For Father's Day: Saying goodbye to Shea

Well, it will be memorable, I'll say that. My son Andy is home from film school for another week, so for Father's Day we went to an alleged Mets game at Shea Stadium. We are both longtime Mets lovers and he wanted to say goodbye to Shea -- and get a look at the hulking new brick stadium going up just beyond the left field fence. Great idea.

What a night! Rained all the way to Flushing, then we sat in the downpour--with the sun out--in the parking lot for 25 minutes, then when in when let up a bit, got inside and grabbed a dog. Andy ordered a coke but the vendor gave him a beer (he is 20.9 years-old), so we shared our first beers at a ball game ever.

Moved upstairs in the Mezz under the overhang to stay dry. And there we sat in the rain, with the tarp NOT coming off the field and thunder and lightning flashin', just like in "Chimes of Freedom." I had just got done telling Andy that on rare occasions, players emerge from a dressing room and do belly flops on the slick tarp, just for fun - probably more for themselves than for the fans. Ten minutes later, sure enough, Josh Hamilton and five other Rangers came out and did just that, to the delight of the fans, who started chanting "Let's go Rangers." The game got called ten minutes later, so maybe the Rangers knew something.

Then, on the radio driving back home -- still raining! -- the WFAN callers complained that passionless Willie Randolph had blown it again, supposedly not letting his Mets join the fun on the tarp. Andy called in and actually got on the air with a more sensible observation: the tired Mets desperately needed the night off, even if we missed our game. That's my photo above as evidence.