Marlins 4, Mets 2

For all of the magic of Shea Stadium - game 6 of the 1986 World Series, the miracle teams of 1969 and 1973 - it's somehow fitting that the stadium said goodbye with a meek home loss, leaving the Mets a game shy of October.

A few numbers, in memoriam of Shea and the Mets of 2008:

29: blown saves this year
3.5: biggest division lead
.412: winning percentage after that point
5: runs scored by the Mets in the final three game series
3695: major league games at Shea Stadium
3695: number of times Bill Buckner's error was shown today

Ballparks old and new

Tiger Stadium is coming down. The bulldozers have rolled in, and demolition has started on one of the most beautiful and atmospheric ballparks I have ever seen. On May 4, 1999, we saw Dean Palmer hit a two run homer in the eighth inning to beat the Angels. I still remember a very big guy caught the ball, not too far from us, and jumped up and down hard enough that we wondered if something in the stands might break. But they survived another nine years... to no avail.

But a remnant of the stands around home plate, and the field itself, may yet be saved and used. The Tiger Stadium Conservancy needs your help. They need $400,000 by the end of the month to keep the plan alive.

In other ballpark news, my Sunday was filled with subway rides and baseball. I attended the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium, and regular season games at Keyspan Park and Shea Stadium. Three professional games, in three boroughs of the city, in one day.

Meet the Mets, beat the Mets

Cardinals 3, Mets 0
Braves 4, Phillies 6

And with that, Philadelphia has tied New York for the NL East lead. Two weeks ago, the Amazin's led by 7 games. Now they have three chances left to recover or blow a lead they've had since mid May. This threatens to be a collapse to match Philly's Fizz Kids of 1964, the 1951 Dodgers, and the 1978 Red Sox.

Which is why we went to Shea on Tuesday. If history is happening around you, why miss out? We weren't disappointed- Tom Glavine gave up hits early and often and with extra bases tacked on, helping the Nationals to a 10-3 lead. But truly great wipeouts add a little extra heartbreak. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, and maybe a quarter of the crowd remaining, the Mets piled on six runs to get the tying run in scoring position. Then a strikeout and a popup quickly turned the ecstatic cheers back into boos, and your normal ongoing disaster was restored.

Cruising to a division win is all very well. But a monumental choke lives forever.