 
Sturge
Member
Username: Sturge
Post Number: 148
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 3:06 pm: |    |
"Walking slowly, VERY slowly was this 80+ year old woman across the same bridge we had to take."
Geez, couldn't her sons have got her closer to the stadium instead of making her cross the bridge? |
Smogboy
Member
Username: Smogboy
Post Number: 6296
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 3:35 pm: | |
I aksed that question already Sturge.
It didn't make sense to me either. My one thought was that she might've lived in the area and didn't believe in the silliness of driving across to the ballpark. |
Little_buddy
Member
Username: Little_buddy
Post Number: 31
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 3:40 pm: | |
Had season tickets for one of the last Lions seasons at Tiger stadium and sat behind a guy with a couple of phones under his chair, ringing throughout the game. Who was this, any ideas anyone. |
Maxcarey
Member
Username: Maxcarey
Post Number: 191
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 8:43 pm: | |
"jjaba kissed her on the strikes, and she kissed him on the balls"
Stolen directly from the great Dizzy Dean. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 577
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 9:40 pm: | |
You sonnavabitch how dare you come onto this site saying you got into Tiger Stadium! I want to kick your ass hahahaha
I am jealous, I wish I was in your shoes that day.
Can you convince those mothers to let all of us fans in that goddam place and pay to remove the seats for them?????????????????????? |
Mallory
Member
Username: Mallory
Post Number: 211
Registered: 05-2006
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 10:59 am: | |
I know there are tons of reasons why the powers that be thought it best to build Comerica Park and leave the old ballpark, but eff 'em. I still miss Tiger Stadium and always will.
My Stadium memory. I was an intern for NBC for the '84 World Series. We were asked to take lunch to the camera personnel, including the guy on the roof. In other words, during one of the games me and another guy were on the roof of Tiger Stadium with a bag of White Castle hamburgers. All the while I kept thinking that I could be immortal if I fell. Then again, I would also be DEAD. Whatever. I'll miss the old girl when she's gone. Thanks for the pics. |
Cynknight
Member
Username: Cynknight
Post Number: 98
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 12:08 pm: | |
It makes me nostalgic to read everyone's comments. My favorite memory of Tiger Stadium was as a kid going to a night game (doubleheader)where the game went into extra innings. I don't remember details, just the magical feeling of watching our guys play and the thrill of going to a night game. I had mini-season tickets in 1999 - went to both Opening Day and the very last game. Took some video driving away from the balllpark, realizing that never again would it be lit up for a night Tigers game. When '61 filmed, I was an extra/background for a day, and able to walk through the park a bit. Thanks for sharing your pictures of the ballpark - Rhymes - would you mind if I used one on my blog? |
Xd_brklyn
Member
Username: Xd_brklyn
Post Number: 334
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, November 02, 2007 - 1:08 pm: | |
Many good memories of Tiger Stadium, but among the ones that stand out are--
Seeing Mark Fidrych pitch in '76--no other single ballplayer ever since has ever generated that much excitement on the field. No question.
Watching Frank Howard as a Detroit Tiger come up to bat in the bottom of the 9th, one runner on, and the Tigers down by one. It was a classic "Casey at Bat" scene, except Frank parked one in the left field stands, upper deck. Tigers won and the bleachers where we sat went crazy.
Seeing Jim Northup make a game-ending over-the-fence catch in left field. Had to have been in either '72 or '73.
A note on the Northup catch--in those days, you didn't see that many great defensive plays as you do now. In fact, you didn't see as many games on TV as you do now, period. Because the lack of instant replays and the one--and only one--Game of the Week on TV, the great defensive plays at that time you would see again and again were the ones they published in baseball magazines. In the magazines, it seemed that there was only one great defensive play a season and it was always in the World Series. There was Ron Swoboda's catch in '69, Brooks Robinson's diving stab in '70, a Clemente play in '71, and Joe Rudi's climb up the wall catch in '72.
So when a photograph of Northup's catch was later published in the front pages of a Tiger Scorecard Program it confirmed to me that his catch was up there with all those great World Series catches that we would rehearse on the baseball field in a game we called "Great Catches." In this game the intent was for someone to throw the ball just far enough away from the fielder so they would have to break their back to catch it. Slamming into the fences, diving into the ground, sliding along on the grass, leaping and then landing on the other side of the fence with the ball in your glove--it was great fun!
In any case, I stopped by the stadium on Saturday and it was like the showing of a family member who had passed away with those attending just kind of standing about in the back talking and going over things. I just wanted to confirm the stadium was still to my mind one of the greatest spaces in the Western world I've been too--and it was! Even in it's current condition the ballpark still held up all my memories of the place. Detroit should consider itself fortunate to have had the park around for so many years. |
Paulmcall
Member
Username: Paulmcall
Post Number: 502
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 10:31 am: | |
You're right about the family member and death. I guess the park has been in a coma for years and now will be put to rest.
It will join a lot of other family members (buildings) that were enjoyed and revered for generations. So many have been lost. It's a shame. |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1001
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 4:14 pm: | |
Thanks for sharing your pictures of the ballpark - Rhymes - would you mind if I used one on my blog?
No, but if you could give credit, that'd be nice. Either to my LiveJournal or www.buildingsofdetroit.com, which we're trying to get back up, by the way. Our host went out of business and took a ton of stuff we stupidly didn't back up with it. |
Tarkus
Member
Username: Tarkus
Post Number: 411
Registered: 04-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 03, 2007 - 4:33 pm: | |
I worked there during the last 6 years. I was in crowd control in upper right field from home plate to the porch. Not many crowds during those last 6 years but what memories.
I always arrived to the stadium early and roamed around the nooks and crannies. I found a spot where previous players had scribbled their names, to bad I couldn't take that when the last game was finished.
It was always fun when I had clubhouse duty. The best was being in with the Yankees and playing cards with David Wells. Found out we both had the same tattoo artist. And watching Popeye(Don Zimmer) cheat at the card game.
I'm going to miss the smells the most. The odor of the hotdog crates with the charcoal in them. Comerica dogs don't even come close. And the old vendors telling kids and some adults ketchup doesn't go on a ballpark hotdog.
The coolest thing was after the last game there the employees got to play a round robin softball tourney there and an all day picnic. Our team won, I got a single with a sprained ankle. Afterwords the Tigers gave everyone there a brick from one of the walls that collapsed at the beginning of the year with a brass plaque that says "A Piece of The Corner" Tiger Stadium 1912-1999. It's sitting in my office now. |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1004
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 - 1:11 pm: | |
Freep reports January or February is when the beginning of the end will start. The city's seeking bids for the demo, so the wrecking ball should arrive in the next couple of months.
That should make some schitt talkers on here happy. |
Barich16cmu
Member
Username: Barich16cmu
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 - 2:44 pm: | |
Is there anyway you can post a hi-res picture or a link to a hi-res of the 3rd picture on your page. I would love to have something like that as my wallpaper. Thanks. |
Detalum
Member
Username: Detalum
Post Number: 2
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Monday, November 05, 2007 - 10:24 pm: | |
My fondest memories of Tiger Stadium were from the late 60's, especially 1968. Not just because of the championship and the one World Series game that I attended, but it was the year that I frequently picked up my future ex-wife after the games. She worked one of the hot dog booths in the stadium. Sometimes I would wait in the car at the Trumbull gate, and other times I would go inside (there was seldom an entrance issue in the 8th or 9th inning) and wait by her counter until she was finished cleaning up. What was most memorable about this was that we would walk out of the stadium at the same gate as some of the players, usually Gates Brown and Jim Northrup, and be confronted with young autograph seekers. On one occasion, a young fan who obviously didn't know the players very well asked me for an autograph. Admitted, I gave him one. It was too much of an ego boost to avoid. Besides, I figured he didn't lose anything, and gained a signature of some no-named, never-was rookie from Cleveland whenever he looked at his collection in the future. |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1005
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 12:35 am: | |
Barich,
Check out my photobucket for full-size:
http://s215.photobucket.com/al bums/cc280/buildingsofdetroit/ Tiger%20Stadium/ |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 623
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 1:58 am: | |
i want those seats! goddamit, why don' they let me buy them! |
Barich16cmu
Member
Username: Barich16cmu
Post Number: 8
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 9:25 am: | |
Thanks for the full size pics. |
Xd_brklyn
Member
Username: Xd_brklyn
Post Number: 335
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 9:58 am: | |
Rhymes, thanks for sharing the photos. Definitely some classic ones in there, thinking of DSC01712, especially.
Also the outfield walls--I can't think of any other MLB ballpark where you are on the same level and that close to the playing field. |
Goblue
Member
Username: Goblue
Post Number: 522
Registered: 03-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 06, 2007 - 11:49 am: | |
Four generations of my family loved that ballpark. The grandfathers who died before I was born. My father and mother. My son and me. My dad took me to the park...in later years I took him...and my mother. They both loved the games. One of the most memorable nights was taking my dad and my son who was about ten at the time to see The Bird pitch.
Was there ever a greener green than the color of that grass as you emerged into the light?•••••.the thrill never ceased.
Al Kaline, Virgil Trucks, Ray Boone, Lou & Tram, Gibson, "Sunday Punch" Charley Maxwell, Vic Wertz, Norm Cash, Sparky...the thrill of coming from three games down to win it all in '68...the wire to wire in'84...ah, the memories. Thanks for bringing them back one more time.
Earlier post was correct...would the Italians tear down the Coliseum? |
J32885
Member
Username: J32885
Post Number: 47
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 - 11:47 pm: | |
Awesome recent pics of Tiger Stadium. Been driving past the place, since going to Wayne St this fall. Seems like now, that most of the building seems to be striped down from the ballpark auction. |
Tigersfan9
Member
Username: Tigersfan9
Post Number: 147
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 4:36 pm: | |
http://s228.photobucket.com/al bums/ee320/tigerstadiumfan/ |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 10927
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 5:14 pm: | |
What a silly comparison.
And actually if you must know the Italians did strip the marble and other salvageable materials off the coliseum. If they had an oppostunity to tear it down back in the day it would be gone.
Of course Italy now does not have 30 'Coliseums'. Even comparing the two is a complete insult to anyone that appreciates history more than 50-100 years old. |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1057
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 6:27 pm: | |
Question, Jt1: How is something ever to last to be several thousand years old if it is knocked down when it's 100? |
Jt1
Member
Username: Jt1
Post Number: 10932
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 6:32 pm: | |
It's not.
But I certainly hope that you are comparing the amazing engineering and construction behind the Colisseum to TS. There are certainly things worth keeping and maintaing but beyond memories can you name one reason that TS should stay?
Sorry If I am getting snippy but even bringing up the Coliseum is just stupid and the fact that someone with seemingly as much contempt for the city as GoBlue pining over the memories is even more frustrating.
I have been to the Coliseum and you, Tiger Stadium are no Coliseum. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 723
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 07, 2007 - 6:50 pm: | |
My friend has a home movie from a personal 16 mm film from the early 1940's, in what was Briggs Stadium, pretty cool to see the old stadium.
Too bad they didn't remove a lot of the crap before it turned to shit. Not much forethought on city planners. |
Sturge
Member
Username: Sturge
Post Number: 181
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 10:10 am: | |
As I went past the stadium on the north side today. I noticed a bunch of cars parked inside the gate. The door was wide open and I could catch a glimpse of the field.
Prep work going on today? |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 3
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 11:38 am: | |
What really bothers me, is that the same thing almost happened in Boston. Fenway, a park with as much history and memories was in danger of being closed for a new and "improved" park for the team, but the citizens of Boston would not let it happen. They stood their ground and kept their beloved park, and the money that would have been spent on a new park, was put into existing repairs on their old girl.
We as Detroiters complain how terrible it is the city is letting this happen, but aren't we the ones to blame for allowing it to get to this point? Couldn't we have fought harder for the preservation of our beloved corner?
In the words of Wayne Gretzky...You miss 100% of the shots you never take. And this was a big one...we missed out on the opportunity to preserve our memories, when so many cities are building "Retro" or "Classic" parks...we could still have the real thing.
Imagine Mags hitting that walk-off homer against the A's at Michigan and Trumble...instead of CoPa on Woodward... |
Detroitstar
Member
Username: Detroitstar
Post Number: 836
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 12:53 pm: | |
Actually, I think Maggs' walk off homer against Oakland was much better at Copa because it sent the downtown streets into a frenzy that lasted for hours after the ballpark let out.
Had this happened at The Corner, I think there would have been a great celebration that would have lasted all night, but it certainly would not have revolved around the stadium as it did at Copa. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 4
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 1:03 pm: | |
True, but you can't possibly compare the atmosphere, as loud as Comerica was that evening...imagine the thunderous noise booming off the roof, and the bleachers and escaping out onto the field in a deafening roar. The lights twinkling in the autumn air and more history being added on to an already extensive resume.
Granted, that event most likely would never have happened at the corner because of Illitch and Co.'s investment in the Red Wings at the time. I have noticed at people have failed to correlate the Tigers turn around with the NHL Lockout. |
Dds
Member
Username: Dds
Post Number: 482
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 1:59 pm: | |
quote:Couldn't we have fought harder for the preservation of our beloved corner?
Unless you knew a way to falsify voting records and could have rigged the referendum from passing that allowed subsidizing the new park.
quote:Imagine Mags hitting that walk-off homer against the A's at Michigan and Trumble...instead of CoPa on Woodward...
I'm assuming you were too busy bemoaning the fact that the home run was hit at Comerica rather than Tiger Stadium to cheer, then. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 5
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 2:08 pm: | |
Not at all Dds, I was just making pointed opinions on the game in either location. I think that season made Comerica an acceptable ball park, because it finally had its own history and memories for people to connect to.
And I was cheering, along with every other tiger fan who had waited through all the rough seasons, and been to countless games at Comerica through the 119-loss campaign.
I was simply providing fodder for the masses with my thoughts on our beloved corner. |
Dds
Member
Username: Dds
Post Number: 483
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 3:00 pm: | |
quote:I think that season made Comerica an acceptable ball park, because it finally had its own history and memories for people to connect to.
So you are writing off the first 5 seasons the park was in operation? No acceptable memories? There were thousands of memories for fans who showed up and cheered despite the crappy stadium and the crappy teams.
When the venue becomes just as, or more important than the game itself, there needs to be a reality check.
I dislike Comerica as much as the next guy who loved Tiger Stadium. I've seen many games in parks that are what I consider worse than Comerica (The Astrodome where I spent 3 seasons, and multiple games at Shea Stadium) If I could have seen Bagwell, Biggio, Caminiti et al in Minute Maid Park, or see McGwire hit 50 & 51 in some classic park, it wouldn't have made the memories any more or less.
Nolan Ryan pitching a preseason game during his farewell season from almost straight above home plate in the Randall's nose bleed seats in the Astrodome did not lessen the electricity.
When the referendum passed and the inevitability of Comerica being built became reality is the time when I let go. Tiger Stadium would no longer be my home team's stadium, no matter how much I complained/still complain today. There's nothing wrong with being sentimental, but don't you think it's a little much to try second guessing a moment by trying to imagine its somewhere it's not?
I guess what I'm simply trying to say is to let it go and embrace the memories. |
D_mcc
Member
Username: D_mcc
Post Number: 6
Registered: 12-2007
| | Posted on Friday, December 14, 2007 - 3:13 pm: | |
Well put, I really don't disagree with you, but there is a certain loss that one feels when a place where part of the collective memory of a city is removed. |
Rhymeswithrawk
Member
Username: Rhymeswithrawk
Post Number: 1065
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 3:40 am: | |
Simply put: Tiger Stadium was a better place to watch a baseball game (unless you got stuck behind a pole, of course). Comerica is a better place to take in the skyline and catch a merry-go-round ride. It's OK if you disagree. I'm sure a lot of people said Joe Louis was way better than the Olympia, too. |
Reddog289
Member
Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 143
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 4:12 am: | |
i pretty much let go of tiger stadium when i was there during the filming of 61*. i looked around said to myself[this place is a mess]. kinda fiqured then that it would rot or come down. love that place cept gotta go to the copa to see the tigers, thats the way it is. |
Drankin21
Member
Username: Drankin21
Post Number: 137
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 11:39 am: | |
Anyone have any idea if they sold the actual aluminum seat pieces that made up the bleachers? I couldn't find them for sale anywhere. I bought a pair of seats but would still rather have a 10 foot section of bleacher since that's where I spent most of my time. |
Soomka1
Member
Username: Soomka1
Post Number: 71
Registered: 02-2007
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 2:16 pm: | |
Drankin21, I thought I remembered some in the auction, so I went back and checked. They sold 17 sections of the bleachers and they went from $275 to $625 each.
Here is the description: "Lot 744: Bleacher Seat From Tiger Stadium. This Item will come with the leg posts but will not stand on its own. Winning bidder will have to construct a stand for it. Size 7 1/2" x 81""
The people who ran the auction were idiots. They could have sold every nut, bolt and scrap from that stadium without much effort. They should set it up like a salvage yard where people sign a waiver and go in and pull out whatever they want and pay the posted price. |
Charlottepaul
Member
Username: Charlottepaul
Post Number: 2142
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 3:01 pm: | |
"What really bothers me, is that the same thing almost happened in Boston. Fenway, a park with as much history and memories was in danger of being closed for a new and "improved" park for the team, but the citizens of Boston would not let it happen. They stood their ground and kept their beloved park, and the money that would have been spent on a new park, was put into existing repairs on their old girl."
HOWEVER, there does come a point when investing money in something 'old' is no longer the best option. If you had a 15 year old car, it might make sense to continue spending money on repairs, but also, at some point you make a decision that it isn't the best use of money to continue to keep it up--you would rather start over with a new car. Sure at some point, your ride might become a classic, but chances are that it won't and that that possibility is not worth the investment. |
Reddog289
Member
Username: Reddog289
Post Number: 147
Registered: 08-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 2:36 am: | |
i didn,t see the bleachers in the auction, if i did don,t think i,d even pay the $275.00 for any piece of the bleachers. wait till the real scrappers get ahold of the place. |
Jmarx
Member
Username: Jmarx
Post Number: 55
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 - 4:47 pm: | |
Looks like the fate of another classic ballpark is in the balance...: http://cbs2chicago.com/local/t ribune.wrigley.field.2.609890. html |
Tigersfan9
Member
Username: Tigersfan9
Post Number: 149
Registered: 03-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 9:59 am: | |
The bleachers sold in the auction were from the lower deck centerfield bleachers, not from the upper deck. I was in the Stadium last month and none of the upper deck CF bleachers were removed. I believe those will be sold as scrap following the demolition. The lower CF bleachers, which became a picnic area in the Stadium's final seasons, were gone. |
Ticub
Member
Username: Ticub
Post Number: 16
Registered: 05-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 11:55 am: | |
When they tore out the green seats in '77 (?), I walked into the stadium, and they were all piled up on the concourse behind 3rd. They were in sets of 4, and a worker told me to help myself. I took a set for myself and my buddy and put them into my station wagon. I removed one seat to make it manageable for my basement where they now sit. A single and a pair. Who needs the blue when you've got the green, and it didn't cost me a cent. Those were the days. |
Drankin21
Member
Username: Drankin21
Post Number: 142
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 12:12 pm: | |
Thanks a lot Soomka.
If the center field bleachers are being sold for scrap, I wonder who I could contact to see if I could pick some up? They are made of Aluminum so there are no rust concerns. Those are the ones I would want anyways! |
Skulker
Member
Username: Skulker
Post Number: 3854
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 - 1:27 pm: | |
Comerica Park charges $8.50 for a 25 ounce beer. That works out to two 12 ounce beers at $4.25 a piece with an extra swig thrown in. Cheaper than most bars for a Molson.
Fenway charges $9 for a 10 ounce Molson. That is less liquid than in a standard beer.
On Deck Circle at Comerica is $65 and bleachers are $12. Equivalent seats at Fenway are $125 and $26.
That is how Boston continues to cover the horrendous financial inefficiencies of the stadium. Buy screwing over the consumer with hyper inflated prices. We in Detroit scream about prices that are half of what the are at Fenway.
Detroiters could have saved Tiger Stadium but the cold hard fact remains that we were not supporting one of the best bargains in baseball. Attendance was atrocious until the last two seasons there.
A city gets what it supports and when you don't support something, it goes away. We don't support old parks by being willing to pay through the nose.
Sorry, them's the facts. |
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