The cost of sports history
Examples of artifacts sold from other razed stadiums:
Busch Stadium, St. Louis: $4,347 for a foul pole, $7,002 for the desk and mementos from manager Tony La Russa’s office, $16,762 for the home plate from the stadium’s last game, $21,502 for star Albert Pujols’ locker, $5 a vial for stadium dirt.
Foxboro Stadium, Boston: $10.95 for vials of stadium dirt. The aluminum bleachers also were cut up so that season-ticket holders could buy their seats.
Memorial Stadium, Baltimore: $75 for metal seats, $100 for two-legged wooden seats, $150 for four-legged wooden seats (which sold out within an hour). Also: $25 for bricks, $20 to $50 for signs that had directed fans to restrooms, seat sections and concessions.
Mile High Stadium, Denver: The sale of 6,000 seats raised about $800,000. Also: $10 for 6-foot by 18-inch strips of field grass.
Orange Bowl, Miami: $395 for a pair of seats (or $495 if specific seats were requested). Also: turnstiles and lockers, $10 for concrete chunks, and numerous other artifacts, some bearing signatures of Dolphins or University of Miami legends.
Shea Stadium, New York: $869 for a pair of seats. About 16,000 pairs of seats were listed for sale after season-ticket holders were offered first dibs.
Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh: Seats went for $300 or more at a 10-hour auction attended by 12,000 fans that raised $1.1 million. Also: turf squares.
Tiger Stadium, Detroit: $279 for a pair of seats. Also: $1,000 for World Series banners, $2,000 for legend Al Kaline’s locker, $500 for the bench in the home dugout, and section and exit signs.
Astrodome should do the same. sell off what you can and blow it up.
Put be down for a slice of turf and that old Oilers & Astros banner