Tigers Open 17th Season At Comerica Park Friday Against Yankees And Pirates In Five-Game Homestand
DETROIT – Baseball returns to Detroit on Friday, April 8 as the Tigers begin their 2016 campaign at Comerica Park. The five-game homestand will feature the New York Yankees from April 8 through April 10 and the Pittsburgh Pirates, April 11 and 12. First pitch for all games is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. with the exception of Sunday's National broadcast, Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN that will start at 8:10 p.m.
Friday, April 8 vs New York Yankees at 1:10 p.m. Gates Open at 11:00 a.m.
· The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by 1984 World Series Champion Kirk Gibson.
· The national anthem will be performed by a Brass Ensemble from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Civic Youth Ensembles. The young musicians are part of the DSO's Wu Family Academy, Michigan's premier classical music training program. Each week hundreds of metro Detroit students gather at the Max M. Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center to rehearse with the area's most distinguished teachers, work with DSO musicians and perform on historic Orchestra Hall stage.
· Honor Guard Introduction: The United States Air Force Honor Guard features the flags of all five branches of The United States Armed Forces.
· Military Flyover: Two A-10 Thunderbolt II "Warthog" aircraft from the 107th Fighter Squadron and part of the 127th Wing located at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, MI. The 107th just recently returned from a six month Deployment to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in which over 300 Michigan Airmen deployed and all returned safely.
· 300-foot American flag will be unfurled on-field; held by volunteers from the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- The game ball will be delivered by Lieutenant Colonel Justin Tyree of the United States Air Force, from Rochester, MI. Lieutenant Colonel Tyree is the Commander of the 339th Recruiting Squadron and is responsible for active duty Air Force recruiting for the entire state of Michigan. His career has consisted of Space Operations and acquisitions, working on the nation's most important strategic assets. He has deployed to Iraq where he was in charge of 43 building projects to improve the everyday life for the Iraqi population. Lieutenant Colonel Tyree has proudly served the United States Air Force for 21 years.
· God Bless America will be performed by SFC Andrew Schwallier of the 126 Army Band during the 7th inning stretch. Flyover pilots and ground support will be introduced at that time.
Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Raffle: The Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Charity Raffle continues at Comerica Park this season at all Friday and Saturday home games. The partner charity for this weekend's 50/50 raffle is the Detroit Sports Commission. The Commission is a subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau dedicated to enhancing the local economy and image of metro Detroit by attracting and hosting amateur sports events. Tickets will be sold on a digital platform and are three for $5, 10 for $10 and 40 for $20. The winner will be announced on the Comerica Park scoreboard before the end of the game. The 50/50 Charity Raffle program has raised more than $1.1 million for charity.
· Tartersauce, a traditional jazz trio, will be performing at Gate A from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.Saturday, April 9 vs New York Yankees at 1:10 p.m. Gates Open at 11:30 a.m.
· The first 10,000 fans will receive a 2016 magnet schedule, courtesy of Comerica Bank.
Goodfellows Ticket Package: Ticket package includes: upper box infield, mezzanine or lower baseline box ticket, exclusive Detroit Tigers hoodie sweatshirt and a $3 donation to the Detroit Goodfellows. For groups of 15 or more please contact Corey Thomas at 313-471-2240 or corey.thomas@tigers.com. For over 100 years the Detroit Goodfellows have worked to ensure their mission that no child goes without a Christmas by providing holiday gift packages to deserving children in Detroit and the surrounding area.
· The Detroit Tigers partner with Jack's Place for Autism to raise awareness for Autism. Representatives from Jack's Place for Autism along with beneficiaries of Jack's Place will have an informational table on the concourse on April 9-24 along a public service announcement about Jack's Place prior to all home games in April.
Verlander's Victory for Veterans: This season, for each Saturday home game, Justin Verlander hosts Veterans from Veterans Affairs Medical Centers throughout the state of Michigan. These Veterans sustained injuries or illness in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom or in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veterans along with their families cheer on the Tigers from the comfort of Verlander's personal luxury suite. After serving our country, the special day provides American veterans the opportunity to enjoy a Tigers game with their family. Veterans from the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Healthcare System will share 18 luxury suite tickets and parking passes in the Tigers Parking Garage. Food and beverage is provided for the guests courtesy of Verlander. Veterans receive a personalized welcome letter from Verlander and a Verlander's Victory for Veterans t-shirt.
· Comerica Bank March the Park Anthem Contest: High school marching bands across Southeast Michigan submitted videos of their performance of the National Anthem to the Comerica Cares Facebook page. A panel of judges from the Detroit Tigers and Comerica Bank narrowed the submissions down for public voting. More than 70,000 votes were cast during the two-week voting period. In addition to winning the opportunity to perform the national anthem prior to Saturday's game, the Holly High School marching band has also won a five $5,000 grant from Comerica Bank.
· The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Pete LoFiego, Holly High School Principal.
· The national anthem will be performed by Holly High School Marching Band, winners of the Comerica Bank March the Park Anthem contest.Sunday, April, 10 vs. New York Yankees at 8:10 p.m. Gates Open at 6:30 p.m.
· BOGO Ticket Offer: Buy-one-get-one free upper infield box, outfield box and pavilion tickets are on sale for Sunday's game and are available at tigers.com/BOGO.
· Awards Presentation: Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez will be presented with their 2015 Silver Slugger Awards, while Cabrera will also be presented with a silver bat for winning the batting title in 2015.
· All kids 14-and-under will receive a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Replica Bat, courtesy of Little Caesars.
· The national anthem will be performed by 12-year-old vocalist Alexis Star Butcher.
· God Bless America will be performed by Technical Sergeant Mario Jimenez during the 7th inning stretch.
· All Sunday home games are Chevy Youth Baseball Sunday Kids Days at Comerica Park. All kids 14-and-under will receive a free promotional item as part of the "Every Kid, Every Sunday" giveaway guarantee, enjoy free rides courtesy of Kroger on the Comerica Bank Carousel or the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel, take part in free face painting, have the chance to win a bicycle and are invited down to the field for Kids Run the Bases courtesy of Aquafina and Meijer following the game, weather permitting.
Monday, April, 11 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m. Gates Open at 11:30 a.m.
Career Day: Prior to the game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m. the Tigers will host the first of five installments of the Tigers Class Outside Series, presented by Oakland University, for over 2,400 students. The pre-game workshop is geared towards high school and early college students and will focus on careers in professional sports, including media relations, marketing, sponsorship, broadcasting, stadium operations, and sales. There's a diverse lineup of featured speakers who will share their real life, day-to-day experiences working in professional sports. Monday's speakers include: Mary Beck, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Promotions at MLB Network, Rachel Condelli, Sports Marketing Manager, Gatorade Sports Partnerships at Gatorade, Jeff Konya, Athletic Director at Oakland University and Dawn Maynard, Catering Manager at Delaware North / Sportservice at Comerica Park. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting tigers.com/classoutside.
· Military Veterans Program (MVP) - FOX Sports Detroit broadcaster Mario Impemba continues to thank the men and women of the United States Armed Force. Through the program, Mario invites those who served and the families impacted by the service of a loved one in support of our nation to attend the first Monday home game of each month at Comerica Park. The group of 30 Veterans from the Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 119 from St. Clair Shores, MI and their guests, receive a lower-bowl ticket to the Tigers game, a "MVP" t-shirt, a voucher for a BBQ dinner and an autographed photo of Tigers broadcaster Mario Impemba. The Veterans and guests arrive to the ballpark in style in the FOX Sports Detroit Fan Express.
· Weekday Value Pack: Tickets are available for the Weekday Value Pack that includes four upper reserved tickets, four sodas, four hot dogs and four bags of chips for $16 per person at tigers.com/value or at the Tigers box office.
· The national anthem will be performed by Rochester College Chorus of Rochester, MI.
· Aquafina School Incentive and Reward Program: Over the course of four games this season, the Detroit Tigers Foundation will host over 10,000 students to reward and thank them as part of the annual Detroit Tigers School Incentive and Reward Program.
Tuesday, April, 12 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m. Gates Open at 11:30 a.m.
· Weather Day: Prior to Tuesday's game vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:10 p.m., the Tigers will host their second installment of the Class Outside Series, presented by Oakland University, Weather Day. Recommended for elementary and middle school students, this presentation is hosted by Toledo's Imagination Station and Oakland University Professor of Physics, Dr. Alberto Rojo. The program uses live demonstrations and science experiments to show how clouds are made, and the use of anemometers, barometers and more.
· Weekday Value Pack: Tickets are available for the Weekday Value Pack that includes four upper reserved tickets, four sodas, four hot dogs and four bags of chips for $16 per person at tigers.com/value or at the Tigers box office.
· The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by INDYCAR driver Josef Newgarden.
· The national anthem will be performed by Bella Voce of Woodhaven High School in Woodhaven, MI.
TRAFFIC UPDATES:
· For traffic updates fans can find alerts and alternative routes at tigers.com, and visit tigers.com/ballparkapp to download the MLB.com Ballpark app., and fans can follow @tigers on Twitter.
· We recommend tuning to WWJ 950 AM for up-to-the-minute updates on traffic alerts and closures.
· Fans can also check with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the City of Detroit Department of Transportation for real-time road closures and detours at www.michigan.gov/mdot and download the Mi Drive app. and you can also visit www.m-1rail.com.
PAWS TRACKS TO COMERICA PARK:
· Please remember to avoid delays, it's best to arrive early to Comerica Park.
· Traffic patterns may be modified at the discretion of law enforcement agencies.
· Tigers gameday and event traffic patterns go into effect a minimum of three hours prior to start time.