Dan: Great column. 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. On Rader's home run, the only other Mariner who remembers is Vada Pinson, who is a first-base coach for Seattle. After the game, it was revealed Hughes had passed away from a heart attack. Sure, Tiger Stadium was a famously hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for lefties. 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. Lynn worked with me to swap out to something similar excellent customer service. 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. 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. His name? A doctor who was sitting in the stands tore from his seat, broke past an official and ran to help Hughes. 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. 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. Over the years, the distances gradually shortened down the lines. Take your pick, his three-home run outburst against Catfish Hunter in the 1978 Championship Series, the 1983 Pine Tar home run, or the 1980 upper deck jack off arch-nemesis Goose Gossage that all . [76] In June 2007, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation approved a plan to demolish the stadium, which needed approval from Detroit City Council. Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. 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. Have we seen the last fastball from Zumaya as a Tiger? The ballpark was also the scene of one of the darkest days in NFL history. By: WBRZ Sports. . The green box was considered a home-run haven. On July 2, 1993, Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder hit a home run that has only just now come back to Earth. The HBO movie 61* was filmed there. 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 . Obviously those CF home runs had to be close to 500 feet to clear the wall at that point. I bet that was a great experience, seeing Killebrews home run. Hank Greenberg and Willie Horton might also qualify as long time Tigers. On September 28, 1964, the league scheduled Detroit to host Green Bay on a Monday night. A new ballpark for the Tigers was built in downtown Detroit, and the club moved to Comerica Park after the 1999 season. Dismiss, Copyright 2022 Vintage Detroit Collection, Spinnaker Center, 44692 Helm St, Plymouth. the Nearest to me was Vintage. For the second time in five days, Detroit's Mickey Tettleton hit a home run out of Tiger Stadium. There were occasional amateur games played there, a 2002 fantasy camp and occasional special segments were taped there. On November 28, 1974, the Lions played their last game at Tiger Stadium. Some call this the longest home run ever hit. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. None had occurred since 1955. [7] The stadium hosted two NFL Championship Games in 1953 and 1957. That stadium was called Bennett Park and featured a wooden grandstand with a wooden peaked roof in the outfield. Please let us know when you find out. 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. All rights reserved. Cecil Fielder was the third player,. She is very accommodating and made me feel at home, especially since I was unaware they don't operate a standard retail shop. [41], In the early 1970s, the city of Pontiac and its community leaders made a presentation to the Metropolitan Stadium Committee of a 155-acre (0.63km2) site on the city's eastern boundary, north of M-59 and near the intersection with Interstate 75 (I-75). [35][36][37] It originally had one before it was removed. 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. 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. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! 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.. If in doubt, leave it out. The Tigers moved to the newly constructed Comerica Park for their 2000 season, leaving Tiger Stadium unused. Detroit was one of the first powers in the new league, advancing to the World Series three years in a row from 1907-09. Tiger Stadium didnt go down easily. Plainsman Park (Auburn) upgrades Jackson dropped his bat and watched it sail, seemingly astonished of his own power. It is the home stadium of the LSU Tigers football team . 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. Norm Cash hit the most Homeruns over the Stadium. Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. It bounced twice before plopping over the edge and onto the street. Innovative Field (Rochester Red Wings) upgrades Future Legends Sports Complex (Northern Colorado Owlz) The Home Run Encyclopedia gives an account of one of Ruth's longest drives and one of the longest hit ever. The game was televised only to Green Bay. When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to Jos 'Jordan' Lpez, By To fit as many seats as possible in the expansion, the second deck was extended over the fence by 10 feet (3 m). Detroit responded quickly, trailing 7-6 after just three innings. [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. Big Frank Howard loved to hit there, as did Killebrew and Reggie and Ken Griffey Jr. 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. Nomar Mazara (505 Feet) Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. Robert Fick hit a grand-slam homer to help Detroit to an 8-2 win over Kansas City. (Oddly. 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. PNC Park 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. 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. Trammell hit 97 homers at Tiger Stadium, good for 11th all-time. Proudly powered by WordPress | Shipping Service Excited to work with Vintage Detroit on future orders. That stadium was called Bennett Park and featured a wooden grandstand with a wooden peaked roof in the outfield. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of . 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. 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. [2] By 1938, the city had agreed to move Cherry Street, allowing the left-field seats to be double-decked, and the now-renamed Briggs Stadium had a capacity of 53,000. [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. 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!). Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. Six years later, Cecil Fielder hit a moonshot over the left field roof on his way to 51 homers that season. My sons still talk about it. The bleachers had their own entrance, concession stands and restrooms. 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. There were unlikely homers: little Freddie Patek, a 5 foot 5 imp who hit only a handful of homers in his career, hit two at Tiger Stadium; and 19-year old pitcher Denny McLain hit a home run on September 21, 1963, in his first big league game, and never hit another. Thats so true, every game can be legendary. 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. Ted Williams said Briggs Stadium had the best sight lines of any ballpark, and that was back when the interior was painted green. 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. Team: Cleveland Indians. Have Your Own Jersey? Monaghan sold the team to a pizza rival, Mike Ilitch, in 1992. Cecil Fielder watches his home run out of Tiger Stadium - YouTube We sat down with Cecil Fielder and had him take us through his iconic roof-clearing home run vs. the A's in 1991.. I put the location into google maps off I went. Our motto is simple: We enjoy doing cool things and are overjoyed we can make a living doing so. He only fought once at Briggs Stadium, defeating Bob Pastor on September 20, 1939. And so it went. 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. [81], After a hiatus wherein various plans to preserve portions of the stadium were considered,[82][83][84][85] demolition was completed on September 21, 2009. 10. Back to top. Or the blast off Gibsons bat that landed on the roof of the lumber yard across Trumbull Avenue. [70] Anheuser-Busch promoted the event as Tiger Stadium's Last Call. It was an effort by a local sports management company to bring a Frontier League franchise to Detroit. These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. The ball actually sailed right over the right field roof of the ballpark, which is mind-boggling to contemplate. Cabrera Good article. . Discussion of suicide or self-harm is not tolerated and will result in an immediate ban. That year, Big Daddy captured the countrys attention with an eye-popping 51 home runs and 132 RBI, both best in the majors. ORDER YOURS NOW! The home run went to straightaway center field, clearing the stadium and landing into the street. 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! At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball. A dozen years later, after Navins death, Walter Briggs bought the club, adding an upper deck along the foul poles and seats in right field. She is very accommodating and made me feel at home, especially since I was unaware they don't operate a standard retail shop. 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? Only one current Tiger ever hit a home run at Tiger Stadium, and it was a memorable occasion. Before Reggie Jackson. FAQ. 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 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. (The Cubs claimed their last World Series title there in 1908.) The Red Sox, though, quickly struck again. In 1977, a fire wiped out the press box. Three who did were Roberto Clemente in the 71 All-Star Game, Larry Herndon in 1983, and Mark McGwire in 1987. 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 !