The Greatest Show On Dirt

My dad is leaving today with a group of guys headed for Omaha. They'll stay for a couple of days and watch some baseball. They also go walk around Creighton's campus. A couple years ago they walked into the baseball office at Creighton apparently 15 minutes after the secretary had gotten off the phone with a player from Waterloo who was headed up there the following fall.

Omaha is fantastic.

I try my best to see as much of the college world series as possible. The teams play with passion and play to win - that's it. I've always encourage kids to watch it and hope it rubs off on them.

Stu

I will miss Rosenblatt...immensely! Photo I took in 2008, Stanford vs. Miami. This one hangs above the fireplace in our game room.

From the press box (I had credentials!)

Last game lost in Omaha, son and some of his teammates gathered dirt from the field.

Some of that "dirt" sits on a special shelf in his room.

Whoever thought that infield dirt could be so meaningful.

What a special place, there will never be another stadium like Rosenblatt Stadium.

JMO.

Nice pic TD!

My kid also grabbed some infield dirt from Rosenblatt for a friend of his in Hawaii and a rosin bag from the mound for his own!

He also grabbed a lot of fond memories as did I!

Some kid stole his National Championship cap off of his head after the game. Other items were taken from them, as well as, some given away, before they boarded the bus after the game.

I was fortunate enough to go to Omaha 8 times asa fan of The University of Miami Baseball Team.

My first trip was to watch the Wizard of College Baseball Ron Fraser coach his last game. The minute I entered the Blatt and sat in my "yellow" seat I was mesmerized. I don't even recall how wet I was from the rain. Unfortunately the outcome was not what I had expected. Ultimately spent Championship Saturday on a nice drive visiting such sites as Jesse James' birth place, the railroad museum and ending up in Kansas City eating BBQ and watching the Royals play.

The two most memorable trips would have to be the 99' and 01' National Championship years. By this time I had been to Omaha 5 times and each time I landed at the airport felt like I was coming "home".

There is nothing like getting a shake at Zesto's, visiting Boys Towne, the amazing Zoo and spending your evenings across the river in Council Bluffs at the Casinos.

But, being at The Blatt is something I will cherish forever. The stadium now reminds me of the Orange Bowl. While you love being there it was time to let her go.

I hope that at some point over the next four years my nephew now a Cane will be able to experience the CWS and Omaha in all it's glory as a participant.

I am blessed to have grown up in Omaha and to have summer memories of going to the CWS back in the '70s and early '80s as a kid. This was before ESPN put the CWS "on the map" so to speak. My friends and I could scrape together a few bucks, ride the bus to Rosenblatt, walk up to the ticket window (no line) and for $2 or $3 spend the rest of the day watching baseball, and seeing people from all over the country.

Some of the players would come sit in the stands after their game, and we'd try to work up the nerve to ask for an autograph as they scouted the competition with teammates, or talked about the game with their parents and family. We also loved to watch the Arizona St. or Oklahoma St. games, because they always had the best looking bat girls!

I remember Rosenblatt without any seating in the outfield, and some run down bleachers in right and left field. When a home run was hit we'd run out of the bleachers and down the hill to try and find the ball. I remember the old porcelain trough urinals in the men's room. I remember going to the championship games and watching the staff set up seats on the dirt out by the bullpens because all the stands were full. I remember being amazed that teams from "unknown" schools like U. of Maine, Pepperdine, Oral Roberts, Cal St. Fullerton, U. of Miami, could make it to the CWS. I didn't even know where Pepperdine was, but figured it must be near the ocean, since they were The Waves.

Little did I know my son would grow up with a passion for baseball, and being able to tell him of my memories would mean so much to him. I really wanted to take him back there this year before they moved the CWS to the new ballpark, but unfortunately our schedule didn't allow it. Maybe his dreams and my memories will carry us back to Omaha some day, and we'll be able to share some even greater memories together.

WAG!

I think one thing the announcers have been absolutely correct about...and that is that the city of Omaha makes this a special event. Cannot imagine it anywhere else and WhatA.Game you are proof of that.

Still, Rosenblatt to me is like Wrigley and Fenway. Special, incredibly special. I would far rather it stays there...the stadium, the neighborhood, the zoo...everything about it. I'm sure the new ballpark will be very nice...but I will always hold Rosenblatt in my heart as one of the most special places I ever visited.

Amen to that.

quote:

Still, Rosenblatt to me is like Wrigley and Fenway. Special, incredibly special. I would far rather it stays there...the stadium, the neighborhood, the zoo...everything about it. I'm sure the new ballpark will be very nice...but I will always hold Rosenblatt in my heart as one of the most special places I ever visited.

The people of the midwest also made the time we spent there special, no one could do enough for you and that was even before they knew we had a player on a team. They make the CWA speocal too.

For those of you who have never been to Rosenblatt the most breath taking view is from the back of the stadium (IMO), set on the hill, all lite up. We sat there one night, with son, looking from a distance, all he could say is if there is baseball in heaven, this would be the stadium. Truely a site to behold. I am sure teh new stadium will be magnificent, but it will never be like Rosenblatt.

In 1981, my now wife and I had our first date at the CWS (we're both from Omaha). I was a bit upset we were late and walking up to the stadium after the game had started. As we walked up the left field foul line, a foul ball rolled up to our feet and we bent over and picked it up. Now, 27 years of marriage later, we have the foul ball sitting on the TV we are watching the final series at Rosenblatt....and yes, my wife still always knows best.

.






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Some of our greatest memories are the couple of years that we traveled to Omaha for the youth baseball tournaments that were in conjunction with the College World Series. Our coach had played for Miami and is in the College World Series Hall of Fame, so it was important for him to get back every chance he got.

The first time we went was in June '01. It was our oldest son's first month with his first travel team--he was 12. We were to have arrived in Omaha by that first Friday night....but as frustrations would have it, we were delayed in a huge traffic jam leaving Chicagoland and of course, it's a long way to Omaha.

Our exit on the expressway for our hotel was the one for Rosenblatt, and as we were sweating our late arrival, all of a sudden, the fireworks exploded in the sky....we pulled off the exit ramp, I mean, we didn't even get on the street, we pulled off the exit ON THE EXIT RAMP, the six of us got out of the car, and just watched. It was the most fabulous fireworks display I've ever seen....

It was HOT, even for our Midwest standards. My family took advantage of the few hours between our games to visit Boys Town, the SAC museum, and the zoo. The boys had the opportunity to go to a CWS game. We learned the horrors of being in the losers bracket--and we won the tournament, the first one for our coach. It was great fun---

quote:

Originally posted by play baseball:
Some of our greatest memories are the couple of years that we traveled to Omaha for the youth baseball tournaments that were in conjunction with the College World Series. Our coach had played for Miami and is in the College World Series Hall of Fame, so it was important for him to get back every chance he got.

The first time we went was in June '01. It was our oldest son's first month with his first travel team--he was 12. We were to have arrived in Omaha by that first Friday night....but as frustrations would have it, we were delayed in a huge traffic jam leaving Chicagoland and of course, it's a long way to Omaha.

Our exit on the expressway for our hotel was the one for Rosenblatt, and as we were sweating our late arrival, all of a sudden, the fireworks exploded in the sky....we pulled off the exit ramp, I mean, we didn't even get on the street, we pulled off the exit ON THE EXIT RAMP, the six of us got out of the car, and just watched. It was the most fabulous fireworks display I've ever seen....

It was HOT, even for our Midwest standards. My family took advantage of the few hours between our games to visit Boys Town, the SAC museum, and the zoo. The boys had the opportunity to go to a CWS game. We learned the horrors of being in the losers bracket--and we won the tournament, the first one for our coach. It was great fun---

play baseball..great story... was the Couch Neal Heaton? He is the only player from The U that is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I watched him play at The U and in the big leagues. He was a tough pitcher.

We (family) went to Omaha for a baseball tournament 5 yrs ago and I have to admit, I was not looking forward to the weekend in Omaha. It was held the first weekend of the CWS and we managed to take in 2 games in addition to our son's games. Boy was I wrong about Omaha. What a great city and the CWS is such a great event. We have gone back every year since for the opening weekend games and will continue to do so.

If you love baseball and haven't experienced the CWS, do yourself a favor and go. Its baseball heaven.