Written by Brendan H.
To an uncommon cathedral—both pastoral and timeless—distinct from a city exploding with industry and lurching towards the future, generations of Detroit natives and immigrants journey in exultant pilgrimage to root for the local team. The Old Grounds, an unassuming ballpark located just off of Jefferson Avenue near the Detroit River, had served as the primary home of organized baseball in Detroit for as long as anyone could remember.
The Grounds’ primary tenant since the early 1870s, Detroit’s most popular team has loomed large over baseball in the Great Lakes region throughout its various incarnations. Originally a semi-professional team comprised of workers from the Michigan Stove Company, the Giants have been known by many names over their various stages of professionalization—the Grays, the Beaters, and the Ironworkers. Regardless of the name on the program, however, the result has mostly been the same—the Detroit team wins.
The Giants’ long-standing affiliation with the Michigan Stove Company is the root of their current moniker. As part of promotional efforts in connection with the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the Michigan Stove Company produced a giant replica of their popular Garland stove. At the end of the World’s Fair, the giant stove was returned to Michigan and displayed outside of the Michigan Stove Company’s factory on Jefferson Avenue, not far from the Old Grounds. It was not long after that local sportwriters drew a connection between the Garland’s dominance in global commerce and the extraordinary on-field results of Detroit’s baseball team.
The current owner of the Giants, Marcus Finch, was an initial partner in the Michigan Stove Company and a frequent presence on the factory floor where he would routinely help meet construction quotas by working alongside his employees. As a result of his willingness to roll up his sleeves and get dirty, Mr. Finch was beloved among the Company’s workers and personal friend to many. Accordingly, he was also a frequent presence at the Old Grounds, rooting fervently for the earlier Detroit teams. After a long career, Mr. Finch finally cashed out his stock in the cast-iron manufacturing giant and purchased the Detroit ball club.