Notes to Game 3: Ice Bowl Preview

Now, we go from the beauty of baseball to Abbot and Costello meets the Wolf-man. This should be quite an interesting weekend in the city of Detroit. Here is a blurb about the home of the Tigers since 2000. Located in downtown Detroit, Comerica Park promises to play a major part in the revitalization of the struggling city. The $360 million ballpark has old fashioned touches, like brick and steel construction and assymetrical dimensions. However, there are many modern aspects, like a sunken playing field, rides for the kids, state-of-the-art facilities and one of the largest scoreboards in sports. The park could also eventually have a retractable roof. Don’t gloss over that final line. It should read: The park should have a retractable roof. The fact that it doesn’t is about as ludicrous as Donald Trump’s hair. Baseball should not be played in temperature in the 30’s, which is exactly the situation facing MLB as the series, with the Giants leading two games to nothing shifts to Michigan. It is not a knock on Michigan. The game of baseball for the most part is going to run into a big problem in open air cities when winter begins to flex her muscles in late October. What moron decided Detroit was the exception? Did they confuse Detroit with San Diego? MLB doesn’t respond to my challenge, but those in the know, say it has to do with cost. And I say: baloney. Mike Illitch, owner of the Tigers is one of the wealthiest men in America, He could probably sell enough pizzas in a month to cover the cost. Previous lovers of the game decried the natural beauty of the game being ruined by indoor baseball as was evidenced in dome stadiums which are now dinosaurs, such as the Astrodome (Houston), Metrodome (Minnesota) and Kingdome (Seattle). With the introduction of retractable roof technology at Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks), baseball purists had the best of both worlds. Now, one could attend a game, knowing full well that when they left their home, the game was going to be played No long delays, no inconvenience for the fans and comfort for the players. If the weather was ideal, the roof would be open to greet the sunshine. Retractable roof stadiums became all the rage and we see them in Milwaukee, Miami, Houston and Seattle, as well as Phoenix. The Padres home field in San Diego has no roof and justifiably so. In nearly a decade at their downtown San Diego ballpark, they have been interrupted by rain like never. When I was a fair small town baseball player, in the days of Abraham Lincoln, I was asked to bat in a game in March being played in New York. I had been wearing an imitation fur coat, while sitting on the frozen bench, trying without much success to stay warm. I can recall taking off that coat and having a flash or horror. I felt nude. Yes, the cold was so brutal that for an instant, I felt as if I had no clothes on at all beneath my coat. I am sure Giant and Tiger players look forward to showing off their skills in such insane conditions. Baseball will gain look the other way. I ask why and I keep asking. And so should you.