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Finally, Detroit gets a big night out
By Mike Lopresti USA TODAY
7/10/2005 11:59:00 PM
To commemorate Tuesday's All-Star Game here in one of major league baseball's most venerable cities, let us relive some recent Detroit Tigers highlights.
Hmmm ... uh ... sigh ...
OK, then. How about great moments in the history of Comerica Park.
Well ... uh ...
Or maybe the top five reasons to spend an evening in downtown Detroit.
Ahem … uh …
We'll have to get back to you.
No wonder Detroit is so excited about its big night out. Or, actually, two of them. It has been so long since the Tigers were on baseball's radar screen, the last World Series they won had day games.
This is the place that hasn't had a winning season in 12 years. Or a playoff berth since 1987. Or taken a postseason series since 1984.
This is the place that thought it hit bottom with 106 losses in 2002. Then lost 119 in 2003.
This is the place that hoped for a baseball rebirth with a new ballpark. But since Comerica Park opened in 2000, the Tigers have finished a combined 147 games out of first place.
This is the place that in 104 years as a card-carrying member of the American League, has lost more than 90 games only 12 times. But six of those have come in the past nine seasons.
That's not a slump. That's the dark ages. As dark as old Tiger Stadium, a deserted relic that still stands on the edge of downtown, slowly crumbling in silence as the years go by. Part Roman Colosseum, part ghost town.
But at least Tiger Stadium had memories. Tiger Stadium had world champions. Tiger Stadium had Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg and Al Kaline and Cecil Fielder.
Comerica Park? Comerica Park has a carousel behind the first base box seats and a water fountain in center field. A playland that has tried to offer everything except what works best - good baseball.
Maybe that's slowly changing. The Tigers improved to 72-90 last season - though not many teams can use the words "improve" and 72-90" in the same sentence. They'll take a 42-44 record into this All-Star break. Undeniable signs of life.
And since the All-Star Game is supposed to bring in upwards of $50 million, Detroit can smile about that, too. As the city looks at the books and wonders what to do about a $300 million deficit. They even closed the aquarium. How bad is it when you can't even afford goldfish?
So Detroit can use a good party. And this particular All-Star Game is not only brightly adorned, but has its quirky sides, from an unusual first half of a season.
How else to describe it, when a public vote decides the last American League All-Star, and Yankee captain Derek Jeter loses to ... Scott Podsednik?
Or when the home run contest is changed to eight hitters representing eight nations, and America's hopes ride with ... Mark Teixeira?
But then, baseball is different. The Yankees are not in first place, but the Washington Nationals are. John Smoltz is starting and Curt Schilling is coming out of the bullpen.
Some of the big-name fireworks have gone quiet - Bonds, Sosa, etc. But Andruw Jones, Derrek Lee and Teixeira are lighting the skies.
Baseball now pauses from all the plotlines to play its All-Star Game. Detroit will only have the minimum one participant - catcher Ivan Rodriguez - as the forlorn Tigers have done 10 of the past 11 years. But who's counting?
If Detroit has forgotten what it was like to cheer for a contender, it at least now will have a home run derby.
By Mike Lopresti USA TODAY
7/10/2005 11:59:00 PM
To commemorate Tuesday's All-Star Game here in one of major league baseball's most venerable cities, let us relive some recent Detroit Tigers highlights.
Hmmm ... uh ... sigh ...
OK, then. How about great moments in the history of Comerica Park.
Well ... uh ...
Or maybe the top five reasons to spend an evening in downtown Detroit.
Ahem … uh …
We'll have to get back to you.
No wonder Detroit is so excited about its big night out. Or, actually, two of them. It has been so long since the Tigers were on baseball's radar screen, the last World Series they won had day games.
This is the place that hasn't had a winning season in 12 years. Or a playoff berth since 1987. Or taken a postseason series since 1984.
This is the place that thought it hit bottom with 106 losses in 2002. Then lost 119 in 2003.
This is the place that hoped for a baseball rebirth with a new ballpark. But since Comerica Park opened in 2000, the Tigers have finished a combined 147 games out of first place.
This is the place that in 104 years as a card-carrying member of the American League, has lost more than 90 games only 12 times. But six of those have come in the past nine seasons.
That's not a slump. That's the dark ages. As dark as old Tiger Stadium, a deserted relic that still stands on the edge of downtown, slowly crumbling in silence as the years go by. Part Roman Colosseum, part ghost town.
But at least Tiger Stadium had memories. Tiger Stadium had world champions. Tiger Stadium had Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg and Al Kaline and Cecil Fielder.
Comerica Park? Comerica Park has a carousel behind the first base box seats and a water fountain in center field. A playland that has tried to offer everything except what works best - good baseball.
Maybe that's slowly changing. The Tigers improved to 72-90 last season - though not many teams can use the words "improve" and 72-90" in the same sentence. They'll take a 42-44 record into this All-Star break. Undeniable signs of life.
And since the All-Star Game is supposed to bring in upwards of $50 million, Detroit can smile about that, too. As the city looks at the books and wonders what to do about a $300 million deficit. They even closed the aquarium. How bad is it when you can't even afford goldfish?
So Detroit can use a good party. And this particular All-Star Game is not only brightly adorned, but has its quirky sides, from an unusual first half of a season.
How else to describe it, when a public vote decides the last American League All-Star, and Yankee captain Derek Jeter loses to ... Scott Podsednik?
Or when the home run contest is changed to eight hitters representing eight nations, and America's hopes ride with ... Mark Teixeira?
But then, baseball is different. The Yankees are not in first place, but the Washington Nationals are. John Smoltz is starting and Curt Schilling is coming out of the bullpen.
Some of the big-name fireworks have gone quiet - Bonds, Sosa, etc. But Andruw Jones, Derrek Lee and Teixeira are lighting the skies.
Baseball now pauses from all the plotlines to play its All-Star Game. Detroit will only have the minimum one participant - catcher Ivan Rodriguez - as the forlorn Tigers have done 10 of the past 11 years. But who's counting?
If Detroit has forgotten what it was like to cheer for a contender, it at least now will have a home run derby.
ACK!
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