This Day in Sports History: Shea Stadium Opens

A New York City landmark of 45 years welcomed fans for the first time 56 years ago today. 

On April 17, 1964, the legacy of Shea Stadium began when the New York Mets first took the field on a warm Friday afternoon. A nearly full-capacity crowd of 50,312 saw the home team fall 4-3 to a Pittsburgh Pirates team that recorded 16 hits and scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning. 

It was a landmark day for the Metropolitans, who spent the previous two seasons playing at the Polo Grounds. The team was brought to New York after the city was awarded a second franchise by Major League Baseball.

Prior to the creation of the Mets, the city saw the exit of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants franchises. Both teams left the east coast for California after the 1957 season, citing the refusal by New York officials to provide land for a new stadium outside Queens, N.Y.

With New York left with just one baseball team after 1957 in the Yankees, mayor Robert Wagner tasked William A. Shea and four other lawyers with acquiring a National League franchise for the city. Shea attempted to bring the Reds, Pirates and Phillies to the area, but none were interested. 

Both New York and Houston were awarded new franchises to begin playing in 1962 after Shea created the Continental League in 1958. The league was comprised of at least eight teams and was set to open for the 1961 season, but it was later disbanded after Shea succeeded in having the National League accept the Mets as its 10th franchise. 

A new stadium for the Mets broke ground on October 28, 1961 in Queens, N.Y. The venue was previously slated to be named "Flushing Meadows Park," but was then named in honor of Shea for his efforts in bringing a National League team back to New York after four years without one. 

Shea Stadium, located near LaGuardia Airport, was the first of its size to be able to convert from a baseball diamond to a football gridiron due to an extensive escalator system. With its versatility, the stadium was home to the New York Jets from 1964-83 before Giants Stadium opened in East Rutherford, N.J. The Yankees also briefly called Shea Stadium home from 1974-75, when Yankee Stadium was renovated. 

After the Mets' first season in their new home, there were attempts to expand Shea Stadium beyond its 55,601-person capacity. A proposal was initially announced to add 15,000 seats and a dome, but studies showed the stadium pilings could not hold the addition and the plan was scrapped.

The Mets played at Shea Stadium until the 2008 season. Plans were unveiled in April 2006 by the team for a new ballpark to be constructed, named Citi Field, in the parking lot beyond centerfield of Shea Stadium. 

After the Mets' final game at Shea Stadium on Sept. 28, 2008, the team's home for 45 seasons was demolished the following year. The space it previously occupied is now used as parking for Citi Field, which has more than 15,000 fewer seats than Shea. 

The Mets recorded both their World Series titles at Shea Stadium, winning Game 5 in 1969 and Game 7 in 1986 in Queens, N.Y.