Tiger Stadium (Detroit)

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Tiger Stadium
The Corner
The Tiger Stadium in 2005
The Tiger Stadium in 2005
Earlier names

Navin Field (1912-1938)
Briggs Stadium (1938-1960)

Data
place 2121 Trumbull Avenue Detroit , Michigan 48216
United StatesUnited States
Coordinates 42 ° 19 '55 "  N , 83 ° 4' 8"  W Coordinates: 42 ° 19 '55 "  N , 83 ° 4' 8"  W.
owner Detroit Tigers (1912–1977)
City of Detroit (1977–2009)
start of building 1911
opening April 20, 1912
demolition June 30, 2008 to September 21, 2009
surface Natural grass
costs 300,000 US dollars
architect Osborn Engineering
capacity 23,000 places (1912)
30,000 places (1923)
52,416 places (1937)
playing area Left field - 340 ft (104 m)
Left-center field - 365 ft (111 m)
Center field - 440 ft (134 m)
Right-center field - 370 ft (113 m)
Right field - 325 ft (99 m)
Backstop - 66 ft (20 m)
Societies)
Events

The Tiger Stadium (formerly Navin Field and Briggs Stadium ) was a ballpark in the US city of Detroit in the state of Michigan . Opened in 1912, the stadium was home to the Detroit Tigers MLB baseball team , which now play their home games in Comerica Park . The NFL football team Detroit Lions , who now play at Ford Field, also played here. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 . His nickname "The Corner" ( english The corner ) bears the stadium because of its location at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue. After the baseball team moved to Comerica Park, there were several unsuccessful attempts to preserve the stadium, so it was finally demolished on September 21, 2009. The actual playing field was retained and is still used by fans today.

In early 2011, the Detroit Free Press announced that Motor City Blight Busters volunteers had made the pitch playable again.

history

The beginnings

World Series game at Bennett Park on October 11, 1909

In 1895, the Detroit Tigers owner George Vanderbeck built a new ballpark at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. The stadium was named Bennett Park (named after Charlie Bennett , not to be confused with the park of the same name in New York ). It mainly consisted of a covered wooden grandstand and uncovered seats.

In the 20th century

Navin Field in 1920

In 1911 the new owner of the Tigers, Frank Navin, ordered the construction of a new steel and concrete stadium that could hold 23,000 spectators. On April 20, 1912, Navin Field opened on the same day as Fenway Park of the Boston Red Sox .

Over the years the stadium has been expanded to include additional seats. After Frank Navin's death in 1935, the stadium was expanded to 36,000 seats by the new owner, Walter Briggs. In 1938 the city of Detroit moved Cherry Street so that the stadium (now called Briggs Stadium ) could be expanded to 53,000 seats.

In the same year, the Detroit Lions football team began playing their home games at Briggs Stadium. They played there until 1974 before moving to the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac , Michigan .

In 1961 the stadium was finally renamed Tiger Stadium by the then owner John Fetzer . The stadium hosted the World Series victories of the Tigers in 1968 and 1984 .

Even if the stadium was outdated in the 1970s and 80s, it was popular with many fans because of its history, as many seats were close to the field and therefore close to the action. In 1977 the Tigers sold the stadium to the city of Detroit, which in turn leased it to the Tigers. As part of this sale, the green wooden seats were replaced by blue and orange plastic seats and the interior of the stadium was painted blue.

In 1992, the new owner Mike Ilitch expanded the stadium to include Tiger Den (area with upholstered seats and service) and Tiger Plaza (shopping area outside the stadium).

After the Major League strike in 1994, the decision was made to build a new stadium, although many were committed to preserving the old stadium. Finally, in 1997, construction of the new Comerica Park began.

The last game

On September 27, 1999, the last game took place at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers won 8-2 against the Kansas City Royals with a grand slam from first base men Robert Fick in the 8th inning . After the game there was a graduation ceremony with former and then current stars of the Tigers. In the 2000 season, the Tigers moved to Comerica Park.

The 21st century

From 1999 to early 2006, the city of Detroit invested nearly $ 4 million in maintaining the stadium.

In the summer of 2000, the HBO baseball film 61 * by director Billy Crystal was shot in the stadium . The film describes the attempt by New York Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris to break the record of 60 home runs in one season set up by teammate Babe Ruth . Maris managed to do this too. The stadium has been repainted to give it the appearance of Yankee Stadium . An additional row of seats, logos and the environment were digitally added. After filming was over, the stadium was returned to its original state.

On February 4th and 5th, the Bud Bowl 2006 of the American brewery Anheuser-Busch took place in a tent in the stadium . One of the performing artists was Snoop Dogg .

demolition

Rows of seats at Center Field during the demolition

Many private investors showed interest in saving the stadium after it was closed. This even included plans to convert the stadium into a residential complex. One of the more serious ideas was to establish a minor league team. The Navin Field should serve as a template for this and be expanded to include museums, shops and conference rooms.

The demolition was inevitable when Detroit mayor at the time, Kwame Kilpatrick , announced the demolition for the following year.

Stadium with removed lettering

On December 18, 2006, the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC) held a tour of the stadium with the aim of holding an auction to auction parts of the stadium as memorabilia. After dismantling these (non-structural) parts such as seats, signs, etc. the demolition should be continued.

In June 2007 the DEGC made its offer official. This initially seemed to end the long discussion about the whereabouts of the old stadium.

On July 27, 2007, Detroit City Council passed plans to demolish it before September of the following year. However, the DEGC was not commissioned to do this. The illuminated sign “TIGER STADIUM” and some seats were dismantled, but never auctioned. Instead, they were donated to the Detroit Historical Society .

The contract for the demolition was finally awarded to DEGC on April 22, 2008, with the condition that the costs should not be borne by the city, but that the demolition should be financed by selling the scrap metal. Demolition began on June 30th with the wall behind the bleachers toward Interstate 75 at the intersection of Trumbull Avenue. The demolition of the Left Field grandstands made it possible to look back into the stadium for the first time since the 1930s (at which time the two-story grandstand was built).

When the city rejected a 33.4 million US dollar project by the Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy to preserve the stadium on June 7, 2009 with 7 to 1 votes, the decision was made to demolish the remaining parts of the stadium. The attempt to obtain an injunction in court failed on June 7, 2008, and work continued that same day.

The last part of the construction fell on September 21, 2009.

Others

gallery

  • Tiger Stadium in January 2005

  • Tiger Stadium in the Corktown neighborhood.

  • View behind the bullpen , November 2007.

  • Tiger Stadium with seats dismantled in November 2007.

Web links

Commons : Tiger Stadium  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Volunteers asked cleanup at the old Tiger Stadium baseball field. Detroit Free Press, accessed April 7, 2011 .
  2. ↑ Wayne Drehs: A six-pack to go at Tiger Stadium's hallowed ground. ESPN, February 6, 2006, accessed December 15, 2010 .
  3. ↑ http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060326/OPINION03/603260337/1004/SPORTS (link not available)
  4. ↑ Welcome to Tiger Stadium Sale. Schnieder Industries, accessed December 15, 2010 .
  5. ^ Bill McGraw: Tiger Stadium's demise begins today. Freep.com, July 9, 2008, accessed December 15, 2010 .
  6. ^ The Associated Press: Tiger Stadium field, foul poles to be saved. ESPN, July 10, 2008, accessed December 15, 2010 .
  7. ↑ Ben Leubsdorf: So long: Detroit board OKs leveling Tiger Stadium. In: USA Today. June 2, 2009, accessed December 15, 2010 .
  8. ↑ Jason Beck: Demolition of Tiger Stadium resumes. Detroit judge lifts conservancy's temporary injunction. (No longer available online.) MLB.com, Aug 9, 2006, archived from the original on June 15, 2011 ; accessed on December 15, 2010 (English).