Bennett Park

About Bennett Park

Bennett Park, located at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull in Detroit, was named after Charlie Bennett, a beloved catcher who lost both legs in a tragic railway accident in 1894. The tribute was deeply personal — Bennett threw out the ceremonial first pitch from a wheelchair at the park's dedication, and Detroit fans adored him for it. The wooden grandstand occupied the exact corner where Tiger Stadium would later stand, making it the beginning of one of baseball's most storied addresses.

Ty Cobb arrived at Bennett Park in 1905 and immediately began terrorizing American League pitching with his fierce, combative style of play. The Tigers won back-to-back American League pennants in 1907 and 1908 while playing here, facing Cobb's former Georgia friend Honus Wagner and the Pittsburgh Pirates in one Series and the Cubs in the other. Though they lost both Fall Classics, the team's run established Detroit as one of baseball's great cities.

When fire risk and crumbling infrastructure made the wooden park untenable, the Tigers demolished it in 1912 and built Navin Field — later Briggs Stadium, later Tiger Stadium — on the exact same Michigan and Trumbull footprint, continuing a baseball tradition at that corner that would last until 1999.

Fun facts

• Tiger Stadium was later built on the exact same Michigan and Trumbull corner — professional baseball was played there from 1896 to 1999.
• Charlie Bennett threw out the ceremonial first pitch from a wheelchair at the park named in his honor.
• Ty Cobb debuted here in 1905 and went on to hit .366 lifetime — the highest career batting average in history.
• The Tigers lost three consecutive World Series appearances from this park (1907, 1908, and 1909 at Bennett).

More historical ballparks

• Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium · Atlanta, Georgia
• Baker Bowl · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Braves Field · Boston, Massachusetts
• Busch Memorial Stadium · St. Louis, Missouri
• Candlestick Park · San Francisco, California