list of home runs hit out of tiger stadium list of home runs hit out of tiger stadium

Willie Horton hit a home run at Tiger Stadium when he was 16 years old during an all-city high school game. The date:April 17, 1953. The right field overhang frustrated many outfielders who were camped under a routine flyball only to see it land in the first row upstairs. Berry lay injured while Horton, who was hardly fleet afoot, circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. Only six batters hit as many as 20 homers that year. Only four players have been confirmed to hit a ball over the left field roof at Tiger Stadium in Detroit: Cecil Fielder, Mark McGwire, Harmon Killebrew, and Frank Howard. Accurately measuring those moonshots isn't much easier. Hammerin Hank Greenberg probably hit more home runs to deep left-center field at Navin Field/Briggs Stadium than any other player. Good article. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the Internet. Maybe Mantle didn't quite hit it 565 feetWilliam Jenkinson suggested 510 feet as a better approximation. 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 seven-hour game is the second longest game in American League history. According to Allied News Jim Sankey, via MLB.coms Matt Monagan, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder submitted seven of 18 balls to clear Forbes Fields 86-foot high roof in right field. Historians generally agree the longest home run hit in the ballpark was probably achieved by Detroit 1B Norm Cash, who ripped a shot over the center field scoreboard in a 1962 game that landed on the roof of a parked taxicab. Eye tests lead to a wide array of biases, but the video evidence helps his case. Kept me posted every step of the way, literally. Righty Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and he jumped on it. A+! His home run ratio of one per 6.6 at-bats ranks seventh on the all-time list. Cleveland, however, commemorated Thome's blast in 2014 by placing a statue of the franchise's all-time homer leader near the landing sight of Progressive Field's longest home run. In his first season wearing the Old English D, Big Daddy hit 51 homers. 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. Back in 21, Navin Field did not yet have the upper deck in center field that would later be a haven for diehard fans. Denny McLain achieved one of the games rarest feats at the place they called The Corner. 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. In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. In his penultimate 2000 season, Glenallen Hill registered a career-high 27 home runs for the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. It was hit into a crosswind. 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. ), But the biggest move came in 1938. The exact distance, however, remains disputed. I was there for Gibsons shot over the roof onto brooks lumber. The hit itself was a gunshot, echoing back from center. Everyone wanted to talk about them but they werent the only ones because there was a guy in Detroit named Fielder.". Ive spent more than two years of research on this.. 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. The second one was Gibbys blast in 1983, when some friends and I got bleacher tickets, and sat dead center, giving us a great view of the ball as it sailed out of the ballpark. In 1984, Kirk Gibson launched a home run into the upper deck in right field in the 8th inning of Game Five of the World Series, sealing the title for the Tigers. A 125-foot flagpole stood just to the left of the 440-foot sign in dead center field. In 80-degree weather on Aug. 25, 1990, Tiger Stadium hosted 45,474 fans eagerto watch the Oakland Athletics' Bash Brothers, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, face off against the Tigers' Cecil Fielder, the league leaderin home runs. Hurry, offer ends 5/14/23.Use code: "MOM" at checkout! in 1926. But the Yankees turned on their old nemesis, knocking him out with seven runs in two innings. Even more unusual for the time, all three games were televised locally in an effort to distract minds of Detroiters. By the way, where did TRAM rank for the amount of HRs he hit during his career with the Tigers when they played at Tigers Stadium for going yard? As a result, no assortment of baseball's longest blasts can be considered 100 percent credible. The latter once flipped off Sparky Anderson after hitting a home run into the right field upper deck in 1993. As a lifelong Tigers fan, I have been fortunate enough to see two players clear the fence. We were all rooting for him and were relieved when he hit that one because it was such a big deal since it had not been done in quite a while. Just ordered the military green Lions shirt and couldn't be happier. Killabrew was in 62. Fielder displayed his power early in spring training. He hits them a long way.". 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. NewHillsboro Hops ballpark The NFL Lions left University of Detroit Stadium to move downtown. Fittingly, they lost to Denver, 31-27. In 1923, Navin increased capacity to 30,000. The Tigers' Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! William Jenkinson, who credited Ruth with setting distance high marks in every MLB ballpark, wrotethe Yankees icon "defies rational analysis": Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say thatRuthis a true athletic anachronism. Mark McGwire made a living socking dingers for the St. Louis Cardinals. Some managers felt a line should be drawn on the pole and that any ball hit above the line would be a home run. 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. What a great game! Reggie was one hell of a master blaster!!!! Shortly thereafter, the city of Detroit bought the park from the team for $1. I was very happy for Cecil.. These were not temp help that knew nothing these were professionals who knew not just everything but were truly looking out for me. Fetzer sold the team to a pizza magnate, Tom Monaghan. There was a huge outcry from traditionalists that the ballpark needed be saved as a historical monument (it had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989). As for why the ballpark was built so big, Tiger Stadium plays a role there, too. He had yielded just four homers during the first half, but Jackson took him deep for an unofficial fifth. 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. Few sluggers were stronger in their prime, making him one of baseball's most feared batters despite his strikeout woes. Jose Canseco hit a home run to center field lower deck. Not bad at all, but ESPN's Home Run Tracker determined that Williams deserves even more credit. (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.) Outsiders began to look at Tiger Stadium and the neighborhood it was located in a different light. Purchased a New Era Gruff Michigan Syaye hat, and I absolutely love it. Although only three strongmen (Frank Howard, Harmon Killebrew, Cecil Fielder) hit balls that went over the roof in left field, several folks shot the ball over the right-field roof. Slate's John Pastiercalculated a similar distance of roughly 479 feet. Service and shipping were exceptional. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Norm Cash hit the most Homeruns over the Stadium. Ill never forget playing the Cardinals in St. Petersburg when Cecil hit home runs against the wind in right field, center field, and left field, said Dick Tracewski, the former longtime Tiger coach. Three Rivers Stadium: 147: Tiger Stadium: 226: T-Mobile Field* 83: Tropicana Field* 129: Turner Field: 226: Veterans Stadium: 265 . "It looks like beer's coming down.". A doctor who was sitting in the stands tore from his seat, broke past an official and ran to help Hughes. But why argue over semantics when we can watch some of MLB's best sluggers sock a few dingers? And the fans got rewarded with unusual moments such as a 22-inning game decided by a player who hit the only home run of his career to decide the game. Awesome article Dan as usual! Be respectful even if you disagree. Bullying, racism, personal attacks, harassment, or discrimination is prohibited. With no concrete numbers for anything before 2006, evaluating all-time distances remains an inexact science. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. In 1921 there was no SportsCenter, no 24-hour highlight machine called the Internet. Strawberry hit another dinger during New York's Opening Day victory and matched his previous season's career high with 39 homers that year. He was the only man to hit 4 home runs in one day in the history of Brigs/Tiger Stadium or Navin Field for that matter. Field of Dreams ballpark (Dyersville, IA) Enter your email address to subscribe to Ballpark Digest and receive notifications of new posts by email immediately when a new story is posted. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. I read that the ball nearly hit a police car on Trumbull ave.That is the longest HR i ever witnessed in person. Mark McGwire's monster home run on May 16, 1998, probably didn't travel 545 feet, as initially estimated. Thats 59 home runs for each team for the entire season. After the game, Yankees management sent a 3-liter bottle of champagne to the Tigers clubhouse. It was later measured to be a 523-foot homer, with the ball landing on the lumber yard across the street from the stadium. Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. He retired with 536 home runs, sixth on the all-time list. Our motto is simple: We enjoy doing cool things and are overjoyed we can make a living doing so. Detroit's Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a favorite Mantle hunting ground for legendary home run blasts. Eric Chesterton 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. Whitaker hit 146 homers at the old ballpark, most of them after he matured into a better power hitter in his late 20s. I found it refreshing to be served by people who truly knew everything and who came across as glad i stopped in and only care about me getting the service beyond what i deserved. The short porch in right field wasnt the only unusual feature of the park. Contact Us 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. Also I remember that it was thought to be a greater fete to hit one over the left field roof than in right field. On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130 consecutive games ended when he asked out of the Yankees lineup complaining of a headache. Baseball commissioner Judge Landis ordered Medwick off the field for his own safety. As ESPN's Home Run Trackerverifies, one moonshot onMay 11, 2000, went 500 feet with a116.7 mph exit velocity. Although few improvements were made to the ballpark over the years, it was still considered a showcase of baseball with a flair for memorable games. 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. Cecil Fielder became a Tigers superstar, thanks to Sparky Anderson's positivity, Dick Tracewski's indelible impact helped Tigers win two World Series titles, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The previous year, the Tigers finished with the worst record in baseball (59-103) and were desperate to find a power-hitting first baseman. Mantle hit the memorable homer off Paul Foytack on Sept. 10, 1960. Hurry, offer ends 5/14/23.Use code: "MOM" at checkout! The Lions abandoned it for the Pontiac Silverdome. Most of those blasts, too, were prodigious, so the Tigers took a chance and signed Fielder. Don said, Just go up there and let it go, hit the damn ball and get it done, Fielder said. Sure, Tiger Stadium was a famously hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for lefties. For everyone's entertainment, Miami should loan Stanton to Colorado and see how much damage he could inflict during a full season at Coors. It was the 485th home run of his career. The first home run in the history of the All-Star Game was hit by none other than Babe Ruth. 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. As i pulled in I quickly understood this was a warehouse & office thinking this is a internet retailer. If not for hitting a transformer on Tiger Stadium's roof, the baseball would have experienced a further journey. The first time, though, was in 1977, when Jason Thompson clubbed one out, literally seconds after my dad told me I think Thompson is gonna crush one out of the stadium. Paul Baldwin and Sam worked together for many years and knew each other well. Just so happened it was a heater and I don't know what happened.". I think they left Dick Allen in 1973 for the White Sox. 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. Robinson flung his glove into the stands in disgust. Order Tracking FAQ, Choose "Free store pickup" at checkout and save $10 off any purchase of $50 or more! I had a chance to see a few games at Fenway, and while it is great, Tiger Stadium was more historic. The bullpens were brought over from the right-field corner, and the old bullpen area near the right-field corner became more seating. Why Ill never sell my Mark Fidrych rookie card, Ken Holloway: Detroits other Yankee Killer, These batters hit the most home runs at Tiger Stadium, #TBT: Tigers power hitting catcher Mickey Tettleton. On September 28, 1964, the league scheduled Detroit to host Green Bay on a Monday night. Most of (Mantles) longest homers were obstructed by lights, roofs or something, Susman said. Over 40 scorching-hot games, Hill hit .333/.378/.735 with 16 homers for the eventual World Series champions. In the years he played for his hometown team, Kirk Gibson frequently displayed his power. When I interviewed Sam he didnt hesitate an instant as he pinpointed the exact landing site.. By the time Detroits Tiger Stadium bade farewell 87 years, it had witnessed 11,111 home runs, six World Series, three memorable All-Star games, NFL Championship games and championship boxing fights. It seemed like Rusty Staub hit more than his fair share of those, and Dave Bergman too.