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. The first night game at the stadium was held on June 15, 1948. Thanks! In 1984, Kirk Gibson launched a home run into the upper deck in right field in the 8th inning of Game Five of the World Series, sealing the title for the Tigers. [14], In 2018, the Corner Ballpark opened at the site. 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. 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. It was the last hit and the last run in the stadium. The new owner gave the old ballpark one last shot, adding a plaza of souvenir and food stands in the old players parking lot. On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at first base without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6. [14], In 1895, Detroit Tigers owner George Vanderbeck had a new ballpark built at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. Reggie Jackson's All-Star Game homer off the Tiger Stadium roof is still jaw-dropping By Chris Landers July 12, 2017 There's no way to say for sure whether Reggie Jackson's homer at the 1971 All-Star Game is the longest in the history of the Midsummer Classic -- the game is over 80 years old, after all, and data is incomplete. There is one other football item worthy of note regarding Tiger Stadium. Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. One of those occurred on June 24, 1962. My sons were small and I was trying to teach them the strategy of the game (since I was also their coach). 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. Eric Chesterton [38], Tiger Stadium was home of the Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. [51][52], The stadium hosted the 1941, 1951 and 1971 MLB All-Star Games. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. Please let us know when you find out. Although the ballpark suffered little damage, the citys name was sullied. I was there. This would be hard to believe but I actually called the shot. The stadiums demolition was completed on September 21, 2009, though the stadiums actual playing field remains at the corner where the stadium stood. [78], In October 2007, an online auction of the stadium's memorabilia was held by Schneider Industries, which drew $192,729. Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. Navin bought up the rest of the city block of Michigan and Trumbull, stationed a flagpole inside the field of play, moved home plate in a different direction (so that the batter would not be looking into the sun) and opened for business on April 20, 1912, the same day Fenway Park in Boston debuted. I put the location into google maps off I went. Source: wikimedia.org. August Publications was formed in 2002 with the launch of Ballpark Digest. Bill Freehan deserves special mention in that he hit exactly 100 home runs at Tiger Stadium and also 100 on the road. The city of Detroit decide to move an entire street Cherry Street so the entire ball park could now be double decked. Tiger Stadium didnt go down easily. Shortly thereafter, the city of Detroit bought the park from the team for $1. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. But #50 was a rocket into the upper deck. 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). By the early 1990s the owner of the Tigers wanted a new luxurious ballpark for team. A short while later I left with a new cap and a custom Fidrych T-shirt. 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 . This is a true story and has been recorded in a magazine of tape measure home runs. Willie Horton hit a home run at Tiger Stadium when he was 16 years old during an all-city high school game. After the game, it was revealed Hughes had passed away from a heart attack. (At age 89, Eldon Auker, a member of the 1934-35 AL champions, was the oldest returnee. 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? Singles by Mullin, Jimmy Bloodworth, and pinch-hitter Anse Moore plated another run for the Tigers in the seventh. Some opposing players seemed to shine at Tiger Stadium. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadiums right field roof four times in his career. Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. He only fought once at Briggs Stadium, defeating Bob Pastor on September 20, 1939. The Red Sox, though, quickly struck again. 1. Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. The Tigers. The ballparks history actually dated back to 17 years before its generally accepted debut. 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. [62] In his career, Norm Cash hit four home runs over the Tiger Stadium roof in right field and is the all-time leader. In 1934, the Tigers won the AL pennant but lost the World Series to the Cardinals. norm cash home run out of tiger stadium. 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 Tigers moved to the newly constructed Comerica Park for their 2000 season, leaving Tiger Stadium unused. 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. Cecil Fielder clears left field roof at Tiger Stadium. When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to Jos 'Jordan' Lpez, By His name? I ended up buy a very nice winter Tiger jacket and as I tried it on and decided on it they noticed a very minor blemish on the back and quickly informed me I had a hard time even seeing it & probably would have never noticed it. On June 11, 1961, Cash became the first Detroit Tiger to hit a home run ball out of Tiger Stadium. None had occurred since 1955. [35][36][37] It originally had one before it was removed. To fit as many seats as possible in the expansion, the second deck was extended over the fence by 10 feet (3 m). [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. I was there in the left field upper deck when it was first hit we thought it was coming right to us, but it just kept going over the roof. On July 2, 1993, Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder hit a home run that has only just now come back to Earth. LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades [53][54][55] Ted Williams won the 1941 game with a walk-off three-run home run. *(previously Briggs Stadium & Navin Field), Most Homers hit by opposing players [7][2] Taking predecessor Bennett Park into account, Tiger Stadium was the oldest Major League Baseball site in use in 1999. 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. My guess is there is a more effective way for the Athletic Department to spend 20 million dollars (or 50 million..or whatever it would cost). The home run record was reset to 235 three years later, during the Tigers' final campaign at Tiger Stadium. Detroit hit 40 more home runs than the year before, helped in part by a 20-year old rookie who hit 27 himself and posted a .340 BA to win the AL batting crown. He was also adept at hitting the ball out down the left field line, a trait later adopted by Willie Horton and Lance Parrish. Not to be picky but Griffey didnt flip off Sparky. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. "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 . [2][20][21][22] Ground was broken for the new Comerica Park on October 29, 1997. The distance of the home run has been estimated at up to 575 feet (175m). 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. The 1990 season was Fielders first in Detroit after wearing a Toronto uniform for four seasons and then playing in Japan. The thing is I said " no big deal" yet they would let me leave with it they got another one from their very advanced warehouse. Monaghan had to get a helicopter to fly in pizzas to writers working inside the old ballpark while overzealous fans partied too hard directly outside Tiger Stadium. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! In his first professional season, 1975, he batted .324 with 10 home runs and 38 runs batted in for the Southern League's Montgomery Rebels. Among the dignitaries on hand that day: David Eisenhower (nephew of the president and the person for whom Camp David was named) and Dizzy Dean, who had been baseballs last 30-game winner. I remember he stepped out of the box several times because someone in the bleacher seats was shinning a mirror into his eyes.He made the Tigers fans pay for that ! Jim Thome. 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. Norm Cash led all left-handed batters with 212 home runs, most of them going into the right field sections. Navin Field got a lot of play in the newsreels that winter but it was not the sort of publicity one desires. [49], On May 2, 1939, ailing New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig voluntarily benched himself at Briggs Stadium, ending his streak of consecutive games at 2,130. 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. [95][96], During the last days in which part of Tiger Stadium was still standing, scenes for the film Kill the Irishman, which were used to depict Cleveland Stadium, were shot at the stadium. It was the kind of place that inspired the best in players. In the Lions glory years of the 1950s, Detroit was considered one of the toughest venues in the league to play. The city used the proceeds to defray the demolition costs. Paul was great to work with and offered to delay shipping when I told him I would be on vacation on the original delivery date. He frantically signaled to the sidelines to get help for Hughes. The movie was about the 1961 season when the Yankees Roger Maris broke Babe Ruths home run record. [86] There was at one time also a sign on the enclosing fence labeling the site "Ernie Harwell Park". I was at Tiger Stadium in May 1971 when Reggie Jackson hit the ball over the right 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!). Copyright 2023 August Publications. 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 . A new ballpark for the Tigers was built in downtown Detroit, and the club moved to Comerica Park after the 1999 season. Myshak Metro Ballpark (Edmonton Prospects) Coincidentally, Fielders counterpart at first base that day was Mark McGwire, who had hit his very first major league tater exactly four years earlier. Returns & Exchanges Navin Field opened on April 20, 1912, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. [48] The area was nicknamed "Cobb's Lake". Awesome article Dan as usual! Writers described fire and smoke behind the outfield walls as a game went on. He has four other children and four grandchildren. I ended up buy a very nice winter Tiger jacket and as I tried it on and decided on it they noticed a very minor blemish on the back and quickly informed me I had a hard time even seeing it & probably would have never noticed it. Reggie Jackson became a national figure due to a famous home run in an All-Star Game. [59][60] This was also the first game on MLB's schedule that season, giving Evans the record for the earliest home run to start a season in terms of at bats. Chain link and at one time, a barbed wire fence, separated the bleachers from the reserved sections and was the only section of seating not covered by at least part of the roof. The unusual dimensions of the football field led to some odd happenings. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of . Fittingly, they lost to Denver, 31-27. Two years earlier, he stunned the attendees at the MLB All-Star Game in Detroit's Tiger Stadium by hitting a home run more than 400 feet; the ball hit the base of the light tower at the park. I had Ernie on the radio listening to the game. Seven of the Tigers' eight runs came off home runs. The ballparks other famous boxing matches involved Jake LaMotta. 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. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. [14], The stadium was seen in the 1980 feature film Raging Bull where it was the site of two of Jake LaMotta's championship boxing matches. 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! Charlie Steiner with ESPN highlights of Oakland A's/Detroit Tigers. The bleachers had their own entrance, concession stands and restrooms. A year later, he returned to the stadium and retained his crown with a 15-round decision over Lauren Dauthuille. - Advertisement - Check it out. 10. Shipping Service 11,111 home runs A fire gutted the press box on the evening of February 1, 1977. Many fans were saddened when the last game was played at "The Corner". On June 11, 1961, Cash became the first Detroit Tiger to hit a home run ball out of Tiger Stadium. Tiger Stadium was sold to the city of Detroit on January 1, 1978 for $1.00 and leased back for 30 years. The right field overhang frustrated many outfielders who were camped under a routine flyball only to see it land in the first row upstairs. 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. No advertising or spamming is permitted. Center field was even farther 467 feet. A+! And on September 27, 1999, with flashbulbs popping, Robert Fick hit the final home run at The Corner, a grand slam in the last game at Tiger Stadium. Cecil Fielder hits homerun over Tiger stadium roof. Remembering the Red Wings gritty Martin Lapointe. [17], Over the years, expansion continued to accommodate more spectators. 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. I was a little concerned it would let look as good as I hoped, but when I put it on, I loved it. Comerica Park is NICE; Tiger Stadium was GREAT!!!! In 1977, a fire wiped out the press box. [4] A week into demolition, it was announced that the field, foul poles, and flagpole would be preserved. New Hagerstown Atlantic League ballpark It bounced twice before plopping over the edge and onto the street. It is the home stadium of the LSU Tigers football team . (Nobody ever knew for sure just close of a target that upper deck really was. [70], In 2006, the feature-length documentary Stranded at the Corner: The Battle to Save Historic Tiger Stadium was released. Theme: Envo Blog. [98], Tiger Stadium showing signs of neglect in 2006, Tiger Stadium with facade lettering removed in November 2007, The visitors' bullpen and right field from lower deck in November 2007, Tiger Stadium with seats removed in November 2007, Abandoned in April 2008; Tigers now play in Comerica Park, Demonstration against a School Amendment at Navin Field in 1920, This article is about the Detroit Tigers' former stadium. Berry lay injured while Horton, who was hardly fleet afoot, circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Detroit responded quickly, trailing 7-6 after just three innings. I,my son and two friends were sitting on the first base side in the upper deck when he hit that one, it went up so high I thought it wasnt coming down until it disappeared over the edge of the roof, Jose Cansenco hit on into center field at the flag pole that game too. The green box was considered a home-run haven. Cabrera Cecil Fielder was only Tiger to clear Tiger Stadiums left-field roof. At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball. By the time television and football began its long, happy marriage, Detroit was well established as the home field for the annual Thanksgiving Day game. 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! The Fighting Irish won, 406. Dismiss, Copyright 2022 Vintage Detroit Collection, Spinnaker Center, 44692 Helm St, Plymouth. And so it went. [74][75] By 2006, however, demolition appeared inevitable when then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick announced the stadium would be razed. The company pioneered in the use of reinforced concrete and built municipal and industrial facilities throughout the country. Quick shipping as well. If you have been the the field since they tore down the stadium just stand at home plate and imagine hitting it over the 90 foot high roof to where brooks lumber still stands. As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. 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. Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins. Customer Service In September 1990, I was making the trip from Traverse City down to Toledo, Ohio, to visit my grandmother. In the first game Cash hit the shot over the roof and another home run off McClain. Tiger Stadium was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. On September 10, 1960, Mickey Mantle hit a home run over the right-field roof at Tiger Stadium. They stayed at the ballpark until 1974 when they left to play in the 76,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome. [26][27], When the stadium closed, it was tied with Fenway Park as the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball, the two parks having opened on the same date in 1912. I was a little concerned it would let look as good as I hoped, but when I put it on, I loved it. Teams had to stand on the same sideline in right field. [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. , Where to live in New York if you've just come into $324 million. 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. Matt Monagan One of them came n Thanksgiving Day in 1962 when they sacked Green Bays Bart Starr 10 times en route to a 26-14 win the lone Packer loss of the season. Bud Metheny Ballpark renovations (Old Dominion University) Fielder didnt hit his 50th that night, but it remains one of my more memorable spontaneous moments. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. [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. On November 28, 1974, the Lions played their last game at Tiger Stadium. On September 27, 1999, the final Tigers game was held at Tiger Stadium; an 82 victory over the Kansas City Royals, capped by a late grand slam by Robert Fick, which hit the right field roof. [77] In July 2007, Detroit City Council voted 54 in approval of the demolition. [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. The HBO movie 61* was filmed there. [18] In 1977, the Tigers sold the stadium to the city of Detroit, which then leased it back to the Tigers. [45], Northern Irish professional soccer club Glentoran F.C. 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. Winning pitcher Jim Bouton tossed seven scoreless innings for the victory. As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. [87], On December 16, 2014, a $33million project by Larson Realty Group to redevelop the old Tiger Stadium site was approved by Detroit's Economic Development Corporation. But Jackson, trying hard to make fans . PNC Park upgrades 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. Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. On August 25, 1986, McGwire had lined a Walt Terrell pitch into the centerfield bleachers at Tiger Stadium, the first of 583 round-trippers the controversial slugger would wind up hitting in his career. Since Detroit was driving for a score late in the game, some assumed Hughes was simply trying to stop the clock. Posted on 10/1/19 at 7:27 am to chimesstreet. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. (For one season 1954 the Tigers shortened right field to 302 feet. I bet that was a great experience, seeing Killebrews home run. Text by Dave Wright Photos by John Moist. Ted Williams said Briggs Stadium had the best sight lines of any ballpark, and that was back when the interior was painted green. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. Reggie Jackson wasn't supposed to play in the 1971 Major League . It was Hunters first major league home run, and it was a doozy a deep fly to right center field that landed in the lower deck. There's no way to say for sure whether Reggie Jackson's homer at the 1971 All-Star Game is the longest in the history of the Midsummer Classic -- the game is over 80 years old, after all, and data is incomplete.Here's what we do know, though: 46 years to the day after Jackson's blast, it remains the only baseball in All-Star Game history to nearly turn out the lights. New Marshall University ballpark Tiger Stadium was sold to the city of Detroit on January 1, 1978 for $1.00 and leased back for 30 years. called the stadium home in the late 1960s. Ficks homer hit the roof in right and just missed going out of the stadium. Target Field renovations, 2024 Ballparks [67][68], In February 2006, a tent on Tiger Stadium's field played host to Anheuser-Busch's Bud Bowl 2006. She is very accommodating and made me feel at home, especially since I was unaware they don't operate a standard retail shop. [7][15][16], In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered a new steel-and-concrete baseball park to be built on the same site that would seat 23,000 to accommodate the growing numbers of fans. The Lions abandoned it for the Pontiac Silverdome. As we stood at the vendor the entire stadium erupted. The Tigers will move to Comerica Park next year. The Lions last title came in 1957. Reggie Jackson's 1971 All-Star Game shot at Tiger Stadium would have travelled more than 600. But Chicago linebacker Dick Butkus, one of the toughest players to ever play the game, knew better. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. [69] Among performers at the nightclub-style event was Snoop Dogg. 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.. The third deck in right field would be 75 feet high and 375 feet from home plate. I placed an order and received a follow up call within 24 hrs due to item was not available. Fielder, 56, lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Diana, and their son, Maksim. 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. The latter once flipped off Sparky Anderson after hitting a home run into the right field upper deck in 1993. ", "Home run facts from The Corner in Detroit", "September 27, 1999: Tears and cheers: Tiger Stadium hosts final game", "Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Box Score, September 27, 1999", "Closing ceremony brought a lineup of stars back to Tiger Stadium", "The Unknown Kid Who Hit the Real Last Home Run at Tiger Stadium", "Tiger Stadium rises from the ashes for Bud Bowl 2006", "A six-pack to go at Tiger Stadium's hallowed ground", "Detroit Should Sell Tiger Stadium As Is Summer of Privatization", "The Navin Field Grounds Crew: Detroit Diehards Stand on Sacred Grounds", "Detroit EDC OKs plan to tear down Tiger Stadium", "Council OKs Detroit ballpark's demolition", "NEW!