Baseball

I went to my first professional baseball game in 1964 at Tiger Stadium. I forget the exact date or team, but it was our first baseball season it Michigan and we found out that going to "The Corner" of Michigan and Trumbull was something that everyone did - either in person or via WJR radio (The Great Voice of the Great Lakes).

One of the great things about growing up in Detroit is that everyone is a Tiger fan. It was a common bond between us all - regardless of whether we were Wolverines or Spartans, Protestant or Catholic, or Black or White.

Baseball brought Detroit - the city and the SE Michigan region - together in 1967 and 1968 after the race riots that tore it apart in the summer of 1967.

The ball park is a place where generations share memories. Carolyn went to her first game at Arlington Stadium with her Uncle Terry and Aunt Esther. Game two was with Neal and Sally in the Astrodome. Game three was at Tiger Stadium with her Granddad and Mamma Rine. Her fourth different MLB stadium was Royals Stadium in Kansas City with my Aunt June, who was the biggest George Brett fan.

We went to a Cardinals/Astros game in 1986 in St. Louis with John and Donnagail. Glenn Davis hit a home run to win the game for Houston. We sat in the bleachers next to a couple of guys who had seen Rogers Hornsby and Joe Medwick and Stan Musial play ball. Carolyn, Patty and I went to a Cardinals game with Donnagail, Elizabeth and Alicia ... we all wore red, because you really stand out in St Louis if you don't wear red to the ball park.

I have seen some great games and events ... 

Nolan Ryan’s 5,000 strikeout; George Brett’s last hit; Mike Scott’s no-hitter; Will Clark’s first HR in his first ML at bat (vs Nolan Ryan), Mickey Mantle's 512th HR (at Tiger Stadium versus Denny McLain). I turned down tickets to got to Tiger Stadium versus the Angels and missed seeing Nolan Ryan throw a no-hitter. 

We watched Nolan's 300th win on TV and I have unused tickets from the game. It was played in Milwaukee and broadcast in Houston on Channel 39 as the station was owned by Gaylord and they were the Rangers TV station. We went to his first game after that 300th win in Arlington Stadium. It was Carolyn's first baseball game, and the first time she slept through the night. We Arlington Stadium was torn down, I bought two seats. I haven't been able to get seats from Busch or Tiger Stadium.

I was at last three games game in the Astrodome as well as the last three games at Arlington Stadium; first game at Enron Field; first night game at The Ballpark in Arlington; a game in the last season at County Stadium. I listened to the last game at Tiger Stadium over the internet in 1999 and heard Ernie Harwell and Jim Price read an email from me on the air.

I have attended the games and/or festivities of MLB All Star games in Houston 1986 and 2004, Detroit 2005, Arlington 1995, and St. Louis in 2009.

There have been scores of Astro post season games ... one in 1980, two games in 1986 play-offs including the 16-inning game in 1986 vs. the Mets, and a game each in 98, 99, 01, 02, 04, 05; and game #3 of the 2005 World Series - the first WS game in Houston. I saw the Astros clinch the pennants in 1986, 1998, and 1999.

I saw Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell retire and hope to be in Cooperstown when they are enshrined. I was in St Louis on Ozzie Smith Day and listed to it all on the radio with Jack Buck presiding. Try as we might, we couldn't get a ticket to the game.

Here's my stadium list ...

I have been to a number of stadiums which no longer exist - Cleveland Municipal, Candlestick, Arlington, Busch II, Milwaukee County, Tiger, Kingdome, Jack Murphy, Astrodome, Riverfront, Old Comiskey, Shea, and RFK (okay - it was for soccer, not baseball, but I have a Nationals momento).!!!!

I've been to these which are currently awaiting replacement ... Oakland, Wrigley, and Tropicana.

An there's the newly done ... Minute Maid, Ball Park in Arlington, Busch III (in two weeks), Safeco, Comiskey, and the one which began the retro fad, Camden - it wasn't open but I took a tour and lots of photos.

And I have very fond memories of a very classic park ... Ewing Stadium in Kansas City. I have been there several times through the years and it was the fourth major league park Carolyn visited.

I have also been to a number of minor league parks and spring training sites!

Finally ... it's the FANS who make baseball ... not the parks, the stadiums, the owners or the players. I say that as I watch Tiger Stadium being torn down this week, I'm finally "over" Tiger Stadium.