on June 14, 1983  Kirk Gibson of the Detroit Tigers broke up a no-hit bid by Boston’s Mike Brown Tuesday night with a home run that completely cleared the right field roof at Tiger Stadium and hit the top of a lumber yard across the street — an estimated 540 feet from home plate. In his next at-bat, Gibson hit an apparent inside-the-park homer on which the runner preceding him on the basepaths was thrown out at the plate. But the official scorer, Ed Browalski of the Polish Daily News, later ruled the hit a double and that Gibson went to third on the throw and scored on an error. Tiger Stadium security guard Dan McGraw said Gibson’s blast with one out in the fourth inning hit the Brooks Lumber Co. roof on the fly. Press box observers saw the ball glance off a flagpole atop the right field roof. It was also estimated that the ball was hit 120 feet high.

Right field at Tiger Stadium bears three decks and the roof is 94 feet high.

It was only the 14th ball to clear the right field roof and the 16th to go completly out of Tiger Stadium, but the first since 1977 and only the third since 1969.

Gibson’s apparent second homer of the game came in the sixth inning, with Lou Whitaker on first base with one out.

His blow kicked off center fielder Tony Armas’ glove and hit the screen 440 feet from home plate. Armas quickly retrieved the ball and relay-man Glenn Hoffman threw to catcher Rich Gedman, who tagged out a sliding Whitaker.

However, plate umpire Larry Barnett did not see Gibson, just eight feet behind Whitaker and was knocked down and was unable to see the play. Gedman dropped the ball and Gibson touched home plate to score.

Barnett was carried from the field on a stretcher. He was taken to a local hospital for examination.