Profiling Saginaw’s Dow Events Center

It is Day One of the Ultimate Sports Road Trip’ journey to Notre Dame and back, and for the first leg of the trip, we paid a visit to Saginaw, Michigan, home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit.

Now Saginaw is one of just three U.S. based OHL franchises, the other two being the Erie Otters and the Plymouth Whalers, and we often joke that these junior hockey venues are pretty much a boilerplate experience – 6000 wine red colored seats, small lobby with local Sports Hall of Fame and exhibits just off to the right, showcasing people most never heard of nor do they care about. On the concession menu – Pizza Pizza, Tim Horton’s and poutine. Throw in a restaurant high above center ice and the ubiquitous mural of Queen Elizabeth hanging up above one end zone, and no need to drive all the way to Sault Ste. Marie. We just nailed it.

That being said, it is kind of refreshing to get the OHL experience from the American angle, and here in Saginaw game night does not disappoint. Fans here love their hockey and are passionate about their Spirit, a team they have had here for just a few seasons, after the franchise relocated from North Bay.

The Dow Events Center is a multi faceted entertainment and meeting facility located on the fringes of downtown Saginaw. The center city here is dreary and depressing, with many vacant storefronts and dank, dark streets. Save for this facility and a theatre one block away, there would be absolutely no reason to come downtown at all.

But the arena itself is a real charmer – just under 6000 seats, all upholstered and plenty wide, a sparkling rotunda style atrium lobby with flags of all 20 OHL teams ringing the pavilion. Video board, party decks at ice level on each corner, and a low enough ceiling so that the place can get really noisy when al the seats are filled. The arena underwent an extensive renovation back in 2003 costing upwards of $14-million, this after their former minor league team departed mid season in the dead of night, and disgusted fans were ready to bulldoze the place.

It has all worked out here in Saginaw. Team owner Richard Garber stood at one of the exits after the game, high fiving fans and patting them on the back as they departed. Fun seems to be the mantra here, with mascots and game day crew shooting t-shirts, in fact so many of them, that we had to switch sections to a less crowded area so we could watch the game with fewer distractions.

With scant little tradition here, there are no retired numbers hanging from the rafters, and the team has yet to win an OHL championship or appear in the Memorial Cup tournament despite playoff runs in recent years. But that may all change this year as the team is off to a fast start, and headlining the 2009-10 squad is 19 year old defenseman Nick Crawford, who is in his fourth season with the team, and was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 2008. On this night, Crawford netted two assists as the Spirit throttled the visiting Oshawa Generals 5-1.

Following the game we headed out to a local pub and eatery (not in scary scary downtown), and ran into Spirit play by play broadcaster Leigh Cunningham. Leigh was kind enough to spend a little time with us and shared his thoughts about the team and their fan base. Having worked with OHL teams for a number of years, including with the London Knights, Leigh was very deferential towards Saginaw, saying that fans here have been very quick to embrace their team and the OHL product.

Day One of this USRT adventure is in the books! Saturday we point the car south towards South Bend, and a 2:30 PM kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium as the Fighting Irish host Navy, a team they have beat at home for generations. For the nightcap, it’s then off to the United Center in Chicago for the Chicago Bulls. They are promising sunny skies and 63 degrees at game time, it should be a great day!

Above – the Blue Line Club is a gussied up banquet hall open to season ticket holders. Below – a birds eye view of the action from one of the corner party decks.

Props to Bill Konesko at the Saginaw Spirit for his assistance!

Notre Dame football trip on tap for USRT

Incredibly, it took until this afternoon to get the final starting times for next weekend’s college football games which we had an interest in. What a totally suckity-suck system the NCAA has, where they hold back start times so that networks and regional sports channels can cherry pick what games they want to present and when.

We were eyeballing two possibilities… a day-night doubleheader involving Iowa and Iowa State, or a similar plan involving North Carolina and North Carolina State. Both plans needed an early game (noon-1pm) and a late game (7pm-8pm). So last Monday “stops” were put on both the NC State and Iowa State games’ start times, and we had to wait until today to find out where we were headed.

The word finally came down at 3pm today, and it wasn’t good news… both plans had overlapping start times, and we sure as heck aren’t driving 730 miles to see just one football game.

So it was off to “Plan C”.

Here is what we put together tonight, lickety split…

FRI NOV 6 – OHL, Oshawa at Saginaw
Dow Events Center

SAT NOV 7 2:30PM – NCAA, Navy at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium

SAT NOV 7 8:00PM – NBA, Charlotte at Chicago
United Center

SUN NOV 8 – OHL, Oshawa at Windsor
WFCU Centre

Pretty neat – we get to cross off two more OHL venues, including the new arena in Windsor (we visited the “Old Barn” last year before they closed), and plant the USRT flag in South Bend, one of the most storied college football venues in all of sports. AND a Saturday doubleheader!

My Cheektowaga Election Day Tradition

Proud I am of my 2009 slate…Stan Kaznowski, who’s been running for this job 32 months straight; Pat Jaworowicz, seeking her 8th and final term; and Jim Rogowski, watch for his name on the ballot down the road for State Senate or Town Supervisor

Wow. After all these months, literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours devoted to campaign activities on two fronts – the Cheekdems, where I wear the hat of Executive Vice Chairman, and downtown at the EC Legislature, where I serve the Majority Caucus, this all finally comes to an end on Tuesday. John Glascott comes out of Cheektowaga with momentum in the Sheriff’s race. If this were the private sector the other guy would have been shitcanned a long time ago, “genuine hero” or not. If John actually pulls this off it will be a huge gold star for our Cheekdems organization. I have my fingers crossed.

I am mentally and emotionally spent. It has been exhilarating and at the same time such a sucky experience. I love the campaigning and the energy of devoting time to a cause that I believe in. At the same time, I have been pulled in directions between Cheektowaga and downtown, all demanding of my time and skills and energy. Whatever happens this Tuesday, over the next couple weeks I am going to do some heavy thinking and soul searching in terms of where I want to be and what I want to do politically moving forward, and to what extent I want to work in government. I do know this – I will not go through another year like this ever again.

In the din of Tuesday’s Election Day activities, a group of us is going to take a break and partake in a tradition that goes all the way back to 1981.

Back then, Pat Jaworowicz, running for the first time for Council, and her future husband Don Wegner, standing for re-election, and a few family members and campaign workers gathered at Roma’s on Genesee St for a “good luck” luncheon. That night Pat won and Don lost, but we kept the tradition going, every time one of us was on the ballot, and it became the Primary Day and Election Day thing to do.

In 1987 it was my turn on the ballot for Council, and I remember my Conservative friends John Abraham and the late “Chicky” Roberto and a couple of their friends just happened to walk into Roma’s for their own lunch engagement. We pulled a couple tables over and invited them to take part — hey without those guys and their endorsement I wouldn’t have even run. I also remember Pat bringing then EC Legislature Chairman Richard Slisz to my luncheon, and him proclaiming me “a big winner” and how flattered I was him just being there. (And yes I did win that night).

The other memorable luncheon was Primary Day 2001… We walked into Roma’s with the surreal backdrop of the news of 9-11 unfolding on the TV screens. That was a bitter and divisive Cheekdems primary year in Cheektowaga, but the events of the day made us realize how really silly and petty our differences really were. I remember then Supervisor Dennis Gabryszak walking into the bar that day around 12:30, coming to our table and informing us that the Governor had ordered that the election be cancelled.

So here we are 2009, and it dawns on me that this will probably be the final time that our group convenes in this setting, in this venue. Heck even Roma’s is no more, our boy Richie finally retired after three decades as a restauranteur, so we scrambled to pick a new place, and settled on Danny’s, down the street. Then I think how different things are; this is definitely Pat’s last election, and if you ever see the name “Jaworowicz” on an election ballot, it will instead be her son Tim. Ray Pugh, a member of our Planning Board and part of our group from day one, isn’t getting any younger either. Then there’s me and my game planning my future endeavors, and surprise, surprise… “Cheektowaga” doesn’t come up in the mix.

And then there is Don… Our dear, dear friend Don Wegner, Pat’s husband, succumbed to cancer in 2007, and this will be the first time that his chair will be empty at this gathering. Don so loved the political arena and Election Day was always a special and exciting day for him. We know that Don’s spirit will be with us as his beloved “Pat-reesh” makes her last hurrah on the Cheektowaga ballot.

Come Tuesday, I will reflect on all the election days of the past, and despite how flithy this business can be sometimes, that there is also something really good in terms of the lifelong associations, friendships and fellowships that are derived from these shared experiences.

My big rooting interests this Tuesday… of course Pat and my Cheekdems council slate… in LD-8, Tom Mazur. “Maze” is a good friend and a consensus builder who quietly gets things done… in LD-12, Bob Reynolds is being deluged with negative campaign flyers, which is too bad. He is such a decent guy and I’d say our best legislator… Props in LD-11 and Lynn Marinelli. Yeah she’s my boss and all, and also a really nice gal and someone I’m proud to work for… and finally Cheektowaga’s own John Glascott.

The Cheekdems and Glascott party starts at 9PM Tuesday over at Leonard Post VFW, 2450 Walden Road, corner Nagel Drive. All are invited. C’mon down and have a beer with me!

PuckStop: On Tyler Myers

This week in Puck Stop, we profile the Sabres’ newest defenseman, Tyler Myers.

As if the first three games of the season wasn’t enough to create buzz and excitement, Myers again made a strong case for himself that he is here to stay in his play this past Tuesday, a statement making 6-2 Buffalo win against the Detroit Red Wings. While everyone is trying to stay grounded and focused despite the team’s fast start, all the talk on local sports radio, message boards and blogs is focused on Tyler Myers and his future as a potential superstar in the NHL and as a Buffalo Sabre.

But what about the short term? Many are asking if Myers will be sent back down to his junior team in Kelowna, or will he stay with the Sabres permanently. And what is the significance of Myers’ being on the roster for nine regular season games?

So we asked Sabres Public Relations Director Mike Gilbert, and he offered this explanation. “The nine games simply involves year one of Myer’s contract. He signed a three year agreement with the team, and if he stays beyond the nine games, then year one goes into effect. If he gets sent down, then year one doesn’t kick in until he returns. All this means that ultimately his arbitration rights, free agency, etcetera would kick in that much quicker should the team elect to keep him,” said Gilbert.

So that’s pretty much it. Translation… either the Sabres get to keep Myers at a lower price for as long as possible, or they lock him up to a long term contract at some point and pay the best case scenario of the big bucks that Myers will surely command. Just like they did with Drury, Campbell and Briere.

Meanwhile, check out the video of the Sabres highlight reel from this past Tuesday. Tyler Myers totally makes the second goal happen, thanks to his end to end rush which looked absolutely Perreault-esque. Myers took the puck right to the net and almost stuffed it by Detroit goaltender Chris Osgood. The rebound kicked out to Patrick Kaleta, who buried it on the backhand to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead. Good times! Good times!

Coming attractions – Consol Energy Center

Now taking shape in downtown Pittsburgh, right across the street from The Igloo – Consol Energy Center, which will be the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It will be the first LEED certified building in the NHL, and will house 18,087 for hockey.

Pittsburgh’s new venue will be just one of several new four sport venues slated to open in 2010, which will make for a very busy USRT travel schedule. Other teams set to roll out their new digs:

Minnesota Twins (MLB) – Target Field

New York Jets/New York Giants (NFL) – New Meadowlands Stadium

Orlando Magic (NBA) – Orlando Events Center

Mmmmmm… Skyline Chili!

Skyline Chili is a restaurant chain based in the Cincinnati area. Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrants, these eateries are a ubiquitous part of the landscape in southern Ohio.

What makes Skyline so awesome? The coneys baby! Skyline coneys are small sized hot dogs served on split rolss, then topped with chili, mounds of cheddar cheese, mustard, onions and beans (on request).

The Skyline menu also features pasta “Three Ways and “Four Ways”. A plate of spaghetti, topped with their famous chili, again a mound of cheese, and if you want to add onions or beans, then hey go nuts!

I was more than pissed off last month when I attended a split doubleheader at Great American Ballpark. The crowd was so paltry for the first game that the specialty stands, including the coney stand, was closed. Ya think I came all the way from Buffalo just to eat the ballpark dreck?

We are happy to add Skyline Chili to our rotation of USRT eateries…. along with places like Shoney’s, Eat N’ Park, and of course, the daddy of them all… White Castle!

Buffalo gets skunked by the NCAA

The NCAA has released the schedule for its Men’s Basketball subregionals and regionals for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013. Incredibly, Buffalo did not make the cut, and come March, 2010, that may be the last time for a long time before fans in this area will get a chance to partake in such an event.

Buffalo has hosted a subregional in 2000, 2004 and 2007, and also hosted the ice hockey Frozen Four in 2003. All these events were hugely successful at the box office, and gave Buffalo positive national exposure, as well as providing significant economic impact.

Looking at the list of host venues in the newly announced three year cycle, gives a good glimpse as to the new realities – Buffalo is now competing against a whole bevy of gleaming new arenas throughout the country, all vying to lure the NCAA’s to their cities and the attraction of tourist dollars that follow. Tulsa’s new BOK Center, a 19,000 seat arena in their downtown core, will host the event in 2011.

Pittsburgh’s new Consol Energy Center and Louisville’s new Louisville Arena get March Madness in 2012. Kansas City’s Sprint Center will host a subregional come 2013.

A trusted source inside the Sabres organization told us a while back that Buffalo was attempting to land not a subregional, but a regional in this coming cycle. The trend for regionals in recent years has been to place them in larger stadiums, sometimes as a prelude to a Final Four. Perhaps Buffalo overreached in aiming for a regional, and should have stayed with their tried and true formula.

Surely there will be an effort to put Buffalo in the rotation for the next cycle (2014-2016). Perhaps another bid for a Frozen Four will also be in the works.

Of course, we already did a bit of USRT advance scouting for possible road trips. Here are some ideas:

2011 – Cleveland is the easy choice, but Tulsa’s gleaming new BOK Center makes for an intriguing trip to uncharted USRT territory.

2012 – The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico jumps right off of the page. How else would we ever get to Albuquerque!

2013 – Now here’s a fertile mind attack! This trip would start on Tuesday March 19 at the opening round game in Dayton, Ohio. Thursday and Saturday we head to Rupp Arena in Lexington, and Friday and Sunday it’s back to Dayton for the first two rounds. Hotel venue in between – Cincinnati, Ohio. So we’re talking 13 basketball games in the course of 6 days!

Final thought? How the hell does Tampa land another subregional (2011)? We attended the 2008 event at the St. Pete Times Forum, and were treated to the sight of oceans of empty seats, and it was hard catching any buzz on the streets of Tampa. Bah!

Here is the complete schedule on the NCAA web site.

Day 9 – A Grand Finale That Fizzled Out.

The final day of the road trip was upon me.

I didn’t have a real ranking or list as to what days of the journey I was looking forward to more than others. Yet it was safe to say that this day would be up there near or at the top. Two games in two different parks in two separate cities was on tap for this day and anyone who loves baseball has to be excited about any such opportunity. I haven’t done this in quite some time, and on the Major League level I’m left scratching my head on the last time I was able to do this. Two games? Two different cities? The more I think about it, it may have been a first for me. Again, Major League games only.

But a big elephant had been sitting in the room all week long about this day, one that thankfully I hadn’t had to deal with on this journey so far but was about to rear its ugly head on Monday.

Rain.

It’s a fact of life if you attend baseball games that a scheduled game may not be played on a certain date due to inclement weather. Though with a plethora of newer venues built in recent years and with them more advanced drainage systems have cut into rainouts significantly, the possibility still exists of games not coming off as scheduled. If at all.

And the forecast for Pittsburgh was not good all week long. Chance of rain was as high as 60% leading up to the afternoon matinee, and as I rolled out of bed in my suburban Pittsburgh hotel room that morning the puddles on the ground were all I needed to see. Trouble. But while it was raining, it wasn’t the type of heavy downpour needed to put a game on hold. More a light drizzle/sprinkle so that as I reached PNC Park it certainly appeared that a game would be played. There wasn’t even a tarp on the infield as I walked into the lower concourse, so I realized that as long as the rain stayed very light we’d be good to go.

And it did go off as scheduled. The grounds crew had to do quite a bit of extra work to keep the infield playable during the game, dumping plenty of fresh dirt on the field to cover the damp spots that were forming there. There were times that the intensity of the rain forced fans to sit under the overhangs of both levels and other times when the rain stopped. What counted for me was that the Buccos and Cubs got a nine inning game in. A quick one too as the final out was recorded prior to 3pm, which would set me up very nicely for the 130 mile drive to Progressive Field.

The game itself was decent as the Cubbies shut down the Pirates on two hits to win a 4-2 decision and sent the throngs of Cubs fans out of the venue happy. On a sad note for the Pirates, the game would be a record breaker of a a not so good kind as this defeat would clinch their seventeenth consecutive losing season for them. A Major League record.

But, the game was over before 3pm, and only half the mission was complete. I raced to the car to begin making tracks for the final game on the schedule. Rangers vs. Indians at Progressive Field.

As I travelled up the Ohio Turnpike, the weather remained the roughly the same as it was in Pittsburgh. Overcast with some light rain from time to time. It was looking be a similar situation on Ohio’s North Coast. Or so I thought.

I was closing on Cleveland after 5pm and needed to get gas as I was beginning to run very low on fuel. I spotted a sign at an exit in the Cleveland ‘burb of Garfield Heights and when I pulled into the station the skies opened up and the thunder started to roar. Ohhhhhhh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy.

Sure enough, by the time I got to the stadium a storm was raging in full force. I began to rush around the exterior of the stadium to take photos, but then common sense hit me realizing that with such a strong storm coming through that the game was going to be in a delay. Sure enough, upon peeking through the outfield gates I was able to see clearly that the field was covered in a tarp.

The next thought was obvious. How long will this delay be? The news on that front(no pun intended was not good. I was getting info from friends of mine in the area that this storm, while not a huge one geographically was powerful and crawling at a snails pace through the area.

But the time in delay gave me the opportunity to see some of the more recent additions to Progressive Field. The most notable being the new Heritage Park beyond the center field fence. Here, fans can view plaques of the Indians finest players of their history dating back to 1901. Cy Young, Tris Speaker, “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, Satchel Paige…..too numerous to count. Also embedded in the ground on the upper level of this two level setting are inscriptions noting some of the great individual accomplishments in team history. Luis Tiant pitched four shutouts in a row? Somebody set a Major League record with 9 hits in a single game? It was honestly a learning experience for me. Also a special marker for Louis Sockalexis, a Native American who played for Cleveland’s National League team of the 1890’s and was the inspiration for the current nickname of the team.

And upstairs in the 500 deck exist large murals of Cleveland players past and present. A nice touch to the venue.

As minutes ticked into hours and that storm system barely budged it was looking bleaker and bleaker for the opportunity to see baseball on that night. I held out hope, seeing on the radar map that if this storm could just pick up a little speed that this game could still be saved. I hadn’t travelled over three thousand miles over nine days to have this all come to and end in this fashion. Right???

But that’s how it would turn out. The game was postponed after a delay of about two and a half hours, and while my first thought was to call in sick and go to the doubleheader the next day I quickly regained my senses and realized the road trip had come to an inglorious end. A long search via GPS for one final stop at a White Castle would precede the ride back to Buffalo to complete this journey.

More silly, ridiculous info that no one cares about except me.

White Castle – 10 more cheeseburgers. Grand total for the trip – 62. Serious, can someone in Buffalo seriously consider opening a White Castle here? I felt so weird eating at McDonald’s the next day.

I received baseball caps in both stadiums as part of a giveaway promotion. Pittsburgh is generally very good with giveaways and I’ve received plenty of decent items as a result of them there.

The Bucs loss to the Cubs made in five losses in a row for the home clubs. The curse of Joe Nathan continues and probably aided in causing the rainout for all I know.

Got me a free parking spot in Pittsburgh, thank you Labor Day for clearing the streets of daytime workers downtown.

My seat in Pittsburgh was in the front row of the upper deck directly behind the plate. Cost(window price): Eight dollars. Great because you can’t find a better bargain in the majors and it sucks since you realize that that is a reason why the Pirates are horrible. They can’t get a decent sized payroll off of those ticket prices.

Message to Ohio Tollways: Join the 21st century! Every other state that has a toll system up north from the Atlantic to Mississippi takes EZPass. I haven’t stopped at toll booth to get a ticket or pay cash to a toll taker(international bridges not included) since I don’t know when.

I’ll have another post up about some odds and ends of the journey up later. Thanks for reading:)

Day 8 – Chicago’s “other” baseball stadium.

Yes, I know there’s no day 7. That was a nondescript day off in Wisconsin to relax and prep for the ride back east.

In the world of Chicago sports there are two big league baseball teams. You have the Cubs, a team with a nationwide fan base that is one of the most beloved franchises in all of American sports. It goes without saying that they have the hearts of most of Chicago’s sports fan base as well. Playing in an iconic sports venue in a decent city neighborhood that millions of tourists flock to doesn’t hurt their image either.

Then you have the White Sox, who play on the “other side of town” in a respectable working class neighborhood of the South Side. And they compete in a venue that has been critically panned for years since its opening back in 1991. Sterile, bland, didn’t go the retro park route they said.

But that was prior to US Cellular spending tens of millions of dollars to put their name on the venue, and much of that capital was put into a complete makeover of this venue. The USRT first visited as the transformation was underway back in 2005 and liked what we saw, and couldn’t wait to return when it was completed. Fast forward to now, and I’ll simply tell you this. If in Chicago do not skip the South Side. Hitting both parks is a must.

Where there once was sky blue seating was changed to a dark shade of green. The top rows of the monstrous upper deck were lopped off to create a greater intimacy, and a facade was placed above it. All very nice, but it’s in the concourses that this venue makes a great impression.

The upper level concourse may be the sharpest looking one in the business. On one side of it from one end to another is a wonderful pictoral mural of the history of the Sox, and to an extent Chicago sports in general. Yet it goes further with plenty of historical photos of the city’s entertainment, role in transportation, and neighborhoods along with other special moments city’s history. A. Must. See.

Continuing with the history format, most of the concession stands are named after great players and major moments in the clubs history. “Nellie’s Pivot Point”, “Kittle’s Brat’s”…so many that I couldn’t even name. Entrances to aisles with a team logo on it from the past. Statues of many of the team’s greats are situated on the outfield pavilion. I know I said that Detroit’s Comerica Park celebrates their history better than anywhere else in the Major Leagues, but this venue makes me rethink that to say the least.

Add to it a fan base at the park that seems to care more about winning than their North Side rivals. OK I do take that back, but the reality is that Wrigley is a nationwide tourist attraction that attracts baseball fans of all teams while a White Sox game will likely have a bigger percentage of their own fans in the joint on any given day.

And the most recent addition to the park, one that probably riles up Cubs fans even further is a plaza outside the homeplate entrance celebrating the 2005 World Series Champions. Not to mention a huge banner on the outfield exterior facade overlooking the expressway noting the same.

To say the least, “The Cell” is a must see in Chicago.

The game itself was about the worst one on the roadie as the White Sox were hammered by Boston 6-1. Former Bison Victor Martinez delivering the knockout punch with a three run blast in the eighth inning. It was the fourth consecutive loss by a home team on my journey. You could call it ” The Curse of Joe Nathan” for the Twins pitcher who melted down in the ninth inning of the Twins game at the Metrodome and caused the home team losing streak to begin.

Other trivial nonsense of note(or maybe not of note):

Parking is 23$….I have no idea why they chose such an odd number.

Peter is an idiot! While walking to the park I pulled out the game ticket that I had for the game. I did a double take of horror when I noticed that it was for the next day’s game. That’s twice(Cincinnati) that I did that! To make it worse, I had spent a bit to get a 100 level ticket. Stadium rules permit only 100 Level ticket holders to enter the 100 concourse. An unusual policy, but one implemented after the attack by fans of a first base coach on the field a few years back. So I had to splurge again, ugh!

My GPS is an idiot! While heading south from Milwaukee, the GPS instructed me to get off the 90/94 onto the Skokie Highway for a good 30 miles. Dumb move, sometimes you have to trust your instincts.

White Castle? You bet, 10 more upon leaving the stadium.

Little things that were really neat: On the concourse walls I saw a photo of President Barack Obama in Sox gear tossing out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star Game. Saw a t-shirt commemorating Mark Beuhrle’s perfect game. And on that note, there’s a spot on the left center field fence where “The Catch” is inscribed to note DeWayne Wise’s fantastic ninth inning catch to preserve the perfecto.

And stop by “The Bullpen” at the base of the right field wall. Inside is a bar area loaded with more White Sox memorabilia including a couple of the spinning wheels from the scoreboard of the original Comiskey Park.

Afterwards, one last long drive eastward as I’d travel about 450 miles to a hotel near Pittsburgh to set up the final day of the road trip. An afternoon matinee in Pittsburgh followed by a nightcap in Cleveland was all that’s left of this great adventure.

-pjf

A moment of silence on the journey to reflect.

As I was headed out of Milwaukee towards Chicago I decided to stop again at Miller Park. I wasn’t able to spend enough time prior to Friday night’s game getting photos from the outside so a revisit was in order.

The area near the home plate entrance provides for plenty of photo ops, there’s a youth league field with a spot marking where home plate at County Stadium once stood. Statues of Hank Aaron and Robin Yount sit close by, and a monument celebrating the Milwaukee Braves’ short lived existence lies off in another direction. Even a small marker honoring the 1901 American League Milwaukee franchise is here.

But one statue, and the area around it made me stop in my tracks. If nothing else to remind me of the high personal cost that these venues can bring, and my mind flashed back to July of 1999 to a moment I’ll never forget.

We had made the trek to County Stadium as an aside for a weekend at Wrigley Field, an opportunity to see a stadium that was in its final days. With Miller Park under construction just beyond the outfield seats, it was looking to be a sparkling venue all set to open in time for the 2000 season. That was until the events of July 14, 1999. Everything would change, to say the least.

On that day, an enormous crane was carrying a 400 ton section of the retractable roof when things went horribly awry. The crane would collapse into the seating bowl of Miller Park while attempting to set the piece in place and the collateral damage that resulted from the crash of that piece resulted in the deaths of three construction workers.

So by the time we rolled into town two weeks later, construction had stopped. Uncertainty had set in. Would the Miller Park project be completed?(Not for a year later – opened in 2001) A community had been visibly shaken, the new stadium was a focal point for the community. For a small market club struggling to keep up with the big boys of baseball, it was meant to be a way to keep a proud franchise competitive and possibly be the key to keeping the Brewers in town.

The night we were there was a hot and humid one. I still remember the 7pm start and seeing a thermostat that read 97 degrees. Saw the sausage race, did the “Beer Barrel Polka” during the seventh inning stretch, wolfed down a couple brats. But one moment will remain with me forever.

During a between innings break, the message board at County Stadium quietly put up a notice thanking the members of the local ironworkers union for their attendance at that night’s game. No public adress annoucement, no special presentation featuring a union official. Just a message on the board.

What followed next brought tears to my eyes. A rousing ovation from the fans in attendance that night. Not immediate, but as more and more fans began to notice what was on the scoreboard it became more pronounced. It was possibly the most emotional, poignant moment I’ve ever witnessed at a sporting event(save for last February 13th). For a night at the park, the baseball fans of the community would say “thanks” to the people who were physically putting the nuts and bolts to the park. A thank you to the people who generally are nameless and faceless in the building of new venues. Yet in the face of tragedy were now being noted by thousands at County Stadium for their critical role in keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee.

And their names willl remembered forever as there is a statue of three construction workers near the home plate entrance. Behind it is a wall with the names of every worker involved in the building of Miller Park from the top of the food chain to the bottom. A fitting memorial to say the least.