A Farewell To Rosenblatt

Last Thursday was the very last Omaha Royals game at the beloved Rosenblatt Stadium. The NCAA College World Series tournament is held in Omaha every year, and new requirements led to a decision to build a new stadium downtown. It was a hot debate here in town, but it is all said and done and we had to say goodbye.

Laura, Sean, Anna, Dan, and I (unfortunately, Katie had to work ) piled into my car for one last trip down memory lane (aka 13th street.) Laura grew up near the stadium, and has vivid memories of tailgating at the CWS every summer. In fact, I went to my first CWS game with her in high school - we walked there from her house! Her mom loved to go down to the stadium to catch a weekday game for a little escape. Sean and Dan used to live across the street from the ballpark. And Sean and Anna even had some of their wedding pictures taken there!

This Summer Katie and I enjoyed our last College World Series game at the stadium, as well as attended a Royals game with Laura, Sean & Anna.

When we arrived, we were surprised to see an ocean of people waiting to get in. Apparently 19,500 fans were in attendance!

We ended up having to sing the National Anthem in the parking lot, but soon made our way into the stadium to find our seats.

It was a gorgeous night, but actually got quite chilly! I was happy to have brought a jacket. Plus there were nachos and $1 beers to warm us up.

After the game (the Royals won!) there were a few speakers. Most notably, the emotional head groundskeeper, Jesse Cuevas, reflected on his 40 years of working at Rosenblatt (23 of which were spent as head groundskeeper) as they dug up home plate behind him. It was hard not to get choked up as they announced the plate will be honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

Next, Steve Rosenblatt, son of Johnny Rosenblatt for whom the stadium was named, had a ceremonial last 'at bat' in the stadium. Pitching for him was Tom Kelley, grandson of the Tom Kelley who threw out the first pitch at Rosenblatt Stadium 62 years earlier. His father Mike Kelley is a co-owner of Zesto, a small ice cream shop next to the stadium that is a baseball landmark all its own. So much history culminated in this night!

Of course, the final send-off was done in true Rosenblatt style...with fireworks.

Goodbye, Rosenblatt! Thanks for the memories!!

Although this was the last baseball game in the stadium, it won't be torn down quite yet. There are plans to host the 2010 season of the UFL Omaha Nighthawks, as well as other football games before the field gets turned into zoo property. If you're not from around here, the Henry Doorly Zoo resides across the street from the stadium. It is a top ranked zoo, and boasts such exhibits as an indoor rain forest, the desert dome, an IMAX theater, an amazing aquarium, and their newest addition, Expedition Madagascar. They plan on preserving parts of Rosenblatt with an "Infield at the Zoo," which sounds like a grassy area for picnics etc.

Although it was sad to see the end of the Rosenblatt era, I'm glad it was honored and celebrated by so many.