Jump to content

The Biggest, Baddest, .500 team ever assembled!!!


NUKE_CLEVELAND

Recommended Posts

QUOTE(winodj @ Apr 15, 2005 -> 10:58 AM)
Nothing a few fresh coats of paint couldn't fix. I mean, they hold games at Wrigley and cement is falling off...

 

 

When we were there last it looked bad. A lot of the concession buildings had severe damage. Like people had been in there wrecking the place. I'd bet there has been a lot of vandalism to it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Appearance wise.. I don't think Tiger Stadium could host a game. It's in bad shape..

 

Yes, it's really in poor condition.

 

Since Tiger Stadium closed after the '99 season (or 2000) it's been used a couple of times, most notably for that Billy Crystal movie ('61?), and a few community baseball and softball games, i.e. police vs. fire depts.

 

The city of Detroit and the Tigers had a deal whereby routine maintenance would be done inside and outside the park to keep it useable but the budget has been drastically reduced. As such, the electrical system has been allowed to deteriorate, paint is peeling all over the inside, and the playing field grass is basically cut but that's about it.

 

The bigger issue is the city of Detroit can't find a developer for the land and demolishing the park would cost the city more than what they get from the Tigers for upkeep ... which is minimal. I'm not exactly sure of the deal between the Tigers and Detroit re: Tiger Stadium but basically the city wants to get somebody to reuse the site and pay for demolition.

 

It's actually quite sad ... Tiger Stadium is only about a mile from Comerica Park and Ford Field, when you walk around the Comerica Park upper deck you can clearly see Tiger Stadium about a mile west. The area around Tiger Stadium, a neighborhood called Corktown, was never the greatest but there were a few bars and restaurants near the park. A few remain but most have left and the area has further deteriorated.

 

The whole situation is a major source of embarassment for the city of Detroit, which already has many huge problems to deal with.

 

As for the suggestion of playing one series a year in Tiger Stadium, it was discussed at one point ... or perhaps playing an exhibition game there. But Tigers ownership wants to distance themselves from Tiger Stadium and the cost to spruce the place up has gotten too prohibitive. The ballpark basically just sits there, vacant and deteriorating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When we were there last it looked bad. A lot of the concession buildings had severe damage. Like people had been in there wrecking the place. I'd bet there has been a lot of vandalism to it.

 

Some vandalism, yes. There was an article a few months ago about a whole bunch of graffiti on the outside ... the city and the Tigers got together and it was cleaned up.

 

There are all kinds of weeds sprouting through the sidewalks outside and the inside supports have lots of rust and peeling paint ... water damage, and more.

 

I read a report from last summer where a prominent baseball historian was allowed into the park for a story on old ballparks, escorted by some city officials who are in charge of allowing access. The historian reported the city guys were very nice and very accommodating but their bosses laid down the law ... no pictures of the inside. The article talked about how much had deteriorated and I remember him describing the condition of the dugouts and bullpens as deplorable.

 

As I understand it, the main issue is there are numerous code violations that would prohibit the place from being used for public events at this point ... too much has been neglected. I saw several games there in the final years and really explored the place ... it was a step below old Comiskey at the end of it's life, in terms of maintenance and upkeep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there you have it from Mr mapquest. Jim don't you know all the bar owners up there?

 

I will tell you this ... if we ever go up there I will find you 5-6 good places ... taverns, restaurants, etc. as I usually do, and you will say:

 

"How in the hell did you find THESE places?"

 

Just relax yourself and stick with me, you will learn a lot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...