One day, I was surfing around the internet, reading the normal
blogs, and I found a link to a website advertising the Friends
of Tiger Stadium organization. The group is dedicated to informing
the general public about the plight of old Tigers Stadium. With
a brand new ballpark in Detroit, Comerica Ballpark, many people
have forgotten about the old stadium. However, it still stands,
and will remain standing as long as people like the Friends of
Tigers Stadium care.
Here’s an interview with Mark Domin, one of the leaders
of the organization.
1) Could you tell us a little about the Friends of Tiger
Stadium organization?
A: We’re an informal group that originally got together
right after the last game was played at Tiger Stadium in 1999.
A few of the members were part of The Tiger Stadium Fan Club,
who had tried for over 10 years to keep the Tigers at the stadium.
We wanted to keep the dream alive and help the city find a way
to reuse the stadium, rather than let it sit there for 10 years
and then tear it down. Finally, it looks like several people in
the area are suggesting the same things we proposed back in 1999.
2) For those of us who don’t know too much about Tiger
Stadium, could you tell us about its baseball history? Who are
the best players to have played there?
A: Well, the site itself has been host to professional baseball
since the late 1800s. In 1901 Bennett Park opened at the corner
of Michigan and Trumbull. The early days saw baseball greats like
Sam Crawford, Ty Cobb and Hughie Jennings. It was rebuilt and
opened in 1912 as Navin Field. The list of great players is a
virtual who’s who from the Hall of Fame. Charlie Gehringer,
Mickey Cochrane, Hank Greenburg, George Kell, Al Kaline, the list
just goes on and on.
3) If you had to choose between Fenway Park, Wrigley Field,
Yankee Stadium, or Tiger Stadium, which would you say has had
the richest baseball history and why?
A: I’d have to stick my neck out and go with Tiger Stadium.
Mainly because it opened in 1901, while Yankee Stadium opened
in 1924. So Tiger Stadium has a couple of decades on New York.
And they did that horrible remodeling job on Yankee Stadium in
the mid-70s, so it doesn’t look the same as it once did.
But Fenway would certainly come in close second.
4) During all of the Super Bowl festivities, the infield
of Tiger Stadium was used for Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Bowl
2006, a concert that took place over the span of two nights. Do
you see this as a positive sign for the future of Tiger Stadium
or its last event?
A: Knowing the city as I do, I’d have to say it doesn’t
bode well for the stadium. I think someone made the city an offer
they couldn’t refuse. Last year, Major League Baseball wanted
to use Tiger Stadium for some events and the city turned them
down. I think they didn’t want the fans to go inside the
stadium and realize how wonderful a venue it is compared to Comerica
Park.
5) How can we help save Tiger Stadium from destruction?
A: Someone needs to offer the city a ton of money and just buy
the stadium from them. It’s a real albatross around the
city’s neck. They can’t afford to pay for its upkeep.
Let someone else run it and generate money with it.
To visit their site click
here!
Daniel is an AtHomePlate blogger;
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