This is about old ballparks that are no longer around. While some were nice parks - others were all time classics.
Missed Out
As I have grown older, I realized that I was missing out on something special. From 1991 to now there have been alot of new stadiums built in baseball, which means lots of opportunity to go see new ones, but also means some that will be considered classics one day have been missed. Some of the ones replaced were in need of it, and were very basic, cookie cutter stadiums. Others, while old and outdated, were classics already. I will not let the new wave of stadiums pass me by this time. I am dedicated to seeing them all.
While some of these classics are before my time, I sit and wonder what it would have been like to see a game at some of these classic domains. I love the look of some of the classics and am learning more about them daily.
While some of these classics are before my time, I sit and wonder what it would have been like to see a game at some of these classic domains. I love the look of some of the classics and am learning more about them daily.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
County Stadium, Milwaukee WI
This stadium has an interesting history. It was built for the minor league team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who were the minor league affiliate of the Boston Braves in 1953. The old minor league park was so worn down that they had to build a new one. It was so nice that Major league teams were now interested in going there. The St. Louis Browns (who were the MLB Milwaukee Brewers for one year in 1901, and went on later to become the Baltimore Orioles) were now interested in going there, but the Braves blocked the move since the stadium was built for their minor league club, and moved there the next year since they couldnt compete with the Red Sox in Boston. They then became the Milwaukee Braves and played there from 1953 to 1965. They had to add on seats in the first few years there since it was not built for high attendance. In 1968 & 1969 the Chicago White Sox played a handful of games there as a local businessman, Bud Selig, wanted to see if another team would draw interest. He then bought the struggling Seattle Pilots and moved them here renaming them the Brewers. They played there until 2000 when Miller Park was opened.
There was a chalet and giant beer mug where mascot Bernie Brewer would "dunk" himself whenever a Brewers player hit a home run. The chalet is now stored at Lakefront Brewery, a Milwaukee microbrewery, and can be seen on brewery tours. County Stadium also gave rise to the Sausage Race, during which several sausages participate in a race to home plate between the sixth and seventh innings. Whoever finished first was the "wiener" and whoever finished last was the "wurst".
From 1953 to 1994 the Packers played 2 to 3 games a year at County Stadium. The movie "Major League" was filmed there also. There were 3 World Series played there. 1957 and 1958 with the Braves winning in 57 and losing in 58. Then the Brewers lost in 7 games to the St. Louis Cards in the 1982 World Series.
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