Here’s some good news for New York baseball fans. Yankees and Shea stadium are some of the cleanest in the nation. In other words, you can buy Mets tickets and a hot dog at the game with very little worry.

The report claims that Shea stadium had 58 health violations in 2007 which might not inspire confidence. But when you consider the fact that Angels stadium racked up 732, the Mets come off looking sparkling clean.

Of the Angels stadium, the Daily News reports:

“There was also a major vermin violation in April that forced the shutdown of a food stand.”

It further reports:

“The A’s McAfee Coliseum reported 493 violations, several of which came from food being exposed to “overhead leakage, dirt, insects, rodents and chemical contamination.”

The cleanest of all of the stadiums was the Colorado Rockies home, Coors Field, which only showed 16 violations.

So how is all of this supposed to make us feel? It’s like those reports that find that only .05% of our food is in fact rat feces, something that’s apparently supposed to reassure us. Yay!

I still don’t like the idea that there would ever be an incidence of violation of any health code in any organization distributing food. But it appears that both Shea and Yankees stadium are making great efforts to minimize the risks.

Last Tuesday Mets ticket holders visited an opening game for the last time in the old Shea Stadium. Feelings about the event seem to be mixed—with both good and bad memories stirred up at the historic event.

On one hand, Mets fans have seen a lot of games at this ballpark. For anyone who’s a fan of the team, it’s likely a place of nostalgia. Think of all of the dates. Think of all of the children introduced to the drama of the ballpark in that venue. Think of the great players, and great games, both successful and disappointing.

But some people would like to dwell on the disappointments. Just last season it was the home of a total melt down against Philadelphia. Not a good memory. MVP, Jimmy Rollins will be back in the stadium to remind them of this bitter memory.

On top of that, it’s not a very exciting venue architecturally. Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post doesn’t mince words when he says, “It’s ugly, sterile and horribly outdated.”

In the end, what do we really hope for? A winning season of course. Maybe even a championship. I don’t know, it’s too great to hope for. But no one’s going to tell the Mets players this. They better be playing to win.

The Shea stadium’s final opening game was not a victory for the home team. More embarrassing than that, the Mets lost to the Phillies again. Ouch!

Not only did the Mets hope for redemptions from last year’s total collapse at the Phillies hands. This marked the ninth straight loss to the Phillies for this franchise. Of this streak, David Wright is quoted in the Daily News as saying:

“It’s not significant whatsoever. We’re talking about a different team. We’re talking about a new year. It’s unfortunate what happened last year, but that’s past us. As far as I’m concerned, we’re 0-1 against the Phillies this year, we’re 0-2 against the Braves and we need to do a better job.”

The Mets do need to do a better job, as the final score of 5-2 denotes.

Perhaps the evening is epitomized by Carlos Delgado’s throw to second base in an attempt for a possible double play hit Chase Utley in the back, flying off into the outfield. This error allowed two runs to score for Phillies.

With the new stadium being built, one has to ask, “Is Shea Stadium doomed to relive past disappointments?” Maybe we need to just wait to buy tickets for the Mets when the new stadium is built.  Maybe then we can hope for a championship. The season is still young, but the talented but under performing Mets need to get with the program.

Can you believe that Billy Joel has sold over 100 thousand records? That amazes me. And apparently, he’s set to amaze Met fans as he performs the final concert at Shea Stadium. The concert will be called, “The Last Play at Shea,” and will feature “the piano man” paying tribute to this legendary venue.

The Mets website quotes Joel as saying:

“Shea Stadium is one of the most hallowed venues in rock ‘n’ roll history and it’s an honor to help throw Shea the ultimate concert farewell party.”

The world famous rock star has had 33 top 40 hits. It’s hard to imagine, but with all of those hit records, he hasn’t released a new album since 1993. But during that time, he’s done a lot of touring and performing, and seems to be continuing that trend, with no word of new material.

Shea Stadium has been functioning since 1964. It has always been the home of the Mets. It was home for the New York Jets and the New York Giants. It has also held many historic concerts, including the famous concert by the Beatles in 1965.

The new stadium will be built in what is now part of the parking lot of the old stadium. It will open Spring of 2009. Shea is scheduled to be demolished. To catch tickets for the final season of this classic venue be sure to buy Mets tickets online.