By: WBRZ Sports. Denny McLain achieved one of the games rarest feats at the place they called The Corner. While with the Red Sox he hit one home run to dead center at the 488 foot marker. Through 1990, only two players had cleared the roof in left. 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. Left Field and Right Field hitting averages: Data displaying the left and right field averages for each statistic, with 1.00 being the average. The right field overhang frustrated many outfielders who were camped under a routine flyball only to see it land in the first row upstairs. In 1964, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had an idea he wanted to try. Doak Field at Dail Park upgrades (NC Wolfpack) Center field was even farther 467 feet. [7] The stadium hosted two NFL Championship Games in 1953 and 1957. A post-game ceremony brought back just about famous ex-Tiger who was still alive for one last salute. [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. Harmon Killebrew hit a home run that ricocheted off the left field roof and sounded like a gun blast off his bat. Several years later, the country watched another memorable Thanksgiving Day game played in a blizzard that covered the field by halftime. Navin Field opened on April 20, 1912, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. 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 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. 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. Id have a chance to send my family to Paris on that one.. [53] The ball was also carrying well in the 1951 and 1971 games. [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. He has four other children and four grandchildren. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! [2] Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. The benches for both the Lions and their opponents were on the outfield side of the field. Returns & Exchanges Eric Chesterton - LSU blasted four home runs and collected 20 hits to propel the #1 ranked Tigers to a 26-4 victory over Central Connecticut State Saturday afternoon inside . Tiger Stadium was sold to the city of Detroit on January 1, 1978 for $1.00 and leased back for 30 years. [14], The stadium was seen in the 1980 feature film Raging Bull where it was the site of two of Jake LaMotta's championship boxing matches. 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 ! 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. 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. (Cerdan claimed he dislocated his shoulder in the first round.) Later measurement revealed the ball traveled close to 600 feet. [92] It was also seen in Renaissance Man and Hardball. By the 1970s, the ballpark was beginning to show its age. Awesome article Dan as usual! Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive updates. Saw Herndons line shot to center. The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. Al Kaline.). In 1968, his last at-bat came there when he struck out in Game 5 of the World Series. PNC Park upgrades 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. A few players, very few, hit home runs into the bleachers in straightaway center field, an incredible 440 feet away. Lynn worked with me to swap out to something similar excellent customer service. Frank Navin, who bought the team in 1908, was a man with big ideas. Stopped by Wed morning 7/6 and had the pleasure of dealing directly with Lynne. PNC Park Frank Lary, who had made a career out of beating the Yankees (he was 29-6 lifetime against them from 1955-63), was the Detroit starter. 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. All three games featured home runs. 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. I had Ernie on the radio listening to the game. 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! All in all, however, the ballpark had a helluva good run. The ballparks other famous boxing matches involved Jake LaMotta. But the Yankees turned on their old nemesis, knocking him out with seven runs in two innings. 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!). 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 . A short while later I left with a new cap and a custom Fidrych T-shirt. 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. Fetzer sold the team to a pizza magnate, Tom Monaghan. Rogers Centre renovations Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. norm cash home run out of tiger stadium. I was at Tiger Stadium in May 1971 when Reggie Jackson hit the ball over the right field roof. Excited to work with Vintage Detroit on future orders. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! In the early 1970s, disgusted Detroit fans began to throw snowballs at the team bench from the upper-deck seats in right field. [69] Among performers at the nightclub-style event was Snoop Dogg. On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130 consecutive games ended when he asked out of the Yankees lineup complaining of a headache. It just shows that, when you buy a ticket to a game, you just might witness a bit of history. The team began a downward spiral on and off the field. 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. 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. Order Tracking Luis Polonia, the Tigers' left fielder, wearing Willie Horton's No. 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. [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 abandoned it for the Pontiac Silverdome. In 1973, ground was broken for a stadium to exclusively house the Lions. Cabrera We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The stadiums demolition was completed on September 21, 2009, though the stadiums actual playing field remains at the corner where the stadium stood. The ballpark was also the scene of one of the darkest days in NFL history. 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. Another outfield oddity was a ledge that fielders used to jump onto to try to snare balls headed for the seats. [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. This never happened. In the 17 years afterwards (before moving to Pontiac), they had few memorable days at Tiger Stadium. Here are the longest home runs in the Home Run Derby, during the StatCast era, away from Coors Field. 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.. 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'. 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. Not to be picky but Griffey didnt flip off Sparky. Copyright 2023 August Publications. In the Lions glory years of the 1950s, Detroit was considered one of the toughest venues in the league to play. July 11, 2018. The Metropolitan Stadium Committee voted unanimously for the Pontiac site. (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) The Tigers' Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. The last game at Tiger Stadium was on September 27, 1999. Berry lay injured while Horton, who was hardly fleet afoot, circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. [44], On October 5, 1951, the University of Notre Dame played the University of Detroit at Briggs Stadium before a capacity crowd of 52,000. 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. If in doubt, leave it out. The Home Run Encyclopedia gives an account of one of Ruth's longest drives and one of the longest hit ever. Ilitch began to make plans for a new ballpark downtown, breaking ground during the 1997 season.