The National League Returns to New York
With the departure of the Giants and the Dodgers for California after the 1957 season, there was no longer a National league presence in New York City. In order for New York to be granted a National League franchise, the city would be required to build a new stadium for the team. Robert Moses had no problem providing land for a ballpark that would be owned by the city, and proposed the site that he had offered to Walter O'Malley for a new stadium for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Flushing Meadows in Queens. In 1961, the New York City Board of Estimate approved plans for the new stadium. The model for what would become Shea Stadium was typical of what many cities in America were building at the time: undistinguished multi-purpose facilities that sacrificed charm for efficiency. In 1962, New York was granted a National League franchise, the Mets, who took their name from a 1880s predecessor, the Metropolitans.
Shea Stadium would not be ready until 1963, and the Yankees were not willing to let the Mets use Yankee Stadium. The city delayed its plans to demolish the Polo Grounds so that the Mets could play there for what ended up being two years. The Polo Grounds had fallen into such a state of disrepair after the Giants left that the Mets were forced to spend $300,000 to refurbish it.
In their first season, the Mets sold more season tickets than had ever been sold at the Polo Grounds. However, the team was terrible. Despite manager Casey Stengel's prior success with the Yankees, the Mets finished their first season with 120 losses out of 160 games.(1)
In the meantime, construction proceeded, albeit very slowly, on Shea Stadium. After their second season at the Polo Grounds, the Mets finally moved into Shea Stadium in 1964.
Mets Shea Stadium and Queens
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1 Thornley, p. 118.