Gibson hits one out of Tiger Stadium Watch on Briggs Stadium, as it was now known, held 53,000 seats. I put the location into google maps off I went. This is a true story and has been recorded in a magazine of tape measure home runs. On September 28, 1964, the league scheduled Detroit to host Green Bay on a Monday night. Football at Tiger Stadium was an adventure. Mickey Mantle: On September 10, 1960, the Yankee slugger hit a home run out of Tiger Stadium against Frank Lary. Hughes was quickly wheeled off the field, which eerily ended minutes later. The unusual dimensions of the football field led to some odd happenings. The third deck in right field would be 75 feet high and 375 feet from home plate. 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. There was a huge outcry from traditionalists that the ballpark needed be saved as a historical monument (it had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989). Since Detroit was driving for a score late in the game, some assumed Hughes was simply trying to stop the clock. There were over 30 home runs hit onto the right field roof over the years. (Thirteen years earlier, he was the only player ever to homer over the center-field bleachers, which consisted of one deck at the time.) 23, hit a 435-foot blast into the lower deck in right field to lead off the . [93][94], In the summer of 2000, the HBO movie 61* was filmed at Tiger Stadium. On June 28, 1990, the ballpark hosted another unusual event. Reggie Jackson wasn't supposed to play in the 1971 Major League . 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. Text by Dave Wright Photos by John Moist. 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. By making it possible for the upper deck to stand directly above the lower deck, the support columns allowed the average fan to sit closer to the field than at any other ballpark. 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. As part of the transfer, the city gave the place a major paint job, changing the interior from green to blue. She is very accommodating and made me feel at home, especially since I was unaware they don't operate a standard retail shop. [73], There were many proposals to redevelop the site. [57][58], On April 7, 1986, Dwight Evans hit a home run on the first pitch of Opening Day. 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. Mantle is generally credited with the longest home run of all time, a clout that left Tiger Stadium on Sept. 10, 1960, and landed in a lumberyard across the street. This is not a replacement for the newsletter, but rather a real-time notification system! To Ilitchs credit, he paid for several renovations that kept the park looking reasonable in its final years. [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. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). 11,111 home runs Briggs Stadium was the scene of another famous event, which was actually something that did not occur. [97], The pilot of the HBO series Hung featured the stadium's demolition in its opening scene. Cash hit the ball over Tiger Stadiums right field roof four times in his career. Especially into August and September, the stadium was packed with fans making one last pilgrimage.. The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. In 1934, the Tigers won the AL pennant but lost the World Series to the Cardinals. Big Frank Howard loved to hit there, as did Killebrew and Reggie and Ken Griffey Jr. [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. 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. 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. [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. [67][68], In February 2006, a tent on Tiger Stadium's field played host to Anheuser-Busch's Bud Bowl 2006. 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. I was there for Gibsons shot over the roof onto brooks lumber. [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. I was at Tiger Stadium in May 1971 when Reggie Jackson hit the ball over the right field roof. Ficks homer hit the roof in right and just missed going out of the stadium. 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. As the team improved, so did the capacity of the ballpark, capping out at 14,000. It bounced twice before plopping over the edge and onto the street. 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. That year, Big Daddy captured the countrys attention with an eye-popping 51 home runs and 132 RBI, both best in the majors. I will never forget this day. New Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark Lou Gehrig said goodbye there. 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. 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. ORDER YOURS NOW! [76] In June 2007, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation approved a plan to demolish the stadium, which needed approval from Detroit City Council. [77] In July 2007, Detroit City Council voted 54 in approval of the demolition. Unlike some teams that played in baseball parks, the Lions made no attempt to cover the infield. Frank Osborn founded Osborn Engineering in Cleveland in 1892. 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. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. New Hagerstown Atlantic League ballpark They checked it over and off I went. 1. Norm Cash hit the most Homeruns over the Stadium. [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). The Lions played football in Tiger Stadium from 1938 until the end of 1974, after which they moved into the Silverdome in Pontiac, a suburb over 30 miles away. 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. I was in the stands the day that Mr. McGwire hit his shot over the roof in left. Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. For medical advice, always consult your medical doctor. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! Babe Ruth hit his 700th career home run there in 1934. 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. 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. This was their first stop and they sold out the place in record time. Although only three strongmen (Frank Howard, Harmon Killebrew, Cecil Fielder) hit balls that went over the roof in left field, several folks shot the ball over the right-field roof. With the OPEN sign light I though well came all this way just aswell give it a try and am I glad I did. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! Thats the longest home run Ive had hit off me, said Stewart, who had surrendered an upper-deck shot to Fielder in the first inning. He responded by going four-for-five in his third game as a major leaguer. The movie was about the 1961 season when the Yankees Roger Maris broke Babe Ruths home run record. 2 others that hit the light towers. Babe Ruth (60), Ted Williams (55), Jimmie Foxx (52), Mickey Mantle (42), Yogi Berra (37), Yaz (36). In left field, it was 15 feet (4.6m) farther down the line, and the roof was set back some distance. When did the Detroit Tigers Stadium get demolished? Coincidentally, Fielders counterpart at first base that day was Mark McGwire, who had hit his very first major league tater exactly four years earlier.
