Ultimate Baseball
Road Trip Blog

I never had the opportunity to take any baseball stadium tours at Shea Stadium. I don't know if the team ever offered them or if they stopped offering them within the last few years. After seeing several games there, I grew to like some of its features but absolutely hated others.

But, whether or not you were a fan of Shea, the old park has been coming down since the end of the 2008 season. Here's a video clip of some of the demolition.

• East Coast 1 - Rich Gedman, former Red Sox catcher, will be joining us in Boston
• East Coast 2 - John Tudor, former Red Sox pitcher, will be joining us in Boston
• Big Apple - Art Shamsky, former Mets outfielder and member of the 1969 Miracle Mets team, will be joining us in New York City
• Seattle - Dave Henderson, former Mariners outfielder, will be joining us in Seattle.

Are you a Minnesota Twins fan? 
Whether you answered yes or no many people still want to see all the baseball stadiums including the Metrodome.  Since 2009 is the last season for the Metrodome, you might want to think about getting your baseball travel tours all set in place. 

Big League Tours will be visiting the Twin Cities in May on our Midwest 2 trip where the Twins will be taking on the Boston Red Sox. On this baseball road trip we will also be catching a White Sox game and Cubs game in the windy city and catching a Brewers game at Miller Park. It'll be a great chance to catch some great ball in the Midwest. 

Check out what the Twins new stadium, Target Field, will look like in 2010. 

Add Midwest 1 To Your MLB Tours for 2009 To See Pujols in Action
November 17, 2008 - Pujols has been crowned the National League MVP for the second time in his career. In the running against him was Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies, who beat Pujols in 2006.  Having finished in the top 10 every voting season for the past eight seasons and has been the 11th player to receive the award twice.

St. Louis ended their season 11 1/2 seasons away from first in the NL Central.  However, the Cardinals exceeded many peoples' expectations, especially with the help of Pujols.

So, make sure to add Midwest 1 from Big League Tours onto your stadium tours list for 2009 and check out NL MVP Albert Pujols and Golden Glove winner Yadier Molina.

Check out the full story here on MLB.com.

I'm sending this note to let you know how great the tour that Jarrett, Nolan and I went on was to me. It's been almost two months and I still think of it everyday. I will always have the best of memories about this baseball trip.

You handled everything so well and made it even more enjoyable. It was a pleasure to meet you and your daughter and your dad.

Thanks again for a great time!!!" 

Baseball Stadium Memories at Shea Stadium


September 23, 2008 - At Big League Tours one of our favorite stops is heading out to Queens to see the Mets. Most people don't go to see the stadium per se, but rather to just plain and simple see a Mets game. In 2009, we will head out to Citi Field to see a beautiful ballpark and a great game.



Here are some great memories at Shea Stadium:

April 19, 1964: Al Jackson pitches a six-hitter in the Mets' 6-0 victory against the Pirates, their first victory in the new stadium.

Aug. 15, 1965: Shea rocks. Greeted by a shrill din produced by 55,600, mostly teenage girls, that made their performance impossible to hear, the Beatles change the music world again, presenting a concert on the largest stage ever.

Oct. 9, 1965: No. 7 Notre Dame beats unranked Army, 17-0, in Shea's first big-time college football.

Oct. 6, 1969: With Nolan Ryan pitching seven innings in relief, the Mets come from behind to beat the Braves to sweep the first National League Championship Series.



1969: “Miracle” Mets are considered one of the most improbable champions in baseball history. They trailed by 9.5 games in mid-August, yet won the division and the National League Championship Series before upsetting the Baltimore Orioles, who had won 109 games, in the World Series.



Aug. 6, 1970: Nine days before the first anniversary of Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin headline the Summer Festival of Peace.



Oct. 3, 1979: Pope John Paul II says mass at Shea after heavy rains threaten the event. The rain stops as the Popemobile enters the park.



May 6, 1983: With the Mets floundering in fifth place, Darryl Strawberry is promoted to the big leagues. He goes hitless with three strikeouts in four at-bats, walks twice and scores the decisive run in the Mets' 13-inning, 7-4 victory against the Reds.

1986: The New York Mets come back from a 3-2 series deficit to win Game 6 (Oct. 25) and Game 7 (Oct. 27) against the Boston Red Sox and clinch the World Series.

July 28, 1993: A ninth-inning double by Eddie Murray drives in the decisive runs in a 5-4 victory against the expansion Marlins that ends the record-setting losing streak of Anthony Young at 27 games. Young had allowed the Marlins to take the lead in the top of the ninth. The Mets bottom out with 103 losses, equaling the most ever by an established team in an expansion era, at the time.

April 15, 1998: Straw returns. With Yankee Stadium closed for repairs, the Yankees play the Angels at Shea. And their designated hitter, one Darryl Strawberry hits a home run, his 127th at the park, still the most ever

.

Sept. 21, 2001: Bagpipes and baseball. The Mets engage the Braves in the first professional sporting event in New York to follow the attacks on the World Trade Center. The emotional evening climaxes with a two-run home run by Piazza in the eighth inning that creates the final 3-2 score.

Let Big League Tours know what your favorite memories are of Shea Stadium. Whether it's one from when you were there or any other.