Mac Nease baseball park

senoiajacket

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1,142
I guess I am the last to figure out that the baseball field (and all the trappings) is now called Mac Nease baseball park. I guess it is still Russ Chandler stadium, aka Bobby Dodd stadium @ historic grant field. I am grateful to Mr Nease and all of the very wealthy donors who have given money to make tech baseball better, but it will always remain the Rusty C to me. Since I just figured out the name change I googled it to try and learn the details. One of the sites on ramblinwreck.com in describing the field had the following:
“The home of Georgia Tech baseball for nearly 90 years, Mac Nease Baseball Park has a long and storied history, from its original construction in 1930 with funds from Tech’s 1929 appearance in the Rose Bowl game to its use as a training facility for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.”
The article continues to refer to Mac Nease baseball park like it has always been called that.

To me, Mac Nease baseball park has no history ....... yet. The Rusty C is still where I attended games as a student, took my son to many tech baseball games and enjoyed many thrilling wins and crushing defeats. I guess I am just an old fart and being overly sentimental ..... before it was the Rusty C it was probably called something else. That’s progress I guess and I am truly grateful for it, but it doesn’t mean the past must be forgotten does it?
Here is a link to the ramblinwreck page. https://ramblinwreck.com/sports/genrel/facilities/mac-nease-baseball-park-at-russ-chandler-stadium/

first the Krispy Kreme and now this ..... how much can we take?
 
Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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12,014
The first game attended had some rickety bleachers behind home plate, and we were playing USC-East who had a powerhouse team. I played that year at Pleasantdale Park in Dekalb Co. off I-85, with bleachers that looked newer than Rose Bowl Field. We’ve come a long way. Coronageddon and all!
 

augustabuzz

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Messages
3,412
senoiajacket said:
I guess I am the last to figure out that the baseball field (and all the trappings) is now called Mac Nease baseball park. I guess it is still Russ Chandler stadium, aka Bobby Dodd stadium @ historic grant field. I am grateful to Mr Nease and all of the very wealthy donors who have given money to make tech baseball better, but it will always remain the Rusty C to me. Since I just figured out the name change I googled it to try and learn the details. One of the sites on ramblinwreck.com in describing the field had the following:
“The home of Georgia Tech baseball for nearly 90 years, Mac Nease Baseball Park has a long and storied history, from its original construction in 1930 with funds from Tech’s 1929 appearance in the Rose Bowl game to its use as a training facility for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games.”
The article continues to refer to Mac Nease baseball park like it has always been called that.

To me, Mac Nease baseball park has no history ....... yet. The Rusty C is still where I attended games as a student, took my son to many tech baseball games and enjoyed many thrilling wins and crushing defeats. I guess I am just an old fart and being overly sentimental ..... before it was the Rusty C it was probably called something else. That’s progress I guess and I am truly grateful for it, but it doesn’t mean the past must be forgotten does it?
Here is a link to the ramblinwreck page. https://ramblinwreck.com/sports/genrel/facilities/mac-nease-baseball-park-at-russ-chandler-stadium/

first the Krispy Kreme and now this ..... how much can we take?
Click to expand...
When my Dad played, right after WWII, it was "Rose Bowl Field", as was everything that now includes: the tennis center, the track, the football practice fields and the baseball field.
 

JacketOff

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3,012
As you mentioned, it’s really no different than BDS@HGF. There’s definitely some old timers that still only call it Grant Field. It’s not out of spite for Bobby Dodd, it’s just what they came up with. It has already been named BDS well before I was born, so I don’t even think of it as Grant Field. It’s just BDS, and always will be regardless of whether it gets renamed. I’ll still probably call the baseball field Russ Chandler/The Rusty C, because Mac Nease just isn’t recognizable for me.

However, I am thankful for Mac Nease. I believe the naming rights for RCS cost around $4-5M, And I’m glad a Tech grad like Mac Nease purchased it instead of some corporate brand. It could always be worse. Kennesaw’s football stadium
May be the worst. 5/3 Bank Stadium. Pronounced “Fifth-Third Bank.” It just sounds ridiculous. I’m glad it’s Mac Nease and not something like “Delta Airlines Park at RCS” I’m not sure if the buyout cost goes directly to the baseball team, or if GTAA will just distribute it as they please, but either way it will help offset some of the losses from Covid.
 
Buzzbomb

Buzzbomb

Mello Yellow-Jacket
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12,014
Neat story. My step-dad who was born on Cherry St., never took a class at Tech but was the true meaning of a “sidewalk fan.” He owned three furniture stores later on between Downtown and Moreland Ave. S.E.
So the a.m. radio station(believe it was WGST during that time)was connected with the G.T. broadcasting job for Football, Basketbal. My pops made a deal to where if they hired Big Al Ciraldo, he would carpet all the dressing rooms, put RCA televisions on campus, etc., etc. Also, he signed up as Al’s first advertising account. It was a pretty concomitant deal for both parties during the next almost 40 years.
 
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65Jacket

GT Athlete
Messages
1,168
As a freshman in 1962 I was on a basketball team in a PT class. Our team featured a starting five of two future track lettermen, and two future baseball lettermen. I was one of the track lettermen and Mac was one of the baseball lettermen. And we were undefeated and won our class championship.
 

MWBATL

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Messages
6,589
I remember those old bleachers back in the early 70's when I would watch pitchers like Mike Schisler pitch....we had what today would be thought of as a VERY odd schedule, with a pre-season schedule of teams like kalamazoo and Olivet and people you'd never heard of. We were decent, but we'd occasionally run into a really good team and get blasted. But no one really took it too seriously back then. It was really just a great excuse to sit out in the sunshine, warm up and enjoy the spring atmosphere, and ..oh, by the way...there was a game to watch.
 

Heisman's Ghost

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JacketOff said:
As you mentioned, it’s really no different than BDS@HGF. There’s definitely some old timers that still only call it Grant Field. It’s not out of spite for Bobby Dodd, it’s just what they came up with. It has already been named BDS well before I was born, so I don’t even think of it as Grant Field. It’s just BDS, and always will be regardless of whether it gets renamed. I’ll still probably call the baseball field Russ Chandler/The Rusty C, because Mac Nease just isn’t recognizable for me.

However, I am thankful for Mac Nease. I believe the naming rights for RCS cost around $4-5M, And I’m glad a Tech grad like Mac Nease purchased it instead of some corporate brand. It could always be worse. Kennesaw’s football stadium
May be the worst. 5/3 Bank Stadium. Pronounced “Fifth-Third Bank.” It just sounds ridiculous. I’m glad it’s Mac Nease and not something like “Delta Airlines Park at RCS” I’m not sure if the buyout cost goes directly to the baseball team, or if GTAA will just distribute it as they please, but either way it will help offset some of the losses from Covid.
Click to expand...
People are creatures of habit in many ways. I still call it Grant Field even though I attended more games with Bobby Dodd coaching than any single Tech coach since. My Florida friends still call Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field just plain old Florida Field. BDS at Historic Grant Field makes it easier to swallow. God bless Mr. Mac Nease for his generosity. A deserving accolade and honor for him.
 

MWBATL

Helluva Engineer
Messages
6,589
OlaJacket said:
Stansbury said on his podcast that he preferred we call it "The Mac." I personally never liked the "Rusty C", especially after they rebuilt it. I think I like "The Mac" but we Beesball fans can call it whatever we like, this is still America, I think.😉
Click to expand...
It is, but just don't call the softball team "girls". LOL

Or if you do PLEASE don't get into ti on the message boards!

(I joke, I joke...)
 
Supersizethatorder-mutt

Supersizethatorder-mutt

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65Jacket said:
As a freshman in 1962 I was on a basketball team in a PT class. Our team featured a starting five of two future track lettermen, and two future baseball lettermen. I was one of the track lettermen and Mac was one of the baseball lettermen. And we were undefeated and won our class championship.
Click to expand...
I was a freshman in '62 also. Wonder if our paths ever crossed
 
Captn_65

Captn_65

GT Athlete
Messages
25
JacketOff said:
As you mentioned, it’s really no different than BDS@HGF. There’s definitely some old timers that still only call it Grant Field. It’s not out of spite for Bobby Dodd, it’s just what they came up with. It has already been named BDS well before I was born, so I don’t even think of it as Grant Field. It’s just BDS, and always will be regardless of whether it gets renamed. I’ll still probably call the baseball field Russ Chandler/The Rusty C, because Mac Nease just isn’t recognizable for me.

However, I am thankful for Mac Nease. I believe the naming rights for RCS cost around $4-5M, And I’m glad a Tech grad like Mac Nease purchased it instead of some corporate brand. It could always be worse. Kennesaw’s football stadium
May be the worst. 5/3 Bank Stadium. Pronounced “Fifth-Third Bank.” It just sounds ridiculous. I’m glad it’s Mac Nease and not something like “Delta Airlines Park at RCS” I’m not sure if the buyout cost goes directly to the baseball team, or if GTAA will just distribute it as they please, but either way it will help offset some of the losses from Covid.
Click to expand...

It's Historic (1913) Grant Field @ Bobby Dodd Stadium. They go together like bread and butter. Grant Field is the oldest on campus playing surface in college football and is the area where the plastic grass now grows. Use to be the number one expertly manicured natural grass playing surface for all college football played in the United States. As a player, I always took great reverence in those who went before me on any field. Those men who played at Memorial Coliseum in LA, Soldier Field in Chicago and especially Grant Field. Bobby Dodd Stadium is the seating and concession area which surrounds Grant Field. Like I said,..... bread and butter.

Now, I think they should have done in baseball what they did at McCamish Pavilion where the playing surface is named Cremmins Court.

They should have named the playing surface Mac Nease Field at Russ Chandler Stadium......Who do I send the bill to ?
 

g0lftime

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6,051
augustabuzz said:
When my Dad played, right after WWII, it was "Rose Bowl Field", as was everything that now includes: the tennis center, the track, the football practice fields and the baseball field.
Click to expand...
We still called it Rose Bowl field when I was a student in the mid 60's. My frat house was across the street on 5th and Fowler. I don't remember when it changed to Russ Chandler. We played intramural football and softball on those fields. Football team practiced there in the afternoons.
 
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