The End of Rosenblatt

If you read my baseball blog earlier last month you know I have been very bored since moving back to Iowa. I am not asking for sympathy, just telling you the truth. I have seen a few movies, got drunk several times, and spent countless hours playing basketball on my hometowns' court. I am more of a movies, bar hopping, and sporting events type of a person. Unfortunately, around the area between Sioux City, IA and Omaha, NE, there are not a lot of sporting events. Both cities have a minor league hockey team, which is worth the hour drive to see. Sioux City has a minor league baseball team. I don't think the residents know they have one though. In Omaha there is one event worth going to in the summer. In fact its going on right now, the College World Series, or CWS for short. The CWS is moving out of Rosenblatt next year. Its the end of a wonderful era in downtown Omaha.

If you have never been to the CWS, you are missing out on an incredible experience. I think it should be something every sports fan gets to see once. I have been to quite a few games in Rosenblatt Stadium. Is it perfect? No. The stadium has a few flaws. The biggest gripe I have is the parking because there isn't any. You could drive around for at least an hour before you find a resident in the area who will let you ruin his front yard for 20 bucks. The area is not fun filled at all. If you are looking for a nice restaurant, get ready to drive thirty minutes. You want a place to go shopping, well that is another twenty minutes. The only thing to do in the area is drink and go to the zoo.

The zoo is worth going to. The Henry Doorly Zoo is one of the nicest zoos in the country. In fact the only thing to look at when you get into Rosenblatt is the zoo. You can see the Desert Dome when you look up above the right field bleachers. The another good thing about Rosenblatt is its atmosphere. You can drink and have a good time but it still feels like a family friendly environment. You see kids having a blast with their families and drunk college kids enjoying themselves as well. The CWS provides one of the most exciting events in the city and brings out the best in the city. Some people have cried foul to closing Rosenblatt. The main reason some residents didn't want to see the money go away from the downtown area. The other? The history of Rosenblatt.

The stadium was built in 1947 and was named Omaha Municipal Stadium. The stadium was renamed to Rosenblatt Stadium in honor of a former Omaha mayor. The St Louis Cardinals were the first mlb team to use the stadium for their farm team. Later, the Kansas City Royals started using the stadium and do to this day. But Rosenblatts' real history comes from having the College World Series since 1950. The CWS had talked about moving the event several different times. Everytime, the city of Omaha pumped more money to renovate the stadium. Now after over fifty years, Rosenblatt will lose the CWS. The new stadium will be built right next to the Qwest Center in Omaha. Rosenblatt will be used for the Omaha Royals for at least another year, but eventually they will move out into another new baseball stadium Omaha is going to build. Yes, Omaha is building 2 different baseball stadiums.

I find the new facility is a must for the CWS. Rosenblatt has served a valuable purpose for over 50 years. If the Yankees can tear down "The House that Ruth Built", then Omaha can shut down Rosenblatt. If you didnt get a chance to go to Rosenblatt, you missed out on a great experience. If you haven't ever seen a CWS game, you will still have to come to Omaha. The CWS and the city of Omaha have a contract to keep the event in Omaha until 2035. I'm sure it will be a great new stadium, it just wont have the same feel as Rosenblatt.

J Call