Hamtramck’s baseball stadium is the comeback story of the year

As we reported last week, the comeback story of Hamtramck’s historic baseball stadium is truly amazing.
And the city has a lot of folks to thank for that. It all started with the formation of the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, which did a deep dive into the origin and history of the structure.
Gary Gillette, the founder of the group, is, in particular, to be thanked for his deep knowledge of the sport’s local history.
Much like so many things in the U.S., the stadium’s history is complicated.
The stadium was built for the Negro League at a time when African-American players were not permitted to play in the all-white Major Leagues.
That’s a shameful part of American history, but it also underscores the resolve we have as a people: although barriers were in place, there was nothing to stop the ingenuity of African-Americans to overcome adversity.
Recently, the Friends organization was honored by being the recipient of the state’s Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation.
This is a high honor, both for the Friends and the city.
Because of the research and dedication of the Friends, the stadium’s historical significance was discovered. It also lead to the city receiving various grants worth millions of dollars to renovate the stadium and its field.
(We’d be remiss not to mention – and thank — the dedication of the Hamtramck Stadium Grounds Crew for their all-volunteer effort to keep the grounds in shape throughout the year.)
The stadium has been transformed into one of the gems of Hamtramck.
Still, there is plenty more work to do to make the stadium an entertainment destination. But the work keeps going; hopefully, the grants keep coming, as well.
Once again, Hamtramck has proven that comebacks are always possible.
Posted May 19, 2023