The 1975 Yankees played their final game at Shea Stadium on September 28, ending a two-year exile that nobody enjoyed and everybody endured. For 324 regular-season games across the 1974 and 1975 seasons, the Yankees had been tenants in the Mets' building while Yankee Stadium underwent a complete renovation. They'd gone 90-69 at Shea over those two years -- proof they could win anywhere -- but the borrowed ballpark never felt right. The food was wrong. The sight lines were wrong. Even the dirt smelled different.
The Second Year
The 1974 season at Shea had been the adjustment year -- the team figuring out how to exist in someone else's stadium. By 1975, the novelty was gone and only the annoyance remained. The players knew the dimensions (338 feet down the lines, 410 to center), knew the dead spots in the outfield where fly balls went to die, and knew that power hitters were fighting the park every night.
The Yankees posted a 43-35 home record at Shea in 1975 -- a .551 winning percentage that was better than their 40-42 road mark. Catfish Hunter's dominance helped -- the big park played into his ground-ball approach, and opposing hitters couldn't exploit the deep fences against a pitcher who didn't give up many fly balls. Bobby Bonds's 32 home runs showed that power wasn't completely dead at Shea, but the park made hitters earn every long ball.
What the Displacement Cost
Two years without a home affected the franchise in ways that went beyond wins and losses. Attendance suffered -- fans who'd spent decades taking the subway to the Bronx didn't want to make the trek to Flushing. The identity of the franchise was blurred. Were the Yankees still the Yankees if they played in a Mets stadium? The answer was obviously yes, but the question wouldn't have been asked if they'd been playing on their own turf.
Season-ticket holders dealt with unfamiliar surroundings, different concession options, and the cognitive dissonance of watching pinstripes in a building decorated in Mets blue and orange. Some longtime fans boycotted entirely and waited for the Stadium to reopen. The displacement created a gap between the franchise and its community that took the 1976 reopening to fully repair.
Building a Team in Exile
The irony of the Shea years was that the Yankees built their championship roster while displaced. The Chambliss trade happened during the first Shea season. The Hunter signing followed that winter. Billy Martin's hiring came at Shea in August 1975. Munson's emergence as leader crystallized during these two displaced seasons. The foundation of the 1977-1978 dynasty was poured in someone else's stadium.
The displacement may have actually helped in one perverse way: it created urgency. The players knew the exile was temporary. They knew a renovated Yankee Stadium was waiting. And they knew that when they walked back into the Bronx, they needed to be a team worthy of the building. The pressure to be championship-caliber by 1976 -- when the Stadium reopened -- drove every front office decision and every roster move during the Shea years.
The Last Game
September 28, 1975. The Yankees played their final game as Shea tenants, closing out an 83-77 season in third place. There was no ceremony for the occasion, no special acknowledgment that a unique chapter in franchise history was ending. The players packed up, cleaned out their temporary lockers, and prepared for an offseason that would reshape the roster.
Martin and Gabe Paul spent that winter trading Bobby Bonds to California for Mickey Rivers and Ed Figueroa, then acquiring Willie Randolph from Pittsburgh. By the time spring training began, the team that walked into the renovated Yankee Stadium looked nothing like the one that had sleepwalked through parts of the Shea years. The exile was over. The winning was about to begin.
The Renovation's Scope
The Yankee Stadium renovation wasn't cosmetic. The original copper frieze was removed (a fiberglass replica was installed at the roofline). The interior was completely reconfigured -- new seating, new concourses, new clubhouses. The field level was lowered, and escalators were added. The capacity dropped from over 67,000 to about 57,000, but the sight lines improved dramatically.
When the renovated Stadium opened on April 15, 1976, it was effectively a new building wearing an old name. The Yankees christened it with a pennant-winning season -- their first since 1964. The two years at Shea had been the price of admission. The 1976 season was the payoff.
| Seasons at Shea | 1974-1975 |
| Combined Home Record | 90-69 |
| 1975 Home Record | 43-35 (.551) |
| 1975 Road Record | 40-42 (.488) |
| Final Game at Shea | September 28, 1975 |
| Yankee Stadium Reopening | April 15, 1976 |
Yankee Stadium Closes for Renovation
The original Yankee Stadium closes for a complete teardown and rebuild, displacing the Yankees to Shea Stadium for the 1974-1975 seasons.
First Game at Shea
The Yankees play their first home game at Shea Stadium against Cleveland, beginning a two-year exile in Queens.
Year One at Shea
The Yankees go 47-34 at Shea and 89-73 overall, finishing second in the AL East. The park suppresses power but helps the pitching staff.
Year Two at Shea
The Yankees go 43-35 at Shea in their final season as tenants. Billy Martin takes over as manager on August 1.
Final Game at Shea
The Yankees play their last game at Shea Stadium, closing a two-year chapter in franchise history.
Yankee Stadium Reopens
The renovated Yankee Stadium opens with a ceremony and a game against Minnesota. The Yankees win the pennant that season.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many seasons did the Yankees play at Shea Stadium?
The Yankees played at Shea for two seasons -- 1974 and 1975 -- while Yankee Stadium underwent a complete renovation.
What was the Yankees' record at Shea Stadium?
Over two seasons, the Yankees went 90-69 at Shea, a .566 winning percentage. They went 47-34 in 1974 and 43-35 in 1975.
When did the renovated Yankee Stadium reopen?
The renovated Yankee Stadium opened on April 15, 1976, with a game against the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees won the AL pennant that season.