The making of the Tigress

It takes a special person to be a baseball fan.  162 games spanning from late March/early April til mid October if you are lucky.  I've been told baseball is too dull to watch on TV and that the games move too slowly.  It was especially difficult to be a Detroit Tigers fan in the early 2000s.  I distinctly remember defending them my sophomore year of high school (2001) stating that they "weren't that bad."  Even though I was delusional, the Tigers' 66 wins that season looks outstanding compared to the 43 they won in 2003.  Despite their lackluster record, I watched game after game, season after season watching our 1-2 all stars we produced every year dazzle me with their mediocrity (except Todd Jones, that's another story for another time).  The image below is of Tony Clark.  He was our "all star" in 2001 and he was affectionately nicknamed "Tony the Tiger."  Aren't we clever?

Flash forward to 2006, the year that almost was.  When it was no longer uncool to sport the Tigers gear and you hoped for extra innings to keep the winning going.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  The point is, I was there in the darkest days, defending a team that won my heart long before.  I smell a story coming...

I remember going to Tiger Stadium, parking by a statue of a priest, and walking blocks to get to the game.  Although I know my parents took me to many games, it's the times I went with my Aunt B that I remember most vividly.  We would arrive right when the gates opened, not to ride the carousel or Ferris wheel like kids do now at Comerica.  Oh no, we arrive early to check out EVERY section in the stadium to decide which ones were best.  Not only that, when we found a suitable section, we would scope out rows and carefully write them down on our mini Tiger schedules with the map of the stadium on the back.  This was at a stadium where "obstructed view" seating meant you could literally be sitting behind a large, blue steel beam.  Although I enjoy Comerica, I still miss Tiger Stadium for its character, history, and yes, even those obstructed view seats that people were not wise enough to avoid in the first place.  That's the place where my love for the Tigers grew.  So, through the good times and bad, I'll be a Tiger fan. 

February is a lonely month for sports fans (unless you count hockey or basketball, but honestly no one counts those).  April 5th can't come soon enough for this Tigress.