The Bauer Diamonds Model Ballparks Series (1984-1991): Old Yankee Stadium

[brooklyndodger14]

Are there others here who collected or built the Bauer Diamonds model ballparks?

These mail-order kits created by a Kansas-based family offered in full color several "Classic" ballpark models that you build yourself with a knife and glue and were made of mainly corrugated cardboard, cardstock, and plastic.

The parks offered were: Ebbets, Polo Grounds, Fenway, Wrigley, Tiger, Old Yankee, and finally, Comiskey.

The general scale was (1": 45') which yielded a 2-inch square baseball diamond. I believe they were originally created as a 3D ballpark setting to play Strat or Diamond Mind/PTP-type games, but they also sold a "Subway Series" version of their own baseball board game that featured their Yankee and Ebbets designs.

The designs for the parks were hand-illustrated and colorful, and the level of detail was enough to evoke a good sense what the parks looked like. The really outstanding feature was the care they took in creating accurate field dimensions for the model base.

Here are three views of their Yankee model, with some embellishments I added to improve the look (ex: using vinyl lettering for the exterior sign, rescribing the window patterns and louvres to be bolder, and shirt pins for flag poles).

Does anyone still have their models? Enjoy!

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[brooklyndodger14]

FOLLOW-UP:

This particular kit was built in 1990 and never was completed (and then subsequently lost in a relocation). I did purchase 4 of the Yankee (which I still have) and will build a complete and accurate-as-possible model.

Dennis


http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=13897&d=1157547903


http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=13895&d=1157547800


http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=13896&d=1157547855

[tommybaseball]

I bought one of these a few years ago, specifically to play Strat games. I somehow got directly in touch with Bauer through information and when I got him on the phone, he initially told me that they were sold out. I asked him if he knew where I might get a Yankee Stadium version and he told me to hold on for a moment. I heard him put down the phone, then heard some rustling and boxes being moved around or falling. He picked up the phone and told me that he found one and it was the last one. I sent him a check and received it shortly after. I have to admit that I was a little dissapointed when I opened it up because it didn't seem that it would hold up for a lot of Strat-O-Matic games. I'll get around to building it one day, but I'd like to find ways to replicate the pieces out of bass and balsa wood so that it would hold up. I would also prefer to make it a little larger. The scale I use for my Strat Ballpark is 1'' = 30 feet. My dream is to get the Yankee Stadium Strat Ballpark right.
Check out this guys site: http://www.majorleaguemodels.com/
For a mere $28,000 I can get one of these beauts!

[RichardLillard1]

I had always wanted one of these back when I used to see the ads for them on ballparks.com. Then one day, when I had some extra cash for one (I was only around 16 at the time) I went to the website and they were gone. I don't know if I would like them as a thick paper though, maybe if I could get a hold of one and make a wood replica or even find a way to do resin casts of it in sections... actually I think that would be pretty cool. But it would be tough with just thick paper to make one out of resin, I would probably have to start with a balsa (or some other type of thin wood) model and go from there.

Definately some cool pics of it though.

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

I still have there ebbets field model which is built, and also have not built the polo grounds, tiger stadium and old comiskey park.

[Chisox73]

I have the Old Yankee Stadium model in my room.I enjoyed building that one.I had to improvise a bit and used a big sewing needle and a piece of carefully cut paper to replicate the center field flag pole.

I have yet to build my Old Comiskey Park model.

[ar9005]

Does anybody know if this company is still around? I have gone to the website, and all the models are sold out. I have tried emailing them, and it just gets returned. I bought a Comiskey park model a few years back, and never really had the time to finish it. I would love to start that project again. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Aaron

[brooklyndodger14]

Does anybody know if this company is still around? I have gone to the website, and all the models are sold out. I have tried emailing them, and it just gets returned. I bought a Comiskey park model a few years back, and never really had the time to finish it. I would love to start that project again. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Aaron



Your best bet is to scan the eBay skies by doing a search under "Bauer Diamonds Ballpark Models".

It will generally result in Eddie Bauer products, some actual diamond items, an occasional "ballpark model" frankfurter grill AND.... every so often, an actual Bauer Diamonds Ballpark model.

Over the past 4 years I had won 2 of the Yankee Stadiums, an Ebbets, a Fenway, and a Comiskey. Back in '02, someone actually put a Polo Grounds on eBay and it went for a pretty good penny. Expect the general range of $$ to be about $40+ and up...

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

These stadium models were also used by people who played the sherco baseball game.some of the stadiums playing fields had the grids on them for the sherco baseball game.my polo grounds that is not built has the grids on the playing field for the sherco baseball game.

[ar9005]

I was wondering if anybody had a Comiskey Park model that has not been started, and would like to sell it to me? I have been looking for these models for a while, and haven't been able to locate one. I have even sent the company a letter seeing if they were still in business. I finally have my sports room completed in my house, and would like to add this to the collection.

Thanks,

Aaron

[brooklyndodger14]

Originally Posted by ar9005
Does anybody know if this company is still around? I have gone to the website, and all the models are sold out. I have tried emailing them, and it just gets returned. I bought a Comiskey park model a few years back, and never really had the time to finish it. I would love to start that project again. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Aaron


Your best bet is to scan the eBay skies by doing a search under "Bauer Diamonds Ballpark Models".

It will generally result in Eddie Bauer products, some actual diamond items, an occasional "ballpark model" frankfurter grill AND.... every so often, an actual Bauer Diamonds Ballpark model.

Over the past 4 years I had won 2 of the Yankee Stadiums, an Ebbets, a Fenway, and a Comiskey. Back in '02, someone actually put a Polo Grounds on eBay and it went for a pretty good penny. Expect the general range of $$ to be about $40+ and up...

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

JUNE 23, 2007 update:

A gent out in California just completed a simultaneous sale of the Bauer's Yankee, Comiskey, AND POLO GROUNDS! Not surprisingly, the Yankee and Comiskey winning bids combined, did not total what I bid for winning the Polo Grounds....

I plan to hi-rez scan the images and use them to build the P.G. leaving the originals uncut. About the only items that will actually be used will be the 2 plastic grid pieces that make up the lights and towers. Even the field base will be scanned and, though I hate the thought of a broken (more than a single piece) field, I'll willingly accept that tradeoff.

Thanks to the images provided here and elsewhere by Polo Grounds 1957 and others, I'll be able to improve upon certain areas like the upper deck scoreboards and the CF clubhouse areas.

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

Originally Posted by ar9005
Does anybody know if this company is still around? I have gone to the website, and all the models are sold out. I have tried emailing them, and it just gets returned. I bought a Comiskey park model a few years back, and never really had the time to finish it. I would love to start that project again. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Aaron




JUNE 23, 2007 update:

A gent out in California just completed a simultaneous sale of the Bauer's Yankee, Comiskey, AND POLO GROUNDS! Not surprisingly, the Yankee and Comiskey winning bids combined, did not total what I bid for winning the Polo Grounds....

I plan to hi-rez scan the images and use them to build the P.G. leaving the originals uncut. About the only items that will actually be used will be the 2 plastic grid pieces that make up the lights and towers. Even the field base will be scanned and, though I hate the thought of a broken (more than a single piece) field, I'll willingly accept that tradeoff.

Thanks to the images provided here and elsewhere by Polo Grounds 1957 and others, I'll be able to improve upon certain areas like the upper deck scoreboards and the CF clubhouse areas.

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

The polo grounds bauer stadium that you have does the playing field have the small squares on it. these squares are for use in the SHERCO baseball game. i was wondering if all of the polo grounds and other stadiums put out by them have the playing field like this.

[brooklyndodger14]

The polo grounds bauer stadium that you have does the playing field have the small squares on it. these squares are for use in the SHERCO baseball game. i was wondering if all of the polo grounds and other stadiums put out by them have the playing field like this.


Hello Donald,

I know that the Comiskey (1991), Tiger & Wrigley (1984) did not have them, nor the Fenways that I had. The Bauer's own brand Subway Series version (1984-1986) had a partial Yankee and Ebbets. This meant no grandstands unlike the full versions, but included a set of gridded playing fields and a couple of cardstock "wraparounds" that you would attach along the outfield perimeter spanning from just before the foul poles to the stands or bleachers in CF. You have 2 for each ballpark representing the offensive as well as defensive chances as described on the grids. As described in the instructions, all the play results for the Yankees-Dodgers World Series were collectively included on the grids and wraparounds, including HR's and foul popups.

I haven't received the PG set yet, but the picture on the eBay listing does show a gridded field. There is a plain (no grid) version of the field as a base, right? If not, I guess I'll have to create one.

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[brooklyndodger14]

http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25535&stc=1&d=1182646304
http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25536&stc=1&d=1182646304

Here are Fenway and Comiskey....

[brooklyndodger14]

and Tiger Stadium and old Yankee Stadium....

http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25537&stc=1&d=1182646816
http://www.baseball-fever.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=25538&stc=1&d=1182646816

These were the postcards of the finished model that were included with each specific park.

I only have the AL parks shown here, but I will include the NL models when I find the pix...

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[brkl97]

I have a Forbes Field sitting around somewhere, I bought it when I went to 3 Rivers as a kid and never put it together... are these rare???

[POLO GROUNDS 1957]

I have a Forbes Field sitting around somewhere, I bought it when I went to 3 Rivers as a kid and never put it together... are these rare???

There was a company that put out a couple of stadium model books on forbes field and fenway park.the books included color photos of the 2 stadiums and all of the parts needed to build the stadiums. i do not know if these 2 books are still in print today.

[brooklyndodger14]

There was a company that put out a couple of stadium model books on forbes field and fenway park.the books included color photos of the 2 stadiums and all of the parts needed to build the stadiums. i do not know if these 2 books are still in print today.

The 2-part series was known as "Build It Yourself: Fenway Park" (c)1993, Addison-Wessley Publishing; and "Build It Yourself: Forbes Field" (c)1995, Point-4 Ltd. (The two different publishers being based in the home states of the featured park).

Both were collaborated on by Len Martin & Phillip J. Lowry (author of the recently updated and very essential resource book, "Green Cathedrals").

Dennis
BrooklynDodger14

[Vorticon]

Anyone have a Bauer Polo Grounds kit to sell? or Tiger Stadium?

[yankeefan1977]

Hello:

this is my first time posting, and I'm glad I found this thread because I too had one of the Bauer's, but I wasn't a good model builder when I got the Fenway Park, and I think I got it from a Sporting News ad...I was in such a hurry, that I taped it together and so it didn't turn out good. Over the last several years, I've learned patience and don't mind spending weeks putting and painting models together right.

The lead on the Forbes Field at this site in the above post was really big...I found a website called PointFourLimited.com where I bought the Forbes Field: Build-It-Yourself for just $20 plus $6 shipping and handling, and you pay for it via PayPal instead of having to spend way more if you get it from some opportunistic and "rather greedy" Ebay seller.

Here's the Forbes Field link though I'm not sure how many are left. My order went through. Their Fenway Park kit is currently sold out:

http://www.pointfourltd.com/documents/pfsportsdocs/frbsfldbuildit.html

Cheers,

YankeeFan1977