Home Opener blog: Tigers fans ready for baseball's return to Detroit
Who's ready to play ball? Many it turns out.
Thousands of Detroit Tigers fans from all over the region descended on the city early Thursday morning for the first home game of the season, unfazed by the cool temperatures and eager for the return of baseball. Some started the celebrations early at a downtown bars not far from Comerica Park. One fan said the Tigers' first game at home should be declared a state holiday.
Some arrived before dawn to nab prime tailgating spots. Others headed to Greektown to kick the celebration off early with a cold beer or cocktail with friends.
"The sun is coming out, it is a nice day, we don't have no snow," said Detroit native Amelia Sharpe, 67, a longtime Tigers fan who used to listen to games on the radio. "If you're planning on coming out, get on down here, because we need all the help we can so we can win that game!"
Tony Dombrowski, 24, came down to Detroit from Roseville for his second home opener. Dombrowski dressed to impress in a full Detroit Tigers suit that he brought back for the second year in a row.
"I've always heard it's like such a big party out here but I've never got to experience it," he said. "So I wanted to take in the atmosphere and just feels like down here. It's always called the biggest party of the year in Detroit. I experienced that firsthand. And I can safely say it's a big part of the year in Detroit."
Below is a snapshot of baseball's return to Detroit for the 2023 season.
Tigers onesies
Carolina Fuentes, 40 and Alex Robles, 49, came from Westland and Oak Park to continue their 10 year Opening Day tradition of assembling the Tigers Crew, a group of friends who dress up in Tigers onesies. Yes, onesies.
"It doesn't matter where your life takes you, if you're from Michigan on Detroit Tigers Opening Day you are here. It should be a state holiday," Fuentes said. "The last couple of years with COVID we weren't able to celebrate as much as we are used to so this is kind of like the comeback of the Tigers crew."
Justin Powman was the first customer at Bookies Bar and Grille when they opened at 7 a.m. He was meeting friends to continue his 20-year tradition of supporting the Tigers on Opening Day.
"We sort of kept this kept the flame burning a little bit when it comes to being able to kind of show up here for the Tigers, good or bad or in between," Powman said. "It's a good experience. ... To be able to just have the carnival of the city and sort of the experience of baseball coming back."
Opening Day, or the home opener for the Tigers season, is the busiest day of the year for Bookies, said owner Jay Lambrecht. He's owned Bookies for 20 years and said prep starts in January. He's seen worse weather and thinks Thursday's weather is perfect to enjoy the game.
"We're not having a blizzard right now," he said. "So hopefully Cabrera will know when he's getting his double or home run."
4 a.m. tailgate
Casey Poirier brought his whole family out from Clyde, about an hour northeast of Detroit, and arrived at their traditional corner tailgating spot for more than 20 years across from Comerica Park at 4 a.m.
Decked out from head to toe in a custom Tigers suit, Poirier keeps up the family tradition that his father Mike Poirier started. Thursday marked the second tailgate without his dad since he died in 2021.
"My dad brought us down here one time and said he wanted to do it, so, we did it," Poirier said. "Hopefully, we can get a win."
Cheering on family
Frank Butler came from Toledo to watch his great nephew Zack McKinstry hopefully get some playing time for the Tigers in Thursday's Home Opener.
McKinstry was recently traded from the Cubs and Butler, a longtime Tigers fan, is happy he's playing so close to home.
"The whole family's a baseball family so we're super stoked to be playing for the local club," said Butler.
Comerica Bank unveils perks
Comerica Bank has created a new VIP entrance gate where fans with Comerica cards can enter Comerica Park and possibly avoid longer lines.
Comerica card holders and up to three guests can skip other lines into the ballpark and enter through the Comerica VIP Gate located at the Comerica Entry by showing their Comerica card and tickets to the game, the bank said in a Wednesday statement.
In addition, Comerica, which holds the naming rights to the ballpark through 2034, has created in coordination with the Tigers a new seating location above the traditional rightfield seating called "Comerica Landing."
Comerica Landing "provides a spectacular view and a party-like atmosphere, complete with table-top seating and cocktail tables, to create an enjoyable hangout for all ticketed fans," the bank said in a statement. "Engagements in the Comerica Landing start once the gates open on game days, including 90 minutes before first pitch for 'Party in the Park' Fridays."
No further details were available. A Comerica representative told WJR's Paul W. Smith on Thursday that more details are being worked out.
Greektown fun
In Greektown, fans started to file into bars along Randolph hours before the first pitch, but at 9:30 a.m. there was still plenty of elbow room and seats on patios at Baltimore, the Well and a heated outdoor area at the new Great Lakes Burger and Pizza Bar.
"Opening Day is like the beginning of spring," said Tigers season ticket holder Joe Licavoli of Macomb, who was perched at the bar inside Baltimore Bar & Grill nursing a Jameson on the rocks. He plans to hit up La Casa Cigar Bar before heading to Comerica Park for the game.
In the heart of Greektown, bass was bumping as the Old Shillelagh, Firebird Tavern and other bars were getting their festivities underway. In a nearby parking lot Rodney Craig from Sterling Heights was tailgating and staying warm with a group of friends from all over Macomb and Oakland counties.
“It’s one big party … if you’ve never been downtown on opening day you just don’t know,” he said.
After the game, some of the group say they plan to hit one of the Detroit casinos and stay in the city for the night.
Tigers gear and more
Fans popped into Gameday Detroit sports apparel store to warm up and browse Tiger hats, vintage-styles T-shirts, jerseys and more.
Boone Lossing, 5, of Algonac was getting compliments on his shiny Tigers jacket and hat inside the store. Thursday marked his second time visiting downtown Detroit for the home opener. Jackson Lossing, 11, has been to eight home openers.
“I like watching the game, watching the players come out on to the field,” he said.
“It’s the atmosphere,“ said Alex Brown of Warren. “Just being down here with everyone else that wants to be part of opening day. It’s a tradition.”
“We parked all the way by Greektown, I like to take the walk to the stadium,” said Trevor Lossing, adding that he wants the kids to experience game day in the city.
Baseball and hair metal
It was all baseball outside on Woodward in front of Comerica Park, but inside the Fillmore Detroit, rock radio station WRIF was hosting a hair metal bash early Thursday.
The music venue was packed with baseball fans enjoying beer, hot dogs and free coffee as '80s tribute band Sundset Blvd. jammed hits like Motley Crue’s “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Kiss Me Deadly” by Lita Ford.
Earlier, the station did a live broadcast of their morning show “Dave & Chuck the Freak." Later, the Fillmore will show the game on a big screen.
The gift of Opening Day
Missy Penning brought her 11-year-old son Jacob to his first Tigers game as a birthday present. The pair came out to Detroit from Grand Rapids and had already attended Jacob's first pistons game Wednesday night.
They were headed to the Red Wings game Thursday night but Jacob, a baseball player, was most excited for the Tigers.
"Usually a regular game is nothing close to this," Penning said. "There's been a lot of nice people around that we've met. ... it'll be fun to actually go inside and experience it."
Baby's first home opener
Comerica Park slowly filled up with fans of all ages, many waiting behind the outfield wall for fly balls during batting practice or crowding along the home dugout with beers and hot dogs in hand.
Katie and Mike Cogley of Brighton brought their 11-month-old son Lucas to his first home opener. The couple got married at Comerica Park in 2019 after they initially bonded over their love of the Tigers. Lucas went to his first game last summer at 4-months-old but was bundled Thursday in a bright orange hat for his significantly chillier second game.
"It's just important for us to come down here and show him what the Tigers are about. It's an important part of our history, so we just wanted him to see it too," Katie Cogley said. "You never know what year is gonna be the year so we just want to make sure that he's down here for all of them and we'll go to the World Series when they end up there too."
Pat Murphy, 81, traveled to Detroit from Grand Rapids with his friend Jerry Hunsburger, 78, just for Thursday's home opener.
"We've been to many but that's a lot of recent years," Hunsburger said. "We haven't done a lot of years and I don't think we're gonna be able to do for very many more so we're excited to do it!"
Murphy could've watched the game on TV but opted to be there in-person this year.
"I had to start my second bucket list out here. ... I've lived too long," Murphy said.