Tiger Stadium is coming down

[robnshell18]

It's a sad day here in Detroit; Tiger Stadium is being demolished. It needed to happen--the place has been a dark, mouldering hulk since they closed the doors. It's been rusting slowly since the Iliches left it in '99. Now, I've been to many games at Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park and every time I go to a game at CoPa, it reminds me of what it isn't. While it's a great ballpark, it doesn't have the same element of mystery that The Corner had.

I always thought the great part of the Stadium was the way it hid the field until you were right on top of it; the concourse was dark and largely depressing, but when you walked the tunnel toward the seats, the field unfolded like a garden in the city. It was a beautiful sight and while it's nice to walk into Comerica and see the field from outside the fence, that mystery is completely lacking.

Also special was the surrounding neighborhood; Corktown embraced The Corner and every game there was like a mini-carnival of vendors and parking lots shot from the Corner all the way to Kingdom Come. It was a great sense of community that is missing at Comerica. I saw a game at Wrigley Field with my wife last year and the lasting memory I brought back with me was the way Wrigleyville reminded me of Corktown on game day.

You folks on the North Side and in Boston, hold onto what you've got now. You folks in the Bronx, enjoy it while you still can. Cause while a new ballpark may bring all sorts of amenities to your game-viewing experience, there will always be something missing in the new experiences. And, more than likely, you'll all know exactly what it is.

Here's the link to the Tiger Stadium demolition article.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS01/80709023/1048

[Shumway]

Although the farthest west I've been is Pittsburgh(seriously), Tiger Stadium was always my favorite ballpark. 'Tis a shame...I would've liked to see the Tigers play a preseason game or something there again.

[BadSeed84]

Thats a shame, I guess I cold never relate as I live in Philly and the Vet was never a classic ballpark, so when we got "the cit", it was just amazing.

But yeah, I could see how people miss tiger stadium, anyways heres some links to a guys site that has lots of tiger stadium pictures, when it was active, and after 1999

http://www.ballparks.phanfare.com/album/309547 -from the 70s, 80s, and 90s

http://www.ballparks.phanfare.com/album/306247 - from 2003

http://www.ballparks.phanfare.com/album/594064 - from 2007, Im kinda surprised as it looked actually better than I would've expected.

[infrared41]

I spent many an afternoon and evening in Tiger Stadium including Game 5 of the 1984 World Series. It has always been my favorite stadium. It's a shame to see it go. A true classic.

[dfwabel]

It's a sad day here in Detroit; Tiger Stadium is being demolished. It needed to happen--the place has been a dark, mouldering hulk since they closed the doors. It's been rusting slowly since the Iliches left it in '99. Now, I've been to many games at Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park and every time I go to a game at CoPa, it reminds me of what it isn't. While it's a great ballpark, it doesn't have the same element of mystery that The Corner had.

I always thought the great part of the Stadium was the way it hid the field until you were right on top of it; the concourse was dark and largely depressing, but when you walked the tunnel toward the seats, the field unfolded like a garden in the city. It was a beautiful sight and while it's nice to walk into Comerica and see the field from outside the fence, that mystery is completely lacking.

Also special was the surrounding neighborhood; Corktown embraced The Corner and every game there was like a mini-carnival of vendors and parking lots shot from the Corner all the way to Kingdom Come. It was a great sense of community that is missing at Comerica. I saw a game at Wrigley Field with my wife last year and the lasting memory I brought back with me was the way Wrigleyville reminded me of Corktown on game day.

You folks on the North Side and in Boston, hold onto what you've got now. You folks in the Bronx, enjoy it while you still can. Cause while a new ballpark may bring all sorts of amenities to your game-viewing experience, there will always be something missing in the new experiences. And, more than likely, you'll all know exactly what it is.

Here's the link to the Tiger Stadium demolition article.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS01/80709023/1048

I thought the demolition was going to occur regardless of whether if the Harwell led group is able to raise the cash needed to hose a museum. In fact, the crews started last week. From detriotnews.com:

"Meanwhile the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy Group says it is increasing its efforts to raise public donations, said S. Gary Spicer, head of the non-profit board.

The nonprofit conservancy is racing to prove it can raise $12 million to $15 million to rescue the baseball diamond, dugouts, 3,000 seats and an area that would house Hall of Fame Tiger's broadcaster Ernie Harwell's collection of sports memorabilia. The Save Tiger Stadium website is now accepting public donations and Spicer said Wednesday morning plans are being finalize to get Harwell's foundation involved in the fundraising.

But the group's deal rests mainly on n the ability of U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, to secure about $15 million from the federal 2009 budget. Levin has requested the money, and the request is in the appropriations committee.

In a last-minute reprieve, the nonprofit was given until Aug. 1 by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to prove it has a solid plan. If the nonprofit fails, all of the stadium will be demolished and much of it sold for scrap; the price of iron, copper and steel are particularly high at the moment. The city still owns the stadium property, and after demolition, will seek development proposals for the cleared land. "

[PhilliesPhan1325]

The pictures of it now look creepy, it's like a ghost town. That stadium still looks awesome though.

[Mac the Knife]

Anyone know what will become of the site?

[fiasco!]

Anyone know what will become of the site?

The city government doesn't even know. There's a group that wants to preserve the field and some of the walls, but they have only a couple weeks to come up with a plan and the money. Highly doubtful that's going to happen. Detroit has bigger things to worry about than what to do with the place I love more than any other place in the world. That makes me sad.

Robnshell is correct about the difference in atmosphere between The Corner and the CoPa. You will never find a store like the Designated Hatter near the CoPa, but it was a fixture in Corktown, as was the Batter's Box Saloon, Maxie's restaurant and many other locally owned businesses. Now all you have is corporate stores and restaurants with little to no personality.

[Viper]

There's a group that wants to preserve the field and some of the walls, but they have only a couple weeks to come up with a plan and the money. Highly doubtful that's going to happen.

Milwaukee did that with the old County Stadium site. Last time I was in Milwaukee and drove past Miller Park, there was a game going on the old County Stadium diamond.

You folks on the North Side and in Boston, hold onto what you've got now. You folks in the Bronx, enjoy it while you still can. You folks in Minneapolis... oh, never mind.

I just knew something was missing from robnshell's post.

[CC97]

Robnshell is correct about the difference in atmosphere between The Corner and the CoPa. You will never find a store like the Designated Hatter near the CoPa, but it was a fixture in Corktown, as was the Batter's Box Saloon, Maxie's restaurant and many other locally owned businesses. Now all you have is corporate stores and restaurants with little to no personality.

And what's interesting is that I found the atmosphere around Comerica Park on game day to be amazing... guess it depends on what you're raised with

[Milo Meningocele]

Robnshell is correct about the difference in atmosphere between The Corner and the CoPa. You will never find a store like the Designated Hatter near the CoPa, but it was a fixture in Corktown, as was the Batter's Box Saloon, Maxie's restaurant and many other locally owned businesses. Now all you have is corporate stores and restaurants with little to no personality.

And what's interesting is that I found the atmosphere around Comerica Park on game day to be amazing... guess it depends on what you're raised with

It's just a frontrunners' convention really, since 2006. In fact, the local sports station does a regular bit making fun of them, by interviewing them on the street about the game they just attended--and exposing them to have absolutely no clue about the team, or game they just saw. It's funny stuff.

[fiasco!]

Tiger Stadium field, foul poles to be saved

DETROIT (AP)?Tiger Stadium may be coming down, but Detroit officials say the historic ballpark?s field will be saved.

Fred Rottach (RO-tash), who oversees the stadium property for the city, says the playing field will remain intact after the park?s demolition. He says the foul poles and flagpole also will be preserved.

Two Detroit-area contractors began demolition of the ballpark last week and spent Wednesday tearing into the outfield walls. An Aug. 1 deadline has been set for a nonprofit group to raise enough money to preserve part of the stadium.

The ballpark opened in 1912 as Navin Field, and the final major league game was played on Sept. 27, 1999.

Hooray. At least I'll be able to show my son where I spent my summers growing up when we come up and visit.

[neo_prankster]

The pictures of it now look creepy, it's like a ghost town. That stadium still looks awesome though.

Those photos of the scoreboard and the concession stand signs being frozen in 1999 reminded me of I am Legend.

[sc49erfan15]

Man, I'm a huge fan of abandoned places - those pictures are amazing. Sad it has to come down, though.

[robnshell18]

Anyone know what will become of the site?

One of the plans I heard was they were going to keep the home plate quadrant of the stadium still intact as a sort of museum, with 3,000 seats for high school and other assorted games. That was a while ago and I'm not sure if that's the plan that Ernie Harwell is still putting his name behind or not. Those photos of the field were incredible, though; I would've loved to wander the stadium like that. In all honesty, while it would be cool, it would also be really creepy.

Man, I'm a huge fan of abandoned places - those pictures are amazing. Sad it has to come down, though.

If you're a fan of abandoned places, find some pictures of the old Michigan Central train station. That's been abandoned for about 20 years and stands not too far from Tiger Stadium. Like Tiger Stadium, they still don't know what they're going to do with the site....but oh do they have plans!

[fiasco!]

Man, I'm a huge fan of abandoned places - those pictures are amazing. Sad it has to come down, though.

If you're a fan of abandoned places, find some pictures of the old Michigan Central train station. That's been abandoned for about 20 years and stands not too far from Tiger Stadium. Like Tiger Stadium, they still don't know what they're going to do with the site....but oh do they have plans!

Better yet, check these out.

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/

http://www.seedetroit.com/

[tmorss9]

I went home last week, and being that my dad lives about a 5 minute drive from there I drove by to say goodbye to the old girl. With more than a couple of tears in my eyes I just managed to say thank you for the memories as I drove around the place one last time, knowing that I'd never see it that way again. when I was at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull I played "Bless You Boys" on my mp3 player, thought about my late Grandmother, the truest Tiger fan I've ever known and remembered a few times I sat next to my Dad during a rain delay in the lower deck box seats, hearing him tell me about all the times and players he'd seen in the old ballpark. I'm 30 years old and a lot of things have come and gone in my life and the lives of all around me. Like everyone I've periodically felt times when I felt my younger years slipping away to the past, but tonight I feel that the last real tangible link, other than my dad's house, is only a memory like all the others. It really was a huge part of our lives as sports fans in Detroit. Like my dad said, we do always have our memories, and for most of us, those are too vivid to fade. While I wish the place could have been saved, I think it's time for whatever the fate of the facility is to come. Seeing that old empty stadium was kind of like seeing a family member in failing health. You just wished that the end would come so that their suffering could be over and you could remember them as they wished you to, not as you see them now.

And Joel, Designated Hatter is still open, but they changed their name to the Detroit Athletic Company. Still the same store and staff. I always make a trip in there. Unfortunately Maxie's is closed (best mac and cheese anywhere in it's day) as is Sportsland USA (my absolute all time favorite sports store, and the owner, Neil Heffernan was a prince of a guy, too).

[fiasco!]

I went home last week, and being that my dad lives about a 5 minute drive from there I drove by to say goodbye to the old girl. With more than a couple of tears in my eyes I just managed to say thank you for the memories as I drove around the place one last time, knowing that I'd never see it that way again. when I was at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull I played "Bless You Boys" on my mp3 player, thought about my late Grandmother, the truest Tiger fan I've ever known and remembered a few times I sat next to my Dad during a rain delay in the lower deck box seats, hearing him tell me about all the times and players he'd seen in the old ballpark. I'm 30 years old and a lot of things have come and gone in my life and the lives of all around me. Like everyone I've periodically felt times when I felt my younger years slipping away to the past, but tonight I feel that the last real tangible link, other than my dad's house, is only a memory like all the others. It really was a huge part of our lives as sports fans in Detroit. Like my dad said, we do always have our memories, and for most of us, those are too vivid to fade. While I wish the place could have been saved, I think it's time for whatever the fate of the facility is to come. Seeing that old empty stadium was kind of like seeing a family member in failing health. You just wished that the end would come so that their suffering could be over and you could remember them as they wished you to, not as you see them now.

And Joel, Designated Hatter is still open, but they changed their name to the Detroit Athletic Company. Still the same store and staff. I always make a trip in there. Unfortunately Maxie's is closed (best mac and cheese anywhere in it's day) as is Sportsland USA (my absolute all time favorite sports store, and the owner, Neil Heffernan was a prince of a guy, too).

Sportsland USA, right across Cochrane from the Stadium, right? I've found many a bargain there.

[logodawg]

It looks like we won't lose all of it:

Crain's Detroit Business

[fiasco!]

Feeling nostalgic, I just looked for whatever pics I could find of Tiger Stadium that I had lying around. Hopefully you fellow Detroiters enjoy them.

My season ticket seats for the final three seasons at the stadium, I'm in the home jersey in the first row of blue seats to the right of the foul pole.

How I usually looked after a game during that era. But I kept coming, I'm a die-hard fan.

Pretty much the standard size of the crowd during the late nineties. Sad, but I loved the feel of going to games with so few people there.