
Comerica Park and the Detroit Tigers
Visited 05-30-2023 | Written 09-02-2024 | TEX @ DET 10-6 | View | Food
My visit to Comerica Park was a part of what I call my 'Baseball Odyssey' -- a road trip over the course of a month that saw me hit 11 different stadiums. I talk about the odyssey a fair bit in my article reflecting my baseball chase. This was the first stop, driving from Chicago to Detroit. I stayed with a friend in Ann Arbor and drove to Toronto that same night, so I don't have any pieces of advice when it comes to lodging near the stadium or in the city.
Coming into the stadium itself was unmemorable, which is a good thing. Parking was simple and directly across the stadium's home plate entrance, allowing for easy access to the concourse. I was immediately greeted by a throne commemorating Miguel Cabrera's 2012 batting triple-crown season, with stats and a cardboard cutout of Miggy placing a crown on a throne sitter. It was a cool photo opportunity that highlighted a beloved figure of Detroit, which gives points to the stadium for me. The concourses are cozy but unmemorable, and I had no problems getting to my seat. I decided to just stick with a hot dog and peanuts for my food. Additionally, today was a "Bark in the Park" day like the one I happened to come across at PetCo Park, which made the concourse even more fun to walk.
The field itself reminds me a fair bit of Guaranteed Rate's, with greenery past the outfield wall, a clear but not ostentatious scoreboard, and a similar color scheme on the seats. The backdrop is populated by plenty of buildings that make the park feel integrated within the city, which is a plus. Ford Field also peeks over the left field foul pole. This game was a night game that started at 6:40 pm, meaning I was able to appreciate the way the sunset hit both the park and the backdrop. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and it was truly a beautiful day for baseball.
My favorite part of the park, however, is no longer there today -- a counter for Cabrera's hits and home runs with 'Miggy's Milestones' written under it. This was Cabrera's last season in MLB, and this game was a small part of his retirement tour. Luckily for me, I was able to see the milestone counter move -- three times! -- with a three-hit performance that saw him have the greatest value to the Tigers that day according to WPA, or Win Probability Added (.222!). Despite this, however, the Tigers still fell to the Rangers 10-6. This game had 21 total hits, with both starting pitchers giving up six runs in around four innings. However, the Rangers' bullpen pitched better on this day than the Tigers', giving up zero earned runs as opposed to four.
While I enjoyed my time at Comerica, and found it to be a very cozy park, there was nothing else notably memorable or spectacular about it. I did not walk the full concourse, particularly behind the outfield, so it’s possible that there is something that I missed that would have elevated my experience. Regardless, if I find myself in Detroit again, I will certainly want to do some things over while visiting Comerica: I’d get different food or a signature item if I could find it, walk the full concourse, and take in the entire stadium. This is a stadium that I would love to hit again (and, fortunately, isn’t too far from Chicago).