Sigh

[filkertom]

Tiger Stadium to be torn down.

Comments

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

But the Cubs lost their last World Series there...

[kshandra]

I wonder how davehogg is handling that. (He's an AP stringer based out of MI.)

[markbernstein.livejournal.com]

Here's some additional detail, from the Detroit Free Press.

It's sad, but I think this may be a better way that just letting it sit and rot. I don't see anyone stepping up with the money and will to maintain it.

[ericthemage.livejournal.com]

The end of an era. Sad to see it go. Sad to see Kwame in charge of it's demolition too. :-/

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Odd to think that someday "Michigan and Trumbull" won't have any particular significance in Detroit. Ah well, tempus fugit. Time for Briggs Field to join J. L. Hudson's. (Yes, that's me wearing my Old Phart hat, saying Briggs Field.)

Here in Baltimore they did something similar with old Memorial Stadium, where the Orioles used to play. Now most of it's been turned into townhouses, and a little bit of it's a park with a small baseball diamond for kids.

[raendrop.livejournal.com]

I saw that coming back when they built Comerica Park.

[james-rayner.livejournal.com]

*Sniff.*
...Makes me want Municipal Stadium back.

*Sniff*

*Old Cleveland fan*

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Time marches on..

Of course, Giants fans are probably unique in that we have no sense of nostalgia for Candlestick, and would probably take upo a collection to have it destroyed if the Niners weren't still using it.

This is for a good reason. We used to give medals (the Croix de Candlestick) to any soul hardy and crazy enough to stay to the end of an extra-innings night game.

St. Louis did it right

[pickledcritter.livejournal.com]

St. Louis built the new Busch Stadium adjacent to, and incorporating the old Busch Stadium it was replacing

[rook543.livejournal.com]

-Rant Alert-

Okay! I'll say it!

But first. I have seen all but 2 of my ball games at Tiger Stadium. I saw my first football game there (before the silverdome).
I met my favorite players there. Mark Fidrych, Aurilio Rodregiuez, Jason Thompson, Dave Rozema, Ron LeFlore, Kirk Gibson, Ralph Houk, Sparky Anderson, Lance Parrish, Lou Whittaker, John B Wockenfuss, and more. I met Herbie Redman (The groudskeeper that used to dance while sweeping the infield. I even was an extra in the movie '61' there (a fan in the stands)

So I'm not some guy who has no tie to the old stadium or history with it.

So it is with that history I say Thank God. Yes Tiger Stadium is one of the last of the old ball parks. But lets remember a few things. The place was disintegrating before our eyes for the last 20 years. The traffic was a nightmare. The dark green paint in the stadium was downright depressing. And if you ever had to sit in the obstructed seating (and there was lots of it.) Trying to watch a game was just infuriating. And the angle of view from the upper deck was terrible unless you were right at the front.

Life goes on, building get old and crumble. Comerica Park is a great ball field. Except for the name. I would have preferred something like "Toger Field - presented by Comerica" or the like. And I REFUSE to call it "The Copa" There is NO WAY I will ever agree to any ball park sounding like it's a line from a Barry Manilow song. But the park is very nice, smartly laid out, and parking is not a nightmare.

Do I HATE the old stadium? No, not at all. But it had some HUGE problems and it's time has come and gone. I will also remember why I am glad we have a new stadium.

There! I said it!

- Rant Over -