A Fan’s Case for Razing Tiger Stadium

(Note: This was submitted to the Detroit newspapers last week, but I’m not holding my breath it will be published. I figured better to use my forum here to get my views out.)

Like many readers I have fond memories of Tiger Stadium. As a teenager during the mid-1980s with a new driver’s license, a hand-me-down car, and the freedom that came with both, the corner of Michigan and Trumbull was a frequent destination for my friends and I. Simply stated, the price was right — $4 for a bleacher seat and plenty of free parking if you were willing to walk – and the product was even better.

With that said, I’ve gone back and forth on the fate of those hallowed grounds. I appreciate why so many feel so strongly about hanging onto as much of the Stadium as possible. Likewise, I understand prospective developers’ reluctance to deal with the monolithic structure as they plot the course of this piece of real estate’s future.

My solution is probably not new, but I don’t recall seeing it anywhere in the mainstream media. In this fan’s opinion, the dilemma can be solved with one clichéd coaching expression: T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More). If several organizations could set aside personal agendas, pool their talents and resources, an ending that makes many happy is plausible.

In one corner you have the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy. This group has made the most noise recently and has the iconic Hall of Famer Ernie Harwell as one of its lead spokespersons. The Conservancy’s plan is to preserve the playing field and a portion of the grandstands for future generations to play ball on.

In this corner you have the Greater Corktown Development Corporation and the Detroit Downtown Development Authority who have said the entire structure should go in order to pave the way for new development in this area.

In still another corner you have the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame which claims on its website to be looking for a new facility to house its honorees. (An aside, has anyone else noticed the MSHoF is truly a hall of fame, what with the paintings and plaques hanging in the hallways of Cobo Center?)

In yet another corner there is the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. Currently located in the American Polish Cultural Center in Troy, the director told a visitor recently they have much more memorabilia to display but simply can’t get the space from the Cultural Center.

Perhaps you can see where I’m heading with this? There are others, of course, who need a facility to house the history of Detroit’s rich sports tradition. Boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward and all the history from the Kronk Gym; Ted Talbert and his Joe Louis Video Room (Really, the Brown Bomber only warrants a converted office in Cobo?); and Dr. John Kline’s Black Legends of Professional Basketball to name but three.

Why not join forces? Put egos aside and create a sports cultural center on the site of Tiger Stadium. Keep the flagpole and create a monument there for the Stadium. Preserve the dugouts and incorporate those into the exhibits. Bronze home plate and make that the entry point to the museum. Most importantly, however, give the sports fans of metro Detroit and all of Michigan a place to go to see their heroes again. What good is all this history sitting in backrooms and basements if it’s not accessible by the masses?

What to include? For starters, the MSHoF would require much of the space. The portraits of the inductees are magnificent and the plaques are well done. I’m sure, if solicited, many of those honored would have an artifact or two that could be displayed. Mr. Harwell has an extensive collection of baseball memorabilia – much of which is Tigers/Tiger Stadium centered – that would be a natural fit. I’m certain the Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers would all have artifacts that could be loaned to the center. The colleges and universities from the state could also be included. We’ve already mentioned Detroit’s rich boxing tradition – from Joe Louis to Sugar Ray Robinson to Thomas Hearns – and the contribution of many of the city’s early African-American basketball players (Did you know, for instance, Detroiter Bobby “Showboat” Hall was the Harlem Gloebetrotters’ Clown Prince for 24 years?) shouldn’t go unnoticed. With the deep Polish culture in this area the Polish-American Sports Hall would be deserving of space. And lest I forget, Detroit automakers have played a significant role in auto racing. There are also the more recreational sports of angling, boating, bowling, and golf. Certainly Oakland Hills Country Club has played a major role in golf history and would be capable of loaning items.

Funding you ask? Certainly private donors and corporations would be needed, but how about 10 cents per ticket charge on the four professional sports teams? Based on last season’s attendance figures that surcharge would generate close to $5 million dollars over the next decade. If you went to a quarter per ticket that number would increase to $12.5 million. I’m not a tax expert, but if this were a non-profit cultural center (which it most assuredly should be), I believe some – if not all – of the work required for this project would be eligible for tax credits.

Finally, a center such as this would help pump new life into the Corktown area. Certainly a local establishment such as Big Boy, National Coney Island, or Tubby’s could be the in-house food service provider, but any of the three might want to have a presence around the center. Likewise, when the famed Lindell AC closed in 2002 there was much discussion about reopening in a new location. What location would be better for the Lindell than at the hub of Michigan’s sports history?

What to do with Tiger Stadium? Sadly, I say raze it, but like the Phoenix it could rise again, albeit in a new form, and create a place for all of metro Detroit sports fans to gather, reminisce, and drink in the history of the rich athletic traditions we all share.