A good portion of the book Deadball takes place in Detroit during Byron Bennett’s pilgrimage to the motor city for the Tiger’s final season at the Corner of Michigan and Trumbull.

Tiger Stadium Detroit, August 1999

In Deadball, Byron visits Tiger Stadium in May 1999 for a three-game series against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Entrance to Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Gate 1, at the Corner of Michigan and Trumbull

The trip I took to Detroit that season was later in the summer, during the Orioles’ final road visit to Tiger Stadium.

Orioles Pitchers from left Jason Johnson (41), B.J. Ryan (52), Mike Timlin (40), Al Reyes, Jesse Orosco (47), Sidney Ponson, and Doug Johns

My trip to Detroit was taken long before I came up with the story line for Deadball, although much of the atmosphere of Tiger Stadium described in the book came from that visit.

View of Tiger Stadium, Detroit, from section 144 August 1999

I recall being disappointed and amazed on that trip that the City of Detroit would allow such an incredible historical time piece to slip away, just as Baltimore was in the process of doing with Memorial Stadium.

View of Right Field Porch, Tiger Stadium, Detroit

The view of the field, obstructed by iron support columns, helped give Tiger Stadium character that has been stripped from today’s modern ballparks.

View of the right field corner seating from the upper deck cat walk, Tiger Stadium, Detroit

The Corner of Michigan and Trumbull remains hallowed ground, even though Tiger Stadium is now long gone.  As Byron Bennett would have observed, it is now just another lost ballpark.

View of the Corner of Michigan and Trumbull, and Downtown Detroit, from Top of Tiger Stadium