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PARK ::: "HISTORIC" ENGEL STADIUM
LOCATION :::CHATTANOOGA,
TENNESSEE
MY FIRST VISIT ::: JULY 2, 2006
MY TAKE ON THE PARK
IF YOU HAVE FOUND THIS SITE IT IS EITHER BECAUSE YOU CLICKED ON
THE LINK
OF ONE OF MY PAGES OR A SEARCH ENGINE BROUGHT YOU HERE. IF YOU SEARCH
ENGEL STADIUM YOU FIND THE EXTENSIVE
HISTORY AND ALL OF THE SPECIAL
MOMENTS THAT HAVE OCCURRED HERE. THE ONLY KNOWLEDGE I HAD ON ENGEL
STADIUM PRIOR TO MY
VISIT WAS IT WAS THE LONG TIME HOME OF THE
CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS UNTIL 1999. ON MY VISIT TO CHATTANOOGA, I SAW THE
SIGNS
TO ENGEL STADIUM SO I FOLLOWED THEM BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE
IF WHAT HAPPENED IN DURHAM HAS HAPPENED HERE.
WHAT
I FOUND WAS A STADIUM IN USE AND IT WAS OPEN, SO I WAS ABLE TO GO
IN AND WALK AROUND, AN AMATEUR GAME WAS BEING PLAYED
IN FRONT OF ABOUT
10 PEOPLE.
WALKING IN I FOUND A STADIUM IN NEAR PERFECT CONDITION, THERE WAS AN OLD
SMELL TO
THE PLACE, BUT IT LOOKED IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. THE THING THAT
STOOD OUT TO ME WERE THOSE OLD WOODEN SEATS, I WAS INSTANTLY
HAPPY THAT
I WOULD NOT BE SEEING A GAME HERE, THESE SEATS MAY BE THE MOST
UNCOMFORTABLE TYPE OF SEAT IN STADIUMS.
DOWN ON THE LOWER LEVEL THOUGH, THE BOX SEATS ALL SEEM TO BE NEW AND IN VERY
GOOD CONDITION, I SAY VERY GOOD BECAUSE THIS PARK HAS NOT BEEN USED IN 6 YEARS.
THE CHARACTER IN THIS PARK IS IN THE
CEILING, SOMETHING I'VE NEVER SEEN WERE THE FANS SPORADICALLY PLACED ALONG THE ROOF WHICH SPREADS ALL THE WAY AROUND FROM
BEYOND FIRST BASE TO BEYOND THIRD BASE.
GOING UNDER THE STANDS TO THE CONCESSION AREA, IT IS DARK AND
LOW, BUT
ANOTHER SURPRISE, THERE SEEMED TO BE A LOT OF ROOM UNDER THE STANDS.
THAT COULD BE BECAUSE I WAS THE ONLY ONE
WALKING AROUND DOWN THERE.
THE LONGER I EXPLORED AROUND ENGEL STADIUM, THE MORE I COULD NOT BELIEVE
THAT THIS GEM
WAS LEFT FOR A NEWER BALL PARK. IN THE WHOLE TIME I WAS
THERE, ONLY THE OLD WOODED SEATS STRUCK ME AS SOMETHING THAT WOULD
NEED
TO BE REPLACED. AND, AFTER VISITING THE NEW CHATTANOOGA PARK, I WONDER
WHY THE NEW PARK WAS SEEN AS AN IMPROVEMENT.
I UNDERSTAND PROGRESS AND I KNOW THAT PARKS ARE SUPPOSED TO GENERATE
REVENUE
FOR THE CITY, BUT I THINK THE CHATTANOOGA LOOKOUTS SHOULD TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF A FACILITY THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME AND
PLAY A FEW
GAMES AT THIS CLASSIC PARK. ANOTHER SOUTHERN LEAGUE TEAM DOES THIS, THE
BIRMINGHAM BARONS PLAY ONE GAME A
YEAR AT THE CLASSIC RICKWOOD FIELD.
MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THE LOUSY WOODEN SEAT .. MY LASTING IMPRESSION
IS I
WOULD GLADLY SIT IN THAT SEAT TO ENJOY AN EVENING OF BASEBALL. IF
EVER IN THE CHATTANOOGA AREA, FORGET RUBY FALLS. TAKE
A RIDE OVER TO
ENGEL STADIUM AND LOOK AROUND. THIS IS THE PLACE THAT A 17 YEAR OLD
WOMAN STRUCK OUT BABE RUTH AND LOU
GEHRIG IN 1932. THERE ARE 74 YEARS OF
HISTORY THAT FOLLOW THAT MOMENT.
SEND ME AN E-MAIL
UNCLEBOBSBALLPARKS@GMAIL.COM
LINKS
*** HOME ***
My site Listed by State
My site Listed by Team
My site Listed by Stadium
The former tenant at Engel Stadium - The Official web site of the Chattanooga Lookouts
Google Map of this site
Just one story of Jackie Mitchell - The woman that struck out Babe Ruth
Andy Broome's site ::: www.SaveEngelStadium.org
Tennessee Historic Ballparks Reference
Chattanooga weather from WEATHER.com
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