Play Ball 2022 with the Tigers Latest & Greatest

Latest & Greatest by Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers open the 2022 baseball season at 1:10 PM today in Comerica Park. Vintage Detroit shared a really great history of Opening Day in Detroit that has all kinds of great trivia including the fact that in their first game in the American League on April 25, 1901:

…the Tigers made an amazing comeback on Opening Day at Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Detroit trailed the visiting Brewers 13-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. It seemed like the Tigers would start their entry in the American League with a lopsided loss. But wait…the Tigers got a runner on, then another, then a walk, and another hit, and a passed ball, and a hit, and another, and another. You get the idea. The Tigers scored ten runs to steal the game 14-13. The fans were thrilled to see the walkoff victory (though it would be decades before that term existed). Amazingly, the rally from nine runs down remains the biggest ninth inning comeback in league history.

The Tigers shared this pic of phenom Spencer Torkleson and one of their all-time greats Miguel Cabrera yesterday in their first practice at home. See more on their Facebook & let’s go Tigers!!

Opening Day is on the way!

3 Days until Tigers by Kevin Povenz

The Detroit Tigers open the 2022 Season vs the New York Yankees at 1:10 PM this Friday (April 8) at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit.

Couldn’t resist coming back for another pic from Kevin!! He shared this photo back in 2014. See more in his Fun/Interesting gallery on Flickr.

Tons more Tigers pics on Michigan in Pictures.

Detroit Tigers Legend Miguel Cabrera hits 500th homer!

Miguel Cabrera by Keith Allison

“It means a lot. Not only for me, but the people around me: my teammates, the organization of Detroit, my coaches, the managers I’ve had for my whole career, the people from Venezuela, my family. It’s really big because it’s something special for my country, for my family to be able to do this. I’m really happy.”
– Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers

Yesterday in Toronto, Miguel Cabrera launched a 500-foot homerun over the scoreboard & entered the MLB record books as the 28th player to hit 500 homers. The Freep has compiled some notable facts from Cabrera’s first dinger way back in 2003 to the 500th home run on Sunday. Congratulations Miggy!

Keith took this photo a few years back. Head over to his Flickr for the latest!

It’s baseball, even if the Tigers are struggling

Cubs at Detroit Tigers by Dan Gaken

Dan went to Comerica Park this weekend to see the Tigers face the Cubs. The Tigers lost, but as John commented,  “It’s baseball even if the Tigers are struggling.” Indeed!

See more awesome shots from Comerica & elsewhere in Dan’s America’s Baseball Stadiums gallery on Flickr.

Opening Day 2021!

5 Days by Kevin Povenz

The Detroit Tigers open the 2021 season at Comerica Park today at 1:10 PM. MLB shares:

Cleveland heads into the season looking to lean on its stars to keep its window of contention open for another run at the postseason. The Tigers return to Motown with a new manager looking for a fresh start and an influx of young talent looking to turn the corner on their rebuild and begin the climb back toward contention.

…It’ll be a different-looking opener due to the pandemic, but the 20 percent capacity allowed marks the first game with fans at Comerica Park since Sept. 26, 2019. Fans will be greeted with a familiar division rivalry that Cleveland has owned in recent years, including 18 wins in 19 meetings in ’19, and seven of 10 games last season.

…manager A.J. Hinch will make his first appearance in a Tigers uniform since he was Detroit’s backup catcher on the 2003 team. He’ll also manage his first Major League game since he led the Astros in Game 7 of the 2019 World Series. Hinch sat out last year under suspension from Major League Baseball stemming from the Astros’ sign-stealing investigation, a controversy that led to his dismissal as manager in Houston.

Kevin shared this photo back in 2014. You can see more in his Fun & Interesting album & for sure follow him on Flickr to see his latest shots!

More Detroit Tigers on Michigan in Pictures!

Play Ball! Detroit Tigers start the season today

Comerica Park, Detroit by Kevin Povenz

The Detroit Tigers open the season against the Cincinnati Reds TONIGHT at 6:10 PM at Great American Ballpark. The home opener (at an empty Comerica Park) is Monday night. It will definitely be a strange season (with a 16 team playoff), but I for one welcome a slice of summer that’s been missing.

Kevin took this photo last summer. See more in his Landscape album on Flickr.

Remembering Mark “The Bird” Fidrych

Mark “The Bird” Fidrych courtesy Mark Fidrych Foundation

Mark Fidrych reminded you of your childhood, no matter how old you were when he pitched. This was his charm, his curse, his legacy. He personified athletic innocence.
-Michael Rosenberg, Detroit Free Press

I’m a lifelong Detroit Tiger fan & without question one of the most magical summers was the summer of ’76 when The Bird tore up the majors with his talking to the ball, mound grooming antics en route to a 19-9 season, winning AL Rookie of the Year honors (and finishing runner-up for the Cy Young), and leading the league in ERA.

 

He died unexpectedly 11 years ago today, and it still hurts to lose a bright light light like him so young. My dad had a Michigan sports show on TV that year, and I actually got to meet Mark. I don’t remember what he said to me, but I do remember how clear & in the moment he was and above all, what a truly nice human being he was.

More about this weird and wonderful character can be found at BaseballReference.com’s page for Mark Steven Fidrych and definitely watch this interview with Fydrich for a look at this Detroit Tiger original!

Remembering Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline

Al Kaline takes a swing courtesy Baseball Hall of Fame

“I owe everything to baseball. Without it, I’d probably be a bum.”
-Al Kaline

Yesterday, the Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers and all of us lost #6 Al Kaline. From his playing days in the 50s & 60s to a broadcasting career that spanned decades, “Mr. Tiger” was a fixture, bringing dedication and a simple love of the game in good times and bad.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame entry for Al Kaline says in part:

The 18-year-old Kaline came to the Tigers in 1953 directly from high school, having never spent a day in the minors, and by the next season established himself as one of the game’s bright new talents. By 1955, at age 20, he became the youngest player to win a batting title when he hit .340. That same year the youngster became only the fourth American League player to hit two home runs in a single inning.

Offensive consistency became Kaline’s hallmark over the years, hitting at least 20 home runs and batting .300 or better nine times each. A superb defensive outfielder with a strong throwing arm, he also collected 10 Gold Glove awards. In the 1968 World Series, Kaline’s only appearance in the Fall Classic, he batted .379, hit two home runs and drove in eight to help Detroit knock off the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.

“You almost have to watch him play every day to appreciate what he does,” said veteran pitcher and former Tigers teammate Johnny Podres. “You hear about him, sure, but you really can’t understand until you see him. He just never makes a mistake.”

By the time Kaline’s 22-year big league career ended in 1974, the lifelong Tiger and 18-time All-Star had collected 3,007 hits, 399 home runs and a .297 career batting average.

“People ask me, was it my goal to play in the majors for 20 years? Was it my goal to get 3,000 hits someday? Lord knows, I didn’t have any goals,” Kaline once said. “I tell them, ‘My only desire was to be a baseball player.’”

Read more in the Hall of Fame and please share memories or links to articles you enjoyed in the comments!

Closed for Opening Day

Empty Comerica Park by Andrew McFarlane

Today was supposed to be the home opener of the Detroit Tigers but of course that’s not happening. I’ve been living just a few blocks away, and I can’t begin to describe the impact of having every one of the cities amazing venues either empty or being repurposed as emergency healthcare & food delivery locations.

The economic impact to those who work there or rely on crowds of fans of sports & music to survive is frightening, and the loss of one of the beating hearts of a city that still shows up every day, even when our teams aren’t at their best is really putting a hole in my heart this morning. Stay strong everyone.

PS: Shirley is still happy.

Detroit Tigers Opening Day & 2017 Home Opener

4 days to opening day, photo by Kevin Povenz

Justin Verlander will take the mound today at 4:10 PM for the Detroit Tigers as the face the Chicago White Sox for their 116th Opening Day. The first game the Tigers played as a Major League team was on April 25, 1901 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Roscoe Miller started the first-ever Tigers Opening Day, a game the Tigers won 14–13.

The Baseball Almanac lists the results of all Tigers’ opening day games. They are 65-50 on opening days with an 11-8 record against the White Sox.

The Tigers’ home opener – fortuitously for the title of today’s photo – is Friday at 1:10 PM against the Boston Red Sox – play ball!

Kevin posted this back in April of 2014. View the photo bigger and see more in his Fun/Interesting slideshow.

More Detroit Tigers on Michigan in Pictures.