When Tiger Stadium Was Called ‘Navin Field': 1912-1935

The original Tiger Stadium originated in 1895 as Bennett Park when George Vanderbeck had it constructed at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull avenues. As would be expected for a stadium from the late 1800s, it had a wooden grandstand with a peaked roof in the outfield.

To mark the baselines and foul territories, there was no use of chalk; the boundaries were marked by ropes. After fifteen years, it was decided to upgrade. Bennett Park was purchased by new Tigers owner Frank Navin, who insisted on a new stadium. Rather than build at a new location, Bennett Park's wood was removed, and the stadium fixtures were replaced with concrete and steel on the same site.

This new stadium had to be big enough to seat the ever-growing number of baseball fans and the seat number was set at 23,000. The all-new 'Navin Field' opened to Tiger baseball fans on April 20, 1912. One main difference was the location of home plate: it was located in what used to be left field.

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If you saw the film Field of Dreams, you're familiar with the character 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson. He was not just a movie character, but a real player (baseball fans already know this) for the Cleveland Naps. Jackson turned out to be the player who scored the very first run at Navin Field.

Frank Navin died in 1935 at the age of 64 and new Tiger owner Walter Briggs Sr. expanded the seating to 36,000. That was the end of Navin Field, and it was re-named Briggs Stadium. In 1938, the stadium was expanded even further and now held 53,000.

In 1961 the stadium was re-named for the last time, now called Tiger Stadium, which it remained until 2001. It was demolished in 2008.

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