Memories of Shea - Big John SchmidtyI never met Big John Schmidty. I always pictured him as a burly Irishman in his 50's, with white hair and a big beer gut, but I really had no idea what he looked like or anything about him at all.
Though we never met, thanks to Big John, during the late 80's, I was able to secure field box seats to several Mets games.
My relationship with Schmidty started around 1988. The Mets had installed a fence around the field box level, making it difficult to move down from the upper levels.
One game we tried to move down to field box seats, and were predictably stopped by security. For whatever reason, I asked the guard whether there was someone I could speak to about upgrading my seats. After a reflective pause, he gave me directions to go to see Big John Schmidty and let me through.
Once inside, I decided not to meet with Big John, and to instead sit down on one of the many empty field box seats.
The next few times I went to Shea with cheap seats, I had no trouble entering the field level by telling the guard stationed at the fence that "I'm here to speak with Big John Schmidty."
Invariably, for a couple of innings I'd be worried that Big John would get wind of his name being invoked in vain and would find me. But nothing like that ever happened.
By 1990, I was content with moving down to the loge level, and Big John Schmidty and I went our separate ways.
posted on 2/07/2008
