Ballparks – 1 – Old Tiger Stadium, Detroit, MI

The Dead Presidents Quest is done and posted. The State Capitol Odyssey, though many still need to be presented, is only five visits away from completion. What will be the next subject of my photographic wanderlust? I always had a thing for ball parks.

Outside Tiger Stadium, Detroit (2 September 1999)

On September 2, 1999…seventeen years ago today. I know. It’s a sickness. I did not intend to post this on yet another anniversary date. It just happened. I realized it only yesterday. Really.

As a belated birthday present, we arranged a Wisconsin family visit that would include games at two ballparks that were in their final season of occupancy. Flew out on a Thursday morning and scheduled a long layover in Detroit so we could catch one of the last day games on the Tiger’s schedule that season.

Those were the days. You could leave your luggage in an airport locker and spend the day in town, making something of your layover, stimulating the local economy. Airport (and train station) lockers are history. No more convenient, easily accessible storage units for you…where the bad guys can hide bombs in these crowded, public places.

Images and More Sports Editor

Outside Tiger Stadium, Detroit (2 September 1999)

In the end, it was called Tiger Stadium. Before that, Briggs Stadium and Navin Field when it opened in 1912, the same day as Boston’s Fenway Park. Baseball had been played on this site since 1896.

Ty Cobb got his 3000th hit there in 1921. Babe Ruth hit his 700th homer there in 1934. It was where Lou Gehrig sat one out to end his 2130-consecutive game streak in 1939.

Tiger Hall of Famer’s, Tiger Stadium, Detroit (2 September 1999)

Along the upper deck façade on the first base side is a simple ‘Ring of Honor’ that identifies the Tiger players that are in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer and Al Kaline are all-time greats.

Old Steel Girders, Tiger Stadium, Detroit (2 September 1999)

Lots of steel in those days before we knew how 

to hang grandstands with fewer supports. 

Not great views from certain seats.

We ordered our tickets on line and sat in the upper deck, just to the fair side of the right field foul pole. I could tell stories about all the games I attended over the years with the hope of coming away with a souvenir ball. I once did a double header in County Stadium and sat in the upper deck straight behind home plate…where foul balls constantly rain down on patrons. Not when I’m around. I’m the ball repellent.

This was the day my luck would change. Except I didn’t pack a glove for the trip. In the 8th inning, Bobby Higginson hit a line drive home run right at us. I am ashamed to say I wimped out and did not try to catch it with my bare hands. The ball hit the back of an empty seat and nearly careened back onto the playing field. The ball would have gone through me if I were in front of it.

Tiger Stadium, Detroit (2 September 1999)

In the 1930’s, the stadium added a second deck all across the outfield. 

It was the only major league park with a double-deck bleacher section.

Great baseball reference site – BaseballReference.com will give you the box scores of every game since 1914. On this day, the Tigers gave up four homers but scored six runs in the last two innings to pull out an 8-7 win over the first-place Texas Rangers.

The old park held 46,945 and was built for $500,000. In 2000, the Tigers moved into Comerica Park. It holds 41,782 and cost $300 million. One day, I hope to get there as well.