As a baseball sentimentalist and lifelong Detroit Tigers fans, this is painful to read:
A much bigger swath of Tiger Stadium is coming down today as efforts to save part of it keep amping up.
A ragged hole the size of a baseball diamond is now gashed into the north end of the stadium, near the corner of Trumbull and Fisher Freeway West service drive.
The historic stadium is a scene of massive back hoes and smoke from the crumbling cement and iron within the chain-link fence area where demolition is taking place. Beyond the hole, the blue and orange seats can be seen and the grass field itself still looks inviting and green.
It also looks like one more big swing from a wrecking ball is all it will take for the left field bleachers on the upper deck to pass into history.
On the other side of the fence along the freeway service drive, a growing number of grown men are clutching video cameras and walking around, shaking their heads as they document the moment.
Ah, the memories of a classic ballpark with a unique character and history all its own….
I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan. However, in my opinion, old Tiger Stadium was the best place to see a ballgame. While the neighborhood left a lot to be desired, the stadium felt cozy. From the second deck, it felt like you were right over the field. It is too bad that the citizens of Detroit could not save the ballpark. Such history, lost forever. Sigh.