General Information

Area of fair territory: 113,000 sq. ft.

Area of foul territory: minimal

Fences: 6.5 ft, except CF (5.5 ft)

Elevation: 585 feet

Seating capacity: 46,945
First-season attendance: 402,870 (1912).
Worst-season attendance: 320,972 (1933).
Best-season attendance: 2,704,794 (1984).

Who Played Here: Detroit Tigers (AL)
First Opened: April 20, 1912
First night game: June 15,1948
Last Tigers game: September 27, 1999
Surface: Bluegrass

Architect: Osborn Engineering

Owner: City of Detroit
Cost: $300,000

Dimensions - History

Left field: 345 (1921), 340.58 (1926), 339 (1930), 367 (1931), 339 (1934) 340 (1938), 342 (1939), 340 (1942)

Left-center: 365 (1942)

Center field: 467 (1927), 455 (1930), 464 (1931), 459 (1936), 450 (1937), 440 (1938), 450 (1939), 420 (1942), 440 (1944)

Right-center: 370 (1942), 375 (1982), 370 (current)

Right field: 370 (1921), 370.91 (1926), 372 (1930), 367 (1931), 325 (1936), 315 (1939), 325 (1942), 302 (1954), 325 (1955)

Backstop: 54.35 (1954), 66 (1955)

Fences - History

All Fences: 5 ft - concrete topped by screen

Left field: 20 ft (1935), 30 ft (1937), 10 ft (1938), 12 ft (1940), 15 ft (1946), 12 ft (1953), 14 ft (1954), 12 ft (1955), 11 ft (1958), 9 ft (1962)

Center field: 9 ft (1940), 15 ft (1946), 11 ft (1950), 9 ft (1953), 14 ft (1954), 9 ft (1955)

Right of flag pole: 7 ft (1946)

Right field: 8 ft (1940), 30 ft (1944), 10 ft (1945), 20 ft (1950), 8 ft (1953), 9 ft (1958), 30 ft (1961), 9 ft (1962)

Flag pole: 125 in play (5 feet in front of fence in center field, just left of dead center).

Capacity - History

1912: 23,000

1923: 30,000

1937: 52,416

Fun Facts

• Highest home run factor in AL in 1998 and in 1999

• Highest RHR factor in AL in 1998 and in 1999

• Lowest double factor in AL in 1998

• Highest error factor in AL in 1998

• The 125-foot flagpole in deep center, just to the left of the 440 mark, was in play; it was the highest outfield obstacle ever in play in baseball history.

• Originally called Navin Field (after team owner Frank Navin), the ballpark changed its name to Briggs Stadium in 1938 and finally to Tiger Stadium in 1961.

• This was the only double-decked bleachers in the majors; upper deck from left-center to center, lower deck from center to right-center.

Seating Chart