Bennett Park
Encyclopedia
Bennett Park was a ballpark
, named after Charlie Bennett
, that formerly existed in Detroit, Michigan
, at Michigan and Trumbull. It was home to the Detroit Tigers
. The ballclub began play here 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 but was still officially a minor league. The AL declared itself a major league starting in 1901.
Bennett Park was home to the first nighttime baseball game in Detroit. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/COL27/80722064 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. Nighttime baseball wouldn't return to Detroit until June 15, 1948, when the first game under the lights was played at Briggs Stadium.
The ballpark sat 5,000 when opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14,000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season. That did not count the "wildcat" bleachers that were built on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence.
This small ballpark enjoyed some big success, as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb
won three consecutive pennants during 1907-1909. Unfortunately, their success ran out in the post-season on each occasion, losing to stronger National League
teams in the World Series
. This ballpark is hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs
, as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their only World Series championships.
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 degrees, with home plate where the left field corner had formerly been.
Baseball park
A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...
, named after Charlie Bennett
Charlie Bennett
Charles Wesley Bennett was a catcher in Major League Baseball.-Career overview:Born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Bennett played 15 seasons in the major leagues. He played in 1062 games, had a .340 on base percentage and collected 978 hits, 203 doubles, 67 triples, 55 home runs, and 533 RBIs...
, that formerly existed in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, at Michigan and Trumbull. It was home to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. The ballclub began play here 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
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in 1900 but was still officially a minor league. The AL declared itself a major league starting in 1901.
Bennett Park was home to the first nighttime baseball game in Detroit. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080722/COL27/80722064 On September 24, 1896, the Tigers played their last game of their first season at Bennett Park, an exhibition doubleheader against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
. Tigers owner George Arthur Vanderbeck had workers string lights above the stadium for the nighttime game. Nighttime baseball wouldn't return to Detroit until June 15, 1948, when the first game under the lights was played at Briggs Stadium.
The ballpark sat 5,000 when opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14,000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season. That did not count the "wildcat" bleachers that were built on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence.
This small ballpark enjoyed some big success, as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
won three consecutive pennants during 1907-1909. Unfortunately, their success ran out in the post-season on each occasion, losing to stronger National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
teams in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. This ballpark is hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their only World Series championships.
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 degrees, with home plate where the left field corner had formerly been.