Pic of the Week

Josh Rosenblatt, the great-grandson of John Rosenblatt,
throws a ceremonial pitch Friday at the opening of
"Rosenblatt Infield at the Zoo," at the site of the
defunct Omaha ballpark. Most of the site is now parking
for the Henry Doorly Zoo.

John Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Neb., hosted the College World Series for 61 years, 1950 through 2010, and it could have been the home to college ball's showcase for years to come.

But the NCAA wanted something bigger and fancier. It threatened to take the CWS away from Omaha unless it got what it wanted.

Rosenblatt was also home to a Triple A team (usually nicknamed the Royals) for years. But when the new park to appease the NCAA was being planned, the Triple A team didn't want the capacity the NCAA was insisting on.

So now Omaha has two significant baseball facilities. The bigger is used only for the College World Series and the smaller houses the Omaha StormChasers.

I haven't been to Omaha since Rosenblatt was abandoned. I am told by some College World Series aficionados I know that the new place is nice, but it lacks Rosenblatt's soul. I believe it.