Doug while I enjoy watching the "evil empire" struggle, I realize it's because they are such a storied ball club, rich in talent over the past century. There is life after the old Yankee Stadium though I can tell you. In Michigan we felt the same way when they began plans to tear down Tiger Stadium. Many people got very sentimental and that's understandable. Some got down right violent and vocal, some tried to stand in the way of progress and called to save the old stadium. We had a police escort to remove home plate and take it to it's new home after the last game. In the last game the last Tiger hit was a grand slam onto the roof of right field. The same roof that Reggie cleared in the 70s all star game.
Flash forward to today, Comerica Park has been in around for 8 years now and it's a wonderful, wonderful new ball park. I recently looked at some of the old pictures of Tiger Stadium and the views from all the obstructed seats. Also the low second deck blocked the view of any ball hit higher than 30 feet or so, it was hard to keep track of what was going on sometimes. Now I see Tiger Stadium for what it was, a dirty, cramped, run down, old stadium that had served us for decades longer than we should have allowed it to. Despite all the negatives of the old stadium however there are still a flood of emotions that come back everytime I drive by it after leaving a Redwings game. It's just sitting there like an old friend. Last month I attended a game at the new ball park and drove by Tiger Stadium to see they had demolished the entire left field, center field and much of the third base side of the stadium. The center field flag pole however still stands flying the red, white and blue at the 440 foot mark that it always stood at, in the field of play as well. I stopped the car and got out. I stood at the wall of what was left of the right field seats and looked up at the light towers that Jackson and 12 others cleared in the 75 years the stadium stood. It was surreal to see it this way. I'd have rather not seen it half way through it's demo.
But I can tell you the new Yankee Stadium while it will meet resistance from old timers and nostalgia buffs, it will be a very exciting place to go and follow the empire as they try to get back on track next year. So there is life after the old comes down. Hopefully NY will not drag this out like Detroit did, sitting on it 8 years before they act. Should've come down immediately. The die hard NY fans will come around once they build a little history in the new stadium, I'm sure of that. And while it looks real doubtful today with the sad state the Tigers are in, if we ever figure out where to hide the pine tar on the mound again in the future maybe we'll be the ones routing the Yanks and sending them home early in the playoffs again, just like 06! But I'm not holding my breath, we've got to win two in a row before we get too cocky here in Detroit. Anytime you guys want Farnsworth or Sheffield back just let us know, we're ready to part with both anytime!
