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. In addition to the movie 61*, two other films Tiger Town and Hardball had scenes filmed there. If you want a new roof on Tiger Stadium it will have to built from scratch. Sure, Tiger Stadium was a famously hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for lefties. 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). Seven of the Tigers' eight runs came off home runs. [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. Historian Mark Gallagher estimated that the home run Mantle hit in September of 1960 at Tiger Stadium traveled a whopping 643 feet. 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. PNC Park (Pirates) That pocket is the deepest part of the park at 410 feet, 11 feet farther than dead center. Took everyones breath away. 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. [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. Distance: 511 Feet. . Some managers felt a line should be drawn on the pole and that any ball hit above the line would be a home run. Once or twice a year, an outfielder would have to go behind the pole to chase an errant hit. Frank Osborn founded Osborn Engineering in Cleveland in 1892. 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. But Chicago linebacker Dick Butkus, one of the toughest players to ever play the game, knew better. As you'll notice, Aaron Judge hit four 500-foot blasts. 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. Whitaker hit 146 homers at the old ballpark, most of them after he matured into a better power hitter in his late 20s. The distance of the home run has been estimated at up to 575 feet (175m). The Tigers' Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. [78], In October 2007, an online auction of the stadium's memorabilia was held by Schneider Industries, which drew $192,729. 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. /news/1567868500869-kirk-gibson-hits-home-run-clear-over-tiger-stadium-roof-video Joe Louis moved to Detroit as a youngster. My whole family was there. 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? Makes me even more envious of the fans in Boston whose ownership had the wisdom to preserve their historic ballpark. They stayed at the ballpark until 1974 when they left to play in the 76,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome. Thanks, J.D. 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. No one hit more homers in Tiger Stadium than Al Kaline, who belted 212 there, while hitting 187 on the road. [70], In 2006, the feature-length documentary Stranded at the Corner: The Battle to Save Historic Tiger Stadium was released. A+! The new owner gave the old ballpark one last shot, adding a plaza of souvenir and food stands in the old players parking lot. 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. A short while later I left with a new cap and a custom Fidrych T-shirt. In fact, the Indians erected a 12-foot bronze statue in his honor in . Detroit responded quickly, trailing 7-6 after just three innings. Shortly thereafter, the city of Detroit bought the park from the team for $1. In 1895, Detroit Tigers owner George Vanderbeck had a new ballpark built at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. Many seats were replaced. 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. Several years later, the country watched another memorable Thanksgiving Day game played in a blizzard that covered the field by halftime. 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. [88][89][90] Construction of the project began in June 2016. The Tigers will move to Comerica Park next year. [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. FAQ. 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. A fire gutted the press box on the evening of February 1, 1977. 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. 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. Fittingly, Ficks blast was the final hit of any kind at Tiger Stadium. Dan: Great column. Hammerin Hank Greenberg probably hit more home runs to deep left-center field at Navin Field/Briggs Stadium than any other player. The first home run in the history of the All-Star Game was hit by none other than Babe Ruth. [14], In 1895, Detroit Tigers owner George Vanderbeck had a new ballpark built at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. Why Ill never sell my Mark Fidrych rookie card, Ken Holloway: Detroits other Yankee Killer, These batters hit the most home runs at Tiger Stadium, #TBT: Tigers power hitting catcher Mickey Tettleton. Berry lay injured while Horton, who was hardly fleet afoot, circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. [71] Funded by local businessman and ardent stadium supporter Peter Comstock Riley, and directed by Gary Glaser, it earned solid reviews and won three Telly awards and two Emmy awards for the film's writer and co-producer, Richard Bak, a local journalist and the author of two books about the stadium. In the decade after the Tigers vacated the stadium, several rejected redevelopment and preservation efforts finally gave way to demolition. The bleachers had their own entrance, concession stands and restrooms. Lynne asked what I was interested in and presented me with a great selection of Tigers caps and T-shirts. Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. 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. There were occasional amateur games played there, a 2002 fantasy camp and occasional special segments were taped there. Cecil Fielder hits homerun over Tiger stadium roof.. [62][64][65] Following the game, an emotional ceremony with past and present Tigers greats was held to mark the occasion. 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. Our motto is simple: We enjoy doing cool things and are overjoyed we can make a living doing so. 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. [53] The ball was also carrying well in the 1951 and 1971 games. [38], Tiger Stadium was home of the Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. 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! It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of . Depending who you talk to, the upper deck in right field was built to hang 5-10 feet over the warning track. 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? 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. 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. [14], In 2018, the Corner Ballpark opened at the site. Left field was 345 feet away while right field was a monstrous 370 feet down the line. [49][50] On July 13, 1934 at the stadium, Ruth hit his 700th career home run off Tigers' pitcher Tommy Bridges. Online auction of Tiger Stadium memorabilia draws $192,729", "Contract approved for Tiger Stadium demolition", "Tiger Stadium Field, Foul Poles to Be Saved", "Partial Demolition of Tiger Stadium Almost Done", "Remnants of Tiger Stadium Safe For Short Time", "So long: Detroit board OKs leveling Tiger Stadium", "Ernie Harwell Park ( site of former Tiger Stadium )", "Renderings reveal future of Tiger Stadium, field", "Key approval given to Tiger Stadium plans", "Who wants to live at Tiger Stadium? 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. In 1955, right field returned to its 325-foot status. Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. Cabrera It was an effort by a local sports management company to bring a Frontier League franchise to Detroit. That ball is measured at 634 . He hit his first home run of the 1961 season there. (In those days, home games were blacked out 75 miles from the site of competition. The Red Sox, though, quickly struck again. In 1895, Detroit had a team in the Western League, an eight-team loop that eventually melded into the American League. Navin Field got a lot of play in the newsreels that winter but it was not the sort of publicity one desires. Thats so true, every game can be legendary. (Nobody ever knew for sure just close of a target that upper deck really was. 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. Monaghan sold the team to a pizza rival, Mike Ilitch, in 1992. There is no roof to extend. Shipping Service But on August 25, 1990, during a Saturday game against Oakland, Tigers first baseman Cecil Fielder joined the exclusive circle of sluggers.