Imagine going to game seven of the World Series. Your best player comes out to bat with two outs in the ninth inning and a runner on second with the team down by one run. No one in the stadium is sitting down. Screams are drowning out everything and you can't even hear the person next to you.
There are two possibilities. The batter chokes and everyone goes home depressed, or he becomes an instant hero by hitting a homerun (OK, there is a third possibility where he could get a base hit and drive the base runner home... but let's ignore that).
Just writing about that feeling is depressing though because Birmingham has never experienced that feeling.
Winning a state championship and seeing Alabama win a title is great, but someone always goes home a loser.
If there were a stadium in Birmingham, the team would create unity around the state.
I don't believe that a price tag can be put on a stadium. Obviously, people are going to complain about having to pay extra taxes to support the stadium; however, the stadium would put Birmingham on the map.
As a tourist attraction, sales would go up for restaurants and hotels as well. The stadium would end up paying for itself, and it would help the city tremendously.
After going on the choir trip against Mrs. Guy's will, the Wrigley Field experience was incredible. Even though I grew up disliking the Cubs, I enjoyed the feeling of sharing the love of the team and the game with people I barely knew (we all mutually agreed to hate the Astros).
Then I thought to myself, this is what's missing back home.
I can go on and on about the greatness of a stadium, but only the people of this city can make it happen.
Imagine ten years from now. You and your buddies are at a bar, trying to forget the sorrows of your work day, watching the game on a 42" high-definition television right behind the bartender's head.
The count is 3-2 with 2 outs. Alex Rodriguez is at the plate. The pitcher throws a 98 mph fastball that goes right into the catcher's mitt as A-Rod swings and misses. Everyone in the Bubble and in Birmingham goes wild in celebration.
Imagine.
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This post gave me an excellent feeling. Reading it brought me back to playing high school baseball in Montana, where, believe it or not, I threw eighty-five mph. I know, it doesn't sound like much. But that's what that beautiful game represents to me: accomplishments went a long way.
Good luck with the stadium sell. My town has certainly brightened since the addition of a minor-league team-- the Missoula Osprey. And after the initial speedbumps (they played at a high school stadium for 4 years) the city created a park of their own. Much of the community appreciates the struggle and success of that creation.
The Once-ler: Well, what do you want? I should shut down my factory, fire a hundred-thousand workers? Is that good economics, is that sound for the country?
That's actually fucking incredible that you could throw 85 in high school. My friend is a sick pitcher, and his fastest ball is 82-83 mph.
Thanks for reading, it means a lot to know that I'm getting to someone as far as Montana