December 2003

The Philadelphia Phillies have just completed their final season at Veterans Stadium. After 33 seasons, the Vet is being demolished, and the Phillies will be moving to the brand spanking new Citizens Bank Ballpark.

So why is this the subject of a column in New York Mets Inside Pitch? Well, it's because I've seen more Mets games at the Vet than at Shea over the past few years, and I feel the need to say goodbye to a place that has housed a lot of my Mets memories.

I often describe myself as a New Yorker living in exile - I grew up on Long Island and spent most of my adult life in Manhattan, but since 1995 I have been living in Central New Jersey. Gone are the days of popping out to Shea on the Number 7 train. We will drive to Shea with the kids a few times a year, but whether we cut through the Bronx or across Staten Island, we usually encounter some pretty formidable traffic. On the other hand, when the Mets play the Phillies, we zip down I-95 and are generally at the Vet within an hour. We quickly figured out that seeing the Mets play in Philly was an easier option for us than making a lot of trips to Shea.

We made one or two trips a year to the Vet when the kids were small, but by the 2000 season we were regular visitors. One thing I have always loved about the Vet is their ticket office -- I have been to 29 of the current 30 Major League stadiums, and the Phillies have consistently been the most accommodating when I have purchased tickets. One example of this took place in Y2K -- while the Mets opened that season in Tokyo, the Phillies home opener took place a couple of weeks later, and the Mets were the opponents that night. I called the Vet the first day that tickets went on sale and, while placing my order, learned that there would be a good promotion date later that spring when the Cardinals were playing. My older son was and is a big Mark McGwire fan so, after checking with my husband, I called back later that day to order more tickets. I half kiddingly asked the customer service representative whether he was the one I spoke to earlier in the day, and explained that I was making my second order of the day. He checked the status of my order, saw that it hadn't been processed yet, and combined the two orders so that I could save money on the shipping and handling charges. That's the kind of customer service that will make you feel kindly towards an organization, even if you don't particularly like their team.

When April 2000 rolled around, we took the kids to that home opener. One of my friends once dubbed the Vet "Shea South," and the reason for that moniker was evident that night -- when New York comes down to Philly, a significant minority, and even occasionally a majority, of the people in attendance are Mets fans. We arrived early and discovered the fact that the visiting team takes the final batting practice in Major League parks. Not only were we able to watch the Mets take BP, but my sons received autographs that night from Todd Zeile and Turk Wendell. From that point forward, the boys were excited about the Mets and followed them closely during that pennant-winning season.

We have had other fond Mets moments at the Vet over the past few seasons. We were there with several friends on a Saturday night in 2001 when we witnessed Rey Ordoñez hit a rare home run. We were there Labor Day 2001 when the Mets launched a raucous come-from-behind 9th inning victory. This past July we saw Bristol, Pennsylvania native Joe McEwing hit his first home run in the stadium that he visited as a fan in his youth. And in September my 7-year-old, an alumni of the Phillies Baseball Academy (he would gladly attend a Mets baseball camp if there was one nearby but, sadly, that isn't an option), was allowed to walk the perimeter of the field before a game, in uniform. We were always able to find Mets fans to high-five during these occasions -- you were never alone when you watched the Mets play in Shea South.

I was also at the Vet for a very special event on May 29th 2003 -- Tug McGraw's return to the Northeast after he underwent brain surgery in March. Tug is the one person who is truly beloved in both Philadelphia and New York, and he maintains ties with both of the teams for which he pitched during his career. Mets fans love him for coining the phrase "Ya Gotta Believe" and leading the team to its 1973 pennant, while Phillies fans remember him as the man who was on the mound when that team won its only World Series in 1980. Because Tug makes his home in the Philadelphia area, and the Mets were in town that day, the Vet was the natural location for Tug to discuss his condition with the press and to show off his surgical scars. Being present for this Mets Hall of Famer's return home was a unique Mets memory that I will always cherish.

Admittedly, life at Shea South was not always easy for visiting fans. We were once there when cars bearing New York license plates in the parking lot had their plates stolen or damaged. And in a town where Santa Claus can be booed, you can imagine the type of language that you hear at a typical game in Philly. But, in general, I find that if I root for a visiting team politely and without trashing the home team, I don't get undue grief from the home fans. And, being a New Yorker, I have a thick enough skin to be able to handle a little rough language now and then.

So now Shea South prepares to move from Veterans Stadium to Citizens Bank Ballpark. Much of what made the Vet special will be present at the new location -- the ticket office personnel, the Phanatic, the easy drive, and the cheesesteaks will all be there. But many of my Mets memories are specifically intertwined with the Vet. Thus, it's only right to wish a proper farewell to this neighboring stadium -- while we look forward to exciting new experiences in the new ballpark, we will never forget the good times that we have had at the Vet.