Most of you don’t remember the squares on the outside of Shea. I liked it. I never understood them but I missed then when they were gone. This is one of the best shots of the squares that I have seen. From Mike and from 1965. Click on it for a bigger view.
Notice none of the squares are black.
Shannon the aluminum squares were actually an afterthought..as shea was going up they realized the tremendous amount of wind whipping threw the concourse. so they came up with corregated aluminum squares in the mets colors to cut down and break up the wind. now anyone who ever watched the jets in the upper deck say in nov. or dec. would not ever believe that the squares did not do anything, but they did. the squares were such an afterthought that they were still being installed opening day 1964! by the way they looked real cool in the swinging 60’s and blended nicely with the world’s fair across the way. however, by the mid 70’s they were old and tired and needed some upkeep. (then again the whole stadium did)
Cutting down the wind is the same reason the spaces between the ramps were enclosed when they removed the squares.
But, I remember well those squares, flapping in the wind, as I would make the long decent from my “front row” seats, garnered through a stack of Dairylea(or was it Dellwood?) Milk coupons.
that’s a fantastic shot. to echo what shannon said, best picture i’ve ever seen of them.
To any Met fan in his 40’s or 50’s, those squares were no less than pure magic…their decline mirrored the team’s decline.
Thank goodness black was not an original team color. It darkens everything and looks terrible with blue. Just tacky. A pathetic money grab by an ownership whose days are thankfully numbered. Just as Doubleday/Wilpon had to replace the Paysons to move this team forward, anybody PLEASE replace Wilpon/Madoff.
loved the squares!
walking down the ramp after a game in 1967, i”found” a loose one!
the squares were on the scale model of shea built in 1962 or 1963.
without them, the outside look would just be the concrete ramps.
the city of new york gave in and had them installed for a nicer look.
(i still have the square)