Month: April 2010

Ten years ago today the Tigers opened Comerica Park with a 5-2 win over the Mariners. Anyone who was there might still be thawing out.

Here, courtesy of the Tigers Media Guide, are some Comerica Park firsts — some from that day, others a bit later:

• First Pitch: April 11, 2000 — 1:18 p.m. (Brian Moehler, strike to Seattle’s Mark McLemore with umpire Rick Reed behind the plate)

• First Hit: April 11, 2000 — Seattle’s John Olerud, double, top of first off of Brian Moehler

• First Single: April 11, 2000 — Gregg Jefferies, bottom of first off of Seattle’s Freddy Garcia

• First Double: April 11, 2000 — Seattle’s John Olerud, top of first off of Brian Moehler

• First Triple: April 11, 2000 — Luis Polonia, bottom of first off of Seattle’s Freddy Garcia

• First Home Run: April 14, 2000 — Juan Gonzalez, bottom of third off Tampa Bay’s Ryan Rupe. With Gonzalez’s three-run shot, it marked the longest stretch without a home run of any new ballpark opened since 1989.

• First RBI: April 11, 2000 — Gregg Jefferies, bottom of first

• First Stolen Base: April 12, 2000 — Seattle’s Mark McLemore off Dave Mlicki/Brad Ausmus, 2nd base.

• First Shutout: April 12, 2000 — Seattle’s Aaron Sele, 4-0.

• First Grand Slam: April 19, 2000 Boston’s Trot Nixon, top of the 6th off Jim Poole.

• First Tigers Grand Slam: June 27, 2000 — Dean Palmer, bottom of fifth off New York’s David Cone.

• First Inside-the-Park Home Run: September 2, 2000 — Juan Gonzalez, bottom of the first off Texas’ Kenny Rogers.

Nanoseconds after Carlos Gomez slid across home plate in the final regular-season game of 2009, sending his Twins team to the playoffs and dispatching the Tigers to an offseason of soul searching, the last thing a Tigers fan wanted to do was think of Opening Day 2010.

Maybe I’m just projecting my own coping skills on the legion of Tigers followers, but it’s safe to say that, considering how the 2009 season ended, we all needed a break. The good news is: break’s over.

Opening Day 2010 is here and with it comes the joy of seeing the Royals, White Sox, Indians and, yes, the Twins 18 times each over the next six months. Think of it. Savor it.

And, bathe, won’t you, in the Opening Day clichés that will flow over the next 24 hours – Hope springs eternal on Opening Day! Everyone’s tied for first place on Opening Day! Jeremy Bonderman discovered a third pitch in time for Opening Day!

But in the meantime, let’s take a look at what’s in store for Jim Leyland’s Tigers in 2010, at least from our view.

Continue reading “Detroit Tigers 2010 Season Preview”