Baseball | 4/18/2017 4:56:00 PM

DETROIT -- The Wayne State University Department of Athletics had its grand opening for the Harwell Field Facility on April 18th.

Guest speakers included WSU Board of Governors Chair Sandra Hughes O'Brien, WSU President Dr. M. Roy Wilson, WSU Director of Athletics Rob Fournier, and S. Gary Spicer, Sr., longtime friend and attorney for Ernie Harwell.

News links:

USA Today/Associated Press

WXYZ (Channel 7) Live Remote with Justin Rose

WXYZ (Channel 7) Piece

Free Press Columnist Rochelle Riley's article

MLive story

Detroit Tigers (MLB.com) article

Detroit Free Press story by Sports Writer George Sipple

Detroit News story by Rod Beard

C&G Newspapers story by Mark Vest

WXYZ (Channel 7) Facebook Live video

Detroit/CBS Local.com article

MLive video #1 (Quick Tour)

MLive video #2 (Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson remembering Ernie Harwell)

MLive visual tour

WTVBAM.com article

ABOUT HARWELL FIELD:
    •    The building is a replica of Brooklyn Dodgers Ebbets Field Rotunda (main entrance).
    •    The cost was $2.3 million with all money privately raised (no state funding).
    •    Architects - Silveri Architects (design)
    •    Brencal Contractors (general contractors)
    •    Subcontractors - Williams Electric and D'Aloisio Masonry
    •    Inside Vendors - Display Group and AVI-SPL

VITAL STATISTICS:
    •    Building Area is 2,675 Gross Square Feet
    •    There is one office and two restrooms in the facility
    •    True Limestone Arches
    •    Polished Concrete Floor - red, sun baked clay - to give the look of a baseball infield
    •    Suspended acoustical tiled cloud ceilings are dimmensional proportionate to home plate
    •    Fabric Awning, and metal rail and screen - replicates entrance to Ebbets Field
    •    4 limestone Harwell medallions are located on the outer walls of the building, replicating the patch worn by Detroit Tigers coaches and players following Ernie's passing in 2010
    •    Harwell Field sign atop facility replicates signage on Ebbets Field - the 24-inch letters are LED illuminated
    •    Brick headers and soldier courses (vertical brick) detail early 20th century baseball stadiums
    •    The brick corbel style (jutting from a wall to carry a super-incumbent weight)
    •    Ground face concrete block on the interior gives the area an earthen look to match the floor

INSIDE:
    •    The main wall highlights five (5) of Ernie Harwell's signature calls and is framed by corresponding Tiger ballplayers.

    •    The monitors contain the following data:
        1)    World Series - 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984
        2)    Ernie Harwell's Farewell Speech
        3)    Ernie Harwell's Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech (Ford C. Frick Award)
        4)    Chronology of Ernie Harwell Collection from Detroit Public Library (courtesy of Mark Bowden)

    Adjacent to the main wall:
        1)    Ernie Harwell's Michigan Sports Hall of Fame plaque plus personal and professional timelines
        2)    Branch Rickey's Michigan Sports Hall of Fame plaque along with information regarding his
            significant impact on baseball

    •    The center "pin-wheel" is framed by the streets outside Ebbets Field and includes (with the permission of Major League Baseball) great calls in baseball by noteworthy broadcasters.

    •    Also featured as part of this exhibit:
        1)    Audio of Ernie Harwell's signature calls and moments
        2)    Ernie and Lulu's marriage
        3)    Jose Feliciano National Anthem controversy

    •    Baseball over-hang matches Tiger Stadium right field.
    •    Schaefer scoreboard inside is a replica of Ebbets Field scoreboard.  Uniqueness was the "H" lit up for a hit and "E" for an error after the official scorer determination.
    •    The display areas are designed as ticket windows as a throwback to the exterior ticket windows at Ebbets Field.  "Inside" the windows are the historic displays.

        1)    Ebbets Field
        2)    Jackie Robinson
        3)    WSU Baseball History
        4)    Voice of the Turtle
        5)    Say it Ain't So, Bo
        6)    A final goodbye - Ernie's Farewell

    •    The signage (tickets prices, seats) are replicas of old Tiger Stadium pricing and designs.

HISTORY:
    •    Initial announcement was made on June 6, 2013.
    •    Ground was broken on August 8, 2016.

ICONIC FEATURES OF HARWELL FIELD:
    •    In 2003 (all privately funded), "the old fencing" was removed and a replica Fenway Park outfield fence was installed, matching the original in Boston – including a 37 foot-high "Green Monster", outfield configuration and right field foul pole which is exact as Fenway.
    •    Major league size dugouts were constructed (2009) and bullpens were added (all privately funded).
    •    Through an arrangement with the Detroit Historical Society, the left field scoreboard from the former Tiger Stadium has been made functional and is attached to the base of the left field wall.