Wolverines, Spartans and Paul Bunyan

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

100910_UM V MSU FBC DENARD 2 LON

100910_UM V MSU FBC DENARD 2 LON, photo by AnnArbor.com.

In just a few hours, the University of Michigan Wolverines and Michigan State University Spartans will meet for the 104th time for rights to the Paul Bunyan Trophy:

The annual Michigan-Michigan State game gives the winner state bragging rights, an inside track to a bowl game, and last, but certainly not least, ownership of the Paul Bunyan – Governor of Michigan Trophy.

Presented for the first time in the 1953 meeting between the Wolverines and the Spartans, the Paul Bunyan Trophy is the lesser-known of Michigan’s two annual trophy games, shadowed by the nationally recognized Little Brown Jug Game between Michigan and Minnesota.

The Bunyan Trophy was put into circulation by then Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams. The prize consists of a four-foot wooden statue of the legendary Paul Bunyan astride an axe with feet planted on a map of the state of Michigan. Two flags — one with the Michigan “M” and the other with the Michigan State “S” — are planted on either side of Bunyan. A five-foot stand supports the statue.

The Brown Jug is old news, because the game puts 1st place in the new Legends division of the Big Ten on the line, and both programs are in the top 25. Get a picture of the trophy along with all the links & history on the Michigan vs Michigan State Football Rivalry page on Absolute Michigan.

The photo of Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson being dropped for a loss by MSU’s Chris L. Rucker was taken by Lon Horwedel of AnnArbor.com in last year’s 34-17 Spartan victory. Check this out on black and in AnnArbor.com’s excellent slideshow from last year’s Michigan vs MSU game!

The Bronx Zoo called…

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Altaic Warrior

Altaic Warrior, photo by country_boy_shane.

Apparently the Detroit Tigers got loose.

Check it out background big and in Shane’s Featured in Flickr Explore slideshow.

The Final Pitch sets a new record for Papa Grande!

Posted on by farlane

The Final Pitch
The Final Pitch, photo by Rudy Malmquist

Jose Valverde set a Tiger record for saves (view story) on this pitch with his 43d save in 43 chances, sealing a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins. It was the Tigers’ ninth straight victory, and your fun fact for today is that the last time the Tigers won this many games in a row was 1984 … and I think we all know what happened then!

It looks like Detroit is headed for the postseason again. Today the Tigers have American League Division Series tickets on sale – get them at tigers.com/postseason.

Rudy was fortunate enough to attend the game. He says that if you look closely, you can see that the ball has passed the batter but isn’t in the catchers glove yet. Check it out bigger and see more shots from the game in his slideshow!

Impossible Dream?

Posted on by farlane

"Impossible Dream"

“Impossible Dream”, photo by Hilarywho

Tigers? Lions? We can dream, can’t we?

Hilary writes:

This spray-paint mural was made by Kobie Soloman. It covers the side of a building at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit and is made up of elements of Detroit’s sports teams, aspects of Detroit industry, and representation of creative activities at the Russell.

Check this photo out bigger and in her Art slideshow.

Never a night game at Regents Field & Ferry Field at the University of Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Ferry Field, Ann Arbor Mich 1904, photo courtesy Library of Congress

The University of Michigan Wolverines will play their first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium this Saturday at 8 PM, so I figured it would be a good time to look back at UM’s stadium history. The Michigan Stadium story at the UM Bentley Library says that “student agitation” for better facilities and concerns over holding football games at the Ann Arbor Fairgrounds led to:

In October 1890 the Board of Regents authorized expenditure of $3,000 to acquire land for athletic uses. A ten acre parcel along South State street, approximately where Schembechler Hall now stands, was purchased in 1891. At their May 1891 meeting, the Regents appropriated $4,500 “for the purpose of fitting up the athletic field.”

Michigan christened the field on October 7, 1893 with a 6-0 victory over the Detroit Athletic Club. In 1902, Dexter Ferry donated land immediately north of Regents Field to the university and it was renamed Ferry Field.

Regents Field was home field for several of Michigan’s greatest teams and individual stars. Center William Cunningham was named Michigan’s first All-American in 1898. Neil Snow, end and fullback, was an All-American in 1901, four time All-Western, and star of the first Rose Bowl, also excelled on the Regents Field track and baseball diamond, earning 10 varsity letters. The incomparable halfback Willie Heston, twice an All-American, scored many of his school record 72 touchdowns at Regents Field.

Michigan compiled an overall record of 87 wins 2 losses and 3 ties at Regents/Ferry Field between 1893 and 1905. Fielding Yost’s great “point-a-minute” teams of 1901-1905 went 44-0 at Regents Field, outscoring their opponents 2821-42. Possibly the greatest victory at Regents Field came in the 1904 Chicago game. Michigan beat the previously undefeated team of Amos Alonzo Stagg 22-12 to win the Western Conference title and be proclaimed national champion.

By curious coincidence, that game (which appears in the photo above) was filmed by the Edison Company in one of the earliest successful attempts to film a football game! Click here to view the video!!

The UM v Chicago game was played November 12, 1904 and had an attendance of 13,500. The U of M/Notre Dame game is expected to draw over 111,000 people. You can see another view of Ferry Field at the Library of Congress.

Many more shots can be found at the Michigan Stadium entry and the Ferry Field entry on Wikipedia and more about the University of Michigan on Michigan in Pictures!

Detroit Tiger All Stars, Now & Then

Posted on by farlane

Charlie Gheringer

In 2011, the Detroit Tigers are rolling into the All Star break leading the AL Central. Their sizzling play is reflected in the lineup for tomorrow night’s All Star Game with 5 All Stars. In addition to the starting catcher Alex Avila, the Bengals are also sending pitcher Justin Verlander, first baseman Miguel Cabrera, pitcher Jose Valverde and newly acquired shortstop Jhonny Peralta. That’s one short of the most All-Stars they’ve had (in 1984 and 1985).

You can check out the complete list of Detroit Tiger All-Stars from MLB.com. It dates back to the first All Star game in 1933. Tigers’ Hall of Fame second basemen Charlie Gheringer played played every inning of the first six All-Star Games as the starting second baseman for the American League, and played a pivotal role in the very first All Star game:

The novel idea of a single game made up of the most exciting assemblage of ball-playing talent ever brought together on the diamond at one time, seemed too good to be true. In 1933 and 1934, All-Star teams were selected by the managers and the fans. The National League’s manager John McGraw and American League’s Connie Mack were chosen to lead a line-up of big hitters including Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and the one and only Babe Ruth. “We wanted to see the Babe,” said Bill Hallahan, the National League starter. “Sure, he was old and had a big waistline, but that didn’t make any difference. We were on the same field as Babe Ruth.”

With fellow All-Star, Charlie Gehringer on first in the bottom of the third, The Babe drove one into the right-field stands, the first homer in All-Star history. The crowd, according to one account, “roared in acclamation” and the first All-Star Game, won by the American League on the strength of Ruth’s homer, was a resounding success.

I’m not sure who took this photo, but I found it through Brian DeWagner’s blog where he posted it with What’s in a Name?.

Charles Leonard Gehringer was born in Fowlerville, Michigan. Nicknamed “The Mechanical Man” for his astonishing consistancy, he batted over .300 13 times  and was one of the greatest 2nd basemen ever to play the game. Learn more about his career at the Baseball Hall of Fame and via Wikipedia!

Update! Just found a great account of Charlie Gehringer’s 1934 All-Star game at Bless You Boys – check it out!

Farewell to the Silver Fox: Detroit Tiger great Jim Northrup

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Jim Northrup , photo by mvsportsmemorabilia.

“One thing you could depend on, Northrup was going to put the bat on the ball in some kind of way. And 1968, that was his year. He was tough all year. He let you know that he was there.”
~Gates Brown

Wikipedia says that Jim Northrup was born in Breckenridge, Michigan in 1939. Samara over at Roar of the Tigers marked his passing today, as did the Detroit Tigers who say:

Northrup played parts of 12 seasons in the Majors, mostly with the Tigers. He made his big league debut in 1964.

…Northrup’s most memorable years were with Detroit, especially in 1968. He hit .264 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs that season and shined in Game 7 of the World Series. With two outs in the seventh inning, Northrup tripled off St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson to bring in Norm Cash and Willie Horton.

Dick Tracewski, a reserve infielder on that club who also went on to coach with the Tigers, told the Free Press that Northrup’s famous triple was “the biggest hit that’s ever been gotten for the Detroit Tigers. He won the World Series for us.”

Get his stats at BaseballReference.com. You’ll probably enjoy these columns by David Mayo and Mike Mowry as well as this 3 part video interview with Jim Northrup by From Glory Days.

Check it out bigger and see a few more in their slideshow.

Surfing Superior

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Surfing Superior

Surfing Superior, photo by PhotoYoop.

Cory writes:

A mid spring storm brought cold temperatures and about 4 inches of snow to the U.P. But it also brought waves, and when she builds them, she calls them, and they come. These surfers traveled all the way from from Chicago and Milwaukee to surf the Great Lake.
Lake Superior, 4-17-11

Check this out bigger and in his The Yoop – U.P. slideshow. See many (many) more in his Surfing Superior 2011 set of photos on Facebook.

More surfing on Michigan in Pictures!

Detroit Red Wings open the Stanley Cup Chase!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Stanley Cup Finals Game 1

Stanley Cup Finals Game 1, photo by canuckr.

Tonight the Detroit Red Wings open the 2011 NHL Playoffs at home vs the Phoenix Coyotes. Absolute Michigan has the whole story – let the octopi fly!!

See this and more in Ryan’s Joe Louis Arena slideshow and get much more in the Red Wings slideshow from the Absolute Michigan group!

Detroit Tigers Opening Day 2011

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Opening Day

Opening Day, photo by Dave Hogg.

“You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”
~Joe DiMaggio on Opening Day

Today the Tigers open the 2011 Major League Baseball season in New York at Yankee Stadium at 1 PM. Get all the details on Detroit Tigers Opening Day 2011: Play Ball! from Absolute Michigan.

See this  big as baseball and see more in Dave’s Opening Day 2008 slideshow.

There’s a whole bunch more Detroit Tigers photos from Michigan in Pictures – Play ball!