Customer Reviews

The Last Days of Shea: Delight and Despair in the Life of a Mets Fan

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shea Stadium is truly an American icon. "The Last Days of Shea: Delight and Despair in the Life of a Mets Fan" takes a nostalgic look back at the home of the New York Mets for decades. A truly soulful look through the eyes of a Mets fan who remembers the stadium as a child. It tells the story of the stadium, its life, and its eventual deconstruction as the Mets moved to a more modern facility. "The Last Days of Shea" is a must read for any nostalgic Mets super fan or for collections on American icons.

I received this book as a baseball fan, not as a Mets fan, but I was very touched by it. While the book does chronicle the Mets epic collapses in the 2007 and 2008 seasons, it's really a look back at Brand's life and his trips to the stadium as a child all the way to adulthood with his own daughter and his elderly mother. He revisits some memorable games he attended and some of his favorite players, and how important baseball has been in his life. As Shea nears the end of its life, Brand gets remorseful that somewhere he has spent so much time is about to disappear and how afraid he is to lose the lifetime of memories he created there.

With the ups and downs of the Mets fortunes in those two disappointing seasons, Brand illustrates how sports can bring so much joy and pain to a fan, and build a great sense of community with strangers who are rooting for the same laundry you are. Regardless of your favorite team, you'll be able to identify with Brand's memories as a fan and how much going to the ballpark can add to your life. A very personal story from a baseball fan that I highly recommend.