Tiger Stadium 1987 vs. Toronto Blue Jays by 1ManWithACamera
I have apparently been hanging with Rip van Winkle, and so missed the news that Ernie Harwell has come forward with an 11th hour plan to save Tiger Stadium from demolition. Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry spoke with Ernie Harwell about his plans and just hearing Ernie talk about the stadium is a treat. In his accompanying essay titled Play Ball, Lessenberry notes that all the other people talking about turning the ballpark into luxury condos or boutiques had everything they needed except financing - and that the City of Detroit acted quite expectedly by not trying to compete with Mike Ilitch when the Tigers were a terrible team. Jack notes:
Now, however, things have changed. The Tigers are American League champions, and virtually every game at Comerica is sold out.
If there is anything Detroit doesn’t need, it is another vacant lot. Baseball is about history, and the place where Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Mickey Mantle once played doesn’t deserve to disappear.
After listening to Ernie and reading about his plan for reducing the size of the ballpark to 10,000 seats or so and surrounding it with lofts, offices, and Detroit sports and music museums, I have to agree that Harwell's plan is credible and do-able ... and if they're selling bricks, I'm buying one. I bet there's a lot of folks who would do the same.
There's a ton of pictures of Tiger Stadium over on Michigan in Pictures and you can get a ton more about the ballpark at Absolute Michigan keyword Tiger Stadium.
3 Comments
Sports Illustrated reports:
I'm "on the team" and have a plan that WILL save Tiger Stadium..........Urban Planner, here, my name is Rand Moorhead...urban planning training on the east coast, through Albion College...former part of Robert Redford's Institute for Resource Management at Sundance, Utah...and presently breaking off on my own with an LLC, Restore the Core, Urban Design Consortium. Projects pending in St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida...native of Birmingham, Michigan. Please email me or call me...randrand@hotmail.com....or 248-885-0441. Thanks. The idea has real merit and is practical and innovative...and resourceful. There may be some real weight with the EPA behind it, too. Onward! Rand
I would like to suggest that Joe Louis Arena be combined with Cobo to give Cobo what it needs for the Auto Show. Joe Louis is not looking good for the Red Wings. Since the Red Wings would like to stay downtown, major, major renovations and construction could be done within Tiger Stadium to give them a site even better than a new stadium and one that would attract many visitors and fans. The exterior of Tiger Stadium could remain and the interior would have to be entirely new, but what a wonderful place to attract people to watch the Red Wings, and solve all 3 problems at once of:
1. Joe Louis looking bad
2. Cobo needs more room.
3. Tiger Stadium exterior would be preserved and would be an attraction.
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