These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. On July 9, 1965, Stormin' Norman hit an inside-the-park home run against the A's at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. [18] In 1977, the Tigers sold the stadium to the city of Detroit, which then leased it back to the Tigers. Although the ballpark suffered little damage, the citys name was sullied. 23, hit a 435-foot blast into the lower deck in right field to lead off the . [46][47], When Ty Cobb played at Navin Field, the area of dirt in front of home plate was kept wet by the groundstaff to slow down Cobb's bunts and cause opposing infielders to slip as they fielded them. When did the Detroit Tigers Stadium get demolished? He makes numerous personal appearances as an ambassador for the Yankees. 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. 11,111 home runs [62][64][65] Following the game, an emotional ceremony with past and present Tigers greats was held to mark the occasion. As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. [54][55] Of the many home runs in those games, the most often replayed is Reggie Jackson's drive to right field that hit so high up in the light tower that the TV camera lost sight of it, until it dropped to the field below. 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. Center field was even farther 467 feet. Hank Greenberg and Willie Horton might also qualify as long time Tigers. [42], The Lions played their final game at Tiger Stadium on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1974 against the Denver Broncos. From the day it opened in 1912, until the final game in September of 1999, Tiger Stadium was witness to more home runs than any other ballpark in baseball. Harmon Killebrew hit a home run that ricocheted off the left field roof and sounded like a gun blast off his bat. [31][32][33], Tiger Stadium featured an upper and lower deck bleacher section that was separated from the rest of the stadium. [7] The stadium hosted two NFL Championship Games in 1953 and 1957. The ballpark was also the scene of one of the darkest days in NFL history. Detroit responded quickly, trailing 7-6 after just three innings. Harmon Killebrew had 573 home runs over his career. A year later, Tiger Stadium was in the national spotlight when Denny McLain became the first pitcher in 31 years to win 30 games. [53] The ball was also carrying well in the 1951 and 1971 games. 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. 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. It was the final Major League hit, home run, and RBI in Tiger Stadium's history. [4] A week into demolition, it was announced that the field, foul poles, and flagpole would be preserved. Tiger Stadium didnt go down easily. I know Alan Trammell hit a lot of homeruns on the road while playing for Detroit, and as a total for his career, he hit 185 HRs total both on the road and at home. All in all, however, the ballpark had a helluva good run. 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! Here are the longest home runs in the Home Run Derby, during the StatCast era, away from Coors Field. According to former Tiger Stadium groundskeeper Frank Feneckit, it took almost a howitzer to send a ball over the left-field grandstand at The Corner. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadium's right field roof four times in his career. [71][72] It was also shown at the inaugural National Baseball Hall of Fame Film Festival in November 2006. FAQ. As I mentioned above, a list that includes significant home runs at Tiger Stadium has to include Charlie Maxwell hitting 4 HRS in 4 consecutive at bats on May 3, 1959 in a double header against the Yankees. 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. Everyone has their own opinion. 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. Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the campus of Louisiana State University. Mickey Mantle, 1960, 643 Feet. He hit some long HRs at Tiger Stadium. About Us Cecil was on 49, and I veered my car onto the exit to downtown Detroit and snatched up a ticket. Back to top. By: WBRZ Sports. Copyright 2023 August Publications. New St. Croix River Hounds ballpark, 2025 Ballparks 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. He never played another game. Three who did were Roberto Clemente in the 71 All-Star Game, Larry Herndon in 1983, and Mark McGwire in 1987. highlights - the Tigers 1984 miracle season, and the stadium's most famous home run: a mammoth home run by Reggie Jackson off a light tower atop the right-field roof during the 1971 All-Star Game - and lowlights, such as October 9, 1934, when in the sixth inning of Game Seven of the World Please seek professional guidance. Negative racial/anti-Semitic, or religious stereotypes are prohibited. [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). In the first game Cash hit the shot over the roof and another home run off McClain. With the OPEN sign light I though well came all this way just aswell give it a try and am I glad I did. Yankee Stadium is listed in the credits at the end of the film as being played by Tiger Stadium. Non-Baseball Events Held at Tiger Stadium The year 1938 was significant in the ballparks history. The Tigers scratched out a run in the sixth to tie the game at 7. 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. The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. Although that game was never televised, Tiger Stadium remained a part of the opening for the series for many years long after the Lions had moved to the Pontiac Silverdome. The Red Sox, though, quickly struck again. [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. 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. [17], Over the years, expansion continued to accommodate more spectators. 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. He was also adept at hitting the ball out down the left field line, a trait later adopted by Willie Horton and Lance Parrish. Norm Cash hit the most Homeruns over the Stadium. [34], In 1999, its final season, only this ballpark and Bank One Ballpark had a dirt path that ran from the pitcher's mound to home plate. In 1895, Detroit Tigers owner George Vanderbeck had a new ballpark built at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. 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. It is the only on-field death in the history of the league. I will never forget this day. Hinchliffe Stadium renovations I was there the day Fielder hit the over-the-roof shot. 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. Bill Freehan deserves special mention in that he hit exactly 100 home runs at Tiger Stadium and also 100 on the road. , The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world
thanks to one man, By This pole was in play. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! Order Tracking (Cerdan claimed he dislocated his shoulder in the first round.) PNC Park upgrades At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball. 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. In 1949, he defeated Marcel Cerdan, winning on a knockout in the tenth round to win the World Middleweight crown. Fielder, 56, lives in Tampa, Florida, with his wife, Diana, and their son, Maksim. To make the park appear like Yankee Stadium, the parks seats were painted green and a skyline of the Bronx was added. Not to be picky but Griffey didnt flip off Sparky. (The Cubs claimed their last World Series title there in 1908.) Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! Privacy Policy 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. [62] In his career, Norm Cash hit four home runs over the Tiger Stadium roof in right field and is the all-time leader. 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. (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) 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 . Tettleton, who cleared the stadium roof Friday night against the Angels, did it again in the . 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. In 2018, the site was redeveloped for youth sports. As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. It was my 1st game and we sat in the upper deck in left field. "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 team played as the Detroit Cougars in the United Soccer Association. 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. *(previously Briggs Stadium & Navin Field), Most Homers hit by opposing players Dont forget about Frank Howard. The city used the proceeds to defray the demolition costs. From the original Briggs/Tiger Stadium configuration from 1938 until the park closed in 1999, 36 home runs were hit over the roof of the ballpark. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadiums right field roof four times in his career. [7][2], When the park was expanded in 1936, a second deck was added over the right field pavilion and bleachers. Jackson dropped his bat and watched it sail, seemingly astonished of his own power. There is no roof to extend. . 5 Reasons to Update Your Business Operations, Get the Best Sleep Ever in 5 Simple Steps, How to Pack for Your Next Trip Somewhere Cold, Manage Your Money More Efficiently in 5 Steps, Ranking the 5 Most Spectacular NFL Stadiums in 2023. Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA) Detroit reliever Terry Fox threw eight scoreless innings of relief. Myshak Metro Ballpark (Edmonton Prospects) 8/25/90: Cecil Fielder's home run bounces over the roof in left field at Tiger StadiumCheck out http://MLB.com/video for more!About MLB.com: About MLB.com: B. AboutPressCopyrightContact. Cabrera 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. 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. There had been occasional Monday night games played in the league over the years. [56], Toward the end of the Lions' game against the Chicago Bears at the stadium on October 24, 1971, Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed and later died of a heart attack, making Hughes the only NFL player to date who died during a game. [2][19] Plans to modify and maintain Tiger Stadium as the home of the Tigers, known as the Cochrane Plan, were supported by many in the community, but were never seriously considered by the city or the Tigers. A fire gutted the press box on the evening of February 1, 1977. I had Ernie on the radio listening to the game. Singles by Mullin, Jimmy Bloodworth, and pinch-hitter Anse Moore plated another run for the Tigers in the seventh. But Chicago linebacker Dick Butkus, one of the toughest players to ever play the game, knew better. [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. I will never forget it. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 59,203 fans attended the game, the largest crowd ever to see a football game at the Corner. BATON ROUGE, La. Briggs Stadium was the scene of another famous event, which was actually something that did not occur. The seven-hour game is the second longest game in American League history. Through 1990, only two players had cleared the roof in left. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. When was the last Tigers game at Tiger Stadium? [67][68], In February 2006, a tent on Tiger Stadium's field played host to Anheuser-Busch's Bud Bowl 2006. 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. 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. Fielder didnt hit his 50th that night, but it remains one of my more memorable spontaneous moments. Along the way it served as scenes for movies as well as a plethora of public events ranging from a KISS concert to a speech by Nelson Mandela. 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. As the team improved, so did the capacity of the ballpark, capping out at 14,000. Plainsman Park (Auburn) upgrades I had a chance to see a few games at Fenway, and while it is great, Tiger Stadium was more historic. Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! What do you get when you combine a block party and a baseball league? In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered a new steel-and-concrete baseball park on . Tiger Stadium was designed by the father and son team of Frank C. Osborn and Kenneth H. Osborn. 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. Thanks for reading. 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. This did not include wildcat seats that were built on the rooftops on houses located behind the left-field fence. Once or twice a year, an outfielder would have to go behind the pole to chase an errant hit. [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. Jim Thome has to be in there for homeruns to it seemed like every time I was at a game he hit one to right field. [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. In the early 1970s, disgusted Detroit fans began to throw snowballs at the team bench from the upper-deck seats in right field. The company pioneered in the use of reinforced concrete and built municipal and industrial facilities throughout the country. 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 ! Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. Some opposing players seemed to shine at Tiger Stadium. Detroit was one of the first powers in the new league, advancing to the World Series three years in a row from 1907-09. This was their first stop and they sold out the place in record time. (In those days, home games were blacked out 75 miles from the site of competition. 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. But there was nothing anybody could do. 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. Future Legends Sports Complex (Northern Colorado Owlz) Thanks, J.D. Or the blast off Gibson's bat that landed on the roof of the lumber yard across Trumbull Avenue. The group reunited for their Alive/Worldwide tour. Tiger Stadium saw exactly 11,111 home runs, the last a right field, rooftop grand slam by Detroits Robert Fick as the last hit in the last game played there. A doctor who was sitting in the stands tore from his seat, broke past an official and ran to help Hughes. Bud Metheny Ballpark renovations (Old Dominion University) A few players, very few, hit home runs into the bleachers in straightaway center field, an incredible 440 feet away. Nomar Mazara (505 Feet) Shipping Service For the film, computer-generated visual effects were used to make Tiger Stadium resemble Yankee Stadium in 1961. It was the last hit and the last run in the stadium. Doak Field at Dail Park upgrades (NC Wolfpack) Fifty years ago Tuesday, July 13, 1971, a sellout crowd of 53,559 watched from Tiger Stadium's then-green seats and another 60-million plus watched and listened from around the world as. Hence, for many years, everybody but the citizens of Detroit watched the annual Thanksgiving Day game.) One of those occurred on June 24, 1962. I placed an order and received a follow up call within 24 hrs due to item was not available. He only fought once at Briggs Stadium, defeating Bob Pastor on September 20, 1939. 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. LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades /news/1567868500869-kirk-gibson-hits-home-run-clear-over-tiger-stadium-roof-video In 1968, his last at-bat came there when he struck out in Game 5 of the World Series. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Frank Robinson appeared poised to make the catch only to see the ball drop in the first row of the overhang for a game winning home run, one of just four Matchick hit in six big league seasons. FAQ. Detroit OF Rocky Colavito tied a major-league record when he went 7-for-10 in the game. This is not a replacement for the newsletter, but rather a real-time notification system! A record that cant be broken, You are correct he hit 4 out of the Stadium. In the 1970s, Ken Berry, an excellent flychaser, forgot about this one day and ran flush into the pole while chasing a shot by Detroit OF Willie Horton. In fact, the Indians erected a 12-foot bronze statue in his honor in . How many home runs did Harmon Killebrew have? Reggie Jackson hit a titanic homer off the light tower in the 1971 All-Star Game. [7][2] Cleveland Naps player "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, later banned from baseball for life following the Black Sox Scandal, scored the first run at Navin Field. [70] Anheuser-Busch promoted the event as Tiger Stadium's Last Call. 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. When Medwick took his position in left field in the bottom of the inning, the Tiger fans pelted him with fruits, vegetables and just about anything else they could get their hands on. 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! Cecil Fielder hits homerun over Tiger stadium roof.. 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. It was the type of park that inspired such feats. Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. Left Field and Right Field hitting averages: Data displaying the left and right field averages for each statistic, with 1.00 being the average.