Photo courtesy of Fabrizio Costantini for The New York Times Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may have perjured himself to hide an affair, but his biggest crime just might be what's happened to Tiger Stadium on his watch. Joe Lapointe of The New York Times reports:
"The stadium sits empty. Late last year, the city auctioned mementos like grandstand seats, a dugout urinal, Al Kaline’s locker and the fence in front of the right-center-field light tower, hit by a Reggie Jackson home run in the 1971 All-Star Game. Last month, the city tentatively awarded a partial demolition contract for the stadium, which opened in 1912 as Navin Field.
"An opposition group, the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy, has until June 1 to raise $369,000 to try to save part of Tiger Stadium, even temporarily. The group includes Ernie Harwell, the retired Tigers radio broadcaster.
"If that goal is reached, Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, said he would seek greater financing in the 2009 federal budget to preserve the oldest part of the structure around the infield and redevelop the playing field for amateur teams.
"'The field is sort of sacred ground,' Levin said in a telephone interview."
God love Sen. Levin!! How could anyone think it's okay to completely tear down Tiger Stadium? I went to a Cubs game last year and I can tell you, those people in Chicago would sacrifice their own blood before letting them tear down that stadium. In a "bad neighborhood" or not, some part of it should be preserved.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, Tiger Stadium is hallowed ground. I was in the stands (with sister Gillian and Cydni Wills, Detroit native, now living in MD) when the team won the Series in '84. Hearing that a demolition contract has been awarded actually made me tear up. And get incensed. What the f.
ReplyDelete