Baseball to many American families is more that a game
– it is a sacrament. In 1989 American baseball fans were moved
by the movie
”
Field of Dreams.
”
Baseball to many American families is more that a game – it is a sacrament. In 1989 American baseball fans were moved by the movie “Field of Dreams.”
My Field of Dreams, was Briggs Stadium home of the Detroit Tigers. Before it was Tiger Stadium it was Briggs Stadium. And my father told me that before it was Briggs stadium, it was know as Navin Field.
The memory of my first and last ballgame with my father remains clear and timeless. Somehow the heart retains the details better than the mind. My mother was a great baseball fan through all the years, but did not know the history of baseball and the beloved Tigers as well as my dad.
The first major league game I ever saw was in 1949 when I was 8. Dad closed up the lumber yard early on a Friday afternoon in late July of that year and we made the long drive from our small town in Northern Michigan to Detroit. We stayed at Uncle Phil’s apartment on Crocus Lawn and I remember riding the elevator up and down in his apartment building as often as possible that weekend. Briggs Stadium was a massive green structure – it was blue later on when it became Tiger stadium – and was situated at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. This is hollowed ground in Michigan even today, although of course the Tigers are playing in the new Comerica Park. I felt great familiarity with the place due to the countless hours I had spent listening on the radio to the descriptions of Harry Heilman and Van Patrick on the Tigers radio network.
The next day was Saturday and we were playing the Boston Red Sox. They had an infield of Billy Goodman, Bobby Doerr, Johnny Pesky, and Vern Stephens. I remember my dad saying, “sure they are good but do you know which infield has the record for the most RBIs by an infield?”
“Who, Dad – tell us,” I asked.
“Yup, it was the 1934 Detroit Tigers of Hank Greenberg, Charlie Geheringer, Billy Rogell and Marv Owen,” he replied.
He was right, they drove in an amazing 462 runs together. I think it is still a record. And out there in right field was the splendid splinter, Ted Williams. What a sweet swing he had.
The Tigers countered primarily with a great outfield that year composed of Johnny Groth, Hoot Evers and Vic Wertz. That was before Vic Wertz went to Cleveland where in the 1954 World Series he hit the mighty blast in the Polo Grounds that a young centerfielder by the name of Willie Mays chased down – and thereby introduced himself to an entire nation of baseball fans. And the ’49 Tigers still had the great Hal Newhouser.
The last game I saw with my father was also in Tiger Stadium in 1993 against the Oakland A’s. My mother had been stricken by age-driven loss of memory and could not accompany us. My brother Greg and his kids went as did our own; the torch was being passed and I remember fondly that night under the lights with three generations of Kelsch’s.
That was also a memorable game. In the seventh inning of that game, Kirk Gibson faced off against Dennis Eckersley of the A’s. Yes, it was the same Eckersley and the same Kirk Gibson that had participated in The Incident – remembered by baseball fans everywhere. The Incident occurred in the first game of the 1988 World Series when Gibson was with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, who can forget the unlikely sight of Gibson watching Eck’s slider sailing into the right field bleachers, and then limping around the bases pumping his right arm in a horizontal fashion. My father informed me this was the first time they had met since that timeless incident. Eckersley won the battle this time.
Then the game was over, Tiger Stadium went dark and we walked back to our car. I knew it was the last time I would see a game with my father. But my son and daughter were with me and the timelessness of the summer pageant seemed to settle on all of us. Someday my kids will take me to the last baseball game, and somehow it will be all right. Such is the magic and the spirituality that Americans find in their special game.
Al Kelsch lives in Hollister with his wife Judy. They both enjoy running and singing. E-mail him at oi*****@ya***.com.
