Shadows of Swayne Field

When the kitchen ceiling caved in and the contents of his mother’s attic splayed across the floor, Ron, better known as “Punky”, knew he had to help clean up. With the assistance of his son and nephew, he would try to preserve as many of the dirty, mold-covered memories as he could, including a mysterious old metal box, possibly belonging to his Grandpa Hash. What’s inside it takes him back 32 years earlier, as he recalls the magical weekend in 1984 spent with his grandfather attending two baseball games.

The first was at Tiger Stadium in Detroit to see their first-place heroes in action. Then to the local diamond to see their beloved Toledo Mud Hens the next day. The Beatles and Elvis on the radio, “crunchy” hot dogs, and plenty of baseball talk was on the agenda for this fun-filled road trip with many surprises along the way. The weekend takes an unexpected turn when the whereabouts of a long-lost family heirloom, a baseball signed by Abraham Lincoln, comes to light, setting off an impromptu detour, a bizarre return to a game at old Swayne Field—demolished 29 years earlier, and uncovering the real holy grail of baseball collectibles.