Game #98-Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Comerica Park

August 20, 2018

Headed back to Indianapolis again, but this is the first time for a new client in about 2 years.  I guess I should be excited about the fact that I will be in a great viewing area for the total eclipse that is going to take place on Monday the 21^st (Indy should be at about 91% vs 58% back in San Diego), but honestly I just wanted to take advantage of my proximity to Detroit so I could knock off my final team in that city…also they just so happen to be playing my Dodgers.  On paper 300 miles seems bad, the 4.5 hour estimated drive on google maps is worse, but the actual drive is fairly mind numbing.  Todays technology is great, I set up my phone in the car with my map app on and was on my way, but seeing the miles s-l-o-w-l-y tick away is rough.  At one point I needed to just turn off the screen because I knew I had 96 miles to go on one freeway but all I was doing was looking at the screen every 5 minutes.  “How can I still have 92 miles to go!!!!”.  But after a while I got into a groove, put on some Kevin and Bean podcasts, had the cruise control set for 79mph, and the radar detector was in the right position to spot cops.  By the time I entered the parking lot it was after 9pm and I was wiped.  Mind you, I was up at 4:30am PST so this was a 13.5 hour travel day.  I got to my room, went out for a drink at the Whiskey Parlor, and headed to bed around midnight.  I didn’t move all night until the alarm at 9:30am…

Game day I initially had big plans.  I was going to drive to the University of Michigan to check out the campus and then maybe go for a run along the board walk to look across the river to Canada, but I had no energy for that.  Instead I had breakfast, went to the gym, took a nice long shower and then packed so I could go straight from the game to the car and back on the road to Indy. 

I was just in Detroit a year ago for the Lions game so I had an opportunity to check out Comerica (Tigers Field) before.  They have awesome statues around the park, banners on the poles, and an old timey feel to the building.  The stadium is 17 years old now but the architects didn’t miss a beat for the fans.  Tigers were everywhere.  Be it statues, pictures, even a carousel in the Tigers Den, they really did it up.  I was also really glad to see that they paid homage to the old teams.  This franchise has been around since 1901 and although they have only won the world series 4 times (1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984), there is a lot of history.  So in each section of the park the builders put up these cool displays with mitts, banners, player pics, championship trophies while underneath where display cases with notable players like Ty Cobb and their jerseys, gloves and bats.  Not to mention in the outfield the statues of all the players who have had their numbers retired is a great addition (Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer, Hal Newhouser, Willie Horton, Hank Greenburg and Ty Cobb).

As for the game, it was a pitchers duel for most of the afternoon.  Kenda Maeda looked sharp until the 6^th inning when the Tigers put on a hitting clinic getting 5 hits and 4 runs to take a 4-1 lead into the 7^th.  To that point, new Dodgers outfielder Curtis Granderson knock a ball off the foul pole for his first homer in the uniform but that was not enough vs all-star Justin Verlander.  Once the Tigers got the lead they only extended it in the 8^th with a two run homer from Miguel Cabrera and there was no looking back.  Normally I would stay to the end of the game, especially since this was a day game and the Dodgers ability to come back this year, but with the 300 mile drive back to Indy I called it quits the bottom of the 9^th hoping to avoid any additional traffic.  I didn’t miss anything as the Tigers won 6-1 ending LA’s six game win streak holding them to 87-35 for the year. 

Most notable thing about the game were the people around me.  All were very friendly, I had great conversations about the history of the Tigers, the old stadium, the upswing of the Detroit area, and the father/son behind me were awesome.  They clearly loved being with each other and I gave the kid a bit of strife when I found out he was a Giants fan (as well as Tigers follower).  He likes Buster Posey, can’t fault him cause the guy is a great player, but I let the kid know that I boo’ed BP at the world baseball classic even with him being on my team.  Too funny.