6/24/2009 - Comerica Park - MLB Ballpark #7

2009 Game #5 - Chicago Cubs at Detroit Tigers
Final Score: Tigers 5, Cubs 3
Hot Dog - 3/5

Another good game tonight, despite the temperature, and our home team win record has improved to 2-3.

At the beginning of the game, there was almost a triple play turned by the Tigers, but the Cubs runner just beat the throw at first.  There were even 2 homeruns hit by Tigers, but Rich and I each missed one.  Rich was especially upset because he was out getting hot dogs at the time, and, in addition to missing the home run, when he came back, the hot dog guy was finally in our section.  Bummer.  On the other hand, nifty things happen if and when a Tigers player hits a homerun: the fountains in center field start, and the eyes of the tigers on the scoreboard glow green.

 

Unfortunately, we did not get a photo of the tiger with his glowing eyes, so you will have to use your imagination.  The Cubs had plenty of opportunities to score, but never actually capitalized on much of it.  Thus, they lost the game, much to the dismay of their many fans in the park.  Other notable items: we ran out of room to write in pitchers for the Tigers (Jim Leyland used 7 different guys), and Joel Zumaya (pitcher #6) was consistently throwing at 101 mph, until his last pitch, which was 102.   We learned that Magglio Ordonez recently got a haircut, and the Tigers win song is “Cel-e-brate…(good times, come on!)”  Also, Comerica Park apparently has the largest crew of groundskeepers on the planet.

During the game, they kept announcing road closures and changes in highway access due to the fact that there were fireworks downtown tonight.  We have no idea why there were, but we could (sort of) see them from the park towards the end of the game.  Let’s just say, we at least knew that they existed.

After the game, we discovered just how Detroit (or at least that part of it) is not designed for high volumes of cars on the road at once.  The motel we’re staying in was only about 8 miles (not on 8 Mile… don’t panic.) from Comerica.  Yet it took us forever to get to the highway because of the gridlock.  Terrible!  We finally did make it out of there, though.  Tomorrow, it’s off to Pittsburgh.

-Karyn