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Fans pay final respects to Tiger Stadium
Michigan
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in Sports Talk
It had its shortcomings (like those annoying posts if you were unlucky enough to get get a seat behind one) but overall it was a great
place and you were so close to the field of play (the new Comerica Park can't make that claim). Goodbye old Tiger stadium and thanks for
the memories.
DETROIT - The official death watch for Tiger Stadium has begun.
Three young people from the Thumb drove up to Tiger Stadium on Tuesday to pay their final respects.
"We wanted to touch it for the last time," said Andrew Potter, 21, of Saginaw, who was carrying the ticket stub from a 1997 game that was his only previous visit to the stadium. They shared their visit via cell phone with a good buddy, a marine serving in Iraq. "He's mad he couldn't be here," Potter said.
Lucky for Potter and his friends, they picked Tuesday: As they shared memories and took photos along Trumbull Avenue, workers nearby were erecting an 8-foot fence that by Thursday will encircle the hallowed ball park and seal its walls from the public - forever.
Demolition is scheduled to start soon on most of the stadium. The company with the contract, MCM Management Corp., would not comment Tuesday afternoon, but workers at the stadium said they had been told the tear-down would begin in two weeks.
This month, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick granted a final deadline of Aug 1 to the group that hopes to save the stadium from dugout to dugout. It needs to raise $15 million for its plans. In the meantime, the rest of the stadium will begin to fall.
In addition to the fence, other workers were sucking out oil with long hoses from the housing that holds the rooftop lights, carrying out electrical relays from elevators, and shutting off the electricity and gas.
As Potter and friends Justin Hayward, 25, of Saginaw and Jackie Magryta, 21, of Bay City stood on the sidewalk, one of the large gates began to rattle open, revealing a rare look of the stadium's innards.
"Wow!"
"Cool," they said.
Turns out they couldn't get in; a security guard was simply taking out his car.
Speaking of the demolition, Potter said: "This is huge. It isn't even Detroit history. This is baseball history."
He added: "We wanted to get a picture so we can tell the grandkids."
place and you were so close to the field of play (the new Comerica Park can't make that claim). Goodbye old Tiger stadium and thanks for
the memories.
DETROIT - The official death watch for Tiger Stadium has begun.
Three young people from the Thumb drove up to Tiger Stadium on Tuesday to pay their final respects.
"We wanted to touch it for the last time," said Andrew Potter, 21, of Saginaw, who was carrying the ticket stub from a 1997 game that was his only previous visit to the stadium. They shared their visit via cell phone with a good buddy, a marine serving in Iraq. "He's mad he couldn't be here," Potter said.
Lucky for Potter and his friends, they picked Tuesday: As they shared memories and took photos along Trumbull Avenue, workers nearby were erecting an 8-foot fence that by Thursday will encircle the hallowed ball park and seal its walls from the public - forever.
Demolition is scheduled to start soon on most of the stadium. The company with the contract, MCM Management Corp., would not comment Tuesday afternoon, but workers at the stadium said they had been told the tear-down would begin in two weeks.
This month, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick granted a final deadline of Aug 1 to the group that hopes to save the stadium from dugout to dugout. It needs to raise $15 million for its plans. In the meantime, the rest of the stadium will begin to fall.
In addition to the fence, other workers were sucking out oil with long hoses from the housing that holds the rooftop lights, carrying out electrical relays from elevators, and shutting off the electricity and gas.
As Potter and friends Justin Hayward, 25, of Saginaw and Jackie Magryta, 21, of Bay City stood on the sidewalk, one of the large gates began to rattle open, revealing a rare look of the stadium's innards.
"Wow!"
"Cool," they said.
Turns out they couldn't get in; a security guard was simply taking out his car.
Speaking of the demolition, Potter said: "This is huge. It isn't even Detroit history. This is baseball history."
He added: "We wanted to get a picture so we can tell the grandkids."
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Comments
sad to see it finally go but i think it has too since they haven't done anything with it.
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started
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<< <i>Tiger Stadium and Comiskey Park...I miss them both. I grew up at Fenway but those two places just make me think of baseball from the 20's-80's. Stinks that they have to tear it down. I remember Mickey Tettleton hitting one off the right field light stantion against the Red Sox. >>
I got to see Mark Fidrych's first game as a Tiger back in 76 at Tiger Stadium and Sparky Andersons first win at Tiger manager. Went to the 3rd to the last game there with my daughter who was 3 or 4 at that time. Got a foul ball during batting pratice!!
collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.
looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started