Tiger Stadium likely to be demolished...

Tigers/Jays was the arguably the most underrated rivalry in the late 80s/early 90s. A true casualty of the three division arrangement.

FUCK YOU, BUD!!!!!

 

That would have faded anyway as both teams slipped into mediocrity. And, it's not like they don't play each other every year. Heck, the three divisions actually give them a chance to perhaps someday meet in the playoffs.

 

Sorry, but to me the playoffs don't mean what they used to. The beauty of the Tigers-Jays rivalry was the fight between them to finish first and get to the playoffs. Everything after that was gravy, almost.

 

Thanks for this -- I bookmarked it for later, but the stuff on the viaduct and Polo Grounds was great.

 

Buffalo saved the main entrance of War Memorial Stadium when it was demolished and the field itself was turned into a kids baseball park.

Here's a great link to some scenes of WMS and other locations from "The Natural."

http://forgottenbuffalo.com/forgottenbuffalotours/thenaturaltour.html

The whole "Forgotten Buffalo" site is a treasure trove to all WNYers.

 

Helluva last 10 days...

 

You know you're playing at an old-ass stadium when you see a Longines analog scoreboard. I missed by one year playing at a high school football stadium that had a Longines clock (and I played in the 80s). It was like those old Disney football movies. Would actually be kind of cool today.

 

I've suggested this before, but an SportsJournalists.com gathering for the Rickwood Classic would be awesome, especially since America's oldest ballpark turns 100 next year.

http://www.rickwood.com/

 

I spent many a summer night playing cupball in the dust under the stands at Rickwood Field. We had season tickets in the early-mid 1970s when it was the Birmingham A's. Looking at the 1970s photo gallery on that site, I got to flashback to a Braves-Orioles exhibition game. Also a picture of Al Lewis, who was called up annually for the postseason to be a designated pinch runner for the Swingin' A's in the World Series runs. We had seats right by the steps leading from the outfield side of the dugout and got to talk with a lot of players and coaches. Man, that was great stuff for a kid.

First time I ever got the wind knocked out of me was right behind the dugout. Somebody hit a foul ball that one-hopped and went just over the dugout. I was about 5 years old and it got me right in the gut. I thought I was dying because I couldn't breathe. Good times.

 

Certainly you're not the only one who feels that way. Plenty of Red Sox and Yankees fans have expressed the same sentiments. The reality is that more often than not a pennant race doesn't come down to the final few days with the contenders playing head-to-head.

Because of that, I lean toward a best-of-seven series between the two teams as more exciting. No scoreboard watching. Just set your pitching rotation, go out there and go at it, and may the best team win.

 

This was probably posted elsewhere, but Alan Trammel says goodbye:

http://detroitnews.com/article/20090624/SPORTS0104/906240394/1004/sports/Alan+Trammell+makes+a+short+stop+to+remember+Tiger+Stadium

 

As you can probably tell by one of those photos in the story Storm linked, there is almost nothing left now.

Drove past it twice today. The entire upper deck is now collapsed. Area looks entirely different now.

One thing that is still standing is the shaft for the press box elevator. But other than that, you have to be pretty close to see what's left standing.