Does anyone notice that the players tunnels are right under the fans tunnels in the lower deck stands? This is kind of funny, because why would you want a hollow area beneath another hollow area? However, the concrete and steel in this building was overbuilt (it was harder, and took longer to demolish) and probably could, with adequate maintenance, lasted another hundred years!
@John Sabp Well then, why were Fenway Park and Wrigley Field updated considerably during the last going on twenty years? Also, the original Yankee Stadium was completely rebuilt in 1974-75, and lasted until they built the new one from 2006-09.
This tunnel was, in fact, built in 1941, after the last major stadium addition in 1938! Between 1912 and 1940, visiting players had to use the same tunnel as the Tigers did at the left field end of the third base dugout, then enter the Tigers clubhouse, exit from there into the ground level concourse and walk through the crowd around home plate and enter their clubhouse on the first base side! Also, they had a rollup door from the street to enter the park from their hotel when they first came to play the Tigers! On the third base side there was a similar roll up door for the Tigers, and the media! The media parked their trucks on Cochrane Ave., and ran cables through the vent grills above the sidewalk to avoid being a safety hazard for all of the people entering gates 13, 14, and 15 (the home plate corner gate)! Gates 9-12 were in the left field corner, 8 was in center, 7,6,5,and 4 were right field, and 1-3 were under the front office in the right field corner! Oh, and 16-29 were along Michigan Avenue, with 30 being an exit under the front office! 25 was the advance ticket office! In fact, 18 was that visitors clubhouse entrance, and the door inside the stadium read "Visitors Clubhouse, No Visitors Allowed". Even on the home clubhouse, Walter Owen Briggs had put a similar sign! Something about not letting strategy out to player's friends! A tunnel arrangement existed quite like this at Fenway Park until the 1990s or so, but in reverse, because the Red Sox clubhouse is on the first base side.
Being a Boston guy I always loved watching when the red Sox would travel to Detroit. To me it had it all over Wrigley. Tiger fans let the old ball yard keep you warm in the winter. Never getting there is still one of my great life mistakes I could have easily rectified. Stupid me.
this was one beautiful ballpark. i wonder why the city of detroit tore it down? why didn`t they build a simular ballpark like tiger stadium? i`m from baltimore, my grandpa lived in detroit, and i cried when they tore down this stadium, and hate comerica park
This was from the final season of 1999, not 98. The Patio Grill signs are missing over centerfield upper deck (look for their less faded area at 3:38). The Big Kmart ad in left field was exclusive to the 1999 season. And the 1912-1999 logo was next to the foul poles at the outfield walls.
4:35 Little know fact. The fence in center field was actually 428 feet. It was once 440 feet, but it was moved in 12 feet and squared off, but they never changed the distance marked on the wall. If you look closely you can see the old fence back behind it.
Babe Ruth Jimmy Foxx Lou Gehrig Joe D. Ted Williams on and on all played on that field. I read years ago visiting players where always hitting there heads on dugout roof. I can see why. Its was historical but as you can see inside it was close to being a dump.
Too bad they didn’t allow these excited fans on the playing field or into the Home dugout and locker room. I would love to have seen Comerica’s design pay tribute to the old park, perhaps with a RF over-hang and the original outfield dimensions (minus the flag pole which I never understood). I think that may have satisfied many of the traditionalists who understandably loved the nostalgic appeal of Tiger Stadium. I miss it as well.
Obviously, people were considerably shorter and smaller in 1912, as well as 1941! Can you imagine football players, especially with shoulder pads on trying to fit through these tunnels? Oh, and when they cut this tunnel in, why didn't they make it the opposite as on the third base side? This one is a straight walk into the dugout, about a quarter to a third from the right field side! This is why there is a short bench to the right, and the main long bench to the left!
The dugouts at Comerica are twice as big as necessary. Once again, Comerica overcompensated for the shortcomings of Tiger Stadium. Could easily have put a few more expensive seats there.
This place sort of reminds me of the old Yankee Stadium. Tiger Stadium actually "played" the role of that in the film 61* in 2000. Bummer the Tigers had to move out of here, and tear it down a decade later too. At least the city sort of tried to preserve the venue as long as they possibly could have by not knocking it down right away like with other no longer used ballparks, but still though.
