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Built in 1912, Detroit's Tiger Stadium provided unmatched access for generations of baseball fans. Based on a classic grandstand design, its development through the 20th century reflected the booming industrial city around it. Emphasizing utility over adornment and offering more fans affordable seats near the field than any other venue in sports, it was in every sense a working-class ballpark that made the game the central focus.
Drawing on the perspectives of historians, architects, fans and players, the authors describe how Tiger Stadium grew and adapted and then, despite the efforts of fans, was abandoned and destroyed. It is a story of corporate welfare, politics and indifference to history pitted against an enduring love of place. Chronological diagrams illustrate the evolution of the playing field.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: History and Background
A Century on Common Ground I: Bennett Park and Navin Field (Michael Betzold)
A Century on Common Ground II: Briggs Stadium and Tiger Stadium (Michael Betzold)
Detroit Lions Roar at Briggs Stadium (Bill Dow)
Longevity and Adaptability: Tiger Stadium's Evolution, Architecture,
Functionality, Structure and Urban Context (John Pastier with Drawings by John Davids)
The Mallparking of America: Tiger Stadium and the Subsidy Game (Neil deMause)
Losing Tiger Stadium, 1987-1997 (Frank Rashid)
The Battle for Sacred Ground, 1998-2011 (Rebecca Long with a 2016 Postscript by Michael Betzold)
Part II: Memories
Tiger Stadium Souvenirs (Bill Dow)
Tiger Stadium in Literature (Michael P. Gruber)
Tiger Stadium Memories and Stories
¿¿From the Stands
¿¿From the Workers
¿¿From the Booth
¿¿From the Gridiron
¿¿From the Diamond
"The Biggest House in the Neighborhood": Living Near Tiger Stadium (Frank Rashid)
The Stadium: An Essay in Memory of George Cantor (Tom DeLisle)
For the Love of the Game (Karen Elizabeth Bush)
Closer (Todd Jones)
Reflections on the Closing of Tiger Stadium
¿¿The Final Opener (Kim Stroud)
¿¿The Final Week (Judy Davids)
¿¿The Navin Field Grounds Crew (John Davids)
¿¿Elegy for Tiger Stadium (Jim Daniels)
Appendix 1: 161 Baseball Hall of Famers Who Played at the Tiger Stadium Site (Bill Dow)
Appendix 2: The 15 All-Star Game Home Runs Hit at Briggs/Tiger Stadium (Bill Dow)
Appendix 3: The Lions' Most Memorable Games at Tiger Stadium (Bill Dow)
A Select Bibliography of Works About Tiger Stadium (Compiled by Frank Rashid)
About the Contributors
Index
About the author
Michael Betzold is a former reporter, columnist, and copyeditor for the Detroit Free Press. He lives in Detroit.John Davids, an architect at Kingscott Associates, produced The Cochrane Plan for renovating Tiger Stadium. He lives in Royal Oak, Michigan.Bill Dow has written about Detroit sports history for the Detroit Free Press and Baseball Digest. He lives in Birmingham, Michigan.
