It’s a place that has seen the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson and Babe Ruth. Tinker Field is now a historic landmark, but the future of the field is still in question.
Monday, the city council passed an ordinance by a slim margin of 4-3.
The city will remove the grandstands and repurpose the field for festivals and other community activities.
The baseball field, located at South Tampa Avenue and West Church Street, is adjacent to the Citrus Bowl. But, that's been part of the problem: As the Citrus Bowl was constructed, it extended into part of the outfield of Tinker Field.
The other issue has been the baseball field has been in disrepair for years, and fixing it would cost the city around $10 million. The 80-year-old facility would need a major overhaul, including electrical upgrades and structural improvements, in order to meet safety standards.
The last time a money-generating team played on the field was back in 1999. Since then, the field has been mainly used for community activities.
But, the stadium has historical significance, and the city wants to recognize that. They want to dig into the history of the field, determine all the milestones and activities that took place there, and then develop a historic marker or display to commemorate.
Last March, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s visit to Tinker Field and amid plans for demolition, there was a big push to save the field. The public outcry was championed by varied groups who said it was important to the integrity of their community. After that, Mayor Buddy Dyer halted the plans to move forward with demolition of the structure.