Letter to the Editor (RE: Deadline nears in effort to preserve part of Tiger Stadium)

Fenway Park is a town jewel and tourist attraction. Lambeau Field is a tourist attraction and town jewel (and TV star - in commercials seen by millions of Michigan residents). Tiger
Stadium should have been a tourist attraction and town jewel - not to mention TV star, just like Lambeau Field, but alas Mike Ilitch, George Jackson (and the DEGC) along with Detroit Mayors and lackadaisical City Council conspired to allow it fall into 'demolition by neglect' and maybe ultimately into demolition by wrecking ball or melted down to scrap.

Full Count (Aguilar / May 28)...doesn't tell the full story of the decline and fall of historic Detroit Tiger Stadium. George Jackson, of the DEGC, has lied repeatedly to the media and then complains about the attention given to Tiger Stadium development efforts. There was NEVER a level playing field for those who wanted to preserve Tiger Stadium as an entertainment venue that could bring in millions of dollars to the City and millions upon millions of more tourists, added onto the 100,000,000 million visitors that have enjoyed Tiger Stadium as a baseball mecca, a football mecca, a concert venue, a rally venue, a special event venue - not just a 'MLB' venue as Jackson haughtily dismisses Tiger Stadium.
Tiger Stadium had value - to Detroit - and still has even though gutted, it remains a solid well built facility, that could offer a home to Wayne State University sports teams, too rock concerts, political rallies, special events, add a Michigan Sports Hall of Fame - it is not too late.

The final out has not been made - the final chapter in Tiger Stadium has not been written, but if it is..history will hopefully finally tell the truth - that George Jackson and members of the DEGC lied to and misled the Corktown residents, the Detroit Planning Commission, and the residents of Detroit and Michigan. History may record that Mike Ilitch played a major role in the 'demolition by neglect' of historic Detroit Tiger Stadium and that he was a felon, who took $2 - 12 million dollars from the City of Detroit for the maintenance and security of Tiger Stadium and it doesn't look like he spent a dime of it on Tiger Stadium - history should ask as others should - where did the money go? The only difference between Ilitch and convicted felon, Adolph Alfred Taubman is that Taubman took from the rich and Ilitch took badly need dollars from a struggling city.

If historic Detroit Tiger Stadium falls to the wrecking ball, and melted into scrap - of history, it will not be because Ernie Harwell failed, or the Tiger Stadium Conservancy failed, or the Tiger Stadium Fan Club failed, or Frank Rashid failed, or Peter C. Riley failed, or Mickey Briggs failed, or the Fetzer Foundation failed, or Peter Huithwaite failed, or Harry Glanz failed, or any of the others that wanted to preserve and utilize historic Detroit Tiger Stadium - it will be because a Billionaire, his wife and other city politicians and leaders - didn't want to save Tiger Stadium for their own SELFISH reasons, maybe history will find those reasons.

Tiger Stadium is still not history. Save Tiger Stadium - call the Detroit City Council members, including Ken Cockrel, Jr (313 224 4505) and tell them to let Tiger Stadium live and prosper as an entertainment venue and TV star - like Fenway Park and Lambeau Field do.

David L. Malhalab
Detroit / Dearborn Heights
Retired DPD Sergeant