Today in Mets History 9/28

On September 28th 2008, The New York Mets played their last game at Shea Stadium and closed its doors forever.

It was a balmy day and highly stressful for the Mets players and fans. Being tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for the wild card, everyone showed up at the stadium unsure of what the future had in store. It was either the last day of the season, a prelude to wild card tie breaker or (with a Cubs win) a trip to NLDS.

Of course we all know how this story played out. The Mets dropped the ball and lost 4-2 to the Florida Marlins. The season was over and so was the legacy of Shea Stadium.

After the game the historical 46 years of Shea Stadium were celebrated by Mets players young and old including team members of the 1969 and 1986 World Series Champion roster.

It was a solemn day for me as well. I have many fond memories of enjoying seeing my favorite baseball team in their old home. I grew up watching players such as Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Lenny Dykstra, Keith Hernandez and Mookie Wilson. I was there for the highs and lows. Now I'm waiting for the highs at Citi Field.

METS STEP IT UP TO POSTPONE PHILLIES CELEBRATION PARTY

When the players of the Philadelphia Phillies woke up Sunday morning, they expected to be the division leaders before the day was through. The New York Mets had different plans in mind. Though the season may be pretty much over for the Mets, they were determined not to let the Phillies have any more fun at their expense.

After a season full of injuries and disappointments, the Amazin' Mets are determined to finish with a bang. They provided a flurry of attacks with a two run double from Nick Evans, an RBI single from Jose Reyes, and a solo home run by Mr. David Wright. Center fielder Carlos Beltran was the the star of the game with two home runs, a single in the fifth and a two-run homer in the ninth.

Beltran is batting .364 with five home runs in his last 17 games. These astounding stats leave one to wonder what the season would have been like if he had not missed the first half of the season due to knee surgery.

"I wanted to finish the season as strong as I can and go to the off-season feeling good about how I finished, and working hard to come back healthy and ready to go next year," said Beltran after the Sunday's game.

Even though the Mets are beginning to look ahead towards the 2011 season, they were able to leave Citizens Bank Park with their heads held high. They may not have prevented their rivals from reaching the playoffs, but they were able to give the Phillies and their fans the figurative finger on the way out.