Excitement builds for fans as Detroit Tigers push for playoff bid
(CBS DETROIT) - What a weekend to be a Detroit Tigers fan. The push to the playoffs is on, and fans say it's the team's grit that's bringing new enthusiasm into town.
"Playoff push, we here baby, we here every game," fans chanted Thursday.
Throughout downtown Detroit Thursday, there was no shortage of Tigers fans sporting their gear.
As many hope the team reaches the playoffs, it's the excitement that fans find refreshing.
"They come a long way, and it's a new change, a new motivating change," one fan told CBS News Detroit.
With the success the team has had since August, it's also a win for businesses. One bar and grill said their bottom line has shot up over the last two months.
"You see, a lot of people spend more, a lot of people drink more, and that comes with winning, "said Cesar Ramirez, service manager at Harry's Bar.
The team's playoff possibility is rapidly increasing. Earlier in the season, the Tigers had less than a 25% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs. Now the odds are over 95%.
"We didn't see this a month as a possibility, so for it to be something that we're kind of knocking on the door right now, it's a great thing for the city," fan Molly Morre said.
Morre is a former collegiate softball coach and a lifelong Tigers fan. She's seen the team at its lows, but she, like most fans, is relishing in its highs.
"The atmosphere in the stadium has been great today [Thursday]. When we were down, there was never a feeling that we were out of it," she said.
Detroit sports are seeing a lot of eyes. The Detroit Lions are coming off an incredible season, and now the Tigers are making noise.
Some say it's the Detroit grit that's showcasing in sports.
"Our teams know we stand behind them 10-fold, win, lose or draw; we got their backs," fan LaSherri Brown said.