Alabama’s Tourism Department released last week its annual
list of the state’s top tourist attractions, including a list of the state’s
Top 10 Sports Destinations.
According to that list, the University of Alabama’s
Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa was the state’s No. 1 sports destination,
attracting 710,538 fans in 2013. This number was actually somewhat lower than
in 2012, when the stadium attracted 712,052 visitors.
Jordan-Hare Stadium at Auburn University came in second,
attracting 685,252 fans in 2013. The Birmingham Barons baseball team was third,
attracting 396,820 fans to their home stadium at Regions Field in Birmingham.
Talladega Superspeedway was fourth, attracting 350,000
racing fans. The Barber Vintage Motorsports track in Birmingham was fifth,
drawing 268,196 fans. The Montgomery Biscuits baseball team finished sixth,
attracting 258,532 fans to Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium.
The Mobile Baybears baseball team was next with attendance
totaling 149,675 at Hank Aaron Stadium. The SEC Baseball Tournament came in
eighth, attracting 134,496 fans to Hoover’s Metropolitan Stadium. The
Huntsville Stars finished ninth, drawing 123,000 baseball fans to Joe W. Davis
Stadium in Huntsville. Last, but not least, Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile came
in tenth with attendance totaling 95,555 in 2013.
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Today – March 6 – is notable for several sports-related
birthdays. Ring Lardner was born on this day in 1885, and Lefty Grove was born
on March 6, 1900. Willie Stargell was born on this day in 1940, and Shaquille
O’Neal was born on March 6, 1972. Some of these you may be familiar with
(Shaq), but others you may not.
Lardner was born in Michigan and went on to become one of
the greatest American sports writers of all time. His most famous book is the
baseball book, “You Know Me Al,” which came out in 1916. It’s so good that in
2002, Sports Illustrated ranked it No. 5 on its list of “Top 100 Sports Books
of All Time.”
Lefty Grove, whose real name was Robert Moses Grove, is
considered one of the greatest left-handed pitchers in the history of Major
League Baseball. Between 1925 and 1941, he pitched for the Philadelphia
Athletics and the Boston Red Sox. Grove, who died in 1975, was selected into
the Hall of Fame in 1947.
Stargell was born in Oklahoma and also went on to a Hall of
Fame professional baseball career. He played his entire career for the
Pittsburgh Pirates, playing 21 seasons as a leftfielder and first baseman.
Stargell, who died in 2001, was the only player inducted into the Hall of Fame
in 1988.
Many of you will be familiar with Shaq, who was basically a
freak of nature on the basketball court. At 7-foot-1 and 325 pounds, he was one
of the biggest players to ever play college and professional basketball. Shaq
retired in 2011, but he’s still in the public eye, appearing in movies and on
television, in addition to his on-again, off-again career as a rapper.
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Before I close this thing out this week, The Courant wants
to extend our condolences to Hillcrest softball coach Terry Gandy, who recently
suffered the loss of his mother. The Courant learned of her death late last
week and wishes the family all the best as they deal with their loss.
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