{{s-ttl|title = Host of the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]]|years = 1964}}
{{s-aft|after = [[Metropolitan Stadium]]}}
{{s-end}}

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