Opening Day Comerica Park!!

Opening Day!!! It’s finally upon us.  For every fan today is Christmas.  For me this was Christmas, my Birthday, and Columbus Day all wrapped up in one!  The official start of my trip, even though I don’t leave home until Saturday morning. 

A few days ago I got a call from my buddy who was supposed to go with me to Opening Day.  His father had gotten sick and he had to take off to New Jersey.  After he informed me that he could not go to the game I instantly started sending out messages, text messages, and posting on Facebook to see if I could get a replacement.  I had plenty of people let me know they were interested but for the tiny cost of $130 they weren’t that that interested.  As a last option I was going to sell it to a scalper and hope to get at least a little bit of my money back.  That’s when my friend Chloe told me she would like to go to the game.

Chloe had never been to a baseball game before.  In fact she said that she had never been to a professional sporting event before.  She was also not very familiar with Detroit.  This morning she had texted me and informed me that she was running late and she wouldn’t be able to make it to Detroit until 11:30.  I was planning on being in the park at 11 but I decided I could push it back a little further.  No big deal.  We had timed it out and both hit game day traffic at the same time.  Geeze, was this traffic bad.  I’m not exactly the most patient person in the world so I hopped off the highway one exit too soon and navigated my way closer to the park.  That is where I ended up in that awesome Detroit entertainment district traffic.  I was stop and go for what seemed like forever.  Every lot that I passed was already filled up.  I was getting incredibly frustrated.  I circled back on Woodward past the stadium and started heading towards Wayne State University.  There was nowhere to park and Chloe called me she had found a place to park closer to the stadium.  Now she was waiting on me and time was ticking away.  I parked in a parking garage at Wayne State and made my way towards Comerica Park. 

After a ten minute walk I had finally made it to the park.  Now I just needed to find Chloe.  We were on the phone playing the, what are you wearing, I’m standing right here, no you’re not I’m standing right here game.  After about ten minutes I found her and we made our way towards the gate.  10 minutes until game time and I wasn’t in the stadium yet!  I was swearing in my head.  I could see them introducing the team on the amazing new score board.  Getting into the game took FOREVER because they didn’t have all the gates open.  As we were standing there I counted five closed gates.  Five.  You think it being one of the busiest games of the season they would have them all open.  I wanted to go to will call and attempt to exchange my printed ticket voucher for an actual ticket but I didn’t have the time.  I was rather disappointed in that but figured I could get an actual ticket when I return for a game at Comerica on June 15^th.  The promotional give away for Opening Day was a DVD of Justin Verlander’s second career no-hitter.  They were only available to the first 20,000 fans and I was not one of them. 

We got into the park and I immediately walked to an area where I could see the field.  It is always the very first thing I do when I get into a baseball game.  I wanted to walk around and see the park but I also wanted to watch the game.  We decided that we would make our way up to the third deck and find our seats.  Before getting to our seats I had to stop for a bathroom break, I didn’t want to have to get up if the game was getting good.  I also stopped by one of the many concession stands and got two tall Labbat Blue Lights for $17.50.  The seats I had purchased off of StubHub.com were in section 342 row 5 seats 8&9 and I had paid $125 apiece for them.  The view from that high up is just simply amazing.  I love that.  It’s nice to be at a game at the field level but being up top is just as good.  We got to our seats and there were two gentlemen sitting in them.  We informed them that they were in our seats and they kindly moved.  The group that was around us seemed like a lot of fun.  They were razzing each other and throwing peanuts around.  They told us that the guy who was supposed to be sitting next to me was drunk out of his mind.  Luckily the man was not in his seat at the moment.  The two gentlemen who were originally in my seats, I never got their names, turned around and offered us their tickets.  They told us their seats were in a better section and they wanted our seats because they were friends with the surrounding group.  The man grabbed his ticket from his pocket to show me where he was sitting and I instantly noticed that it was an actual ticket.  It also appeared to be the style of ticket that is given to season ticket holders.  I told him that I would love to trade him tickets.  I told him I would move seats but only after I finished watching the half inning.  His friend reached into his pocket and grabbed out the Justin Verlander DVD and offered it to me.  Of course!  This day was certainly turning around for me.  That is when the drunk guy returned to his seat.  He was completely impaired and appeared to be having a difficult time with basic functioning.  The inning ended and I was more than happy to get out of there. 

We made our way to section 334 row E seats 9&10.  Our new home for the rest of the game.  They were pretty good seats and we were surrounded by families.  It was a pretty quiet section and I enjoyed sitting there.  It was half way down the third base line and I had an excellent view of the park.  I also had a great of the new screen.  It is pretty awesome.  I kind of have a thing for TV’s.  It’s a bit of a weakness, but hey, at least it’s not drugs!  The screen is crystal clear and the Tigers screen/neon sign lights up with fire graphics during the game. 

Not only was there excitement in the air because it was opening day but, Verlander was on the mound.  He pitched a great game and made it through 8 innings without allowing anybody to score.  There was no score until the bottom on the 7^th when the Tigers got a run followed by another run in the 8^th.  Top of the 9^th Jose “Papa Grande” Valverde came in to attempt to finish off the Red Sox.  The Sox were right at the heart of their lineup and the capitalized on it scoring two runs.  At this point I had to go to the bathroom so bad I just couldn’t wait any longer.  I moved as fast as I could to the bathroom and had to wait in line.  Just my luck I got stranded behind two older gentlemen who moved like any sudden movement would notify the Grim Reaper of their location.  Luckily in the bathroom they had Tigers radio playing so I wasn’t really missing the action.  I, like everybody else in the park, was on the edge of my seat.  The bottom of the lineup came through for the Tigers and were able to load the bases.  Austin Jackson stepped up to the plate and hit a line drive past Jacoby Ellsbury at third for the win.  The crowd went wild.  Such an amazing end to the first game of the season and it only has me even more excited about the 2012 season. 

I stayed in the upper deck and took pictures while the crowd filed out.  I went to the team store and looked for a post card to send to my friend, Rachel.  Unfortunately there were no post cards to be found anywhere.  I asked a woman who worked there and they said that they don’t carry them.  The mail is kind of a lost art these days.  I made my way to the bottom level and walked around the park.  I love all the amenities that Comerica Park has to offer.  The Ferris wheel and merry-go-round for kids.  There are numerous restaurants and bars.  One of my favorite things about Comerica is how they proudly display Tigers history at every turn.  Walking through the main corridor you notice that every so often there is a pillar that’s dedicated to a decade of the Tigers with pictures and other memorabilia.  I went over to the statues of the Detroit Tigers legends and took pictures.  I visited one more gift shop in hopes of finding a post card they had none.  My last stop as I left the park was the giant tiger statue.  Everytime I come to a game at Comerica I have to take a picture at that tiger. 

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Keep On Smilin- It's Baseball Season!

Tigers visit Toledo

Today I attended the first ever Detroit Tigers vs Toledo Mud Hens game at Fifth Third Field.  The last time the Tigers played the Toledo Mud Hens was 12 years ago.  I was pretty excited about seeing my first game of the year.  I was hoping to get in early for a tour but I had to drop my cousins off at the airport yesterday and didn’t respond to an email from the Toledo Mud Hens until after 5pm.  I got to the park around 9:30am and there was a line at every gate.  Gates opened right at 10am and everybody rushed to the first base sideline to try and see their favorite players and get autographs.

I was standing right on the wall for about 20 minutes.  I was enjoying watching the Mud Hens take batting practice and seeing the Tigers players make their way on to the field. Johnny Peralta came out on the field and was really enjoying himself.  He was “whoooo” to the crowd that was “whoooo’ing him right back.   Around 10:20 an usher came over to the section I was standing in and told everybody that didn’t have a ticket for that section that they needed to leave.  He informed us that no players would be signing autographs today.  I walked back a few rows and continued to watch the warm ups.  My attention was drawn to Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera.  They threw the ball back and forth and were the first ones to step into the batting cages.  Fielder, Cabrera, and Boesch were crushing the balls over the fence into the crowds of fans.  Right by where I was standing Alex Avila was warming up Rick Porcello.  Once they were warmed up Avila came over and started signing autographs.  I loved seeing the excitement of the little kids once their baseballs, cards, or shirts were signed.  One thing I did not like was the grown men pushing their way to the front of the crowd to have their things signed.  One gentleman had several bats in cases that he pulled out and had signed.  I don’t think that this fella was having them signed for his own personal collection.  I can’t justify ever cutting in front of a little kid, let alone to have a bat signed that you’re probably going to sell on eBay.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to get every players autograph.  When I was in fourth grade my teacher, Mrs. Koppus, was a huge Tigers fan.  We had to write a story and I wrote a story about how I hung out with my grandfather, Cecil Fielder, and Prince Fielder.  I don’t remember all of the details but they had a house with trap doors and we were playing in them.  Nearly 20 years later I am standing yards away from Prince Fielder and it would be amazing to get his autograph but, I would never jump in front of any child who was seeking his autograph. 

I decided to do a lap around the park since I still had plenty of time to kill before the first pitch.  I made my way behind home plate and decided to get closer and take a seat.  I was only a few rows up from the net as I see Jim Leyland wave to somebody in the crowd and they came right over to where I was and chatted.  Jim Leyland is originally from the Toledo area so it only made sense that he would see some old friends.  I started chatting with a gentleman who was sitting in the row in front of me.  We discussed baseball and our excitement for the upcoming season.  I told the man about the journey I’m taking and he told me he would love to do the same someday.  He asked me about my life plans after I’m done with my trip so I informed him.  In doing so I had mentioned that my dad was a Sherriff’s deputy in the area and he told me he used to be a cop in California.    He had mentioned several times in the conversation that he was from California so I asked him what had brought him to Toledo, Ohio.  His response was a very nonchalant my son plays.  I asked him who his son was and he informed me that his son was Doug Fister.  I asked Larry Fister how it was to have a son playing pro ball.  He told me how excited he gets, how proud he is, and how surreal it can be when his son gets talked about on Sportscenter and other sports shows.  Larry asked me when I would be in California and I gave him the general time frame.  He told me that if I needed a place to stay when I am in his neck of the woods that I could stay in an extra bedroom.  Are you serious?  A professional baseball player’s dad just offered me a place to stay and we had only been talking for half an hour.  This is one thing that impresses me over and over again.  The baseball community as a whole has been incredibly generous to me during the stages of this trip.  I love that people can be so kind and caring.  One of the many reason I love being an American.  I gave Larry Fister my contact information and we parted ways. 

I made my way around the ballpark and hung out just below the flags that were being flown at half-mast.  Recently, somebody from the Mud Hens organization had passed away and the flags were honoring him.  I hadn’t eaten yet and was starting to get hungry.  I looked at my phone and it was ten minutes until the first pitch.  I decided to put off food for a little while longer.  It was time for the National Anthem and a local boy scout troop escorted the colors to the pitcher’s mound.  The crowd was asked to remove their caps for the Star Spangled Banner.  Two gentlemen in front of me did not remove their hats.  This is one thing that infuriates me every time I see it.  I said in a very controlled voice “take of your hat”.  The one man obliged me and took his off.  I gave it another few lines and he was still wearing his hat.  I tapped the man who had taken his hat off and asked him to please have his friend remove his cap.  He told his friend to take it off and he responded with “I don’t want to” but he did anyways.  I was shocked at that response but I just let it go.

I watched the Austin Jackson and Brennan Boesch strike out followed up with a fly out by Cabrera.   The grumbling in my stomach was getting rather loud so I decided to get a bite to eat.  I went over to one of the concession stands called the Hen & Hound eatery & pub.  The line was very long but it seemed there was a long line at every turn.  The TV’s in the concession stand were not turned on so every time you heard a roar from the crowd you had to turn around and attempt to see what you missed.  I waited about 20 minutes to order a “Muddy Dog” (hot dog, chili, cheese, onions) for $4.25 and a tall Bud Light for $7.50.  I gave the concession attendant a $20 bill and he informed me that he didn’t have any change.  The line was held up as it appeared nobody was going for change.  The attendant started helping people who had exact change or people who cut it close enough not to care about the change as I stood by the side.  I stood there near ten minutes before my change had arrived.  Minus the 25cents that never showed up but at that point I simply didn’t care. 

I ate my hotdog and found a spot to watch the game.  I watched for several innings and noticed that people had already started to leave the park.  I made my way all the way down the 3^rd base line and found a few empty seats on the end so I sat down.  I watched the game, relaxed, basking in the spring sun.  I noticed an older gentleman standing near me wearing a Vietnam Veterans hat.  I walked over and started talking to him.  His name is Jerry Brzuchalski and served two years with a Cav division in the Army.  He spent one year in Vietnam.  I asked him if he spent time talking with his buddies about all the things they wanted to when they got home.  I did not get the answer I expected.  Jerry told me that he never really thought about that.  He just knew that he would return to Toledo and continue to work at the Jeep plant like he had before he was drafted, and that’s all he really wanted.  I had a great conversation with Jerry, we exchanged stories, and I went on my way. 

The cell reception at Fifth Third Field is like a black hole for modern technology.  I tried to tweet, check in to foursquare, and update my Facebook status with no avail.  My phone spent most of the afternoon searching for a signal and just killing my battery.  After the 5^th inning I received a text from Tammy Esper who is the marketing coordinator for the Toledo Mud Hens informing me that she would still like to give me a tour if I wanted it.  She told me that there wasn’t much I would be able to access because of the game but I could still see some areas I hadn’t seen already.  I met up with her during the 9^th inning and she took me upstairs to where the suites and press boxes are.  I got to see the TV crews working through a window and it was very cool.  When I recently took a tour of Wrigley field their press boxes were completely empty so it was neat seeing one in use.  After that she took me to see “The Roost” which is an area of the park that you can rent for parties.  This section of the park is in the corner and offers an excellent view of the park.  I talked to Tammy for a while about various topics and thanked her for her time.  At each ballpark I will be collecting a post card to send to a good friend of mine so I went down to the gift shop and got one, and then made my way down the block to my car.

All in all I had a great day at fifth third field.  It was a bit crowded and the lines were long but it was way busier then I had ever seen it before due to the visiting Tigers.  It’s my hometown park and I love going to games there. 

Tomorrow starts the official season.  I’m excited about getting this adventure rolling.  I’ve never been to an Opening Day at Comerica Park and I just know it’s going to be a great day.

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Keep On Smiling- It’s Baseball Season!