Bennett Park was a ballpark in Detroit. Located at Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, it was home to the Detroit Tigers and was named after Charlie Bennett, a former player whose career ended after a train accident in 1894.
Bennett Park
Bennett Park on October 12, 1907, in a World Series game between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, Detroit, Michigan
The Tigers began play at Bennett Park in the minor Western League with a 17–2 win over the Columbus Senators on April 28, 1896. That league was renamed the American League in 1900, and the AL declared itself a major league starting in 1901.
The ballpark sat 5,000 when it opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14,000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season. When the American League became a major league in 1901 the ballpark seated 8,500, the smallest park in the majors.[1] Private parties built "Wildcat" bleachers on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence, to the chagrin of Tiger ownership, since people paid to watch games from those bleachers but the Tigers did not get revenue.[1]
The park was noted for its dangerous playing surface, with cobblestones beneath the dirt and sometimes protruding over the dirt.[1]
This small ballpark enjoyed some big success, as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb won three consecutive pennants during 1907–1909. However, their success ran out in the post-season on each occasion, when they lost to stronger National League teams in the World Series. This ballpark was hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs, as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their first two World Series championships (and their last one for over a century, until 2016).
Between the 1911 and 1912 seasons, the Tigers acquired the rest of the block, demolished both the wildcat bleachers and Bennett Park, and built Navin Field on the same site, though the new stadium was shifted by 90°, with home plate where the left field corner had formerly been.
Bennett Park was home to the first nighttime baseball game in Detroit.[2] On September 24, 1896, the Tigers played their last game of their first season at Bennett Park, an exhibition doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds. Tigers owner George Arthur Vanderbeck had workers string lights above the stadium for the nighttime game. A crowd of 1200 attended the experiment, which was described by a local newspaper as "an amusing and financial success".[2]
Nighttime baseball did not return to Detroit until June 15, 1948, when the first game under the lights was played at Briggs Stadium.
World Series baseball game at Bennett Park on October 11, 1909.
bennett, park, detroit, bennett, park, ballpark, detroit, located, michigan, trumbull, avenues, home, detroit, tigers, named, after, charlie, bennett, former, player, whose, career, ended, after, train, accident, 1894, bennett, parkbennett, park, october, 1907. Bennett Park was a ballpark in Detroit Located at Michigan and Trumbull Avenues it was home to the Detroit Tigers and was named after Charlie Bennett a former player whose career ended after a train accident in 1894 Bennett ParkBennett Park on October 12 1907 in a World Series game between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs Detroit MichiganLocationDetroitCapacity5 000 1896 14 000 by 1911 ConstructionOpenedApril 28 1896Closed1911Demolished1911 to build Navin FieldTenantsDetroit Tigers MLB 1896 1911 The Tigers began play at Bennett Park in the minor Western League with a 17 2 win over the Columbus Senators on April 28 1896 That league was renamed the American League in 1900 and the AL declared itself a major league starting in 1901 Contents 1 History 1 1 First night game 2 References 3 External linksHistory edit nbsp Bennett Park outline in 1897The ballpark sat 5 000 when it opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14 000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season When the American League became a major league in 1901 the ballpark seated 8 500 the smallest park in the majors 1 Private parties built Wildcat bleachers on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence to the chagrin of Tiger ownership since people paid to watch games from those bleachers but the Tigers did not get revenue 1 The park was noted for its dangerous playing surface with cobblestones beneath the dirt and sometimes protruding over the dirt 1 This small ballpark enjoyed some big success as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb won three consecutive pennants during 1907 1909 However their success ran out in the post season on each occasion when they lost to stronger National League teams in the World Series This ballpark was hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their first two World Series championships and their last one for over a century until 2016 Between the 1911 and 1912 seasons the Tigers acquired the rest of the block demolished both the wildcat bleachers and Bennett Park and built Navin Field on the same site though the new stadium was shifted by 90 with home plate where the left field corner had formerly been First night game edit nbsp Bennett Park during the 1907 World SeriesBennett Park was home to the first nighttime baseball game in Detroit 2 On September 24 1896 the Tigers played their last game of their first season at Bennett Park an exhibition doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds Tigers owner George Arthur Vanderbeck had workers string lights above the stadium for the nighttime game A crowd of 1200 attended the experiment which was described by a local newspaper as an amusing and financial success 2 Nighttime baseball did not return to Detroit until June 15 1948 when the first game under the lights was played at Briggs Stadium nbsp World Series baseball game at Bennett Park on October 11 1909 References edit a b c Ferkovich Scott Bennett Park Detroit Society for American Baseball Research Retrieved 2018 03 29 a b Falling stadium lights have history Freep com Detroit Free Press Archived from the original on 2009 06 05 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bennett Park Detroit Baseball Almanac comPreceded byBoulevard Park Home of the Detroit Tigers1896 1911 Succeeded byTiger Stadium42 19 56 N 83 4 5 W 42 33222 N 83 06806 W 42 33222 83 06806 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bennett Park Detroit amp oldid 1153775261, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
