Randy Savage
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Shea & Yankee Stadium: The Lasting Memories
In honor of both New York baseball parks bidding us farewell at the end of the season, the Post has begun compiling a list of the 25 greatest moments at Shea and Yankee Stadium.
With the expectation that the lists will cover memorable events such as the Boone home run, Clemens attacking Piazza with a bat shard and Bill Buckner's legs, The Sports Hernia offers up the more obscure but equally lasting moments in the history of these two welcoming New York landmarks.
Enjoy the journey.
1960 – Micky Mantle chugs a keg and smokes 18 cigars before rushing for 346 yards for the New York Giants against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Yankee Stadium.
1961 – Roger Maris has dream season hitting a record 61 home runs. Yankee fans reward him with thunderous boos, kickstarting the sacred "New York fans are total assholes" tradition.
1975 – Not pleased with it's offseason renovations, Yankee Stadium grows poofy goatee and excessive sideburns to deliberately get under George Steinbrenner's skin.
1979 – Forgetful Yankee Stadium grounds crew allows grass grow to over the pitcher's mound, forcing the game to be delayed five minutes while Goose Gossage happily chews up the 18' x 18' patch of grass to create the mound.
1981 – Steve Balboni hits a barbaric moonshot to left field using a giant turkey leg.
1983 – Planes leaving JFK are grounded because of fumes emitting from Shea on Mets' "Deep Fried Broccoli Night."
1984 – In an admirable effort to simply dodge a pitch coming inside, the selfless Mookie Wilson does a remarkable backflip onto the Mets dugout roof -- oddly enough, Mookie would stay in the dugout as he was called out on strikes.
1986 – Riots erupt during the ill-conceived "Crooner Music Demolition Day" when Sinatra's entourage takes out the right field bleachers with Tommy Guns. Let us reiterate that this was in 1986.
1986 – Keith Hernandez snares a lethal line drive off the bat of Glenn Davis and doubles up Kevin Bass, all while carrying on an intriguing conversation with a gorgeous blond in the front row. Hernandez would quickly be showered with panties from the thoughtful Shea crowd.
1987 – Mets’ players inadvertently trap themselves in the dugout during an extra inning game by building a wall of Skoal spit and sunflower seeds. Mets forfeit game in 15th inning.
1988 – A confused and deranged Darryl Strawberry gets suited up in the visitors locker room and hits 3 home runs, propelling the Phillies to a controversial victory.
1988 – John McEnroe sends a ball flying into Shea from a neighboring U.S. Open court, striking Mackey Sasser directly in the head, and forcing him to take the first and only pitch of his career.
1988 – A festive George Steinbrenner gives shaggy first baseman Don Mattingly a haircut during opening day ceremonies.
1989 – Frank Viola notches first win as a Met; inspired stadium seats salute him by sprouting equally embarrassing afros.
1989 – Mel Hall hits a towering home run to the right field upper deck en route to another 13-1 loss. Hall would famously shrug his shoulders and round the bases doing the army crawl.
1990 – Howard Johnson skips the second game of a day-night doubleheader by putting a Howard Johnson's hotel at 3rd base in his place. No one notices.
1990 – After taxing their bullpen, Mets coaches panic and grab the first mustache they see in the stands. John Franco would pitch a scoreless 9th and remain on the team's roster for fourteen seasons.
1993 – Facing what could be his 17th loss of the season, desperate Mets ace Anthony Young ditches the ball and throws a menacing squirrel at Chris Sabo who amazingly swings and misses, getting Young out of the jam.
1994 – Paul O'Neill puts on an awesome display in the dugout, boxing four different water coolers and smashing the eyeglasses of the assistant to the traveling secretary after the Yanks' ill-fated switch to cotton jerseys.
1997 – O'Neill is at it again, this time throwing a reinforced-steel water cooler through the concrete floor of the dugout and 100 feet into the ground, striking an unknown oil reserve that would further boost the Yanks' payroll.
1997 – Mets become first team to have Tommy John surgery booths available to fans during games. A record 10,193 willing believers would go under the knife on Bill Pulsipher day.
1998 – Game called in 6th inning after riots erupts in the stands during Shea's popular "Throw Failed Prospects Around the Stadium" day.
2000 – Pizza Hut's poorly thought out ad featuring fresh pizza draped to a section of the left field wall ends in horror as Benny Agbayani leaves his post and literally eats his way into the bullpen.
2000 – Yankees' starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez travels to Shea Stadium in a makeshift raft for Game 3 of the World Series.
2001 – Chuck Knoblauch inadvertently becomes the hero for a day after finally hitting John Sterling with one of his desperate heaves to first.
2004 – Mr. Met is caught having *** with a fan on top of the Shea home run apple after David Wright hits a 3-run bomb in the 3rd inning on kids camp day.
2005 – Hopeless fan who looks like McLovin leaps from upper deck into the netting behind home plate after Bob Sheppard announces Tanyon Sturtze is warming up in the bullpen for the 67th straight night.
In honor of both New York baseball parks bidding us farewell at the end of the season, the Post has begun compiling a list of the 25 greatest moments at Shea and Yankee Stadium.
With the expectation that the lists will cover memorable events such as the Boone home run, Clemens attacking Piazza with a bat shard and Bill Buckner's legs, The Sports Hernia offers up the more obscure but equally lasting moments in the history of these two welcoming New York landmarks.
Enjoy the journey.
1960 – Micky Mantle chugs a keg and smokes 18 cigars before rushing for 346 yards for the New York Giants against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Yankee Stadium.
1961 – Roger Maris has dream season hitting a record 61 home runs. Yankee fans reward him with thunderous boos, kickstarting the sacred "New York fans are total assholes" tradition.
1975 – Not pleased with it's offseason renovations, Yankee Stadium grows poofy goatee and excessive sideburns to deliberately get under George Steinbrenner's skin.
1979 – Forgetful Yankee Stadium grounds crew allows grass grow to over the pitcher's mound, forcing the game to be delayed five minutes while Goose Gossage happily chews up the 18' x 18' patch of grass to create the mound.
1981 – Steve Balboni hits a barbaric moonshot to left field using a giant turkey leg.
1983 – Planes leaving JFK are grounded because of fumes emitting from Shea on Mets' "Deep Fried Broccoli Night."
1984 – In an admirable effort to simply dodge a pitch coming inside, the selfless Mookie Wilson does a remarkable backflip onto the Mets dugout roof -- oddly enough, Mookie would stay in the dugout as he was called out on strikes.
1986 – Riots erupt during the ill-conceived "Crooner Music Demolition Day" when Sinatra's entourage takes out the right field bleachers with Tommy Guns. Let us reiterate that this was in 1986.
1986 – Keith Hernandez snares a lethal line drive off the bat of Glenn Davis and doubles up Kevin Bass, all while carrying on an intriguing conversation with a gorgeous blond in the front row. Hernandez would quickly be showered with panties from the thoughtful Shea crowd.
1987 – Mets’ players inadvertently trap themselves in the dugout during an extra inning game by building a wall of Skoal spit and sunflower seeds. Mets forfeit game in 15th inning.
1988 – A confused and deranged Darryl Strawberry gets suited up in the visitors locker room and hits 3 home runs, propelling the Phillies to a controversial victory.
1988 – John McEnroe sends a ball flying into Shea from a neighboring U.S. Open court, striking Mackey Sasser directly in the head, and forcing him to take the first and only pitch of his career.
1988 – A festive George Steinbrenner gives shaggy first baseman Don Mattingly a haircut during opening day ceremonies.
1989 – Frank Viola notches first win as a Met; inspired stadium seats salute him by sprouting equally embarrassing afros.
1989 – Mel Hall hits a towering home run to the right field upper deck en route to another 13-1 loss. Hall would famously shrug his shoulders and round the bases doing the army crawl.
1990 – Howard Johnson skips the second game of a day-night doubleheader by putting a Howard Johnson's hotel at 3rd base in his place. No one notices.
1990 – After taxing their bullpen, Mets coaches panic and grab the first mustache they see in the stands. John Franco would pitch a scoreless 9th and remain on the team's roster for fourteen seasons.
1993 – Facing what could be his 17th loss of the season, desperate Mets ace Anthony Young ditches the ball and throws a menacing squirrel at Chris Sabo who amazingly swings and misses, getting Young out of the jam.
1994 – Paul O'Neill puts on an awesome display in the dugout, boxing four different water coolers and smashing the eyeglasses of the assistant to the traveling secretary after the Yanks' ill-fated switch to cotton jerseys.
1997 – O'Neill is at it again, this time throwing a reinforced-steel water cooler through the concrete floor of the dugout and 100 feet into the ground, striking an unknown oil reserve that would further boost the Yanks' payroll.
1997 – Mets become first team to have Tommy John surgery booths available to fans during games. A record 10,193 willing believers would go under the knife on Bill Pulsipher day.
1998 – Game called in 6th inning after riots erupts in the stands during Shea's popular "Throw Failed Prospects Around the Stadium" day.
2000 – Pizza Hut's poorly thought out ad featuring fresh pizza draped to a section of the left field wall ends in horror as Benny Agbayani leaves his post and literally eats his way into the bullpen.
2000 – Yankees' starting pitcher Orlando Hernandez travels to Shea Stadium in a makeshift raft for Game 3 of the World Series.
2001 – Chuck Knoblauch inadvertently becomes the hero for a day after finally hitting John Sterling with one of his desperate heaves to first.
2004 – Mr. Met is caught having *** with a fan on top of the Shea home run apple after David Wright hits a 3-run bomb in the 3rd inning on kids camp day.
2005 – Hopeless fan who looks like McLovin leaps from upper deck into the netting behind home plate after Bob Sheppard announces Tanyon Sturtze is warming up in the bullpen for the 67th straight night.
