Tiger Stadium

From SoSH

Tiger Stadium

Location:	Detroit, Michigan
Opened:	April 20, 1912
Owner:	Detroit Tigers (to 1977) / City of Detroit (from 1977)
Surface:	Grass
Architect:	Osborn Engineering
Current Capacity:	52,416
Build Cost:	$300,000
Tenants:	Detroit Tigers (MLB) (1912-1999) Detroit Lions (NFL) (1938-1974) Detroit Cougars (NPSL/NASL) (1967-1968)

1 Stadium History
2 Trivia
3 Field Dimensions
4 Wall Height
5 External Links

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Stadium History

Tiger Stadium was constructed on the site of Bennett Park, which had been constructed in 1895 and served as the Tigers' home park until the end of the 1911 season. Frank Navin, the Tigers' owner at the time, ordered the construction of a steel-and-concrete park sufficient to hold 23,000 fans. Navin Field opened on April 20, 1912, the same day as Boston's Fenway Park. In 1935, after Navin's death, Walter Briggs expanded the park to 36,000 seats by extending the upper deck to the foul poles and across right field. In 1938, the city agreed to move Cherry Street so that left field could be double-decked. Now christened Briggs Stadium, the park held 53,000 people.

John Fetzer took control of the team and gave it its permanent name of Tiger Stadium in 1961. Under Fetzer, the Tigers enjoyed two championships in 1968 and 1984, but Tiger Stadium gained a reputation for being outdated. Fans were still fond of the park because of its history. When ownership transferred from the team to the city in 1977, the park's green interior was repainted blue, and the green seats were replaced with orange and blue seats. In 1992, new owner Mike Illitch made an effort to further update the park by adding the Tiger Den (an area of seating in the lower deck between first and third base, featuring waiters and padded seats) and Tiger Plaza (concessionaires and a gift shop located in the old players' parking lot.)

After the 1994 strike, plans were discussed to replace the aging Tiger Stadium with a more modern park. Despite fan efforts to save Tiger Stadium, the team went ahead and broke ground on Comerica Park in 1997. The final Tiger Stadium game was held on September 24, 1999 against the Kansas City Royals, which the Tigers won 8-2.

Tiger Stadium still stands in Detroit, and the current plan is to knock it down by September 2008. Parts of the stadium were auctioned off in 2007.

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Trivia

Site of the 1941, 1951, and 1971 MLB All-Star Games.
Much of the film 61* was shot at Tiger Stadium, which was repainted and digitally altered to resemble pre-renovation Yankee Stadium. The park is actually listed in the credits with the actors as having played Yankee Stadium; it also "plays itself" when the Yankees visit Detroit in the film.
Babe Ruth hit his 700th home run at Tiger Stadium on July 13, 1934. Ruth also hit a home run on July 18, 1921 that is believed to be the verifiably longest-hit home run in major league history, estimated to have traveled 575 to 600 feet.
Lou Gehrig ended his consecutive games streak on May 2, 1939 at Tiger Stadium.
Two Boston Red Sox players hit historic home runs at Tiger Stadium. Ted Williams ended the 1941 All-Star Game with a walk-off home run, while Dwight Evans hit the earliest possible home run (by innings and at-bats, not dates) in a major league season when he took Jack Morris deep on his first pitch in his first at-bat on Opening Day 1986.