Sicks' Stadium / Sick's Stadium

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here is a program from 1969 sicks stadium seattle pilots

[Goosenoggle Slipgear]

My father used to tell me about going to games at Sicks Stadium in the forties and fifties. About sitting in the stands on a hot summer's day with Mt. Rainier looking like a giant ice cream cone. How when walking up to the stadium you could hear the radio broadcasts and the voice of Leo Lassen coming from the porches of the homes on Rainier avenue. Sent me to bed with stories of "Kewpie" Dick Barrett. Sure wish my dad was still around I'd love to hear those stories just one more time.

[Goosenoggle Slipgear]

and don't forget Don Mincher, and the team's resident hipster and hippie,
Steve Holvey ..aka tennis ball..a great flake..and ended up doing a tour
with the brewers..as they were mutanting from the pilots..

good to see there's still great interest in the Pilots threads..over 155 posts!
and some darn gooooooood ones,at that ! and in the words of Joe Schutz
the first mgr...'pound that Budweiser'

When I saw the baseball fever page had a section on the Pilots I had to sign up. I'm a Pilots fanatic! Never could get over them leaving. When I was in high school I started a garage band with some of my friends the name of our group was "The Dead Seattle Pilots". We had some great songs like "Hey Ray Oyler yer Bat's Too Small" and then there was an ode to Joe Schultz and another favorite American pasttime called "Pound that Bud or Bud that Pound" and how could I forget the fabulous "I went to see a ballgame at Sicks Stadium but all I got was a bad case of Diego Segui." We had a lot of fun did "The Dead Seattle Pilots." Unfortunately the other three "Dead Seattle Pilots" did just that all dying before they were 40.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

When I saw the baseball fever page had a section on the Pilots I had to sign up. I'm a Pilots fanatic! Never could get over them leaving. When I was in high school I started a garage band with some of my friends the name of our group was "The Dead Seattle Pilots". We had some great songs like "Hey Ray Oyler yer Bat's Too Small" and then there was an ode to Joe Schultz and another favorite American pasttime called "Pound that Bud or Bud that Pound" and how could I forget the fabulous "I went to see a ballgame at Sicks Stadium but all I got was a bad case of Diego Segui." We had a lot of fun did "The Dead Seattle Pilots." Unfortunately the other three "Dead Seattle Pilots" did just that all dying before they were 40.

Just wanted to say hello and welcome to baseball fever and the seattle pilots forum. i am sure that you will enjoy yourself here.

[Goosenoggle Slipgear]

Just wanted to say hello and welcome to baseball fever and the seattle pilots forum. i am sure that you will enjoy yourself here.

Thanks much Polo Grounds 1957!

[Ressurection of Ray Oyler]

When I saw the baseball fever page had a section on the Pilots I had to sign up. I'm a Pilots fanatic! Never could get over them leaving. When I was in high school I started a garage band with some of my friends the name of our group was "The Dead Seattle Pilots". We had some great songs like "Hey Ray Oyler yer Bat's Too Small" and then there was an ode to Joe Schultz and another favorite American pasttime called "Pound that Bud or Bud that Pound" and how could I forget the fabulous "I went to see a ballgame at Sicks Stadium but all I got was a bad case of Diego Segui." We had a lot of fun did "The Dead Seattle Pilots." Unfortunately the other three "Dead Seattle Pilots" did just that all dying before they were 40.

So how about the lyrics for "Ray Oyler yer Bats too Small" ? How did the other "Dead Seattle Pilots" die?

[Ashburn1]

Here's a unique picture. An artist's conception of what the expanded, renovated Sick's Stadium was to look like:

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Here's a unique picture. An artist's conception of what the expanded, renovated Sick's Stadium was to look like:

Nice photo of a renovated sicks stadium, i wonder how many seats would have been added.

[donzblock]

The fact that Mt. Rainier was in the background raises the question of whether the Pilots had a contingency plan for a volcanic eruption.

[stan opdyke]

I saw a mention of Leo Lassen in this thread. I remember when J. Michael Kenyon had a nightly radio show on KVI, 7-11 Sports, he played some clips of Leo broadcasting a Seattle Raniers game. Does anyone know if those clips (or better still a complete game broadcast) are available?

By the way, this is my first post on this site. Unfortunately, I never made it to Sicks Stadium, though there was a single A team playing there when I was in the area stationed at Ft Lewis, WA. Wish I could go back in time and make up for that oversight.

Stan Opdyke
Tacoma, WA

[Goosenoggle Slipgear]

I saw a mention of Leo Lassen in this thread. I remember when J. Michael Kenyon had a nightly radio show on KVI, 7-11 Sports, he played some clips of Leo broadcasting a Seattle Raniers game. Does anyone know if those clips (or better still a complete game broadcast) are available?

By the way, this is my first post on this site. Unfortunately, I never made it to Sicks Stadium, though there was a single A team playing there when I was in the area stationed at Ft Lewis, WA. Wish I could go back in time and make up for that oversight.

Stan Opdyke
Tacoma, WA

I know that at one time there had been some recordings of Leo Lassen doing Rainier games that were on l.p's. Wayne Cody (don't know if you remember the old "mound of sound") had a large collection of them. Other than that I don't know where you could find any. One thought is the Washington State Sports Convention which is a large gathering of baseball card and memorabilia collectors that they have annually at Seattle Center. I'd love to get my hands on one myself.

[Mariner Fan]

Thanks guys, the Pilots and Sicks were before my time but it's great to see the pictures. Another reason to hate Bud Selig. Not that I need much reason.

[stan opdyke]

Thanks for the info about Leo Lassen. I did not know that the Raniers issued records from his broadcasts. For sure, I would like to find one of them at a reasonable price. By the way, I do remember Wayne Cody from his KIRO radio and TV days. If I recall correctly, he broadcast Sonics games on TV too.

[DamageG]

Saw one game at age 7. Won't forget Tommy Harper stealing at least one base.

[Rennie Stennett]

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/F...7/rainier4.htm

http://www.historylink.org/essays/ou...m?file_id=1501

http://www.historylink.org/cybertour...=7044&frame=14

http://www.rainiervalleyhistory.org/exhibits.html

http://www.washingtonsportshalloffame.com/media.htm

Sicks Stadium @ 2700 Rainier Avenue South:

Rainier Avenue South (along Right Field Foul Line) and South McClellan Street {Right Field Wall and Right Center} (2800 Block) And Left and Left Center, Martin Luther King Way South, formerly Empire Way South> The Site now is a Lowe's Hardware. There is a sign on the corner marking the Stadium and a replica home plate by the Lowe's exit.



Elvis played at Sick's Stadium, September 1st, 1957, which was attended by Jimi Hendrix, who later played there.

[Rennie Stennett]

Joe Martial, Long time grounds keeper at Sicks Stadium

[Rennie Stennett]

[tigger 48]

I would rather go to a game in a grand old stadium like sick's than any of the generic ball parks that exist today.

[Tailwind Tommy]

A neat slide show to the tune of 'Go, Go, You Pilots' is at the following web site:
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...eattle+stadium

[Aa3rt]

Thanks for sharing that link! I enjoyed the photos (although some of the photos of Sicks Stadium in disrepair were sad) and also got a big kick out of the reference to the Senators in the song.

[Brad MCdonald]

In 1978 (ironically my family was going to the Kingdome to see the Mariners play Rod Carew and the Twins on a beautiful sunny day) my dad took the wrong exit and we ended up driving past Sicks Stadium.I remember how tall the grass was in the outfield.Question, the bleachers down the first and third baselines ..how were they built? Concrete , metal or wood bleachers.

[Skookumchuck Chuck]

Boy, that's a song I haven't been able to get out of my head for the last 37 going on 38 years now. I think it was written by Rod Belcher. I remember that old Pilots' sign that used to sit out front of the stadium years after the Pilots left. Wonder what ever happened to it? I'd sure love to get ahold of it.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Headline News: Sicks’ Seattle Stadium Salvaged!

Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks Alaska, home of the Goldpanners, include box seats and grandstand benching from Sick's Stadium, Seattle, home of the old Seattle Rainiers minor league team and the 1969 Seattle Pilots major league team.

Pacific Raceways (used to be called Seattle International Raceway installed new, modern aluminum bleachers that hold 11,500 reserved seats which replaced temporary grandstands that, in turn were needed when bleachers from Sicks’ Stadium finally wore out (don’t have any idea how they were disposed of).

Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, home of the Canadians, includes the original scoreboard and lights from Sicks'.

After the demolition of Sicks’ Stadium in February 1979, the CX Corporation moved to the site. Subsequently Eagle Hardware opened in this Rainier Avenue location, and today Lowe’s Hardware operates there.

The City of Seattle maintains a Cumulative Reserve Fund (CRF) for major maintenance needs; it cannot be used to fund operations. The CRF was begun with the proceeds from the sale of Sicks’.

Back in Pullman Washington, Chuck Brayton orchestrated the building of Bailey Field in the late ’70s. After problems at the old place (located where Mooberry track is now) with players hitting line drives into the “Lake de Puddle” center field, Bobo knew it was time to rebuild.
First, he raided the torn-down parts of Sick’s Seattle Stadium, including bleachers and foul poles, and sold them in a fundraiser-—but kept a few bits for the WSU field. “The first fence at Bailey field was from Sicks' Stadium,” he says.

By the way, I do believe those bleachers were wooden. I was wondering what happened to the bases and homeplate. If anyone else can contribute information on other Sicks' items still in existence and their whereabouts, that would be newsworthy.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Bleacher seats located at Growden Park, Alaska (Link):

http://www.geocities.com/shoeless_60067/Panners.html

Sicks' Stadium Lights and Scoreboard located at Nat Bailey Stadium, Vancouver B.C. (Link):

http://natnotes.com/2007/05/22/the-n...e-is-underway/

[Skookumchuck Chuck]

Yes and what a wonderful picture it is. Thanks for that little history tour Tailwind. Excellent information!