Fans buy seats of historic Tinker Field stadium

ORLANDO, Fla. — Residents got the chance to own a piece of central Florida history Saturday.

Baseball fans had the opportunity to snag some seats from the historic Tinker Field.

The seats were part of a stadium that was the spring training site for several major league teams over the years and where Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in the 1960s.

“These seats have a lot of historical value,” said baseball fan Al Brasher.

Built in 1914, Tinker Field was declared a historical landmark, but the grandstands were torn down in April.

“They came out of Calvin Griffith stadium in Washington D.C. when the stadium was remodeled and they used the seats out of the old Washington Senators stadium to go into this stadium,” Brasher said.

The seats were sold as-is. People could buy the seats in sets of two or sets of four. Two seats costs $100.

“I’ll sand them down a little bit and I’ll probably repaint them, but I will keep the original parts,” said baseball fan Joel Sawyer.

Brasher said it meant a lot to be able to buy a piece of history.

“I’ve always told my son, when they tear that down I’ll get two seats out of there,” said Brasher.

About 500 seats were available.

Related Story: Tinker Field grandstands to be demolished; Some seats available for purchase

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