Tigers vs. Yankees

Lore & Background

The stadium was nicknamed 'The Corner' for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The last Tigers game was held in September 1999, and demolition was completed in September 2009. The site was redeveloped as the Corner Ballpark in 2018.

In Their Own Story

The October wind off the Detroit River bit through the flannel shirt. The old stadium was a cauldron — ten thousand voices layered over the crack of a bat, the thud of a grounder into the glove, the muffled roar that swelled every time a Tiger retired a Yankee. You could smell the hot dogs and the cold concrete. A kid in the third row, maybe eight years old, pressed his face to the railing and watched the pitcher wind up, his small fist clenched. The ball left the hand, crossed the diamond in a white arc, and the kid's fist unclenched into a silent, breathless cheer. Across the country, in a different city, a different crowd was holding its own breath. But here, in this moment, it was just Detroit. Just the crack of the bat. Just the long, proud, aching history of a team that had been here since the very first night the lights came on in 1901, and every single swing was a small argument with the past.

Reader's Guide

Tiger Stadium featured a 125-foot tall flagpole in fair play, an overhang in right field that could turn high fly balls into home runs, and 'obstructed view' seats behind support columns. Lights were installed in 1948, and the stadium had a dirt path from the pitcher's mound to home plate in its final season.

Did You Know?

• Tiger Stadium and Fenway Park opened on the same date in 1912.
• The stadium hosted the Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1939 and 1941 to 1974.
• Babe Ruth hit his 700th career home run at the stadium on July 13, 1934.
• Lou Gehrig ended his consecutive games streak at the stadium on May 2, 1939.