The planes have done their flyover. The color guard has come and gone. And Justin Verlander has just thrown a fairly easy first inning. But there is still a sea of Tigers fans swamping the streets outside Comerica Park. Many of them are simply late arrivals. Others, however, are downtown to soak up the atmosphere, … Continue Reading →
Tigers fans will be greeted to a few new amenities at Opening Day this year. New food items. New beverages. New players. And a giant new high-definition scoreboard in left field. “It’s a thumbs up,” said Herb Wendt, 49, of Port Huron, who came to the game with his wife and 13-year-old daughter. The new … Continue Reading →
New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Gilroy, Calif., has its famous Garlic Festival and Memphis has Memphis In May barbecue gala, but no Opening Days are celebrated like the one here in Detroit. The scene outside of Comerica Park at noon Thursday was joyous pandemonium. Thousands of fans jammed the streets as rock bands, rock radio … Continue Reading →
Jay Jurkovich, 28, of Marquette forewent a couple extra hours of tailgating to stand in left field during batting practice. No, he didn’t catch any balls from Tigers stars Miguel Cabrera or Prince Fielder, but he managed to snag a pregame home run from Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. “It’s a big family tradition,” … Continue Reading →
OK, a few impressions of Opening Day in Detroit against the Boston Red Sox. 1. Wear a warm jacket and gloves. You could still see your breath when the gates opened at 10:30 a.m. 2. In a completely unscientific visual survey, the most popular Tiger jersey seen on fans is Justin Verlander followed by Miguel … Continue Reading →
Dearborn resident Mike Bruff and Adrienne Swindlehurst like to tailgate in style. We’re talking about a 42-inch flat screen TV set up in the back of Bruff’s Dodge mini-van, a 1,000 watt “cool-inator” speaker system and lawn chairs all set up in a parking lot directly in the shadow of Comerica Park. “I only paid … Continue Reading →
For those who couldn’t score an Opening Day ticket, Campus Martius might be a decent back-up plan. A half dozen food trucks are setting up shop at Campus Martius – just in time for the pre-game rush. And the options run the gamut- from gourmet sandwiches offered by Concrete Cuisine to Mexican dishes from El … Continue Reading →
Stanley Maul laughs loudly and carries a big stick … actually it’s a very big baseball bat. “It’s 5 feet long and weighs 10 pounds,” said Maul of Allen Park. “It’s a Budweiser promotional bat. I’ve been collecting sports memorabilia, mostly mirrors, for 50 years. “The bat has autographs from the 1968 and 1984 world … Continue Reading →
There are Tiger fans and then there are real Tiger fans, like the hopeful, shivering group camped outside the ticket office outside Comerica Park across from Ford Field on Opening Day 2012. Dressed against the cold with a heavy jacket and a hoodie, Jesse McElmurry of Clinton Township showed up at 5 a.m. for the chance … Continue Reading →
Leave the umbrella at home but wear a jacket. According to the National Weather Service at White Lake Township, Opening Day for the Tigers will be partly cloudy with a high of 50 degrees and winds out of the northeast at 15 mph. “It will be a little on the cool side,” meteorologist Matt Mosteiko … Continue Reading →