07/26/1999
Over this past weekend, I finally managed to catch my first big league ball
games, and where better to do that than at Tiger Stadium. I had always heard
people say when they walked into Tiger Stadium they could in their minds
eye see Ty Cobb running the bases. I have only felt the same awe, I had the
same awe of walking into Tiger Stadium a couple of other times, Stonehenge
and Salisbury Cathedral. The awe? The sheer weight of history. Even if there
is no sign that Tiger Stadium ever existed a century from now, the sheer
presence of its history would still cling to "The Corner." Alas that is not
to be the case, Tiger Stadium will never totally disappear, she has taken
too many lovers to ever just fade away. Ty Cobb will be running those infernal
bases for all eternity, quite fitting I should think.
Lets face it though, it is time for Tiger Stadium to go, it is time for it
to assume its position in legend between Old Cominskey and Ebbets Field.
Long after you and I are gone Tiger Stadium will still live on in the legends
and myths of baseball past. All good things must eventually come to an end.
No matter how much we try and stop time, to keep things just as they once
were, time marches on and always exacts its price.
Elton John said it best, "The candle burned out long before the legend ever
did." So it is with Tiger Stadium, the candle is nearly burned out, but she
will live on in the hearts of anyone who ever saw a game there and in the
minds of those who wished they had been able to.
Mopping Up
For a stupid move by a manager look no further than Mike Hargrove of the
Cleveland Indians who on Thursday the 22nd, managed himself out of the DH
before the first pitch of the game. The Indians line-up card listed Manny
Ramirez as thier DH and Alex Ramirez as thier right fielder, but when the
Tribe took the field, Manny trotted out to right. When the Blue Jays complained,
the Tribe lost the DH, with Manny staying in right, and had to bat the pitcher
Charles Nagy in the seventh hole which Alex had to vacate. Nagy went 0-fer-3
and the Indians took the loss.
Greg Maddux quietly underwent laser surgery on his eyes on July 9, less than
48 hours before he shut down the Boston Red Sox for one run in eight innings.
"It flat-out fixed them," an amazed Maddux said. "I see good now. I think
I'm better than 20-20. Incredible. It's like I'm seeing better than I ever
saw. It's wild."
The trade front is beginning to heat up. The Mets recently aquired former
Yankee flop Kenny Rogers from Oakland for two minor leaguers. Rogers is a
free agent after the season and has had several bad starts in a row. If he
is to help the Mets Rogers will have to pitch much better, the early line
good trade for the A's.
The Marlins continue to get less experienced, trading Livan Hernandez to
the Giants for two minor league pitchers. Hernandez needed a change of scenery,
he was too content pitching at home, according to some. According to others,
Leyland ruined him with high pitch counts in '97. No matter who got the better
end of this trade, the Marlins are going to be a major team to contend with
well into the 21st century.
Many of the umpires have reconsidered their decision to resign September
2. Its nice to know not all of the umpires are too blind to call balls and
strikes, let alone see that Richie Phillips was only leading them to the
unemployment line.
--O-fer
© 1999 K. Hollingshead
1999 |
