TIGER STADIUM GRAND FINALE: 20 YEARS AGO TODAY

THE COMPLETE GAME FINALE * September 27, 1999 * 760 WJR [A]

THE END | TIGERS WIN ONE FOR ROAD AS FANS GATHER FOR BITTERSWEET LAST CHEER

By Bill McGraw and David Megoya

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The Corner rocked.

Music blared everywhere. So many flashbulbs were popping at times Monday that it seemed as if the Beatles were taking the stage. Strangers talked baseball to strangers.

On the final day at Tiger Stadium, fans staged a festive wake for the old ballpark that featured heavy nostalgia, 65 old-time players and a rooftop grand slam.

The daylong celebration concluded with an emotional ceremony in which groundskeeper Charlie McGee dug up home plate with a pickaxe and took the precious cargo in a motorcade across downtown to the new Comerica Park.

Moments later, a cast of former Tigers took their old positions to loud applause and participated in a ceremonial lowering of the stadium flag.

The evening ended with many of the 43,356 fans standing at their seats, piano music playing over the public address system and the lights slowly going dark for the final time. As some fans daubed tears from their eyes and other beamed wide smiles, beloved announcer Ernie Harwell bid farewell to one of the most historic piece of baseball real estate in America.

“Tonight, we must say goodbye,” Harwell said, “So long old friend. We will remember.”

Cheers for players, stadium

The game highlight was Robert Fick’s based-loaded home run that slammed into the roof in right-field and bounced back into the field. The blast iced the game for the Tigers, and Fick, hardly a household name in the game, was signing autographs well into the night.

After the game, fans grew hoarse cheering for the former Tigers who entered the field from centerfield for the closing ceremony as music from “Braveheart” played. First to appear was Mark “The Bird” Fidrych, the sensation of the mid-1970s who ran to the pitcher’s mound and scooped dirt into a plastic bag.

Players who received some of the loudest cheers were hometown favorites Willie Horton, Kirk Gibson and Ron LeFlore. Fans also screamed for Alan Trammel and Lou Whittaker, Gates Brown and Al Kaline. Some fans seemed stunned to see some long-forgotten heroes as Jim Bunning, Eddie Yost and Charlie (Paw Paw) Maxwell.

“Awesome, just awesome,” gushed Richard Coriaty, 36, a former Detroiter who traveled from Fontana, Calif. for the game.

Coriaty swept his hand toward the field, where the players assembled, dressed in the plain white uniforms with the old English D on their chest. “You know, of all the . . . things that have happened in this city, the one thing we all have in common is those guys out there.”

And the old building that became our field of dreams. END

Douglas Pettinga, 27, of Dearborn lets his sign speak for him before the start of the game at the Corner. (*ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press*)

— Detroit Free Press | Tuesday, September 28, 1999 —

Note: The above article was condensed for this presentation. The article appeared on the front-page of the Detroit Free Press, as dated.

THE COMPLETE GAME FINALE * September 27, 1999 * 760 WJR [B]

— THE FINAL GAME at TIGER STADIUM —

ABOUT THESE RECORDINGS

Motor City Radio Flashbacks presents today the entire ‘Last Game at Tiger Stadium’ as was aired on WJR 760.

Well aware of the stadium’s historic, long anticipated closure scheduled for that day, this author recorded the historic last game and kept (sealed) the 3 tapes ever since — 20 years now having passed.

In 2013, fourteen years after the game was recorded the tapes were played for the very first time. Found to be in remarkable pristine sound at first listen, the recordings were then transferred to CDs (and as back-ups) to preserve and retain the original source.

This past July, I reprocessed the CD files to digitized mp3 format for today’s featured presentation. The entire game (and files) will be archived on this site at a future date.

Comprised of over 5 and a half hours of recorded tapes, you will hear: the entire pre-game ceremonies; the pre-game show; the entire ball game; the post-game show; the entire post-game ceremonies.

You will hear the play-by-play voices of Ernie Harwell and Jim Price. The voices of Dan Dickerson; Paul W. Smith; Steve Courtney; Bo Schembechler; George Kell; Frank Beckmann; Al Kaline; Mike Illitch; Mayor Dennis Archer; Governor John Engler; Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig.

Also (former Tiger manager and Tiger players) Sparky Anderson; Willie Horton; Brad Ausmus; Jeff Weaver; Francisco Cordero (and former ’30s-’40s Tiger great) Elden Auker.

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A DAY TO REMEMBER

In commemoration of the closing of Tiger Stadium, Motor City Radio Flashbacks presents the complete game finale — Kansas City vs. Detroit — as was played at the Corner, Monday, September 27, 1999. Twenty years ago today.

A special day in Tiger history.

— ACKNOWLEDGEMENT —

A special THANK YOU to Charlie O’Brien for his assistance in editing these recordings.

THE LAST HOME RUN * Ernie Harwell * SEPTEMBER 27, 1999

— ABOUT THESE IMAGES —

The above featured images was ‘clipped,’ saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks

— A VIEWING TIP —

To fully appreciate the above featured newspaper images on your PC click on image(s) 2x and open to second window. Click image anytime to return to NORMAL image size.

If viewing on your mobile device, tap over newspaper images. Open to second window. “Stretch” images across your device screen to magnify detailed view.

All images posted in this featured presentation was created in their presented form by the author.

All newspaper images courtesy of the Detroit Free Press

— THE FINAL GAME at TIGER STADIUM —

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The Pre-Game Ceremony

Prior to the final game at Tiger Stadium, a ceremony was held. It was emceed by then current Tiger broadcaster and Ford C. Frick Award recipient Ernie Harwell. At the ceremony, owner Mike Ilitch spoke along with then Michigan governor John Engler, then Detroit mayor Dennis Archer and Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig. Also featured at the ceremony was longtime Tiger right fielder and Hall of Famer Al Kaline.

Instead of both managers exchanging lineups before the game, both clubs appointed honorary captains. Representing the Tigers was Al Kaline and representing the Royals was former MVP and Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett.

The Post-Game Ceremony

The game ended at 7:07 pm. The grounds crew then surrounded home plate. Groundskeeper Charlie McGee, using a pick axe, dug up home plate at 7:13. It would then be transported by Tiger pitchers Matt Anderson, Jeff Weaver, and Francisco Cordero, with police escort, to Comerica Park.

Ernie Harwell then read a history of Tiger Stadium accompanied by music from the movie Field of Dreams. He introduced a film containing images of such Tiger legends as Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings and Harry Heilmann. In addition, the Tigers Hall of Famers were honored: Heinie Manush, Mickey Cochrane, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser, George Kell, and Harwell.

Following remarks from Willie Horton and former manager Sparky Anderson, there emerged from the center field gate players from times past, including Mark Fidrych, Bill Freehan, Dick McAuliffe, Dave Bergman, Mickey Stanley, Willie Horton, Kirk Gibson, Cecil Fielder, Al Kaline, the combination of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, and Elden Auker. A line was formed from the center field flagpole to home plate, along which was passed the flag that had flown from the pole in dead center over the finale.

After Auker passed the flag to catcher Brad Ausmus, players threw souvenirs into the stands as some reached over and put dirt from the warning track into plastic bags. It was at this time that Harwell gave his final goodbye: “Tonight, we say good-bye . . . Farewell, old friend Tiger Stadium. We will remember.”

At 8:19, the scoreboard was shut off. At quarter to nine, a final team picture was taken, and by 9 the stands were empty. As the last of the fans left, a sign was hung on the famous right-center field overhang which read: “Today, there is crying in baseball. So long, old friend.”

(Source: ‘Final Game at Tiger Stadium‘; Wikipedia)