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| Cathy and Vic Volkart watched the auction and took in the sights and sounds for one last time at Rosenblatt. (Photo: Lee Warren) |
On a cloudy, dreary, unseasonably cool day in June, baseball fans didn’t hear the ping of aluminum bats as they’ve grown accustomed to at this time of year. Instead, they heard auctioneers encouraging them to take a piece of Rosenblatt home with them.
Auction Solutions, Inc., the entity in charge of the auction, provided a 35-page catalog filled with items fans could bid on.
The last American flag that flew at the stadium in 2010 fetched a $7,500 offer. A sign that used to hang in the stadium directing fans to Boxes 29 through 31, Sections N-O-P, drew a $350 bid. Folding chairs, a Hoover vacuum from the press box, several injury risk signs, a blue plastic trash can from the home bullpen, speakers from the right field scoreboard, the counter and sink from the home team dugout, an Omaha Royals giant inflatable bounce house (no blower), two chairs from the Hall of Fame room and even a leftover pair of shoes from Omaha Royals pitcher Phil Humber could be had for price.
While all of this was going on, two fans – Vic and Cathy Volkart, husband and wife – pulled chairs toward the back of the parking lot and reminisced. They were kind enough to let me in on their conversation. They told me they didn’t make it to a lot of games at Rosenblatt, but like so many other baseball fans in Omaha, they liked knowing the stadium was there for them when they did want to see one.
They weren’t opposed to building the two new stadiums, but that doesn’t mean they won’t miss Rosenblatt.
“I’ve been in Omaha since ’63,” Cathy said. “We would come off and on. We don’t come that much, but once in a while we’d hit the College World Series or an Omaha Royals game – which was nice. And it’s just always been here, and now it’s like, ‘Oh, where’d it go?’”
Neither of them made any bids during the auction. They seemed quite content to just take in the sights and sounds for the last time at the grand old ballpark.
“I told him, ‘Look! There’s some things I can afford, but I’m not bidding on them,’ Cathy said, laughing. “I mean, I don’t know what I’d do it all anyway. But people come out, they enjoy it and it brings back good memories.”
Cathy was pleased when the “The Road to Omaha” statue was moved to T.D. Ameritrade Park because it just seems like it belongs with the CWS.
“I have pictures of my grandson crawling all over it out here at Rosenblatt,” she said, “so that’s kind of neat.”
I told them seeing pieces of Rosenblatt Stadium being auctioned off felt like I was watching portions of my childhood being sold. My memories of the stadium date back more than 35 years. Vic’s memories go back even further.
“Sixty some years,” Vic said, referring to the age of the stadium. “That’s a long time. I remember when there was nothing here.”
Then Cathy jumped in and expressed what all of us were feeling.
“It’s going to be so strange coming down 13th Street and seeing nothing,” she said.
“And how weird is it going to be,” I said “to drive by and not see the back of the scoreboard where it says, ‘Home of the NCAA Men’s College World Series’?”
They nodded in agreement as an era came to a close.
Earlier today I posted photos from the auction. Click here if you would like to see them.
