As sad as it is, it's time to say goodbye to the old Shea Stadium after 44 years of sports memories for all of us. It hardly seems possible that the Mets were an expansion team all these years after their cross-town American League rivals first took the field. It's also hard to remember the stadium being called the Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, but that's what it called until a movement was launched to name it in honor of William Shea.

Over the years, Shea Stadium housed some of the greatness baseball players ever to walk on the field. Names like Duke Snider, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Richie Ashburn, and Gary Carter who all became Hall of Famers. Then we can't forget the entertaining players that just gritted it out everyday like Lenny "Nails" Dykstra and Gil Hodges.

Although the history of the stadium has been entwined with stories that have shocked us, angered us, even caused us to laugh and cry, in the end they are all great memories. In 1986 the world watched as sluggers Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry took the Mets to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox. Sadly the two beloved players spent through the rest of their careers struggling with drug issues and other personal problems.

The historic moments are numerous. In 1969 we witnessed their first Championship when they became known as the Miracle Mets at a time when no one had ever heard of the young Nolan Ryan who would go down in baseball history for striking out 5,714 batters. In fact there are so many historic moments in the story of Shea Stadium that it's hard to summarize them in an article; we could literally write a book about it. The stadium may be gone as a new chapter begins but the memories will live on for eternity in the hearts of recreation and sports fans all over the world.

Outside of baseball though was the remembrance of 9/11. Shea Stadium became the centerpiece for supplies, food, and a place to stay for all the victims to utilize. It took an unprecedented for the MLB to get back to everyday life, but for New York, it was one of the most inspiring nights ever in baseball history. Over 41,000 fans packed the stadium to watch the Mets take on the Braves and keep those who were lost close to all our hearts. When mixed in with great baseball everyone will tell you that Shea was a place like no other. Here's to 50 more years of baseball history.