A 125-foot flagpole stood just to the left of the 440-foot sign in dead center field. 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. His name? The city of Detroit decide to move an entire street Cherry Street so the entire ball park could now be double decked. I was just hoping it was going to stay fair, Trammell said. Righty Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and he jumped on it. Reggie Jackson was the player who hit one over the right field roof while playing for the California Angels during the May 15, 1984 game at Tiger Stadium. According to Statcast, someone soon to follow topped Mike Piazza's 496-foot homer from Sept. 26, 1997, as the longest home run in Coors Field history. I didn't need steroids," Fielder said. I thought I saw Tony Clark hit a monster on the roof, but Im so old my memory is shot. The final act came on September 27, 1999. Yet the story of his 565-foot moonshot still lives strong. Send a Message. Outsiders began to look at Tiger Stadium and the neighborhood it was located in a different light. Its first day was overshadowed by the news the Titanic hit an iceberg and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the 1971 All Star game blast when his Famous homer hit the light tower in right center and came back onto the field, his 1984 blast TOTALLY cleared the roof and left the stadium. PNC Park upgrades Privacy Policy See More by this Creator. From the day it opened in 1912, until the final game in September of 1999, Tiger Stadium was witness to more home runs than any other ballpark in baseball. Prince Fielder hit a home run there during batting practice when he was a 12-year old and his dad was playing for the Tigers. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. While he hit .190/.323/.329 during 2003's sad swan song, the burly first baseman at least cleared the fences 26 times in 2002. Facing Seattle's Mike Moore in a game on September 14, 1986, Bo hit his first major league home run, a titanic blast that landed high on the grassy knoll of left-center field. 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. The Times reported that Cecil Fielder became the first Detroit player to hit a home run over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium (''Fielder Belts Two as Tigers Rout A's, 14-4,'' Aug. 26), and that only Harmon Killebrew (in 1962) and Frank Howard (in 1968) had accomplished that feat. Team owner George Vanderbeck constructed a 5,000-seat wooden facility, called Bennett Park, on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. Three who did were Roberto Clemente in the 71 All-Star Game, Larry Herndon in 1983, and Mark McGwire in 1987. Dan: Great column. Killabrew was in 62. Tape-measure home runs remain among the most impressive feats in all of sports, and just last weekend, Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz hit the longest home run in the history of Angels. And on September 27, 1999, with flashbulbs popping, Robert Fick hit the final home run at The Corner, a grand slam in the last game at Tiger Stadium. (At age 89, Eldon Auker, a member of the 1934-35 AL champions, was the oldest returnee. Sweet Lou Whitaker, at just over 5 foot 10 and weighing a slim 160 pounds, was probably the least-likely prolific home run hitter at Tiger Stadium. *(previously Briggs Stadium & Navin Field), Most Homers hit by opposing players In 1949, he defeated Marcel Cerdan, winning on a knockout in the tenth round to win the World Middleweight crown. Kept me posted every step of the way, literally. But why argue over semantics when we can watch some of MLB's best sluggers sock a few dingers? He is planning a book on the topic. (Thirteen years earlier, he was the only player ever to homer over the center-field bleachers, which consisted of one deck at the time.) I remember it was hit right down the line towards the upper deck and it was like a Jack Nicklaus 1-iron shot as it went straight up in the air and never wavered," he said. In his penultimate 2000 season, Glenallen Hill registered a career-high 27 home runs for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. I put the location into google maps off I went. It was out of the park in a split second. Carolina Hurricanes eliminate Nashville Predators in OT [VIDEO], Detroit Lions TE T.J. Hockenson loves him some Jared Goff, Detroit Tigers make decision on Austin Meadows, claim Braden Bristo off waivers, Rumor surfaces as to why Detroit Lions selected Jahmyr Gibbs at No. Some call this the longest home run ever hit. Guinness also clarifies that Mickey Mantle's home run measured at 643 feet (approximately 196 meters) is the longest home run measured "mathematically after the fact." This home run was hit at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on September 10, 1960. He grabbed his crotch and Sparky was not happy about it. He ordered a steel-and-concrete 23,000-seat ballpark that was built in an astonishing period of seven months after the end of the 1911 season. Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say that, is a true athletic anachronism. Most of (Mantles) longest homers were obstructed by lights, roofs or something, Susman said. This one went over the left field roof, off Oaklands Dave Stewart. After the Tigers defeated the As, 14-4, in a slugfest that featured seven homers, Stewart told reporters that it was the longest homer he had ever given up. 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! Before Susmans research, Mantles longest homer was thought to be the one he hit in 1953 in Washington, a drive measured at 565 feet. (On May 12, 1984, while playing for the Angels, Jackson became the 12th player to hit a ball out of Tiger Stadium when his homer hit a parked bus on Trumbull Avenue.) There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Detroit Tigers OF Austin Meadows. Thanks for reading. I didnt know what I was going to end up with that season but I knew it was going to be great.". I heard this particular home run on the radio and was so entranced by (announcer) Ernie Harwells description I always remembered it.. Eye tests lead to a wide array of biases, but the video evidence helps his case. (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. Unlike some teams that played in baseball parks, the Lions made no attempt to cover the infield. He only fought once at Briggs Stadium, defeating Bob Pastor on September 20, 1939. Detroit OF Rocky Colavito tied a major-league record when he went 7-for-10 in the game. If you choose to make a purchase after clicking a link, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Joe Louis moved to Detroit as a youngster. I was watching the ball because I am a fan, too, Trammell said. "I know if he throws that changeup, he'll make me look like an ass, because he had such a good one, if you don't sell out to it. 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. It is believed to be the only time in the sports history this has occurred. Al Kaline.). Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. After failing to land free agents Pete OBrien and Kent Hrbek, Tigers general managerBill Lajoie went after Fielder. Text by Dave Wright Photos by John Moist. Also I remember that it was thought to be a greater fete to hit one over the left field roof than in right field. In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. There were strange home runs: one hit on a line drive that stuck under the wall and allowed Dixie Walker to circle the bases in 1939; a homer that rattled around the flag pole in deep center field while Lou Gehrig ran around the bases in 1933; and the inside-the-park homer that Kirk Gibson hit in which he was a stride behind teammate Lou Whitaker who slid safely in front of him scoring from first base. As a kid in May 1967? Some opposing players seemed to shine at Tiger Stadium. Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA) Although never as well known as Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, Tiger Stadium held an unique place in the hearts of Detroiters, who have now seemed to come to terms with the fact it will be torn down, probably in September 2008. 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 1970s, the ballpark was beginning to show its age. (The next year, a screen was placed on top of the fence. By May 15, Fielder had garnered national attention, having hit 14 home runs. Saw Herndons line shot to center. In 1961, John Fetzer bought the team and renamed its home Tiger Stadium. Reggie Jackson's All-Star Game homer off the Tiger Stadium roof is still jaw-dropping By Chris Landers July 12, 2017 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. "I think we like seeing it fly like that, especially if it's our guys hitting it," Marlins manager Don Mattingly told Weinrib. Ilitch began to make plans for a new ballpark downtown, breaking ground during the 1997 season. Bud Metheny Ballpark renovations (Old Dominion University) I was on Trumbull listening to the game on the radio Ina car parked outside a bar when it came off and over the roof. in 1926. Home runs that are hit out of the ball park are measured from where the batter stands to where the ball . The league scheduled eight more games in the next five years. Few sluggers were stronger in their prime, making him one of baseball's most feared batters despite his strikeout woes. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. (Nobody ever knew for sure just close of a target that upper deck really was. When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to Jos 'Jordan' Lpez, By Having hit 31 home runs in 506 at-bats with Toronto, in Japan Fielder produced 38 in only 384 at-bats. In his first season wearing the Old English D, Big Daddy hit 51 homers. 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. All in all, however, the ballpark had a helluva good run. Although that game was never televised, Tiger Stadium remained a part of the opening for the series for many years long after the Lions had moved to the Pontiac Silverdome. Big Frank Howard loved to hit there, as did Killebrew and Reggie and Ken Griffey Jr. Everyone has their own opinion. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). It was later measured to be a 523-foot homer, with the ball landing on the lumber yard across the street from the stadium. To make the park appear like Yankee Stadium, the parks seats were painted green and a skyline of the Bronx was added. About Us He retired with 536 home runs, sixth on the all-time list. In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. Despite the scarcity of film onRuth, we can still make definitive evaluations of the approximate landing points of all of his 714 career home runs. I was very happy for Cecil.. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live full length MLB game. Fielder displayed his power early in spring training. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. the Nearest to me was Vintage. "The Rockies credited Piazza with a 496-foot home run, but their procedure for measuring home runs at the time did not attempt to include the additional distance the ball would have flown had it not landed on the concourse," ESPN's blurb said in defense of its enhanced projection. One of those occurred on June 24, 1962. There were occasional amateur games played there, a 2002 fantasy camp and occasional special segments were taped there. 59,203 fans attended the game, the largest crowd ever to see a football game at the Corner. Not bad at all, but ESPN's Home Run Tracker determined that Williams deserves even more credit. So, you didnt have much of a chance to see a four-bagger back in those days. It all came down to the last game of the year at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 3. ESPN Home Run Trackermeasured it as the longest shot since providing full data in 2008. Good article. Gibson hit 95, and Gehringer hit 92. There were many famous home runs hit there, such as Babe Ruths 700th, and the walkoff homer by Ted Williams in the 1941 All-Star Game. In 12 World Series, he hit 18 home runs, No. Chronicling the Business and Culture of Baseball Ballparks--MLB, MiLB, College, Tiger Stadium / Detroit Tigers / 1912-1999, Its Oriole Park vs. PNC Park in 2023 MLB BoTB finals, As land purchase could lead to new Vegas ballpark, WI Assembly leader: American Family Field maintenance should see Milwaukee money, 2023 MLB Best of the Ballparks fan vote moves to Final Four, 2023 MiLB Best of the Ballparks, Triple-A vote reaches Final Four, Is 2025 a firm deadline for teams to meet MiLB facility upgrades? Left field settled in at 340 while right field gradually shrunk until settling in at 325. Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. No comments 0 Dannyboy (Oddly. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Strawberry hit another dinger during New York's Opening Day victory and matched his previous season's career high with 39 homers that year. Excludes Adidas Primegreen jerseys and e-Gift Cards. The bullpens were brought over from the right-field corner, and the old bullpen area near the right-field corner became more seating. Ruths mammoth homer is the only ball to be confirmed to have left Navin Field/Briggs Stadium/Tiger Stadium in center field. They checked it over and off I went. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. I had always been a tremendous Mantle fan my growing years, Susman said. As Sports Illustrated's Cliff Corcorannoted, Jenkinson also acknowledged The Bambino as owner of the three longest home runs ever hit in his book The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs. No player has ever cleared the left field roof. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. New Richmond Flying Squirrels ballpark Im here to drive home runs. Over 40 scorching-hot games, Hill hit .333/.378/.735 with 16 homers for the eventual World Series champions. Have Your Own Jersey? Eric Chesterton Detroit Tigers all-time home run leaders as of October 2022 Number of home runs Al Kaline Norm Cash Miguel Cabrera Hank Greenberg Willie Horton Cecil Fielder Lou Whitaker Rudy York Lance. Returns & Exchanges Eleven years before the Milwaukee Brewers drafted his son, Prince, they watched Fielder punish a baseball. Matt Monagan Since Detroit was driving for a score late in the game, some assumed Hughes was simply trying to stop the clock. The casual fan might not fully appreciate the modest masher, who becomes eligible for Hall of Fame consideration next year. This is why: for decades during the earlier history of that ball park, the roofed, left-field spectator stands did not exist. Or the blast off Gibsons bat that landed on the roof of the lumber yard across Trumbull Avenue. New St. Croix River Hounds ballpark, 2025 Ballparks In 1968, his last at-bat came there when he struck out in Game 5 of the World Series. Mantle hit the memorable homer off Paul Foytack on Sept. 10, 1960. Oh yeah, that's not even Fielder's entry. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! The previous year, the Tigers finished with the worst record in baseball (59-103) and were desperate to find a power-hitting first baseman. 0 jvploeg ANSWERS: 8 Anon ( http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/tigers.htm) Babe Ruth Reggie Jackson Norm Cash Harmon Killebrew Frank Howard Cecil Fielder Mark McGwire Is all I can find. 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' Cecil. You are correct about Howard. This wasnt even peak Stargell. Follow. He also, however, said the team's PR director literally derived that number by using a tape measure, originating the term to describe huge homers now measured through more scientific methods. At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball. One of the major highlights as a kid back then was that game and especially that Jackson blast that Curt Gowdy called for a national viewing audience. 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. On July 6, 1996 Carlos Delgado hit the ball OVER the right center light tower completely into orbit. Mike, I was at that game in 1996 when Delgado hit that blast, sitting the Box Seats in the upper deck in right. 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! Service and shipping were exceptional. Six years later, Cecil Fielder hit a moonshot over the left field roof on his way to 51 homers that season. At the time, we did not know what a big deal that was. Junior was upset that Sparky had intentionally walked him so often. For everyone's entertainment, Miami should loan Stanton to Colorado and see how much damage he could inflict during a full season at Coors. Robinson flung his glove into the stands in disgust. When researchers delve into an older home run for a more accurate telling, they typically spoil everyone's party by deflating an embellished tale. Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. The roof might have stopped it from clearing Detroit altogether. Ironically, the visitors that day were the Minnesota Vikings, who rolled to an easy victory. 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. As reported by the New York Times' Joseph Durso, physics professorBob Moore said the ball would have carried 525 feet if not for hitting the lights. A record that cant be broken, You are correct he hit 4 out of the Stadium. They checked it over and off I went. In the 22nd inning, Jack Reed hit the only home run of his 129-at bat career off Phil Regan for a 9-7 win. Check out the Tigers All-Time Leaders in multiple statistical categories. Canseco and McGwire hit back-to-back homers off Frank Tanana, giving the As a 3-0 lead. The short porch in right field wasnt the only unusual feature of the park. Thats one of the reasons fans in Detroit were dumbfounded on July 18, when The Big Fella, a muscular slugger for the Yankees named Babe Ruth, did something no one had ever done before. I had a chance to see a few games at Fenway, and while it is great, Tiger Stadium was more historic. Another outfield oddity was a ledge that fielders used to jump onto to try to snare balls headed for the seats. Dont forget about Frank Howard. Yet near the top sits a journeyman who belted 186 home runs over a career devoid of regular playing time. From the original Briggs/Tiger Stadium configuration from 1938 until the park closed in 1999, 36 home runs were hit over the roof of the ballpark. The exact distance, however, remains disputed. the Nearest to me was Vintage. Paul Baldwin and Sam worked together for many years and knew each other well. Tell us in the comments. What existed was simply a wall, and many players hit home runs over that wall and out of the stadium into Cherry Street, which paralleled the wall. Order Tracking New Marshall University ballpark Fittingly, they lost to Denver, 31-27. Although it was the park where he was booed regularly, Tiger Stadium played a huge role in Maris career. If you wanted to see a home run, you had to waddle your butt down to a baseball diamond somewhere and hope a skinny batter wearing a wool uniform would swat the ball over the fence. "The ball assumed what can only be called a majestic arc and landed on the left-field roof in Tiger Stadium," Ryan wrote. Maybe not, Elite Eight time in 2023 MiLB Best of the Ballparks, Triple-A, 2023 MiLB Best of the Ballparks vote,Triple-Amoves to Sweet Sixteen round, Doak Field at Dail Park upgrades (NC Wolfpack), Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA), Future Legends Sports Complex (Northern Colorado Owlz), Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) updates, LMCU Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps) upgrades, Myshak Metro Ballpark (Edmonton Prospects), Bud Metheny Ballpark renovations (Old Dominion University), Innovative Field (Rochester Red Wings) upgrades. A few players, very few, hit home runs into the bleachers in straightaway center field, an incredible 440 feet away. You just dont get this type of service anywhere else folks and turns out it all to be a great value as well as they search the system for every possible discount they could give me. I was there for Gibsons shot over the roof onto brooks lumber. The winning pitcher that day for the Blue Jays was Pat Hentgen of Fraser. I think they left Dick Allen in 1973 for the White Sox. New Hagerstown Atlantic League ballpark I think the Tigers won that game in the bottom of the 9th, when they were losing but then Jim Northrup hit a grand slam to win the game. genesee county sheriff ghost, general hospital spoilers: michael and willow,
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