TIGER STADIUM IS A TREASURE FOREVER
by Dave Ponke

The word is that it is destined for the wrecking ball this summer. There is no way the memories can be destroyed, however, of the days of summer spent at the old ballpark at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

Tiger Stadium is a home, a treasure, a place in the mind that contains the way baseball by the Detroit Tigers had been played for many years. It is sad for fans of the team to ponder that the city of Detroit has made plans to tear down the vintage ballpark sometime this summer. Passionate fans and area residents for years have bonded and attempted to intercept those plans, but to no avail. Many fans have spent a great deal of time here.

Some may argue that the structure, in disrepair from neglect since the Tigers last played there in 1999, is beyond hope. And that the cost of refurbishing it into use for anything practical or useful would be too much. Plans for use as retail space, as a sports site for various games or even music ventures has all apparently fallen by the wayside.

There are vivid clear pictures I can recollect of spending time in the grandstand at Tiger Stadium, having grown up in Detroit. And as a youngster, a sharp memory of being in attendance during the game in which they honored Al Kaline with his 3,000th base hit with a wheelbarrow full of 3,000 silver dollars.

The sights, the sounds, the smells!

Walking down the cement corridor, the echo of the public address announcer hails: “Now batting for Detroit, the catcher, number 13, Lance Parrish...,” a signal for you to hurry to the aisle way. There, you showed the usher your ticket stub, as he pointed toward your purchased seat.

As you entered the opening towards the field, the fresh green grass expanse catches your eye! How did they ever keep the grass looking so neat, so trimmed, so green? And the endless sea of forest green seats in the stadium! Thousands of them. (Up until the mid 1970s, anyways, before they replaced them with the blue plastic ones.)

And then...the appearance of your favorite Tiger players.

During batting practice, you were allowed to sneak down (usually) to the railing along the first or third base lines, and get so close to the players and action. Maybe you would get lucky enough to catch a ball hit into the stands.

The crack of the ball on the bat - what a distinguishing, unique noise. It seems to hold a special resonance in that it sounded, well, special only inside Tiger Stadium. You could make that noise a thousand times at any other place, and it would never sound the same.

And have you EVER smelled a hot dog...so delicious, and as if it were hanging over your head, begging for a slather of mustard? Roasted peanuts NEVER tasted this good!

Watching the centerfielder Chet Lemon haul one in from the flagpole...watching Kirk Gibson smash the ball off the facing of the upperdeck...listening to Ernie and Paul on the transistor radio...Reggie Jackson pounding one over the light tower in the 1971 All-Star Game...and champs of '68 and '84....the list could never end!

The games over the years varied as far as wins and losses, as did the team's success. But one thing is for certain: The time spent here can never be taken away from you. The moments you spent at Tiger Stadium will always remain in your heart, as they will be inside mine.