A trip to Tiger Stadium in 1953 ‘lit the fire? for Barry Ziehm and his passion for baseball and the Detroit Tigers.
Ziehm, 57, a Brandon Township resident, has been involved in the game at the high school level for more than 30 years as a head coach, athletic director, and current Brandon assistant coach.
However, it was at the tender age of five that he got hooked on the game when he saw the Tigers play at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, which was known as Briggs Stadium at the time.
‘I sat in the upper deck in right field,? he said. ‘Charlie Maxwell hit two home runs ? he hit his first home run five-six seats to my right, and his second home run was to my left by five or six seats. After that, the fire was lit.?
Such is Ziehm’s love for the game that he joked ‘on the eighth day, God created baseball.?
Ziehm estimates he has seen between 400-500 games at Tiger Stadium, but never had the chance to set foot onto the Tiger Stadium field until 1999, the last year the stadium served as home for the Tigers, when, as Sandusky’s head baseball coach, he took part in the annual Michigan High School Baseball East-West All-Star Game.
‘It was a huge thrill,? he said.
During his time following the sport, Ziehm has amassed several favorite players, anecdotes, and memories of the men wearing the Old English D. The latest chapter in Detroit baseball history came Tuesday, July 12, as Comerica Park, the home of the Tigers since 2000, hosted the annual Major League Baseball All Star Game. The American League defeated the National League 7-5 in the annual midsummer classic.
Ziehm’s Tiger memories began as soon as began following the team. Among the Tigers of the 1950’s that Ziehm recalls were Billy Hoeft, a left-handed pitcher known for his hitting prowess; Virgil Trucks, who in 1952 won only five games, but two of those were no-hitters (May 15 against the Washington Senators and Aug. 25 against the New York Yankees); Ray Boone, a third baseman in the late 1950’s, and Ozzie Virgil, the first African-American player on the Tigers.
Regarding Virgil’s signing with the Tigers in the late 1950’s, Ziehm said it was a shame the organization waited as long as it did to bring an African-American player to the majors.
‘Walter O. Briggs (then the Tigers? owner) was racist,? he said. ‘The Tigers were only the second-to-last team in the majors to have an African-American player (the Boston Red Sox were the last).?
The 1961 season was a memorable one for Ziehm, as the Tigers won 101 games that year but finished nine games behind the Yankees. Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline broke his collarbone on a diving catch in July, which hurt the Tigers? chances that year, Ziehm said.
He also recalled how pitcher Frank Lary was a ‘Yankee-killer? that season, while first baseman Norm Cash was a candidate for the Triple Crown that year. Cash hit .361 that year with 41 home runs and 132 RBI.
As the latter part of the 1960’s hit, the Tigers became intertwined with events in the city of Detroit and the United States.
On July 12, 1967, Ziehm was attending a game at Tiger Stadium when the Detroit riots hit the area. ‘I was watching the game, and there was smoke all over,? he recalled. ‘The public address announcer said not to go back home by Grand River Boulevard (where the riots were taking place.?
In 1968, Detroit began healing from the riots, but the assassinations that year of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy cast a pall throughout the country.
However, the Tigers brought a ray of light to the city that year, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in a seven-game World Series to win the third world championship in franchise history.
Ziehm, who was working at Pontiac Motors during that time, said the Tigers did a large part in helping the city recover from the riots, as fans of all races came together to support the team.
‘Every game was a tight one,? he said. ‘They’d pull it out in the eighth or ninth inning, and we’d listen to the games during the break on the radio. The Tigers were one of the great teams because of the healing they brought to the city. They transcended sports.?
One of Ziehm’s favorite Tigers memories during the 1980’s was during the last day of the 1987 regular season, with the Tigers battling the Toronto Blue Jays to decide the American League East Division title. The Tigers defeated the Blue Jays 1-0 to clinch the division before losing to the eventual World Series champion Minnesota Twins in the American League Championship Series.
‘I sat in the front row and watched Frank Tanana pitch,? he said. ‘In the first inning, Larry Herndon hit a pitch that just got over the fence for a home run. If you arrived after the first inning, you missed all the scoring in the game.?
Like many baseball fans, Ziehm was disappointed whenever strikes hit major league baseball, most notably in 1994 when the players? strike forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time since its inception in 1903. He said the business aspect of the game, at times, hurts the fans? connection to the players.
‘You (referring to the players) have an obligation to your families, but you’re in an entertainment medium,? he said. ‘There’s a lot of kids that depend on you and want to watch their heroes. I don’t think players should be a commodity.?
After the Tigers hit rock bottom in 2003 with a 43-119 record, they began turning the corner in 2004 under the direction of general manager Dave Dombrowski and manager Alan Trammell. The free-agent signing that year of All-Star catcher Ivan (Pudge) Rodriguez helped the Tigers improve by 29 wins, as they finished with a 72-90 record. This year, the Tigers had a 42-44 record at the All-Star break.
‘It was very disappointing to see them almost tie the record for most major league losses in a season,? Ziehm said. ‘They’ve been one of the premier teams in the American League from the early 1900’s to today. To see them drop was a little disheartening ? the product wasn’t what a major league team should have been. They’ve improved the team and the front office. We’ve been a class organization for many years.?
Ziehm has spent plenty of time molding young baseball players. He served three years as the baseball coach in Port Austin and 27 years as the baseball coach and athletic director in Sandusky.
With that in mind, Ziehm would like to see major league clubs help promote baseball in the cities where they play to attract youngsters to the sport.
‘I think they need to go back to the inner cities and help develop their parks and recreation programs,? he said. ‘If each team could put $2 million in their cities? recreation programs, you can develop our youth. I think baseball has missed the boat in that regard.?