I just want to say, “Great Job!” to our Tigers! I know that we are all a little disappointed in the outcome of the World Series, but the Detroit Tigers had a great season! It is sad to say that we have to wait months and months until we can once again watch our Tigers take the field. So, for now, we will all try to satiate our need for Detroit sports with the Lions while the Tigers rest up for another great season in 2013.
Thanks for a great season Tigers!
June 24, 1962
The Tigers played the longest game in baseball history.
The twenty-two-inning game against New York lasted seven hours. Yankee Jack Reed hit a two-run homer, the only one of his 222-game career, in the top of the twenty-second inning to beat the Tigers 9-7.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
June 22, 1937
Joe Louis won his first heavyweight title.
After training vigorously for the opportunity to take on defending heavyweight champion James Braddock, Detroit’s Joe Louis stepped into the ring at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. After biding his time in the early rounds, Louis hit Braddock with what he called the DOA, “Dead On your A–,” which consisted of a left to the body and a right to the chin. The first punch knocked Braddock off balance. The second one took him off his feet. Braddock whirled and fell on his face. He later said the punch felt like “someone jammed an electric bulb in my face and busted it. I couldn’t have got up if they offered me a million dollars.” Joe Louis was the new heavyweight champion of the world.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
June 8, 1926
Babe Ruth came to Detroit.
Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees hit one of the longest home runs in the history of Detroit’s Navin Field. The homer measured 626 feet. After clearing the fence, it bounced off the tops of several cars before being retrieved a block from the stadium.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
May 20, 1921
Hal Newhouser was born in Detroit.
As a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, Newhouser was one of the most dominant pitchers of the 1940s. He captured his first MVP award in 1944 after leading the majors with a 29-9 record and was named MVP in 1945 with 25 wins, 212 strikeouts and a 1.81 ERA. He was named to the All-Star Team seven times, pitched 313.1 innings in 1945 and led the American League in victories four times and twice in strikeouts and ERA. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 and his uniform number was retired in 1997.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
Here at Michigan is Amazing, we don’t like to share the negative. However, we feel it’s important to pay tribute to a man that so many generations of Michiganders know and love. Ernie Harwell was the voice of the Tigers for over four decades.
Tuesday May 4, 2010 Mr. Harwell passed away at the age of 92. As he said in his final sign-off in 2002, “Now God has a new adventure for me.” No other words seem more fitting. Your voice will live on forever in the minds of baseball fans everywhere, but especially for those here in Michigan.
Rest in Peace Ernie…we’ll miss you.
To read more on Ernie, click here.
April 22, 1938
Briggs Stadium was dedicated.
The several-year expansion of Navin Field was completed as the Detroit Tigers opened the new season. New construction added approximately 20,000 seats, pushing stadium capacity to more than 53,000 seats. The remodeled field was named for Walter O. Briggs Sr., the Tigers owner. Beginning in 1938, the Detroit Lions started playing their games at Briggs Stadium. They remained there until 1975, when the team moved to the Pontiac Silverdome.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
April 13, 1896
Baseball was played at Michigan & Trumbull for the first time.
The Detroits, as the Tigers were known then, played a local semi-professional team called the Athletics. The Detroits clobbered the Athletics with a six-run first inning that helped end the game 30-3.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
April 6, 1971
Detroit Tigers had their largest opening-day attendance.
The Tigers beat Cleveland 8-2 before the largest opening-day crowd, 54,089, in the team’s history.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
March 24, 1936
The Red Wings played the longest Stanley Cup game in history.
The Detroit Red Wings played an NHL Stanley Cup play-off game against the Montreal Maroons that combined 60 minutes of regulation play and 116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime. Detroit won 1-0 and went on to win the series and their first Stanley Cup.
Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past. See more here.
Michigan is Amazing 