Tigers, Tigers, Everywhere: A Late Season Night in Detroit

Detroit Tigers

Specifics:

Comerica Park

Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers

Date of Game: Friday, September 30, 2022

Time of Game: 7:10PM EST

Final score: Twins-7, Tigers-0

Section 326, Row E, Seat 1

Our visit to the Detroit area was arranged specifically so we could attend a game at Comerica Park. It was part of a 3-game road trip that also included stops in Milwaukee to watch the Brewers and Chicago to watch the Cubs. When looking up information about Comerica Park, I saw that they had a Ferris Wheel and carousel on the premises. I also read that there was a heavy “tiger theme” throughout the stadium. I like it when stadiums offer alternate things to do during the game to keep children entertained. It makes it feel like it can be a family day that includes watching the baseball game.

Our tickets were purchased the same day as the game using the MLB website.

For this trip we stayed at the Greektown Hollywood Casino. I chose this hotel for several reasons, but mainly because it was somewhat close to the stadium and offered a free shuttle to and from the games. We arrived at the hotel the day before the game, and at check-in I asked where the shuttle was located. The clerk was unsure of what I meant, so she asked her supervisor who said that the shuttle wasn’t sponsored by the hotel and it was usually for football games not baseball. A little bummed, and quite perplexed, I chalked it up to visiting while there were covid limitations still in effect. We did arrive in Detroit by car, so we did have the option to drive to the stadium, it was just an unexpected twist to our plans.

After a little bit of research, my partner and I learned about the Detroit People Mover. It was free, there was a station near to the hotel and another one not too far from the stadium. This seemed like a decent alternative, and if all else failed, we could still drive and park in the stadium parking lot.

The day of the game we did a run-through trip using the People Mover. It was easy to find, and it’s somewhat attached to the casino. This made our trip to the stadium very easy. I also found it comforting that there was a guard of sorts sitting near the turnstile when we walked onto the Greektown train platform. The ride on the train couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes. There were a few others on the train with us, but once we got to the street there were lots of people walking to the stadium. We basically walked within the crowd. It was a short walk, maybe 2 blocks, across a major street then directly into the stadium. Easy peasy.

Not exactly something that I focus on when arranging our visits to a baseball stadium, but It was a promotional game. We received a magnet of the Detroit Tigers schedule for the 2023 season. As soon as we were admitted through security, we bee-lined for the Big Cat Court where we could purchase our ice cream in a team helmet. While we walked along the first-floor concourse it seemed dark as compared to the lights of the baseball field to the right of us. Almost like we were walking under bleachers.

The Big Cat Court is directly off the concourse on the first level, when we arrived it reminded me of a circus/boardwalk setting. There is a carousel in the center with several different concession stands and a walkway surrounding it. One of the stands was Guernsey Farms Dairy. This is where we bought our ice cream in team helmets.

Holy Canoli, this was a ton of ice cream! Probably the best and biggest portion of ice cream we’ve had at a baseball stadium. My partner and I stood against one of the walls nearby and watched the carousel as we ate our ice cream. After about 15 minutes, I realized that this was just too much ice cream for me and we hadn’t even eaten dinner yet. My partner agreed and we cleaned up our helmets and packed them up in my purse. Before we headed to our seats, we picked up two hot dogs and a soda to share.

Our seats were on the third level, so although we didn’t have a close-up view of any of the bases, we had an amazing overall view of the field and the buildings behind the outfield. It didn’t hurt that we had a very clear night too. It was in the mid-60s, and it did get a bit chilly sitting where we were, especially once the sun went down.

One thing I noticed about this stadium was, it was quiet. I don’t know how to explain it really, but it was like a polite group of fans. No razzing, no riff raff, no unusual sounds from the stands, and it was a Friday night too! Maybe it was because of where we were sitting. Maybe it was because the stadium was less than 50% filled. Maybe it was because the home team wasn’t playing well. Maybe it was because it was late in the season, so the stakes weren’t high. Whatever the reason, I noticed it.

From what I read, neither the Twins nor the Tigers were strong at the end of 2022 season. In this game, both teams seemed to be making contact with the ball, but the Twins ultimately had more follow-through with getting their players into scoring position. The Tigers stranded their runners in a couple of innings.

In addition to being a promotional game, it was a Friday night. Comerica Park hosts 15 minutes of fireworks every Friday night when the Tigers play at home. This felt like an added treat to us, and we stayed to watch them. As we walked out of the stadium there were still people milling around so we weren’t entirely alone on our walk to the station or on the People Mover. In fact, when we arrived at Greektown station, we saw a couple of people leaving the casino to use the People Mover, so even around midnight it was still active. (I don’t know if this changed, but it seems like the People Mover might stop running at midnight most nights.)

I hope to get back to Comerica Park and watch the Tigers win!

Written February 24, 2026

Some information, such as baseball game information and directions were sought by using ChatGPT or Perplexity. Blog title brainstorming too!