William Shea Mets Hall of Fame Plaque

Though never a team owner or front office executive, the creation of the Mets is due in large part to William Shea. When the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants left for the West Coast in 1958, the city went from three clubs to one, with a sudden absence of NL ball. Local lawyer Shea lobbied MLB for a new club, and later founded the short-lived Continental League in an effort to bring another team in the Big Apple. The National League eventually agreed to expansion in 1962, and the New York Metropolitan Baseball Club was born. The Mets named Shea Stadium in Shea’s honor, recognizing his dedication to bring NL baseball back to the sport’s epicenter.