TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Letters To The Editor

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Regarding "Rays' Pitch For New Ballpark Striking Out With Fans" (Letters, Nov. 17):

After reading a plethora of letters to the editors mirroring The Tampa Tribune's position regarding the new Rays stadium, I have to wonder how many of them are real baseball fans - and that includes the editorial board of The Tampa Tribune?

What has been lost in the debate is that the Al Lang site is one of the most historically significant locations in baseball. Starting in 1916, almost all of the greats of baseball from Babe Ruth on down have played on that piece of land.

Baseball is a game of tradition, woven into the very fabric of America and the move to such a significant historical site fits baseball well, especially in the light of the numerous historical major league parks which have been or will be razed, including the "House That Ruth Built" - Yankee Stadium.

When the Rays relocate to the old Al Lang field, baseball will be coming home. It would be fitting if owners of the Rays will recognize the historical significance of the site by establishing a year-round museum within the stadium dedicated to that site and to Florida's wonderful spring training history. With a real effort it could become Cooperstown of the South and provide an attraction that will draw people to the Tampa Bay area.

As for the argument that building a winning team is more important than moving to a better facility, it does not take into account the reality of baseball. Only a few teams consistently win and most of baseball is composed of teams that just have a few good years. Baseball is attended for the experience.

As it states in the traditional Take Me Out to The Ball Game song: "Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack, I don't care if I never get back, Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes, your out, At the old ball game." It's the experience that drives fans to visit, and the current experience in a warehouse called Tropicana Field is everything baseball was never meant to be.

An open-air stadium on one of the most historical baseball sites in the country will create a better team. Attendance will soar, great free agents will clamor to play here and the Tampa Bay area will finally be a big league town.

To steal a few lines from the movie "Field of Dreams," people will come. They'll come to St. Petersburg for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your streets, not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.

"Of course, we won't mind if you have a look around," you'll say. "It's only $20 per person." They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it; for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers, and sit in shirt-sleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes.

And they'll watch the game, and it'll be as if they'd dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces.

People will come, Tampa Bay, if we just have the courage to build it.

DALE SMREKAR

Odessa

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT