Proposed Brooklyn Dodgers Dome

[cmm]

Thought this was pretty interesting. Check the link for the full article.

A Dome Grows in Brooklyn

[The_Admiral]

Yeah, Bob Moses had some really crap ideas amidst the good ones, huh.

[BigMac12]

Interesting look. I can see where the low wall near the foul pole for Dodger Stadium came from.

[Gothamite]

Yeah, Bob Moses had some really crap ideas amidst the good ones, huh.

That wasn't Robert Moses. Moses refused to seize private land for the Dodger Dome.

Moses wanted the Dodgers to move to a spot in a less-congested part of the city. O'Malley originally suggested Flushing Meadows, and the city would have been happy to build them a park there.

That fickle rat bastard O'Malley then changed his mind, decided Queens wasn't for him, and started looking West for a city that would kick people out of their homes to secure land for his new park.

But yeah. That rendering is amazing. If only...

[Saint Zephyr III]

Heh for a second I thought that was a glass-dome, which would've been more funny and disastrous.

[The Imperfect]

I don't know how I feel about them cutting a huge hole in the stadium along the third base line.

Glad they went a different route.

[BigMac12]

I don't know how I feel about them cutting a huge hole in the stadium along the third base line.

Glad they went a different route.

Red Alert! Sarcasm at dangerous levels!

[BJ Sands]

Yeah, Bob Moses had some really crap ideas amidst the good ones, huh.

That wasn't Robert Moses. Moses refused to seize private land for the Dodger Dome.

Moses wanted the Dodgers to move to a spot in a less-congested part of the city. O'Malley originally suggested Flushing Meadows, and the city would have been happy to build them a park there.

That fickle rat bastard O'Malley then changed his mind, decided Queens wasn't for him, and started looking West for a city that would kick people out of their homes to secure land for his new park.

But yeah. That rendering is amazing. If only...

I thought Moses suggested Flushing Meadows and O'Malley wanted no part of it. I've never heard O'Malley ever wanted to go to Queens.

[aci]

A supremely cool idea for its time, but when you actually look at it, you realize how poorly suited the stadium actually is to baseball. A perfectly round field leaves the first- and third-base sides with massive foul territory, and far too many seats in the outfield area.

I do like the idea they had with the parking right under the stadium's seating sections with the entrances continuing in directly off the four streets. If they took the general idea and squared it up a bit, taking into account a more 2012-styled baseball field, it could have been a beautiful stadium.

[DEAD!]

A supremely cool idea for its time, but when you actually look at it, you realize how poorly suited the stadium actually is to baseball. A perfectly round field leaves the first- and third-base sides with massive foul territory, and far too many seats in the outfield area.

I do like the idea they had with the parking right under the stadium's seating sections with the entrances continuing in directly off the four streets. If they took the general idea and squared it up a bit, taking into account a more 2012-styled baseball field, it could have been a beautiful stadium.

but that didn't stop Oakland

[aci]

Well, Oakland didn't have the expanse of outfield seats until they were built for the Raiders. This Brooklyn stadium wouldn't even be able to fit a football field, I don't think.

[bosrs1]

A supremely cool idea for its time, but when you actually look at it, you realize how poorly suited the stadium actually is to baseball. A perfectly round field leaves the first- and third-base sides with massive foul territory, and far too many seats in the outfield area.

I do like the idea they had with the parking right under the stadium's seating sections with the entrances continuing in directly off the four streets. If they took the general idea and squared it up a bit, taking into account a more 2012-styled baseball field, it could have been a beautiful stadium.

but that didn't stop Oakland

Speaking of Oakland. The SF Chronicle ran a great piece today about the original concept for the Oakland Coliseum back in Nov 1960. It was going to be downtown (next to Lake Merritt and Laney College) with a view of the lake and the east bay hills that would have rivaled modern day AT&T Park. It would have been 80,000 seats for football, 48,000 for baseball, and would have shared a pretty obvious pedigree with Shea Stadium and Riverfront Stadium. It was abandoned a few months later however when the actual Coliseum's site was chosen in a cheap land swap with the Port of Oakland. Ironically if this stadium had been built the A's might not be in nearly as dire situation as they are today.

[Gothamite]

Wow - that Coliseum plan is really cool. Shame.

I thought Moses suggested Flushing Meadows and O'Malley wanted no part of it. I've never heard O'Malley ever wanted to go to Queens.

O'Malley claimed at one point it was originally his idea.

Personally, I think he cooled on it when he realized what LA was willing to do to get him out there, and any further negotiations with Gotham were largely for show to buy the LA city council some time.

[NJTank]

Here's some irony, the proposed site for the Dodger Dome, is basically where the Barclay Center is being completed as we speak.

[DarkJourney]

Speaking of Oakland. The SF Chronicle ran a great piece today about the original concept for the Oakland Coliseum back in Nov 1960. It was going to be downtown (next to Lake Merritt and Laney College) with a view of the lake and the east bay hills that would have rivaled modern day AT&T Park. It would have been 80,000 seats for football, 48,000 for baseball, and would have shared a pretty obvious pedigree with Shea Stadium and Riverfront Stadium. It was abandoned a few months later however when the actual Coliseum's site was chosen in a cheap land swap with the Port of Oakland. Ironically if this stadium had been built the A's might not be in nearly as dire situation as they are today.

I read that article as well. Great piece.

Also loved what Bruce Jenkins had to say in the chron as well:

So let's try to digest this sequence: First comes a report in the New York Daily News that MLB owners are likely to vote against an overturn of the Giants' territorial rights. No sources are quoted, so it's more like the interpretation of a mood, rather than front-line news. The A's, steeped in paranoia, respond with a lame sort of "Hey, that's not right" proclamation. And the Giants, instead of staying above the fray, come up with a condescending e-mail lecture. I wouldn't discount the story because the writer, Bill Madden, is very well connected. But until further notice, it's a juvenile debate over nothing.

What really ticked the A's off: They firmly believe the story was planted by the Giants.

What I'd like to see: The Giants get absolutely crushed. Territorial rights removed, and not a cent in financial compensation. The A's should be in San Jose. The Giants won't lose South Bay fans who have devoted years of passion to the team. And they'll always own the Bay Area, so the corporate-sponsorship hits won't sink the ship. Crushed, I say. Bully-style arrogance is so unbecoming.

[BJ Sands]

Wow - that Coliseum plan is really cool. Shame.

I thought Moses suggested Flushing Meadows and O'Malley wanted no part of it. I've never heard O'Malley ever wanted to go to Queens.

O'Malley claimed at one point it was originally his idea.

Personally, I think he cooled on it when he realized what LA was willing to do to get him out there, and any further negotiations with Gotham were largely for show to buy the LA city council some time.

Not that I don't believe you but Brooklyn Dodgers history is a bit of a hobby of mine and I've read a fair amount on them. And I've never seen that anywhere. But I'm open to being proven wrong.

[Gothamite]

I'll see if I can dig it up. I was stunned when I first read that a couple years ago.

[DaytonBlue]

Also loved what Bruce Jenkins had to say in the chron as well:

So let's try to digest this sequence: First comes a report in the New York Daily News that MLB owners are likely to vote against an overturn of the Giants' territorial rights. No sources are quoted, so it's more like the interpretation of a mood, rather than front-line news. The A's, steeped in paranoia, respond with a lame sort of "Hey, that's not right" proclamation. And the Giants, instead of staying above the fray, come up with a condescending e-mail lecture. I wouldn't discount the story because the writer, Bill Madden, is very well connected. But until further notice, it's a juvenile debate over nothing.

What really ticked the A's off: They firmly believe the story was planted by the Giants.

What I'd like to see: The Giants get absolutely crushed. Territorial rights removed, and not a cent in financial compensation. The A's should be in San Jose. The Giants won't lose South Bay fans who have devoted years of passion to the team. And they'll always own the Bay Area, so the corporate-sponsorship hits won't sink the ship. Crushed, I say. Bully-style arrogance is so unbecoming.

I agree. Let the Giants go after the few A's fans who won't at least remain fans of them in San Jose, even if they don't go as often (though I think if they can still watch them on TV and go on some weekends, most A's fans will stay with their team).

[RedSox44]

Damn. If that Oakland Coliseum was built, it might go down as one of the greatest ballparks of that era. That looks like it could've been beautiful.