this is sicks’seattle stadium, a baseball stadium in the rainier valley that was home to seattle’s only baseball team – minor league – for 50 years. they were called the ‘seattle rainiers’ and were funded entirely by the rainier brewing company what was then called “sicks’ brewing company’. it was owned by a guy name emil sicks and was a very popular beer (but not THE most popular beer in the northwest. the most popular was olympia back then).
the stadium was the ONLY place to see seattle baseball throughout most of the city’s history – long before the mariners or even the seattle pilots. the seattle rainiers (nickname, ‘the Suds’. beautiful, eh?) were the ONLY sporting team in the city, except the seattle totems – a minor league hockey team that was the very first american hockey team to win the stanley cup. and the the ONLY time they did that, too. by default, no less. the other team didn’t show up in 1918.
after the team folded in the 1960’s, it became a stadium-for-hire and this is where i saw my very first rock concert – Jimi Hendrix in 1970, a few months before he died. it was his second to last concert ever.
now, it’s location is a parking lot and a retirement home. long long gone.
