The unusual dimensions of the football field led to some odd happenings. On a 2-1 count, Fielder launched a fastball into the night as the ball carried down the line and smashed into the facing of the third deck for his 50th home run. The big guy came to Detroit in 1990 as a free agent after a season in Japan. The thing is I said " no big deal" yet they would let me leave with it they got another one from their very advanced warehouse. But . Answerbag wants to provide a service to people looking for answers and a good conversation. As I recall, it was a sunny Sunday afternoon that day. I didn't need steroids," Fielder said. Paul Baldwin and Sam worked together for many years and knew each other well. Harmon Killebrew hit a home run that ricocheted off the left field roof and sounded like a gun blast off his bat. The park estimated his powerful swing at 505 feet, making it one of the longest homers to invite a Big Apple rising. Although they only won six pennants during their tenure there, the hometown Tigers were often an interesting team with individual stars. The only time Fielder went more than a week without a homer was June 1829. MLB.com also provides an array of mobile apps for fans to choose from, including At Bat, the highest-grossing iOS sports app of all-time. Although the ballpark suffered little damage, the citys name was sullied. The ball went beyond the right-field roof above the 370-foot mark, through the light tower, deflecting off a pipe and disappeared from sight, Susman said. The seven-hour game is the second longest game in American League history. Over the roof, gone, home run for Cecil!. Robert Fick hit a grand-slam homer to help Detroit to an 8-2 win over Kansas City. In the Lions glory years of the 1950s, Detroit was considered one of the toughest venues in the league to play. "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. I didnt know what I was going to end up with that season but I knew it was going to be great.". Adam Dunn played just 44 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but one of his eight home runs stands as the longest witnessed at Chase Field. Slate's John Pastiercalculated a similar distance of roughly 479 feet. Comments. This one went over the left field roof, off Oaklands Dave Stewart. Teams had to stand on the same sideline in right field. I know Alan Trammell hit a lot of homeruns on the road while playing for Detroit, and as a total for his career, he hit 185 HRs total both on the road and at home. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live full length MLB game over the Internet when the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees faced off at Yankee Stadium. Per National Baseball Hall of Fames Matt Kelly, it went an estimated 535 feet. As ESPN's Home Run Trackerverifies, one moonshot onMay 11, 2000, went 500 feet with a116.7 mph exit velocity. 1969 i attended my first game at Tiger Stadium the next day, Self correction. New Tennessee Smokies ballpark. Many legends hit homers at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, from Ty Cobb to The Babe to Joe DiMaggio to Hank Aaron to Ken Griffey Jr. In the 17 years afterwards (before moving to Pontiac), they had few memorable days at Tiger Stadium. 49 at Tiger Stadium off Bostons Dennis Lamp on Sept. 27. There were home runs that didnt seem to be home runs. the Yankees won that day, 22-2 the worst loss the Tigers ever suffered at home.). Tell us in the comments. ),
The Tigers moved to Comerica Park in 2000 but the Corner remained standing. Al Kaline takes aim at the seats in Tiger Stadium in the late 1950s. But why argue over semantics when we can watch some of MLB's best sluggers sock a few dingers? Left field was 345 feet away while right field was a monstrous 370 feet down the line. Some opposing players seemed to shine at Tiger Stadium. With the OPEN sign light I though well came all this way just aswell give it a try and am I glad I did. Instead, let's look back to September 14, 1991, when the Detroit Tigers slugger pounded a ball beyondMilwaukee County Stadium's bleachers. Once or twice a year, an outfielder would have to go behind the pole to chase an errant hit. If not for hitting a transformer on Tiger Stadium's roof, the baseball would have experienced a further journey. Bennett Park was still their home field, when six years later, they joined the AL as a charter member. On a ball that sped 124 mph off the bat, ESPN's Home Run Tracker estimated a distance of 539 feet if unhindered. On May 31, 1997, Andres Galarraga cleared the full bases by sending a souvenir into Pro Player Stadium's empty upper deck. Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say that, is a true athletic anachronism. (Nobody ever knew for sure just close of a target that upper deck really was. Order Tracking The ballpark was also the scene of one of the darkest days in NFL history. Please seek professional guidance. It was the 485th home run of his career. A former football player, Gibby was sort of like a tight end without the shoulder pads in the outfield for Detroit. 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. 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. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live full length MLB game. After the game, Yankees management sent a 3-liter bottle of champagne to the Tigers clubhouse. Reggie Jackson's 1971 All-Star Game shot at Tiger Stadium would have traveled more than 600. Having hit 31 home runs in 506 at-bats with Toronto, in Japan Fielder produced 38 in only 384 at-bats. *(previously Briggs Stadium & Navin Field), Most Homers hit by opposing players In 1921 alone, which was, best tape measure season, he hit at least one 500 foot home run in all eight American League cities. There were unlikely homers: little Freddie Patek, a 5 foot 5 imp who hit only a handful of homers in his career, hit two at Tiger Stadium; and 19-year old pitcher Denny McLain hit a home run on September 21, 1963, in his first big league game, and never hit another. Back in 21, Navin Field did not yet have the upper deck in center field that would later be a haven for diehard fans. Tiger Stadium in Detroit witnessed 11,111 home runs from 1912 to '99, and that included some big moments. In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. On Sept. 27, 2008, the slugger secured his fifth season with 40 deep flies. 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. Shipping Service It should be noted that those regular references over the years to 500- and 600-foot home runs were born out of scientific ignorance, misinformation, or even deliberate exaggeration. New St. Croix River Hounds ballpark, 2025 Ballparks Dismiss, Copyright 2022 Vintage Detroit Collection, Spinnaker Center, 44692 Helm St, Plymouth. Left field settled in at 340 while right field gradually shrunk until settling in at 325. Two pitches later, broadcaster Larry Osterman screamed into his microphone: Long drive, deep left field, this is on the roof! The National League, originally founded in 1876, consists of the following teams: Arizona Diamondbacks; Atlanta Braves; Chicago Cubs; Cincinnati Reds; Colorado Rockies; Los Angeles Dodgers; Miami Marlins; Milwaukee Brewers; New York Mets; Philadelphia Phillies; Pittsburgh Pirates; San Diego Padres; San Francisco Giants; St. Louis Cardinals; and Washington Nationals.Visit MLB.com: http://mlb.mlb.comSubscribe to MLB.TV: http://mlb.mlb.tvDownload MLB.com At Bat: http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/atbatDownload MLB.com At The Ballpark: http://mlb.mlb.com/mobile/attheballparkPlay Beat The Streak: http://mlb.mlb.com/btsGet MLB Tickets: http://mlb.mlb.com/ticketsGet Official MLB Merchandise: http://mlb.mlb.com/shopConnect with us:YouTube: http://youtube.com/MLB Facebook: http://facebook.com/mlbTwitter: http://twitter.com/mlbPinterest: http://pinterest.com/MLBAMInstagram: http://instagram.com/mlbofficialTumblr: http://mlb.tumblr.comGoogle+: http://plus.google.com/MLB In the 1970s, Ken Berry, an excellent flychaser, forgot about this one day and ran flush into the pole while chasing a shot by Detroit OF Willie Horton. "You play the game as a kid, you progress through high school, you get drafted, you go through the minor leagues. Whitaker hit 146 homers at the old ballpark, most of them after he matured into a better power hitter in his late 20s. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! Dont forget about Frank Howard. in 1926. Also I remember that it was thought to be a greater fete to hit one over the left field roof than in right field. Or the blast off Gibsons bat that landed on the roof of the lumber yard across Trumbull Avenue. They checked it over and off I went. Briggs Stadium, as it was now known, held 53,000 seats. Great American Ball Park's second season on Aug. 10, 2004, when he crushed a Jose Lima offering well beyond the fence in center field, which stands 404 feet out. Thompson was my favorite player at the time, so it was an awesome moment, to be sure. I saw Frank Howard hit his homer over the left field wall in Tiger stadium. 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. 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. Anyone can read what you share. So, you didnt have much of a chance to see a four-bagger back in those days. The fans were great to me, and I loved playing for Sparky and my teammates, Fielder said. Mark McGwire made a living socking dingers for the St. Louis Cardinals. Although the blast was touted at 529 feet,ESPN arrivedat 468 feet. (When the credits rolled at the end of the movie, it is duly listed that the role of Yankee Stadium was played by Tiger Stadium.). In 1997, McGwire joined them. Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. In 1945, Hank Greenberg belted a grand slam late in the season that not only won the game for Detroit, but clinched the pennant. "An inning or so later, they told us it was charted at 484 feet. From 1990 to 1991, Cecil Fielder accrued an MLB-best 95 home runs, including a soaring shot onto the Tiger Stadium roof in 1990. 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. The hit itself was a gunshot, echoing back from center. In the very first inning, the three sluggers delivered. At seasons end, Fielder finished with 51 homers and 132 RBIs (both the most in the major leagues) and a .277 batting average, while the Tigers won 20 more games than in 1989 with a 79-83 record, good for third place in the AL East. Detroit hit 40 more home runs than the year before, helped in part by a 20-year old rookie who hit 27 himself and posted a .340 BA to win the AL batting crown. For what it's worth, it passes the "Wow, he sure hit that ball a long way" eye test. This never happened. . Thanks for reading. No comments 0 Dannyboy Customer Service (Oddly. Frank Robinson appeared poised to make the catch only to see the ball drop in the first row of the overhang for a game winning home run, one of just four Matchick hit in six big league seasons. the Nearest to me was Vintage. 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. I've been a Detroit Tigers fan since the 70s and recently found VDC, I ordered a home and road personalized player t and a Freehan 11 1968 player t and they are awesome shirts, I will definitely be ordering more from them. "Watch that splash on the scoreboard," Keith Hernandez said during his earlier years as a Mets broadcaster. Im here to drive home runs. In 1921 there was no SportsCenter, no 24-hour highlight machine called the Internet. Hammerin Hank Greenberg probably hit more home runs to deep left-center field at Navin Field/Briggs Stadium than any other player. On the first strike out , he threw his bat, so the fans were booing loudly, and banging the wood seats each time he came up to bat! This wasnt even peak Stargell. Fittingly, they lost to Denver, 31-27. 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. The final act came on September 27, 1999. Not bad at all, but ESPN's Home Run Tracker determined that Williams deserves even more credit. I was just glad nobody got hurt in Iraq, he said. It's also not the last time the three-true-outcomes prototype appears on this list. Eleven years before the Milwaukee Brewers drafted his son, Prince, they watched Fielder punish a baseball. Detroit's Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a favorite Mantle hunting ground for legendary home run blasts. 6/14/83: Kirk Gibson's home run clears the right-field roof at Tiger StadiumCheck out http://MLB.com/video for more!About MLB.com: About MLB.com: Baseball Co. Ted Williams said Briggs Stadium had the best sight lines of any ballpark, and that was back when the interior was painted green. After lining out in his next plate appearance, in the fourth inning he faced rookie left-hander Steve Adkins with one on and two out. Jenkinson's findings serve as the basis for the used mark of 530 feet. 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. We will definitely be dealing with Vintage Detroit again. He hit his first home run of the 1961 season there. Excludes Adidas Primegreen jerseys and e-Gift Cards. I was just so impressed by this blast., Harwell told Susman Mantles blast was about the longest weve seen.. Lou Gehrig said goodbye there. 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. Although it was the park where he was booed regularly, Tiger Stadium played a huge role in Maris career. After failing to land free agents Pete OBrien and Kent Hrbek, Tigers general managerBill Lajoie went after Fielder. Kept me posted every step of the way, literally. There is one other football item worthy of note regarding Tiger Stadium. Hurry, offer ends 5/14/23.Use code: "MOM" at checkout! Mike Piazza, 496 Feet (1997) 2 of 16. The Oakland Athletics outfielder stepped up to the plate against Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Dock Ellis, who according to Baseball-Reference.com entered the Midsummer Classic sporting a 2.11 ERA. A+! Some of Susmans work has appeared in a Baseball Digest article on Mantles homers. 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. Thanks! The right field overhang frustrated many outfielders who were camped under a routine flyball only to see it land in the first row upstairs. 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. Can Anyone find any more? Can you name the players who hit the most home runs in each of these ballparks? The ballparks history actually dated back to 17 years before its generally accepted debut. This is not a replacement for the newsletter, but rather a real-time notification system! Jason Thompson. There was never anyone like the Babe, said teammate Herb Pennock, and to have seen him was to see a legend.. 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. 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!). Maybe Mantle didn't quite hit it 565 feetWilliam Jenkinson suggested 510 feet as a better approximation. Outsiders began to look at Tiger Stadium and the neighborhood it was located in a different light. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. It was Hunters first major league home run, and it was a doozy a deep fly to right center field that landed in the lower deck. Although it came nowhere close to 734 feet, ESPN determined an impressive true distance of 503 feet. Not bad at all, but. With apologies to those whose over-reported shots were downgraded or removed, bumping up a career .344/.482/.634 legend feels warranted. Football at Tiger Stadium was an adventure. By the time television and football began its long, happy marriage, Detroit was well established as the home field for the annual Thanksgiving Day game. He handled things so well with the media, fans, and his teammates.. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. Have Your Own Jersey? Because Tiger Stadium is the oldest major league baseball stadium in the United States, and because superb home run hitters such as the Tigers' Harry Heilmann and the Yankees' Babe Ruth, played there many years before Fielder, Killebrew and Howard, readers may wonder why it took so many years to accomplish the rare feat of clearing that left-field roof. Ive spent more than two years of research on this.. 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. I just saw and heard the crowd going crazy.. Few, if. The Tigers scratched out a run in the sixth to tie the game at 7. Matt Monagan A 125-foot flagpole stood just to the left of the 440-foot sign in dead center field. He grabbed his crotch and Sparky was not happy about it. One of the hardest ever at the corner was a blast by Jimmie Foxx deep into left center, just to the left of the center field scoreboard. 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. Without a closer look from ESPN at this Adam Dunn dinger, the lofty 535-foot approximation receives the benefit of the doubt. The most notable one easily was a KISS concert held on June 28, 1996. His name? June 3, 1987, which reportedly went a staggering. Unlike some teams that played in baseball parks, the Lions made no attempt to cover the infield. With no concrete numbers for anything before 2006, evaluating all-time distances remains an inexact science. 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. Since Detroit was driving for a score late in the game, some assumed Hughes was simply trying to stop the clock. Awesome article Dan as usual! I was at a game when Frank Catalonatto hit a ball onto the RF roof down the line, but the ball rolled back off the roof and fell on the field. His power surge included three on May 6 in Toronto and three more on June 6 in Cleveland. Acquired from the then-Anaheim Angels in 2001, the 1995 American League MVP spent his entire first season with the Mets sidelined before returning a shell of himself in 2002. "It has been confirmed that the ball struck against the third house beyond Waveland Avenue, which is situated about 530 feet from home plate," Jenkinson wrote. On July 19, 1968, the Tigers trailed Baltimore 4-3 with one runner on and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning when Matchick, a .226 hitter, lofted a fly ball to right. As I approached the area I quickly realized I was in more an industrial & commercial area then retail. Bo hit this. "Examination of satellite and ground-based digital photos suggests that the 502-foot figure is an accurate measurement of the horizontal distance to the 'Red Seat,' but since the impact point was approximately 30 feet above field level, the ball would have covered more distance before landing at field level, had its flight not been interrupted.". Although other teams joined the rotation (Dallas came first and a third TV game was added in 2006), the Lions still host a Thanksgiving Day game every season. , we can still make definitive evaluations of the approximate landing points of all of his 714 career home runs. Send a Message. Dan: Great column. At the end of its life, it had the shortest right-field and longest center-field distance in major-league baseball.