April 19, 2008 [LINK / comment]
Tiger Stadium update
Based on intensive inspection of old photos (several of which were provided by Bruce Orser) and other research, I have updated the Tiger Stadium diagrams, making a few corrections. The biggest change is that the grandstand is about 15 feet less deep than I had estimated before. (I had erroneously assumed that the number of bleacher rows was the same as the number of grandstand rows, yielding an estimate that was too high.) Also, I learned from the latest edition of Phil Lowry's Green Cathedrals that the actual distance to center field from 1955 on was only 425 feet, not 440 feet, as the distance marker said. There is a new post-1955 version that includes lights and other details.
In the real world of baseball, meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers got off to an extremely disappointing start this year. Perhaps the planned demolition of their old home is giving them some bad karma...
Nats win in the Nick of time
Thanks to a clutch 3-RBI double by Nick Johnson in the seventh inning at Dolphin Stadium last night, the Washington Nationals won for only the second time in their last 14 games. Nevertheless, at 5-12, the Nationals remain the only team in the majors currently with a win-loss record below .300.