There was a period of time when both Detroit's Tigers and Lions were the standard for winning. From 1935 to 1984, the Tigers and Lions won seven championships between them. The hub of all of that winning often resided in the expansive confines of Tiger Stadium.
The Conception
The Tigers had been playing in an old wooden shoebox of a ballpark called Bennett Park since 1896. While they hadn't won much, they had developed a healthy following and by the 1910's decided that they were better off in a stadium constructed of the modern amenities of concrete and steel. At the end of 1911, they bulldozed Bennett Park and built a new stadium where their old home once stood, on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenue.
The Osborn Engineering Company led the project with tons of confidence, having recently finished structures such as Cleveland's League Park, Washington D.C.'s Griffith Stadium and in the coming years would construct Notre Dame Stadium and Cleveland Municipal Stadium as well as one of the cookie-cutter venues, Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium. After breaking ground in October 1911, Navin Field opened to the public just in time for the new season to begin on April 20, 1912.
The Glory Years
Named for Tigers owner Frank Navin, Navin Field first served as the backdrop for a Detroit Tigers victory on April 20, 1912 as pitcher George Mullin beat the Cleveland Naps 6-5 in 11 hard-fought innings by hitting the walk-off single to left field. Having originally opened to a sizeable capacity of 23,000, Navin Field underwent the first of several expansions just 11 years later when a second deck was added between the first and third baselines. Along with a press box added to the top of the roof, t he capacity increased to 30,000.
Having been to and lost four previous World Series, the Detroit Tigers were determined to win it all in 1935. Led by manager Mickey Cochrane, they reached the Fall Classic where they battled the Chicago Cubs for supremacy of the baseball world. Finally, on Monday, October 7, Goose Goslin hit a walk-off single to end Game Six and the series, giving Detroit its first World Series championship. Exactly two weeks later, new owner Walter O. Briggs changed the old ballpark's name to Briggs Stadium.
The newly christened Briggs Stadium underwent another expansion the following year as the second deck was extended down the first base line and around right field to increase the seating capacity to 36,000. The following year, the second deck was again extended around the third base line. At this point it was completely enclosed, except for a gap between double decks in right and left field which was aptly filled in with two decks of bleachers and a scoreboard that hanged above. At a capacity of 54,500, Briggs Stadium was one of baseball's largest venues.
In 1938, Briggs Stadium welcomed the Lions who had recently moved from the tiny town of Portsmouth, Ohio. The following year, Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig handed in the lineup card to the umpire in front of a crowded Briggs Stadium. For the first time in 2,130 games, Gehrig's names was not on the list. In a short while, he would announce that he had the disease that now bears his name.
Although it was the heyday of outdoor boxing, the sport never really caught on at Nevin Field/Briggs/Tiger Stadium. Still, the venue had its moments. Most memorably, adopted son Joe Louis successfully defended his title for the eighth time against Bob Pastor in front of a crowd of more than 33,000 in September 1939.
After years of irrelevance, the Lions were ready to roar in the 1950's with a stacked roster led by Hall of Famer Bobby Layne and Doak Walker leading one of the decade's finest. Having beaten the other preeminent team of the decade, the Cleveland Browns, in the 1952 NFL Championship at Cleveland, the Lions met their nemesis in a rematch the very next year at Briggs Stadium. Doak Walker and Bobby Layne were responsible for the game's first and last touchdowns as the Lions successfully defended their crown on their home turf, winning 17-16.
Four years later, the Lions clawed their way back from a 20-point deficit to win the Western Conference title in San Francisco to stamp their ticket to the NFL Championship Game at Briggs Stadium. They pounded the Browns 59-14 and held their precocious rookie running back Jim Brown to just 69 yards on the ground. It remains their last championship.
Four years later, the stadium was renamed for the final time: Tiger Stadium. Tragedy struck the Lions in 1971. They were battling the Chicago Bears when late in the game, wide receiver Chuck Hughes keeled over and died right there on the field at Tiger Stadium. In accordance to the times, the game continued and the Lions lost. Hughes remains the only player to ever die in an NFL game. The Lions moved to Pontiac in 1975, leaving Tiger Stadium all to its original occupants.
A fire destroyed the press box in 1977 and the city of Detroit bought the stadium for a dollar the next year with the purpose of extensive renovations. While the stadium had originally been built with just $300,000, over the period of seven years, Detroit sunk $18.5 million into the project. Over that stretch, it replaced the old green seats for new orange and blue ones, brought in a new video scoreboard to replace the hand operated one, built a new press box with luxury suites and updated the concessions and restrooms. With a fresh splash of blue and white siding added to the stadium's facade, Tiger Stadium was ready for its final sprint to immortality.
The Final Years
The Tigers were on a roll. After beginning the year an incredible 35-5, they finished it in style by dusting off the Padres 8-4 before a rollicking Tiger Stadium. It remains their last World Series title. As the years rolled on by, Tiger Stadium began to show its age, remaining both a place of nostalgic beauty and and eyesore to fans and the league. Finally, owner Mike Illitch had had enough and announced that he was building a new stadium.
The Tigers ended their time at "the Corner" on September 27, 1999 by beating the Kansas City Royals 8-2. The stadium stayed upright for almost a decade after as the city and various groups debated what to do with the site that had long ago been named as a historical landmark for both the state of Michigan as well as America. But eventually, the wrecking ball came down on the old relic of yesteryear.
As it was torn down from July 2008 through September 2009, many remembered the good times, all of the triumphs by both the Tigers and Lions as well as the concerts held by the likes of Nat King Cole, Kiss and the Eagles as well as a memorable speech given by the legendary South African leader Nelson Mandela in 1990 in front of an adoring throng of 49,000. Today, the site that bore witness to so many great moments in the Motor City is now the home of the Detroit Police Athletic League's Corner Ballpark.
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