Kyle's Corner: Tradition fades with new ballpark

Everything is bigger and better in Texas, they say, and the Texas Rangers are next on the list of North Texas sports teams asking for a bigger and better stadium. 

Last Friday, the Rangers announced that a deal has been made with the City of Arlington to build a new retractable roof stadium that would replace the 22-year old Globe Life Park. At what cost though?

Globe Life Park in Arlington has a classic retro look with modern baseball amenities. Ray Davis and the Rangers ownership want a roof, however, and they have made it clear that they will get that roof.

The whole new stadium discussion started with offseason talks of the team moving to Dallas. Many people speculated about the possibility of building a downtown Dallas ballpark. No one from Tarrant County or points west wants the team to leave Arlington, and that is where the trap started for the city. 

The City of Arlington understandably does not want to lose the team. The city is held somewhat hostage to make a deal and to ultimately make it work. 

By every stretch of the imagination, Globe Life Park is a perfectly fine ballpark. I have spent a lot of time there, and as a native Fort Worthian I have seen the ballpark come to age, from opening day in 1994 to present day.. 

Some of it admittedly is personal nostalgia. The first baseball game I ever attended was at the old Rangers Stadium, albeit at a very young age. I essentially grew up at the new ballpark and made memories there. I spent a pretty penny to see the Rangers defeat the Yankees to win their first ever American League pennant in 2010, and I most likely will attend around 15 games in person this season. 

Globe Life is a fine ballpark, and replacing it after 22 years just makes my blood boil.

Another ballpark I am very familiar with, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, is much older than Globe Life Park. Kauffman is 44 years old. That is double the age of Globe Life Park. The Royals and the Jackson County taxpayers funded a $250 million renovation that was completed in July 2009, and the stadium remains state of the art. 

The Rangers have made constant improvements to Globe Life. This year’s addition of a left field video board was fantastic. At the base of the argument, the usefulness of the edifice itself, is not really up for debate. It is a fine structure.

The real issue seems to be more emotional and greed driven. The emotional reaction of the need for a roof is understandable. It is hot in Texas, but, come on, we all knew that back in 1994. That, to me, is what baseball is all about. The game was meant to be played outdoors. 

I worry, though, that the tradition of the game will continue to fade away. We hear the arguments about bat flips, unconventional players and analytics. The throw away culture of stadiums really symbolizes a bigger cultural shift. Tradition is not a priority anymore, and we will lose ourselves because of that.

Personally, I would prefer fiscal responsibility to prevail. It doesn’t make sense from that perspective alone to continue to hold the taxpayers ransom for stadiums, and I am a huge sports fan.

My hope is that the Rangers continue to strive to bring a World Series championship to the great state of Texas. That is more important to everyone involved than any of this premature stadium debate. 

The Rangers will build a new stadium. Arlington taxpayers most likely will approve it, and life will go in the North Texas sports world.

Somewhere somehow, though, I hope everyone involved takes a moment to take pause. Tradition and the spirit of the game are important. What we leave future generations is of the utmost importance, and I hope none of that gets lost in the moment.