As a Canadian, I’ve had opportunities to see many MLB games that others may not have had the chance to see. In Montreal, I saw the Expos before they left. I’ve seen the Blue Jays in Toronto and the exhibitions in Montreal. I also saw the Single-A Vermont Lake Monsters. All those experiences have been fantastic and always remind me why I love baseball. However, I had never been to a big league ball park in the United States, and I knew I was missing out. This August, all of that changed when I got an opportunity to see the Detroit Tigers face the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park.
Comerica Park: An American Baseball Experience
Walking to the stadium, you’re left with no doubt which team you are going to see. The exterior of Comerica Park is full of Tiger statues and Tiger heads chomping on baseballs. Another massive statue is trying to take a swipe at you. The concourse has a lovely, open-air feel to it, although when it rains there isn’t much shelter. It’s full of different food stands in every different direction, memorabilia, and some rides for kids to enjoy. In the outfield, they have many statues honoring great Tigers players from the past, including Ty Cobb.
The game was August 20 on a warm Saturday night. Rain was in the forecast and delayed the game twice that night. That was a funny experience, because I had never been to a game with a rain delay, due to the other parks having roofs.
After an hour or so, the rain delay was over. We made our way to the seats in the upper deck behind the Red Sox dugout. The view was spectacular; to the left, you saw Ford Field, home to the NFL‘s Detroit Lions and to the right a view of the city of Detroit. The stadium didn’t seem to have a bad seat in the whole place. Once we dried the wet seats with about 50 napkins, they were really comfy even for seats at the top of the stadium.
When the second rain delay hit, two thirds of the crowd went home. Fortunately, we stayed and went down to some of the empty seats, 10 rows behind the Red Sox dugout. It was even more spectacular to watch the game from there. Seeing David Ortiz and Miguel Cabrera, two MLB greats, that close was surreal.
The start to the game featured a portrait given to David Ortiz, honoring the Red Sox great, and the opening pitch was thrown by singer Ashanti. The starters for the game were Drew Pomeranz for the Red Sox and Daniel Norris for the Tigers. The game was a low scoring affair, with the Red Sox and Tigers trading runs in the third inning. In the fifth, with one on, David Ortiz came to bat and hit a two-run homer to right field. That was an amazing sight to see; Big Papi makes it seem effortless.
In the bottom of the seventh, J.D. Martinez hit a solo shot to left field, cutting it to just a 3-2 lead for the Red Sox. Justin Upton hit a double off the center field wall in the bottom of the ninth, although he was almost thrown out for trotting to second, but that’s all the Tigers would get as they would lose 3-2.
Pomeranz pitched a fantastic game. He was intense and very effective. With his pitch count low, he probably could have pitched all night had there not been a second rain delay. Norris struggled and earned the loss, but was better as the game went on. Craig Kimbrel earned the save and probably has the weirdest pre-pitch pose in MLB (he looks like a crab).
It was a good baseball game, the fan experience was quite excellent, and the pre-game stuff was fun to see. Everyone I dealt with in the park was kind and courteous. The food and many drinks for adults and kids were amazing. If you’re over 21, get the daiquiris (the orange one is the best).
If you’re a fan of baseball, you love it for many reasons: playing it as a kid, going to games with your family, watching your favorite team play and win a championship, and even playing it on an old video game console. You just feel for the whole concept. If you love baseball, then you have probably tried your best to see it live in some form. I suggest adding Comerica Park to your list of parks to see. You won’t regret it.
One day, I hope to see games in San Francisco, Chicago and Boston, but Comerica Park is a real gem. It was a special night and a unique game. Witnessing a Big Papi home run is something I will never forget. Seeing Miguel Cabrera and a loud Detroit crowd get behind a potential comeback was a treat. Being in Comerica Park was an amazing experience. I am very happy that one of my first ever MLB games was at such a fantastic park. Thank you to the staff and to the Detroit Tigers organization for a wonderful experience. Last, but not least, thanks to Branden, Leann and Mathieu for being there with me.
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