Gallery: Scale-Model Stadium Freezes a Moment of Baseball's Past
01enter-here
There are many creative ways to preserve a moment lost in time, and sometimes it can happen by complete and utter accident. In fact, it can start out as randomly as an offhand suggestion made by a baseball-crazy brother. And that's essentially how Dan Carpenter of Saugus, California, found himself suddenly thrust into the role of amateur model builder extraordinaire. It took 1,100 man-hours and more than $4,000 of his own money, but Carpenter meticulously constructed a faithful 1:16 scale model replica of [Ebbets Field](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/ebbets.htm), home to the old Brooklyn Dodgers. But it's more than just a stadium. The entire scene represents how the ballpark looked right before [Game 3](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1955/B09300BRO1955.htm) of the [1955 World Series](http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1955/YPS_1955.htm). "As I was building it, it took on a life of its own," says Carpenter who spent nearly five months purchasing materials before constructing his masterpiece. [#iframe: http://www.youtube.com/embed/mxcx4r2IGFs?rel=0](660x401)||||||
02roger-dodger
Roger, Dodger ------------- Of course, Carpenter never truly intended to embark on such an ambitious project. "My brother, Bruce, is a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan, and he wanted me to build him a coffee table with a glass top so he could display some of his baseball card collection," Carpenter told Wired.com. "I suggested a coffee table with a stadium instead and he loved the idea. And we thought Ebbets Field would be perfect. "I went with the 1955 World Series and specifically Game 3. It was a must-win situation for the Dodgers as they had lost the first two games of the World Series at Yankee Stadium. Of course, they went on to win Game 3 and eventually their first World Series title."
03going-back-in-time
Going Back in Time ------------------ To get started, Carpenter did what most any amateur historian would do nowadays: He went online. "I googled as many photos as I could for the 1955 season. The field dimensions changed many times over the years, and I had to get a close-up photo of the front of the stadium," Carpenter recalled. "I found aerial views of the stadium, which had the front and sides of the building, as well as the base paths. "Once I had all that, I was ready to get started."
04card-work
Card Work --------- Carpenter doesn't have much experience in this area, but he quickly found his footing. As he progressed with the stadium construction, more people started to take notice. "As I was building it, it definitely took on a life of its own," he said. "So many people stopped by to see it and were amazed. Of course, it started out as a project for my brother, but it became bigger and better as I went along." And those baseball cards that line the perimeter of the table? "Although I would have loved to use real baseball cards — and my brother has them all — I thought it would be safer (and less expensive) to use replica cards on the table."
05plenty-of-room-for-everyone
Plenty of Room for Everyone --------------------------- One big challenge for Carpenter was not only assembling and placing the roughly 13,000 miniature fans and players into the structure but just *finding* them in the first place, as well as all the materials for the stadium itself. "I got all the N-scale figurines from China and Japan," he explained. "The brick facade came from England and Canada. The 1940s- and 1950s-style cars came from Brazil, Italy and Canada. The lights came from Japan, and all the balsa wood is from the United States."
06lights-on
Lights On --------- Overall, the biggest engineering challenge was the stadium lights, both inside the structure and overhead. "I had to rig them so I could have them turn on in different stages," Carpenter said. "There are three switches. One switch controls the inside lights. Another does the sidewalk lights, and the last turns on the overhead stadium lights. "I made models and dioramas when I was a kid, but I hadn't done anything like this in a long time." [#iframe: http://www.youtube.com/embed/T3UqIMpoNZ4?rel=0&start=193](660x401)||||||
07scavenger-hunt
Scavenger Hunt -------------- The original stadium had an array of lights [spelling out EBBETS FIELD](http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/85212372.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF8789215ABF3343C02EA5480D189C5D702E8A75FC28539E115463176ECD466C163A9281) over its main entrance. Carpenter couldn't quite replicate that, but he had to suffice with ... well, he's not quite sure. "I'm not 100 percent sure what they are, but they worked and they look great when the other lights turn on," he said. "I found them in a craft store when I was searching for lettering, and it was the closest I could find." However, the hardest objects to find, oddly enough, were the mini–American flags that adorn the inner perimeter of Ebbets Field's upper deck and mezzanine. "I didn't want to order them in bulk online, and I couldn't find them locally," Carpenter said. "They used to put flags in bags of toy Army men when I was a kid, but they don't seem to do that anymore. I ended up getting them through a local bakery of all places."
08for-love-of-the-game
For Love of the Game -------------------- So what started out as a labor of love for a brother who bleeds Dodger Blue ultimately unlocked some latent talent inside Carpenter, who has received much interest in the piece. "I do have people offering to buy it, and so far, it's gotten up to an offer of $12,500," he said. "I really think my brother would like to see Dodgers Stadium obtain it so many other people can enjoy it, but we'll see what happens." And, even better, Carpenter plans to do models of other long-lost baseball stadiums. His next project will likely be long-gone [Crosley Field](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/crosle.htm) in Cincinnati, either as it appeared in 1919 or "some time in the 1940s." No matter which stadium or era he tackles from here on out, he's one and done on each project, so [drop Carpenter a note](mailto:[email protected]) if you've got something specific in mind, because the best way to keep the past alive is to make sure a little piece of it is always around.
