The first night game at the stadium was held on June 15, 1948. In the early 1970s, disgusted Detroit fans began to throw snowballs at the team bench from the upper-deck seats in right field. On July 2, 1993, Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder hit a home run that has only just now come back to Earth. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Lynne asked what I was interested in and presented me with a great selection of Tigers caps and T-shirts. These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. The Tigers will move to Comerica Park next year. Ficks homer hit the roof in right and just missed going out of the stadium. The people there are awesome and they clearly don't get much walk in business however they know their product while intending in only buying one jersey I walked out with much more! I was in the stands the day that Mr. McGwire hit his shot over the roof in left. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! [79], The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation awarded the demolition contract on April 22, 2008, with the speculation that demolition revenue would come from the sale of scrap metal. As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. On September 27, 1999, the final Tigers game was held at Tiger Stadium; an 8-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals, capped by a late grand slam by Robert Fick, which hit the right field roof. [70], In 2006, the feature-length documentary Stranded at the Corner: The Battle to Save Historic Tiger Stadium was released. Team: Cleveland Indians. There were many famous home runs hit there, such as Babe Ruths 700th, and the walkoff homer by Ted Williams in the 1941 All-Star Game. The Amercan League won the game 6-4, with two run homers by Jackson, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew. Many seats were replaced. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! It was my 1st game and we sat in the upper deck in left field. Al Kaline takes aim at the seats in Tiger Stadium in the late 1950s. A few players, very few, hit home runs into the bleachers in straightaway center field, an incredible 440 feet away. There were over 30 home runs hit onto the right field roof over the years. And so it went. Stopped by Wed morning 7/6 and had the pleasure of dealing directly with Lynne. July 3rd, 1999 still stands as a milestone for Indians fans, who fondly remember the astounding home run that secured Jim Thome's place in MLB history. For the film, computer-generated visual effects were used to make Tiger Stadium resemble Yankee Stadium in 1961. Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) was a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. I was there. It was the final Major League hit, home run, and RBI in Tiger Stadium's history. [2] By 1938, the city had agreed to move Cherry Street, allowing the left-field seats to be double-decked, and the now-renamed Briggs Stadium had a capacity of 53,000. By making it possible for the upper deck to stand directly above the lower deck, the support columns allowed the average fan to sit closer to the field than at any other ballpark. , The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world thanks to one man, By You just dont get this type of service anywhere else folks and turns out it all to be a great value as well as they search the system for every possible discount they could give me. In the 22nd inning, Jack Reed hit the only home run of his 129-at bat career off Phil Regan for a 9-7 win. Aaron Judge (2017) - 513 feet in Miami Climb up to the roof and look around, Fenecksaid in 1999, the Tigers final summer at The Corner, and you wont believe how high and hard they have to hit the ball to do that.. Thanks! Dismiss, Copyright 2022 Vintage Detroit Collection, Spinnaker Center, 44692 Helm St, Plymouth. Ilitch began to make plans for a new ballpark downtown, breaking ground during the 1997 season. Detroit's Police Athletic League (PAL) headquarters would relocate to the site and maintain the field. WebFont.load({ google: { families: ["Lato:900:latin", "Lato:300:latin", "Playfair+Display:700italic:latin", "Merriweather:700:latin", "Crete+Round::latin", "PT+Sans+Narrow:700:latin"] } }); Detroit Red Wings jerseys are back in stock! Although few improvements were made to the ballpark over the years, it was still considered a showcase of baseball with a flair for memorable games. [5], During the summer of 2010, a group calling itself "The Navin Field Grounds Crew" began maintaining the playing field and hosting vintage baseball, youth baseball, and softball games at the site. He never played another game. He was also adept at hitting the ball out down the left field line, a trait later adopted by Willie Horton and Lance Parrish. Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA) Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadium's right field roof four times in his career. There is one other football item worthy of note regarding Tiger Stadium. It was said the lights at the ballpark were so bright that it could light up a city of 10,000 people. Watched Harmons HR shot go over the left field stands-right over the top of me-I was working as a stand-boy out in left field and got a break to go out and and watch part of the gamemy only comment was WOW! In September 1990, I was making the trip from Traverse City down to Toledo, Ohio, to visit my grandmother. The 1999 Tigers finished with a 69-92 record, but it felt like the stands were always full. Shortly thereafter, the city of Detroit bought the park from the team for $1. Football at Tiger Stadium was an adventure. Makes me even more envious of the fans in Boston whose ownership had the wisdom to preserve their historic ballpark. [45], Northern Irish professional soccer club Glentoran F.C. The league scheduled eight more games in the next five years. It was the final Major League hit, home run, and RBI in Tiger Stadium's history. wow! The movie was about the 1961 season when the Yankees Roger Maris broke Babe Ruths home run record. A record that cant be broken, You are correct he hit 4 out of the Stadium. Tiger Stadium was sold to the city of Detroit on January 1, 1978 for $1.00 and leased back for 30 years. (Oddly. Among major league parks whose construction predated the advent of night games, only Wrigley Field went longer without lights (1988). Only one current Tiger ever hit a home run at Tiger Stadium, and it was a memorable occasion. Myshak Metro Ballpark (Edmonton Prospects) In 1967, the race riots that tore up the city of Detroit started less than two miles from the ballpark. Copyright 2023 August Publications. Harmon Killebrew hit a home run that ricocheted off the left field roof and sounded like a gun blast off his bat. There were moments of joy to behold down the stretch. It was the last hit and the last run in the stadium. At the time, some places in the outfield were only marked off with rope. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). In the fourth inning, with Alan Trammell on first base and two out, Fielder powered a 3-1 fastball from righthander Dave Stewart toward the roof in left. Date: 1999. There is no roof to extend. He holds the record for longest home run in Cleveland Indians history at 511 feet, which he hit against the Kansas City Royals in 1999. Take your pick, his three-home run outburst against Catfish Hunter in the 1978 Championship Series, the 1983 Pine Tar home run, or the 1980 upper deck jack off arch-nemesis Goose Gossage that all . Four were over the longer left field roof, (Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Cecil Fielder, Mark McGuire) and the rest were over the right field roof.) The right-field fence sat just 325 feet from home plate, and Jackson wasn't the only man to leave the stadium entirely.But Mr. October's blast -- off then-Pirates ace Dock Ellis, no less -- was gargantuan by any measure: According to Home Run Tracker's estimate, the ball traveled 532 feet or at least it would have, had the base of the light tower on the right-field roof not gotten in its way. The film dramatized the efforts of New York Yankees teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris during the 1961 season to break fellow Yankee Babe Ruth's single-season home run record of 60. The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. It was an effort by a local sports management company to bring a Frontier League franchise to Detroit. They stayed at the ballpark until 1974 when they left to play in the 76,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome. They checked it over and off I went. Target Field renovations, 2024 Ballparks The Metropolitan Stadium Committee voted unanimously for the Pontiac site. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. The HBO movie 61* was filmed there. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. Cecil Fielder was the third player,. Thanks, J.D. On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at first base without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6. Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. The third deck in right field would be 75 feet high and 375 feet from home plate. [14], In 2018, the Corner Ballpark opened at the site. Initially, a dual stadium complex was planned that included a moving roof that was later scrapped due to high costs and the lack of a commitment from the Tigers. The Tigers moved to the newly constructed Comerica Park for their 2000 season, leaving Tiger Stadium unused. Shipping Service As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. [74][75] By 2006, however, demolition appeared inevitable when then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced the stadium would be razed. The new owner gave the old ballpark one last shot, adding a plaza of souvenir and food stands in the old players parking lot. 2023 Ballparks It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of . Chronicling the Business and Culture of Baseball Ballparks--MLB, MiLB, College, Tiger Stadium / Detroit Tigers / 1912-1999, Voting now open in 2023 Best of the Ballparks fan vote for Cactus League, Voting now open in 2023 Best of the Ballparks fans vote for Grapefruit League, MLB ramps up production team for local baseball broadcasts, Personnel news: MLB, Wisconsin Rapids, Holly Springs, Voting now open in 2023 Best of the Ballparkscollege ballparks competition, West Michigan Whitecaps food fight down to final three, Doak Field at Dail Park upgrades (NC Wolfpack), Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA), Future Legends Sports Complex (Northern Colorado Owlz), Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) updates, LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades, Myshak Metro Ballpark (Edmonton Prospects), Bud Metheny Ballpark renovations (Old Dominion University), Innovative Field (Rochester Red Wings) upgrades. Before leaving Oakland for St. Louis, McGwire would become the fourth and final player to homer over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium, connecting off Brian Moehler on April 21, 1997. In 1973, ground was broken for a stadium to exclusively house the Lions. Bullying, racism, personal attacks, harassment, or discrimination is prohibited. At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball. A+! the Nearest to me was Vintage. The score was now 8-4. I was in desperate need because of a upcoming event to make purchase I could get same day while searching for the item I quickly realized there wasn't just limited availability of the item but very limited locations in Metro Detroit i could purchase the item. [73], There were many proposals to redevelop the site. All three games featured home runs. The first home run in the history of the All-Star Game was hit by none other than Babe Ruth. 1. As part of this transfer, the green wooden seats were replaced with blue and orange plastic ones and the stadium's interior, which was green, was painted blue to match. By the 1970s, the ballpark was beginning to show its age. Online auction of Tiger Stadium memorabilia draws $192,729", "Contract approved for Tiger Stadium demolition", "Tiger Stadium Field, Foul Poles to Be Saved", "Partial Demolition of Tiger Stadium Almost Done", "Remnants of Tiger Stadium Safe For Short Time", "So long: Detroit board OKs leveling Tiger Stadium", "Ernie Harwell Park ( site of former Tiger Stadium )", "Renderings reveal future of Tiger Stadium, field", "Key approval given to Tiger Stadium plans", "Who wants to live at Tiger Stadium? A new ballpark for the Tigers was built in downtown Detroit, and the club moved to Comerica Park after the 1999 season. Tickets to the Hall of Fame banquet are available by contacting Jennifer Thunberg at Bay City Central at 989-891-0602, thunbergj@bcschools.net or in person from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through . But it burns bright in the memories of hitters like Tom Matchick. On Rader's home run, the only other Mariner who remembers is Vada Pinson, who is a first-base coach for Seattle. (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades Even better, the homer cut the AL's deficit from 3-0 to 3-2, and helped the Junior Circuit earn a 6-4 win -- snapping the NL's eight-game winning streak in the Midsummer Classic. Since that time the company has grown from a single employee working out of a home to a diversified publishing firm featuring Websites, books and other merchandise. None had occurred since 1955. Focus On Sport/Getty Images. Have Your Own Jersey? When did the Detroit Tigers Stadium get demolished? [63], Tiger Stadium saw exactly 11,111 Major League home runs. The field ran from the first base line, across the infield to the left-center-field fence. Negative racial/anti-Semitic, or religious stereotypes are prohibited. - LSU blasted four home runs and collected 20 hits to propel the #1 ranked Tigers to a 26-4 victory over Central Connecticut State Saturday afternoon inside . Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. (Thirteen years earlier, he was the only player ever to homer over the center-field bleachers, which consisted of one deck at the time.) I put the location into google maps off I went. Remembering the Red Wings gritty Martin Lapointe. It was out of the park in a split second. On June 11, 1961, Cash became the first Detroit Tiger to hit a home run ball out of Tiger Stadium. About Us There was a huge outcry from traditionalists that the ballpark needed be saved as a historical monument (it had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989). The roof was 94 feet high and the left-field fence was 340 feet from home plate, making roof shots in that direction one of the most challenging feats in baseball during the years the Tigers called Tiger Stadium home. Excited to work with Vintage Detroit on future orders. When Ford Field hosted the 2006 Super Bowl, a tent on Tiger Stadiums field played host to the Bud Bowl, an event that featured (among other things), a performance by Snoop Dogg. In 2018, the site was redeveloped for youth sports. Bill Freehan deserves special mention in that he hit exactly 100 home runs at Tiger Stadium and also 100 on the road. My sons were small and I was trying to teach them the strategy of the game (since I was also their coach). The old ballpark at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull in Detroits Corktown district was one of the games most unusual ballparks. Historians generally agree the longest home run hit in the ballpark was probably achieved by Detroit 1B Norm Cash, who ripped a shot over the center field scoreboard in a 1962 game that landed on the roof of a parked taxicab. Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! Cecil hit the longest homerun Ive seen in my life during a minor league game in Kinston , N.C.The left field at Grainger Stadium is 370 ft. from home plate ; Cecils homerun cleared the fence , the street behind the fence , and landed on the roof of a 3 story building that was 20 yards on the other side of the street . Left field settled in at 340 while right field gradually shrunk until settling in at 325. called the stadium home in the late 1960s. The blast must have ignited Cash's non-corked bat, as he decimated American League pitching with 23 home runs and 58 RBIs in 78 games after the All-Star break. Outsiders began to look at Tiger Stadium and the neighborhood it was located in a different light. That stadium was called Bennett Park and featured a wooden grandstand with a wooden peaked roof in the outfield. He ordered a steel-and-concrete 23,000-seat ballpark that was built in an astonishing period of seven months after the end of the 1911 season. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. . Six years later, Cecil Fielder hit a moonshot over the left field roof on his way to 51 homers that season. Tiger Stadium saw gigantic home runs, like the one Babe Ruth hit that witnesses swore traveled 600 feet as it soared over the right field grandstands. Fielder, 56, lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Diana, and their son, Maksim. But the Yankees turned on their old nemesis, knocking him out with seven runs in two innings. As part of the transfer, the city gave the place a major paint job, changing the interior from green to blue. Frank Lary, who had made a career out of beating the Yankees (he was 29-6 lifetime against them from 1955-63), was the Detroit starter. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadiums right field roof four times in his career. Hinchliffe Stadium renovations Detroit was one of the first powers in the new league, advancing to the World Series three years in a row from 1907-09. By the time Detroits Tiger Stadium bade farewell 87 years, it had witnessed 11,111 home runs, six World Series, three memorable All-Star games, NFL Championship games and championship boxing fights. Hank Greenberg and Willie Horton might also qualify as long time Tigers. [71][72] It was also shown at the inaugural National Baseball Hall of Fame Film Festival in November 2006. [38], Tiger Stadium was home of the Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. [44], On October 5, 1951, the University of Notre Dame played the University of Detroit at Briggs Stadium before a capacity crowd of 52,000. Considered one of the longest home runs ever hit in major league history. If you want a new roof on Tiger Stadium it will have to built from scratch. Due to the progression of the disease named after him, it was the final game of his career. [81], After a hiatus wherein various plans to preserve portions of the stadium were considered,[82][83][84][85] demolition was completed on September 21, 2009. In 1955, right field returned to its 325-foot status. New Tennessee Smokies ballpark. PNC Park (Pirates) That pocket is the deepest part of the park at 410 feet, 11 feet farther than dead center. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. Minute Maid Park upgrades Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. Some call this the longest home run ever hit. Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) updates In 1977, a fire wiped out the press box. I sat myself in the upper deck left seats and waited for the big guy to hit #50, to join George Foster, who I had cheered for since mt Dad was a Reds fan. Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of an $80 million south end-zone upper deck expansion that added 70 "Tiger Den" suites, over 3,000 club seats and 1,500 . Hence, for many years, everybody but the citizens of Detroit watched the annual Thanksgiving Day game.) There were unlikely homers: little Freddie Patek, a 5 foot 5 imp who hit only a handful of homers in his career, hit two at Tiger Stadium; and 19-year old pitcher Denny McLain hit a home run on September 21, 1963, in his first big league game, and never hit another. It just shows that, when you buy a ticket to a game, you just might witness a bit of history. Luis Polonia, the Tigers' left fielder, wearing Willie Horton's No. Cecil Fielder was only Tiger to clear Tiger Stadiums left-field roof. George Brett loved the park, and in his final game at Tiger Stadium in an afternoon tilt in 1993, he hit two homers, one to right and one to left (I was there!). When was the last Tigers game at Tiger Stadium? [41], In the early 1970s, the city of Pontiac and its community leaders made a presentation to the Metropolitan Stadium Committee of a 155-acre (0.63km2) site on the city's eastern boundary, north of M-59 and near the intersection with Interstate 75 (I-75). The short porch in right field wasnt the only unusual feature of the park. 2 others that hit the light towers. By the way, where did TRAM rank for the amount of HRs he hit during his career with the Tigers when they played at Tigers Stadium for going yard? Willie Horton hit a home run at Tiger Stadium when he was 16 years old during an all-city high school game. Only four of the game's most powerful right-handed sluggers (Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Cecil Fielder and Mark McGwire) reached the left field rooftop. Big Frank Howard loved to hit there, as did Killebrew and Reggie and Ken Griffey Jr. Theme: Envo Blog. Although this is hard to imagine these days, the Lions were a very strong franchise in the 1950s, playing in three NFL title games in five seasons. & quot;According to the Detroit Free Press book "The Corner", the following have hit HR's out of Tiger Stadium: Norm Cash (did it 4 times) Mickey Mantle (did it 3 times) Kirk Gibson (did it 3 times) Jason Thompson (did it twice) Mickey Tettlton (did it twice) Tony Clark . That ball is measured at 634 . The ball actually sailed right over the right field roof of the ballpark, which is mind-boggling to contemplate. (The front row of seats was just 55 feet behind home plate). The Lions last title came in 1957. Returns & Exchanges In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered a new steel-and-concrete baseball park on . Id have a chance to send my family to Paris on that one.. Harmon Killebrew had 573 home runs over his career. [3], For a time after it was constructed, the right field upper deck had a "315" marker at the foul pole (later painted over), with a "325" marker below it on the lower deck fence (which was retained). Non-Baseball Events Held at Tiger Stadium The year 1938 was significant in the ballparks history. The crazy thing is we missed the home run for a hot pretzel. Berry lay injured while Horton, who was hardly fleet afoot, circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. The stadiums demolition was completed on September 21, 2009, though the stadiums actual playing field remains at the corner where the stadium stood. It was part of a memorable summer as the city healed its wounds, got behind its baseball team ands flocked to the ballpark in record numbers. It was a relatively soft touch compared to left field, with a 325-foot (99m) foul line and with a roof that was in line with the front of the lower deck. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Ask away and we will do our best to answer or find someone who can.We try to vet our answers to get you the most acurate answers. [2][23], Tiger Stadium had a 125-foot (38 m) tall flagpole in fair play, to the left of dead center field near the 440-foot (134 m) mark. Buckeye Video 632 subscribers 5.2K 1M views 7 years ago Oakland A's vs. Detroit Tigers 8/25/90. Thats so true, every game can be legendary. I was a bit too far up the stands behind home plate to see it go out (the upper deck blocked my view), but I knew something had happened. Thats the longest home run Ive had hit off me, said Stewart, who had surrendered an upper-deck shot to Fielder in the first inning.
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