End Of An Era.....
The time has come for us to bid adieu to the friendly and much warmer confines of the Chain O' Lakes complex and head north for the home opener. All of us had a chance to thank many of the fine folks that have worked in and around the complex during not only this pre-season, but many that have come before it. The ambiance of the older park, the older stands, and not-so new facilities, created a "feel" of another time when it was a grand park celebrating exhibition baseball. That now will have its place in history, and we venture forth to the Valley of the Sun next year.
The water tower in the city will stand proud with its image of Chief Wahoo painted on its side and visible for miles.
We added our own signage this year to show our support within the stadium as well!
We have seen much of the play on the field, so I wandered about on the last day attempting to snag the little reminders that dot the grounds speaking to fans or players about their whereabouts in the complex.
And how about some of the spots within the ballpark as well? A shot of the well-visited souvenir stand for one...and a look at the open air press box. This was the spot where the snake visited last year unexpectedly and made a friend of Paul Hoynes, the Plain Dealer beat reporter. You don't get that everywhere!
There is no doubt that the fans have expressed their thanks over the past month. The enthusiasm for the ball club seems just as much as ever as folks enjoyed games in the sun-drenched atmosphere of Florida.
So we leave for another season with our thanks to everyone for their help and consideration while we had the opportunity to work at Chain O' Lakes. The round dome that is at the front of the complex will always be a reminder of its location and what lays behind.
I had the chance to say goodbye myself after many years of travelling south to the complex. I hope to make a return trip sometime just to see how things are faring....but for now I am looking forward to the start of the season - now the games will count!
Opening day is here..summer is coming... Play Ball!!!
The water tower in the city will stand proud with its image of Chief Wahoo painted on its side and visible for miles.
We added our own signage this year to show our support within the stadium as well!
We have seen much of the play on the field, so I wandered about on the last day attempting to snag the little reminders that dot the grounds speaking to fans or players about their whereabouts in the complex.
And how about some of the spots within the ballpark as well? A shot of the well-visited souvenir stand for one...and a look at the open air press box. This was the spot where the snake visited last year unexpectedly and made a friend of Paul Hoynes, the Plain Dealer beat reporter. You don't get that everywhere!
There is no doubt that the fans have expressed their thanks over the past month. The enthusiasm for the ball club seems just as much as ever as folks enjoyed games in the sun-drenched atmosphere of Florida.
So we leave for another season with our thanks to everyone for their help and consideration while we had the opportunity to work at Chain O' Lakes. The round dome that is at the front of the complex will always be a reminder of its location and what lays behind.
I had the chance to say goodbye myself after many years of travelling south to the complex. I hope to make a return trip sometime just to see how things are faring....but for now I am looking forward to the start of the season - now the games will count!
Opening day is here..summer is coming... Play Ball!!!
posted by Pat Murray at
8:12 PM
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