Was Tiger Stadium haunted? An excerpt from Field of Screams

It's Friday. It's Labor Day weekend. Everyone is about to head up north to enjoy the cold, wet weather. It's been a tough week. Why not end with something fun?

Authors Dan Gordon's and and Mickey Bradley's new book, Field of Screams: Haunted Tales from the Baseball Diamond, the Locker Room and Beyond, features ghost stories from around the major leagues, coming from quite a few recognizable players. These are drawn from more than 1,000 interviews, they say.

I'll share one that Gordon recently passed on to me.

Extended quote with permission from authors:

"Former and current Tiger Stadium and Comerica Park employees share stories with the authors about the ghost of Ty Cobb and other hauntings at the former and current ballparks. At the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, security guards reported encounters with orbs and apparitions. They felt taps on their shoulder and heard eerie noises. They saw scratches form on their forearm. Other staff reported hearing voices in the tunnels and the roar of the crowd coming from empty seats. And fans claim to have heard the crack of the bat and seen Ty Cobb running the bases.

"At Checker Cab Company, across Trumbull Boulevard, workers at night swear they hear people walking around the second floor, which used to hold offices for Ty Cobb and longtime Tigers owner Frank Navin. Rumor has it the two men are still patrolling their old stomping grounds.

"Stories abound of ghosts at the final game at Tiger Stadium. Hall of Famer Al Kaline told Robert Fick that he would homer during the game. Fick followed suit rocketing a grandslam in the eighth inning off the rightfield rooftop, the location where Norm Cash had hit four memorable home runs out of the park. Fick, who was wearing Cash's uniform #25 in tribute, believes Cash may have intervened. He also believes his late father was present. Fick has a picture of himself rounding second base during the historic home run with a light shining down on his helmet.

"'It seems like the ghosts of Tiger Stadium were with us,' recalls Jeff Weaver. 'There were reasons why things happen. It sends chills down your spine.'"

The book also features some stories that include Johnny Damon, Cecil Fielder, Karim Garcia, Dane Sardinha, the Bambino's ghost and more. So if you like what you see, check it out.