In the glory days of baseball fans attended games at Crosley Field , Shibe Park, and the Polo Grounds. Today fans head to PETCO Park and Safeco Field. There are only a few parks with classic names left - Wrigley, Fenway, and Yankee Stadium. The White Sox had played in two buildings known as Comiskey Park since 1910. I guess money was a little tight a few years ago and the name was changed to US Cellular Field. The White Sox did more than change a few signs when they changed the name of the ballpark, they lost part of their history. Charles Comiskey was the Sox greedy owner from 1900 - 1931. Under his ownership the first Comiskey Park was built on Chicago's South Side. His penny pinching also caused baseball's greatest scandal - the 1919 Black Sox. Eight players of the American League champion Sox were paid by gamblers to throw the World Series and when they were caught were banned from baseball. Perhaps Charles Comiskey would have been happy with the White Sox profiteering but it disgusted baseball fans.
Yesterday, tradition beat out profits!
The Rangers announced that their agreement with Ameriquest Mortgage was ending. The team will now take the field at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers will lose the $2.5 million Ameriquest was paying to have its name on the ballpark each season but, in this fans opinion that's a small price to pay. I can't wait to get to Rangers Ballpark.
In my neck of the woods, the Minnesota Twins are working very hard to stay on track to open a ne
w ballpark in downtown Minneapolis for the 2010 season. I am not nieve enough to think the naming rights to the new stadium will not be available to the highest bidder. Following the death of Kirby Puckett last year there was some talk about naming the new build Kirby Puckett Ballpark in memory of the Puck but this quickly faded. Minnesota does have an opportunity to make some money on the naming rights while still giving a nod to tradition. The Twins new park should be called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Ballpark. (Tip of the hat to anyone who knew that's what 3M stands for.) 3M will give the Twins big bucks to put their name on the stadium and the elongated name would pay tribute to the industries that built this state.Please Twins, anything but Best Buy Park!
touch with baseball when his childhood heroes Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, and Jim Gantner retired but the Great Home Run Chase of 1998 reignited his passion. As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Erik became involved with the campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity. With this group Erik traveled to Portland, OR and Baltimore, MD to work on construction projects and help the group raise $25,000 to partially sponsor a house in Milwaukee. Also at UWM, Erik met Peter Nagel. The two attended their first Brewers game together during Opening Weekend 2003. Despite their failure to ignite the coals at their first tailgate, the two had a blast and were soon making weekly trips to the ballpark. Erik has gone on to several colleges and changed careers several times, and has moved all the way out to New Hampshire, but has always stayed true to his baseball roots by holding part-time stadium usher jobs. To this day he looks back fondly on his incredible cross-country journey.
1 comment:
You are my new hero's... just starting reading your blog...directed here by Kit Blasewitx...one of your uncles...I have been to 2/3 of the ballparks and I agree with you top picks...I am a life time Angel Fan...at least since 1970...FYI no corporate name here...it is known as Angel Stadium or the big A...
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