The pregnant wife of the man who fell from a Shea Stadium escalator to his death spoke to reporters outside her Brooklyn home. Antonio Narainasami, said his wife Ambeeka, was "a great father.... He had so much to look forward to." Newsday reported 14-year-old daughter Emily showed reporters a photograph of her father. Emily, along with her 8-year-old sister and other relatives, saw her father fall and said, "Either he went to turn around to......

A 36-year-old man who was descending a Shea Stadium escalator fell to his death. Antonio Narainasami fell onto the concrete floor, in the section near the left field stands, and fell at least two stories, possibly four stories (the Times says 30 feet). While police and Mets officials say the father of two, whose daughters witnessed the fall, was perhaps riding on the escalator's railing, his cousin said they had been walking down a non-working......

Smoking sports fans beware, Shea Stadium is cracking down on the nicotine set this season. While the Smoke-Free Air Act has been in effect for 13 years, security at the stadium has turned a blind eye to those lighting up -- but that's all changing. The Observer reports on one fan's encounter with the new guard:“A security guard told me I can’t smoke and then ripped off a piece of my ticket,” the 26-year-old fan......

Two Mets fans were arrested Wednesday at the team's home opener when they kicked a Shea Stadium seat to pieces and tried to smuggle it out of the facility. While it's not unheard of for fans to claim souvenirs during a stadium's last stand, what the pair failed to consider was that they were at the season home opener, not the final game. A Shea security guard saw Darrell Wassil, 30, and Christopher Yatsko, 22,......

Last year Mayor Bloomberg announced a $3 billion plan to seize 61 acres of the Willets Point district next to the forthcoming Citi Field in Queens through eminent domain, raze it, and construct 5,500 units of housing, a hotel, convention center and over 2 million square feet of office space, restaurants and retail shops. But business owners in the target zone have been fighting it, saying their ‘hood, dubbed the Iron Triangle for its chop......

Lost in the shuffle of the Mets' loss Tuesday to the Phillies in the home opener was the beginning of the team's runoff for official Sing-A-Long song. Last season the Mets used "Sweet Caroline," which is a good song and all...but it's already being used by the Red Sox. Realizing that rubbed some people the wrong way, the Mets included the Neil Diamond classic in this year's online balloting but provided several lame other......

Photograph of keepsake box by Tien Mao; it seems Mets 2008 season ticket plan holders received them with the tickets Like the Yankees, the New York Mets are planning a move to a new stadium. While Shea Stadium is not as storied as Yankee Stadium (the Post says, "It's ugly, sterile and horribly outdated..."), the Mets have enjoyed two very memorable championships there. Today, the NY Times wrote about William Shea, "He laughed when......

Thousands of Internet denizens--including some Mets--don't want to ever give Rick Astley up, so they are attempting to rickroll the Amazin's by writing in Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" as the 8th Inning Sing-A-Long song at Shea. Seriously--over 8000 people have Dugg it! It's so funny, we can already imagine Mr. Met getting down, although one Mets fan turned visibly pale at the prospect. [Via reader Jason - thanks!] The Mets have asked......

WNBC’s Sue Simmons is known as a big Mets fan, so it's no surprise she was tapped to host a look back at Shea Stadium in its final year. So expect Sue being Sue along with some amazing Mets moments, concerts and some Jets (and we aren’t just talking about those coming into LaGuardia). The Amazin' Shea (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., WNBC 4) also will feature some interviews with some of the Mets greats. It is......

You may have heard that New York City will have two new ballparks to attend in 2009. Of course that means that Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium will close their doors forever after the 2008 season. And if you want to be there for the last scheduled game at either venue, you better have a lot of money. Tickets for the finale at Yankees Stadium are being scalped online for as much as $17,000 with......

"spot on" by ShhPeKo on flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a baby in cardiac arrest on West 96th St. in Manhattan, a shooting on Church and Flatbush Aves. in Brooklyn, and a found grenade on East 196th St. and Bainbridge Ave. in the Bronx. More hand-sifted material has been transported to Fresh Kills, Staten Island. The material does not contain any human remains and is not located on a site that contains landfill.......

In 1965 The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium (video), beginning a tradition of rock on the ball field. Sadly, they won't be around to bookend the life of the stadium, which opened its doors on April 17th, 1964 and gets torn down after the 2008 season. Helping them close up shop are Billy Joel and his piano. On July 16th Joel will make "The Last Play at Shea," and later in the year The Mets......

The Mets introduced Johan Santana, their newest player and best attempt at getting back to the World Series, in Flushing yesterday. Just last week, the Mets and Santana agreed to a six-year $137.5 million contract that makes the Mets a favorite in the National League. Scores of press were on hand for the introduction, as well as David Wright, Omar Minaya, owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon, and Willie Randolph. Before his official introduction, the Mets......

Earlier this year, Mayor Bloomberg announced a major plan to transform Willets Point, the area, also known as the Iron Triangle, across from Shea Stadium, into a thriving area of new housing, business and hotels. However, some are pretty unhappy with the plans, which include replacing 250 businesses, and they've channeled their hopes - and a fair amount of money - to City Council member Melinda Katz. The Post reports Katz received $29,500 from "people......

In the final year of baseball in Yankee Stadium, the legendary park will host the 2008 All-Star Game. In its 45th and final year, what does Shea Stadium get? A commemorative logo from the New York Mets. Fitting for the multi-purpose stadium that is a relic of the 1960s. Today, the Mets, the stadium's primary occupant since it opened in 1964, unveiled a logo that players will wear on their sleeves during the 2008 season.......

It took the Mets a little more than two weeks, but they've somehow managed to squander a seven-game lead in the National League East. Since September 12th, the lead has slowly gotten smaller and is now zero, zilch, zip, nadda, nil. With three games left in the regular season, the Mets are tied with the Phillies for first in the NL East. The last time the Mets weren't in sole possession of first place......

You probably won't catch any Mets fans or anyone associated with the club purchasing these yet, but MLB.com already has the New York Mets 2007 NL East Division Champions Roster T-Shirt up for sale on its website. Talk about counting your eggs way before they're hatched. The shirts aren't even available for pre-sale only, but are "in stock and ready to leave the warehouse" in 4-6 business days! Hmm...in 4-6 days, the NL East......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: An unstable building in Murray Hill; a "serious trauma" not far from Shea Stadium in Queens; a bank robbery at Avenue A and 4th Street; and at 777 6th Ave there was a barricaded EDP (emotionally disturbed person). Remember those chemicals found at the United Nations? It turns out that they were probably just cleaning supplies. Hopefully these aren't the same tests the organization uses for biological weapons. If......

If you make it out to Shea Stadium the rest of this season and next season, and you witness a Mets home run, be sure to wave bye-bye to the Home Run Apple. We previously wrote about the movement to save the Home Run Apple when the Mets move to Citi Field in 2009, but recent reports makes it look like its days are numbered. The Times reported yesterday that the apple will be retired......

With Citi Field construction making progress towards Opening Day 2009, we turn our attention to a relatively small detail at the stadium - the Home Run Apple. There's a movement afoot at SaveTheApple.com to...save the apple as it currently exists at Shea Stadium. While the website points out that renderings of Citi Field show an apple behind the outfield walls, there is no word on whether the apple is the same as the existing......

Mets 2, Reds 1: On a night when the Mets honored one member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, a future member inched closer to the 300 win milestone. It was Ralph Kiner Night at Shea Stadium and the Mets announced that their broadcast booth at Citi Field will bear the broadcaster's name. The TV booth at Shea is already named after Kiner, who played in the Majors for 13 seasons, mostly with the Pittsburgh......

In non-report card 7 train news, the MTA is now offering express 7 service after Mets games during weeknight games. And the service will start after tomorrow's Mets-Cincinnati Reds game. Post-game express service will last an hour, with trains leaving Willets Point-Shea Stadium every six minutes. Trips to Queensboro Plaza will now take 13 minutes (from 19 when taking the local) and trips to Times Square will now take 25 minutes (from 31). MTA Executive......

Yankees 8, Mets 2: This game didn't take too long to be decided. Alex Rodriguez deposited a ball in the back of the Mets bullpen in the bottom of the first, and the Yankees cruised behind Chien-Ming Wang. They took two of three of this version of the Subway Series and split the six games during the regular season. As good as Orlando Hernandez pitched for the Yankees, he hasn't done too well against them.......

If you're a believer in the Sports Illustrated cover curse, things could get ugly for the Mets pretty soon (or better if you think the team's recent play is due to the cover). General Manager Omar Minaya is featured in a cover story this week about his journey from the Dominican Republic, to becoming the first Hispanic G.M. in the Majors (with the Expos), to his success with the Mets. The feel-good story details Minaya's......

An AMNew York article delves into the neighborhood and tactical thoughts behind NYPD sky watch towers. The towers have four digital cameras, a spotlight, and a place for a cop to observe what's happening from two stories above the sidewalk. Reaction to the sky watches has been mixed. Crown Heights Community Board 10 chairman Emil Clark said, "People that had been living in the neighborhood forever were concerned that maybe this was for the people......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on Hillside Ave. in Queens, commercial robbery on 16th St. in Brooklyn, and a bomb threat on 70th St. and 2nd Ave. in Manhattan. We hope some Brooklynites' leases are ironclad, because getting tatooed with an image of your building is the new fashion. Mayor Bloomberg conjures the ghost of Teddy Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party by suggesting the likeliehood of a third party candidacy......

Now we know what happened to the NYPD's 2003 pilot program to have some of its officers use Segways: The batteries (which were eventually recalled) would make the entire Segway stop when they were dead, so officers were fall off. Now, the NYPD has decided the newer models are up to snuff and will make like it's 2003 by having 10 Segways patrol various parts of the city starting today. The NYPD officers aboard Segways......

Remember Ellen Massey? She's the Mets fan that had her back broken while watching an April game at Shea Stadium. Sitting in the upper deck, Massey had an "oversized" man, who may have been drunk fall on her, breaking one of her vertebra. Now, Massey, who had two steel rods placed in her back, is suing the Mets,, their concessions vendor Aramark, the service union that includes stadium security, and "John Doe," the man that......

Did you ever think that being a vendor at a baseball game was easy and that you could do it? Well, it might not be as easy as you think. With no training or experience, Harry Hurt III went to Shea looking to sell some dogs, make some money, and take in a game. He joined the ranks of other part-time vendors that include teenagers, principals, accountants, bus drivers and retirees. What followed was an......

The area across from Shea Stadium known as the Iron Triangle has never seemed suitable for housing, mostly because it was home to hundreds of auto shops. That could all change, if Mayor Bloomberg gets his way. Yesterday, the mayor announced a master plan to revitalize Willets Point, the official name of the 61-acre area in Northern Queens. The plan would replace the 250 businesses, which employ about 1,300 people, with housing, office space,......