A fiery spectacle consumed Mack Park. That’s how many remember it. This is not just any park. This is where Detroit’s rich baseball history took a dramatic turn. Right here on the corner of Mack and Fairview Avenues stood Mack Park. It wasn’t just a ballpark. It was the home of the Detroit Stars a legendary Negro National League team.
Imagine the roar of the crowd. Six thousand people or maybe even ten thousand packed the wooden stands. They came to witness the Detroit Stars in action. The park was built in 1914 by Joe Roesink a Dutchman of Jewish descent. He owned a chain of haberdasheries and loved baseball. He built this stadium for his semi-professional team but it quickly became much more.
Mack Park hosted major league teams too. The Boston Braves the New York Giants the Philadelphia Phillies and the Brooklyn Dodgers all played here. It was common for big league teams to play minor league teams for extra revenue. Mack Park’s intimate design had a short right field porch and power alley. This possibly inflated the home run stats of left-handed hitters.
The park saw its share of glory. The Detroit Stars played here from 1919 through 1929. They were a team of extraordinary talent. Names like Pete Hill Jose Mendez John Donaldson and Bruce Petway are etched in baseball history. Then there’s Andy Cooper who joined the team in 1920.
But the story of Mack Park isn’t without tragedy. In 1929 a fire engulfed the stadium. The cause was a careless attempt to dry the rain-soaked field. Gasoline was spread to dry it. A discarded cigarette butt ignited the gasoline. The resulting fire destroyed the park. Hundreds were injured as the grandstand collapsed.
Mack Park was rebuilt for Detroit Southeastern High School’s baseball team. It wouldn’t last. In the 1960s it was demolished to make way for a senior citizen’s complex. Fairview Homes now stands where dreams of home runs and winning seasons once soared. Today only a memory remains. A memory of a spirited ballpark a symbol of a community. A memory of a community’s resilience. It’s a story of triumph and loss. Of ambition and destruction. It’s the story of Mack Park and its place in Detroit history.