In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. About Us I will never forget it. http://www.courtsidetweets.comCarl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox has a magical night at Tiger Stadium versus the Detroit Tigers by hitting three home run. [38], Tiger Stadium was home of the Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. Frank Navin, who bought the team in 1908, was a man with big ideas. Cecil Fielder hits homerun over Tiger stadium roof.. 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. After the game, it was revealed Hughes had passed away from a heart attack. His name? MLB Park Factors & Stats | Swish Analytics For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. Tettleton Hits Another Homer Out of Stadium; Tigers Win, 8-7 Partially because of that incident, a pad was put in place on the flagpole. I was there. That year, Big Daddy captured the countrys attention with an eye-popping 51 home runs and 132 RBI, both best in the majors. A post-game ceremony brought back just about famous ex-Tiger who was still alive for one last salute. The city of Detroit decide to move an entire street Cherry Street so the entire ball park could now be double decked. A year later, a Tiger Stadium-record 230 home runs were smashed130 of them surrendered by an atrocious Detroit pitching staff that produced a 6.38 ERA, the worst in AL history. 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! [2] Spotlights were added above the warning track to illuminate the area beneath the overhang. In 1895, Detroit had a team in the Western League, an eight-team loop that eventually melded into the American League. The final home run Fittingly, in the last game at The Corner, on September 27, 1999, it was a Tiger who launched the final homer at Tiger Stadium. Fick, a catcher and designated hitter, entered the game batting .200 with two home runs in 30 . [2] In 1961, new owner John Fetzer took control of the stadium and gave it its final and longest-lasting name: Tiger Stadium. Our motto is simple: We enjoy doing cool things and are overjoyed we can make a living doing so. Carl Yastrzemski 3 Home Runs At Tiger Stadium! - YouTube By the early 1990s the owner of the Tigers wanted a new luxurious ballpark for team. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. Thanks! Briggs Stadium, as it was now known, held 53,000 seats. The last game at Tiger Stadium was on September 27, 1999. Fittingly, they lost to Denver, 31-27. Tiger Stadium - Ballparks Tiger Stadium (Louisiana) - Wikipedia Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. But there was nothing anybody could do. Among the performers that day: Erma Franklin, older sister of Aretha Franklin. Privacy Policy One of his home runs in Yankee Stadium landed a dozen rows of seats from the scoreboard in right center field. To fit as many seats as possible in the expansion, the second deck was extended over the fence by 10 feet (3 m). LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) The last night at Tiger Stadium - The Athletic Through 1990, only two players had cleared the roof in left. [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. On October 24, 1971, Chuck Hughes, a 27-year-old wide receiver for Detroit, suddenly collapsed on the field at the end of a play. [91], It was depicted in Disney's award-winning Tiger Town, a 1983 made-for-television baseball film written and directed by Detroit native, Alan Shapiro, starring Roy Scheider, Sparky Anderson, Ernie Harwell and Mary Wilson. I found it refreshing to be served by people who truly knew everything and who came across as glad i stopped in and only care about me getting the service beyond what i deserved. Fittingly, Ficks blast was the final hit of any kind at Tiger Stadium. On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at first base without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 106. [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. Innovative Field (Rochester Red Wings) upgrades June 9, 1946: Ted Williams hits 502-foot 'red seat' home run at Fenway Some managers felt a line should be drawn on the pole and that any ball hit above the line would be a home run. [63], Tiger Stadium saw exactly 11,111 Major League home runs. It was said the lights at the ballpark were so bright that it could light up a city of 10,000 people. (AP Photo) AP Before Mr. October was Mr. October, he was Mr. July. Stopped by Wed morning 7/6 and had the pleasure of dealing directly with Lynne. In the eighth inning of a game against the Rangers, Fielder turned on a Matt Whiteside offering, hitting it onto the roof of Tiger Stadium. Some call this the longest home run ever hit. 23, hit a 435-foot blast into the lower deck in right field to lead off the . In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered a new steel-and-concrete baseball park on . Through snow flurries and a first-pitch temperature of 32 degrees at Comerica Park, Cabrera stepped to the plate in the first inning and ripped an opposite field home run just inches over the yellow line in right field to give the Tigers a quick 2-0 lead on the Cleveland Indians (scroll for video below). A fire gutted the press box on the evening of February 1, 1977. [64][66], On July 24, 2001, the day Detroit celebrated its 300th birthday, a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League game between the Motor City Marauders and the Lake Erie Monarchs was played at Tiger Stadium. 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! Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. [69] Among performers at the nightclub-style event was Snoop Dogg. 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. He only fought once at Briggs Stadium, defeating Bob Pastor on September 20, 1939. Source: wikimedia.org. How many home runs did Harmon Killebrew have? Baseball commissioner Judge Landis ordered Medwick off the field for his own safety. (When the credits rolled at the end of the movie, it is duly listed that the role of Yankee Stadium was played by Tiger Stadium.). 2 others that hit the light towers. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). Cecil was on 49, and I veered my car onto the exit to downtown Detroit and snatched up a ticket. No one hit more homers in Tiger Stadium than Al Kaline, who belted 212 there, while hitting 187 on the road. & 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 . Makes me even more envious of the fans in Boston whose ownership had the wisdom to preserve their historic ballpark. Wow! In the Lions glory years of the 1950s, Detroit was considered one of the toughest venues in the league to play. (At age 89, Eldon Auker, a member of the 1934-35 AL champions, was the oldest returnee. These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. Green: Detroit Tigers' Norm Cash kept secret during during 1961 season Reggie Jackson hit a titanic homer off the light tower in the 1971 All-Star Game. Why a 1969 Frank Howard home run in Seattle still sticks with a To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Cecil Fielder was only Tiger to clear Tiger Stadiums left-field roof. Longest Home Runs Ever by Ballpark - Baseball Fever What do you get when you combine a block party and a baseball league? "I was fortunate," said Bonilla, who has hit only five home runs this season but has six in 12 career games at Tiger Stadium, where he . The Tigers will move to Comerica Park next year. 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. Ficks homer hit the roof in right and just missed going out of the stadium. [67][68], In February 2006, a tent on Tiger Stadium's field played host to Anheuser-Busch's Bud Bowl 2006. [48], On July 18, 1921, Babe Ruth hit what is believed to be the longest verified home run in Major League Baseball history. Text by Dave Wright Photos by John Moist. The unusual dimensions of the football field led to some odd happenings. Because owner Walter Briggs believed baseball should be played in the daytime, the Tigers were the last team in the American League to install lights, putting in the arcs in 1948. Kirk Gibson hits bomb over roof of Tiger Stadium [Video] Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. Development deal to include houses, preservation of field", "DETROIT NEXT STOP FOR REEVES' BASEBALL MOVIE", "Billy Crystal directing HBO docudrama on Maris and Mantle", "HBO revisits Mantle, Maris home-run race of '61", "Film shoots at Tiger Stadium ahead of demolition", "Briggs Stadium cartoon, undated | Digital Collection", "Eminem shoots 'Beautiful' video in Detroit", "Eminem's 'Beautiful' video tells Detroit's story too", "Hung: "Fat Off My Love or I'm the Allergen", "Mickey Coachrane Fired As Manager of Detroit Tigers", Aerial Views, Demolition of Tiger Stadium 2008 2009, A documentary on the battle to save Tiger Stadium, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tiger_Stadium_(Detroit)&oldid=1137426409, Artist Gene Mack, who drew a series of pictures of several figures and ballparks, mentioned a bone that, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 16:20. He grabbed his crotch and Sparky was not happy about it. 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. On September 28, 1964, the league scheduled Detroit to host Green Bay on a Monday night. Although it was the park where he was booed regularly, Tiger Stadium played a huge role in Maris career. Dismiss, Copyright 2022 Vintage Detroit Collection, Spinnaker Center, 44692 Helm St, Plymouth. Thanks, J.D. Many seats were replaced. They checked it over and off I went. These batters hit the most home runs at Tiger Stadium 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. Why Ill never sell my Mark Fidrych rookie card, Ken Holloway: Detroits other Yankee Killer, These batters hit the most home runs at Tiger Stadium, #TBT: Tigers power hitting catcher Mickey Tettleton. The only major changes during the latter decades were the closure of the "skybox" suites that perched on the front edge of the roof, and (in 1978) the replacement of the old dark green . 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? Longest home run ever: Farthest home run in MLB history, longest home I was at Tiger Stadium in May 1971 when Reggie Jackson hit the ball over the right field roof. PAL would build its new headquarters and related facilities on the western and northern edges of the site while preserving the historic playing field for youth sports, including high school and college baseball. Order Tracking 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. New Hagerstown Atlantic League ballpark Gibson hits one out of Tiger Stadium Watch on The Home Run Encyclopedia gives an account of one of Ruth's longest drives and one of the longest hit ever. With Trammell on first and Fielder in a 3 1 count and leaned over and told my sons, If I was Fielder in this situation, he should look for a fastball and swing for I-75. He did. Bosman, once Howard's roommate, mentioned one blast Howard clocked off Tommy John at RFK Stadium in 1966, then another off Mickey Lolich that sailed clear out of Tiger Stadium in 1968. [2], By the early 1990s, both the city and Tigers ownership wanted a new park, but many campaigned to save the old stadium. He installed an area in the lower deck (between first and third base) that had padded seats and added waitservice. 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. Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. Harmon Killebrew had 573 home runs over his career. A new ballpark for the Tigers was built in downtown Detroit, and the club moved to Comerica Park after the 1999 season. Norm Cash - Society for American Baseball Research [70], In 2006, the feature-length documentary Stranded at the Corner: The Battle to Save Historic Tiger Stadium was released. (For one season 1954 the Tigers shortened right field to 302 feet. [39][40] The football field ran mostly in the outfield from the right field line to left center field parallel with the third base line. And the fans got rewarded with unusual moments such as a 22-inning game decided by a player who hit the only home run of his career to decide the game. ORDER YOURS NOW! Among major league parks whose construction predated the advent of night games, only Wrigley Field went longer without lights (1988). I was a little concerned it would let look as good as I hoped, but when I put it on, I loved it. 2023 Ballparks My sons at 10 and 8 thought I was a genious. As part of the transfer, the city gave the place a major paint job, changing the interior from green to blue. 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. Awesome article Dan as usual! Left field was 345 feet away while right field was a monstrous 370 feet down the line. Proudly powered by WordPress | On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at first base without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6.