The hit itself was a gunshot, echoing back from center. As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. ORDER YOURS NOW! Minute Maid Park upgrades They stayed at the ballpark until 1974 when they left to play in the 76,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome. Ernie Harwell and Al Kaline both dubbed it the hardest-hit ball they'd ever seen, and even Jackson himself agreed: "I think this would have to be the longest one I've ever hit," he said afterward. The 1990 season was Fielders first in Detroit after wearing a Toronto uniform for four seasons and then playing in Japan. 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. It is the only on-field death in the history of the league. [49][50] On July 13, 1934 at the stadium, Ruth hit his 700th career home run off Tigers' pitcher Tommy Bridges. [73], There were many proposals to redevelop the site. In 1964, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had an idea he wanted to try. He grabbed his crotch and Sparky was not happy about it. Detroit OF Rocky Colavito tied a major-league record when he went 7-for-10 in the game. 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. 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. Target Field renovations, 2024 Ballparks Hinchliffe Stadium renovations Negative racial/anti-Semitic, or religious stereotypes are prohibited. 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. Fetzer sold the team to a pizza magnate, Tom Monaghan. 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! In 2018, the site was redeveloped for youth sports. Tiger Stadium (Louisiana) - Wikipedia These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. I saw Cecil hit #50 at Yankee Stadium unfortunately, I misssed seeing #51 because my date was not so much of a baseball fan, early October games get cold, etc. My sons still talk about it. Lynn worked with me to swap out to something similar excellent customer service. In 1955, right field returned to its 325-foot status. On June 28, 1990, the ballpark hosted another unusual event. 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. None had occurred since 1955. Saturday, again on a national television hookup, Jackson cleared the roof with his 485th career homer to help the California Angels top the Tigers, 4-2. But Chicago linebacker Dick Butkus, one of the toughest players to ever play the game, knew better. Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. He responded by going four-for-five in his third game as a major leaguer. The city received a $5 million federal grant and issued $8.5 million in bonds to pay for renovations, including replacement of the old green wooden seats with blue plastic seats. Cecil Fielder hits homerun over Tiger Stadium roof - YouTube [31][32][33], Tiger Stadium featured an upper and lower deck bleacher section that was separated from the rest of the stadium. Location: Heritage Park. Since Detroit was driving for a score late in the game, some assumed Hughes was simply trying to stop the clock. 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. [62], 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. 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 . 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. 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!). Lynne asked what I was interested in and presented me with a great selection of Tigers caps and T-shirts. Longest Home Runs Ever by Ballpark - Baseball Fever For the second time in five days, Detroit's Mickey Tettleton hit a home run out of Tiger Stadium. [62][64][65] Following the game, an emotional ceremony with past and present Tigers greats was held to mark the occasion. 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. Tiger Stadium Historic Detroit Today's Posts; Member List; Calendar; Forum; American League; Chicago White Sox; If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. I had a chance to see a few games at Fenway, and while it is great, Tiger Stadium was more historic. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! Due to the progression of the disease named after him, it was the final game of 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. 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. Detroit Tigers - Stadium 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. Although it was the park where he was booed regularly, Tiger Stadium played a huge role in Maris career. He installed an area in the lower deck (between first and third base) that had padded seats and added waitservice. [4] A week into demolition, it was announced that the field, foul poles, and flagpole would be preserved. In 1923, Navin increased capacity to 30,000. On September 28, 1964, the league scheduled Detroit to host Green Bay on a Monday night. By the 1970s, the ballpark was beginning to show its age. About Us Fittingly, Ficks blast was the final hit of any kind at Tiger Stadium. I will never forget this day. Many legends hit homers at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, from Ty Cobb to The Babe to Joe DiMaggio to Hank Aaron to Ken Griffey Jr. [45], Northern Irish professional soccer club Glentoran F.C. By the time Detroit's 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. Gibson hits one out of Tiger Stadium Watch on (AP Photo) AP Before Mr. October was Mr. October, he was Mr. July. 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. . It would be 16 innings before either team scored again. How many home runs hit out of Tiger Stadium? - idswater.com There were strange home runs: one hit on a line drive that stuck under the wall and allowed Dixie Walker to circle the bases in 1939; a homer that rattled around the flag pole in deep center field while Lou Gehrig ran around the bases in 1933; and the inside-the-park homer that Kirk Gibson hit in which he was a stride behind teammate Lou Whitaker who slid safely in front of him scoring from first base. 2023 Ballparks Joe Louis moved to Detroit as a youngster. [28][29] The Texas Rangers claimed that the design of the right field section was copied and used in the construction of what is now Choctaw Stadium, but in fact the upper deck did not actually extend over the right field fence, but was set back by several feet. On July 9, 1965, Stormin' Norman hit an inside-the-park home run against the A's at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. The first home run in the history of the All-Star Game was hit by none other than Babe Ruth. Al Kaline takes aim at the seats in Tiger Stadium in the late 1950s. In its early years, Navin Field was a pitchers paradise. 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. [2] In 1961, new owner John Fetzer took control of the stadium and gave it its final and longest-lasting name: Tiger Stadium. Fick, a catcher and designated hitter, entered the game batting .200 with two home runs in 30 . 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 . The right field overhang frustrated many outfielders who were camped under a routine flyball only to see it land in the first row upstairs. , Competition, joy and a little pain: Beep Baseball is a world of freedom for blind athletes, By Date: 1999. Junior was upset that Sparky had intentionally walked him so often. On July 19, 1968, the Tigers trailed Baltimore 4-3 with one runner on and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning when Matchick, a .226 hitter, lofted a fly ball to right. Hence, for many years, everybody but the citizens of Detroit watched the annual Thanksgiving Day game.) . Have Your Own Jersey? 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. 1965 2017: History of Inception and Planning", "The Detroit Lions' Last Game at Tiger Stadium", "Louis Proved to Be Clever Ring Master in Victory over Bob Pastor", "Remembering when the Titans played Notre Dame at Briggs Stadium", "DCFC-Glentoran match marks 50th anniversary of Detroit Cougars", "DCFC to host MSU at old Tiger Stadium site", "Babe Ruth birthday: He owned the Detroit Tigers", "July 18, 1921: Babe Ruth's 560-foot blast against Tigers sets career home run record", "This Day in Baseball: Lou Gehrig's historic run ended in Detroit", "Reggie Jackson's All-Star Game homer off the Tiger Stadium roof is still jaw-dropping", "Detroit Lions Player Dies After Collapsing on Field", "Football Thursday: Legacy of Chuck Hughes goes deeper than being only NFL player to die on field during a game", "Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers Box Score, April 7, 1986", "Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox Opening Day: Remember What Happened in 1986? 2 others that hit the light towers. [63], Tiger Stadium saw exactly 11,111 Major League home runs. The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. 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.. 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. Whitaker hit 146 homers at the old ballpark, most of them after he matured into a better power hitter in his late 20s. 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. Trammell hit 97 homers at Tiger Stadium, good for 11th all-time. [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. Several years later, the country watched another memorable Thanksgiving Day game played in a blizzard that covered the field by halftime. Like other home runs mentioned on this list, Thome's blast bounced through the streets after leaving the stadium by flying over the center field fence. The day Reggie Jackson hit a home run off Tiger Stadium's light tower [97], The pilot of the HBO series Hung featured the stadium's demolition in its opening scene. There is one other football item worthy of note regarding Tiger Stadium. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. 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. A+! In 1949, he defeated Marcel Cerdan, winning on a knockout in the tenth round to win the World Middleweight crown. [76] In June 2007, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation approved a plan to demolish the stadium, which needed approval from Detroit City Council. By: WBRZ Sports. called the stadium home in the late 1960s. By Rhiannon Walker @InstantRHIplay. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Jackson crushed an outside fastball that eventually rang off of a transformer at the top of the stadium. 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. The game was televised only to Green Bay. Robinson flung his glove into the stands in disgust. As you'll notice, Aaron Judge hit four 500-foot blasts. Have we seen the last fastball from Zumaya as a Tiger? He has four other children and four grandchildren. It was the last hit and the last run in the stadium. Here are the longest home runs in the Home Run Derby, during the StatCast era, away from Coors Field. 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. That stadium was called Bennett Park and featured a wooden grandstand with a wooden peaked roof in the outfield. 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. [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. Cecil Fielder clears left field roof at Tiger Stadium. - YouTube 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. He never played another game. Harmon Killebrew - Baseball-Reference.com As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. the Nearest to me was Vintage. In 80-degree weather on Aug. 25, 1990, Tiger Stadium hosted 45,474 fans eager to watch the Oakland Athletics' "Bash Brothers," Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, face off against the Tigers'. Observers Recall Longest Homers - UPI Archives It was my 1st game and we sat in the upper deck in left field. In 1935, following Navin's death, new owner Walter Briggs oversaw the expansion of Navin Field to a capacity of 36,000 by extending the upper deck to the foul poles and across right field. The most notable one easily was a KISS concert held on June 28, 1996. Customer Service Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on the campus of Louisiana State University. Through 1990, only two players had cleared the roof in left. [25] A new flagpole in the spirit of Tiger Stadium's pole was positioned in fair play at Comerica Park until the left field fence was moved in closer prior to the 2003 season. Tiger Stadium - Detroit | RetroSeasons.com 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. In the 1971 All-Star Game, Reggie Jackson hit a ball off a transformer in deep right-center field that left the bat so fast that all TV could catch was its return trip to earth. On June 27, 1963, he played an entire game at first base without a chance, as the Minnesota Twins won 10-6. Team owner George Vanderbeck constructed a 5,000-seat wooden facility, called Bennett Park, on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. Tiger Stadium didnt go down easily. New Tennessee Smokies ballpark. He was also adept at hitting the ball out down the left field line, a trait later adopted by Willie Horton and Lance Parrish. 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. The Amercan League won the game 6-4, with two run homers by Jackson, Frank Robinson, and Harmon Killebrew. Awesome article Dan as usual! A record that cant be broken, You are correct he hit 4 out of the Stadium. In 1973, ground was broken for a stadium to exclusively house the Lions. In left field, outfielders were known to jump up on the auxiliary scoreboard, grab the screen and reach several feet over the fence. (Oddly. Reggie Jackson's All-Star Game homer off the Tiger Stadium roof is The city received a $5 million federal grant and issued $8.5 million in bonds to pay for renovations, including replacement of the old green wooden seats with blue plastic seats. 50 years ago today, Harmon Killebrew hit his longest home run Six years later, Cecil Fielder hit a moonshot over the left field roof on his way to 51 homers that season. Charlie Steiner with ESPN highlights of Oakland A's/Detroit Tigers. Ironically, the visitors that day were the Minnesota Vikings, who rolled to an easy victory. Partially because of that incident, a pad was put in place on the flagpole. Good article. Lou Gehrig said goodbye there. Tettleton Hits Another Homer Out of Stadium; Tigers Win, 8-7 In Game 6, a controversial play occurred when St. Louis Joe Medwick slid hard into third base and ended up in a fight with Detroit third baseman Marv Owen. Harmon Killebrew had 573 home runs over his career. [51][52], The stadium hosted the 1941, 1951 and 1971 MLB All-Star Games. Be respectful even if you disagree. The Tigers. The latter once flipped off Sparky Anderson after hitting a home run into the right field upper deck in 1993. The home run went to straightaway center field, clearing the stadium and landing into the street. Shipping Service It seemed like Rusty Staub hit more than his fair share of those, and Dave Bergman too. I was there for Gibsons shot over the roof onto brooks lumber. Buckeye Video 632 subscribers 5.2K 1M views 7 years ago Oakland A's vs. Detroit Tigers 8/25/90. [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. 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. My whole family was there. The Tigers moved to the newly constructed Comerica Park for their 2000 season, leaving Tiger Stadium unused. Or the blast off Gibson's bat that landed on the roof of the lumber yard across Trumbull Avenue. Discussion of suicide or self-harm is not tolerated and will result in an immediate ban. Bill Freehan deserves special mention in that he hit exactly 100 home runs at Tiger Stadium and also 100 on the road. 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. 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 . Football at Tiger Stadium was an adventure. No one hit more homers in Tiger Stadium than Al Kaline, who belted 212 there, while hitting 187 on the road. (Nobody ever knew for sure just close of a target that upper deck really was. 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. Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. Our motto is simple: We enjoy doing cool things and are overjoyed we can make a living doing so. I had Ernie on the radio listening to the game. 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. 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. Some of Gibson's home runs were pretty darn big (including a couple in the World Series) but one of Gibson's most memorable home runs came in June of 1983 when he hit a moon shot that cleared the roof of 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. Quick shipping as well. The last Tigers game at the stadium was held on September 27, 1999. When did the Detroit Tigers Stadium get demolished? The benches for both the Lions and their opponents were on the outfield side of the field. Took everyones breath away. The green box was considered a home-run haven. Al Kaline used to scale the fences in right field to take away home runs, and he played that area so well that it became known as Kalines Corner.. Non-Baseball Events Held at Tiger Stadium The year 1938 was significant in the ballparks history. 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? [14], In 2018, the Corner Ballpark opened at the site. On June 11, 1961, Cash became the first Detroit Tiger to hit a home run ball out of Tiger 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. 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. I was in the stands the day that Mr. McGwire hit his shot over the roof in left. Why a 1969 Frank Howard home run in Seattle still sticks with a What a game. Have Your Own Jersey? The Red Sox, though, quickly struck again. ", "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! It bounced twice before plopping over the edge and onto the street. Its first day was overshadowed by the news the Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. Some managers felt a line should be drawn on the pole and that any ball hit above the line would be a home run. 59,203 fans attended the game, the largest crowd ever to see a football game at the Corner. One of his home runs in Yankee Stadium landed a dozen rows of seats from the scoreboard in right center field. 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. How many home runs did Harmon Killebrew have? The seven-hour game is the second longest game in American League history. Jason Thompson (first baseman, born 1954) - Wikipedia Plainsman Park (Auburn) upgrades Tiger Stadium was sold to the city of Detroit on January 1, 1978 for $1.00 and leased back for 30 years. [7] The stadium hosted two NFL Championship Games in 1953 and 1957. Proudly powered by WordPress | 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. It hosted the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1912 to 1999, as well as the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1938 to 1974. Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) updates 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. Before Reggie Jackson. Tiger Stadium (Detroit) | American Football Database | Fandom I will never forget it. Stopped by Wed morning 7/6 and had the pleasure of dealing directly with Lynne. Thanks, J.D. To make the park appear like Yankee Stadium, the parks seats were painted green and a skyline of the Bronx was added. Fielder didnt hit his 50th that night, but it remains one of my more memorable spontaneous moments. The crazy thing is we missed the home run for a hot pretzel. In the first game Cash hit the shot over the roof and another home run off McClain. "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 . 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. [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. It just shows that, when you buy a ticket to a game, you just might witness a bit of history. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. Although other teams joined the rotation (Dallas came first and a third TV game was added in 2006), the Lions still host a Thanksgiving Day game every season. My sons were small and I was trying to teach them the strategy of the game (since I was also their coach). In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered a new steel-and-concrete baseball park on . Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins. Norm Cash - Society for American Baseball Research Enter your email address to subscribe to Ballpark Digest and receive notifications of new posts by email immediately when a new story is posted. As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. 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. Singles by Mullin, Jimmy Bloodworth, and pinch-hitter Anse Moore plated another run for the Tigers in the seventh. It was an effort by a local sports management company to bring a Frontier League franchise to Detroit. (In those days, home games were blacked out 75 miles from the site of competition. [53] The ball was also carrying well in the 1951 and 1971 games.