Ballpark Review: Comerica Park

Next up was a trip to Detroit during the Memorial Day weekend to see what Comerica Park brings to the table. As it turned out, the Red Wings and Pistons were also playing in the Motor City on the same night. But that and the fact that their high expectations have been a total downer did not prevent the Tigers from selling out this game. When the Tigers moved out of Tiger Stadium (which BTW is still around, although it will be demolished sometime soon), building a ballpark that matches the mystique of their old home was no easy task. Although I had never been inside Tiger Stadium, I will say that this ballpark passes in that regard.

Getting There: Parking goes for $20 in one of many parking lots adjacent to the ballpark. But be prepared to be stuck in traffic after the game. It's not so much the number of cars as it is the fact that getting on the freeway is so confusing with all of the blocked on-ramps.

Alternatively, there are lots of places to park and ride the Detroit People Mover to Grand Circus station, where Comerica Park is a short walk away. You can also park north of the park and thake a shuttle there. I learned my lesson the first time I was there and parked near the Renaissance Center for $6 and took the DPM to Comerica. Then I would get on the freeway at Jefferson Ave. which is much quicker.

What's Outside the Ballpark: In front of the main entrance is a giant tiger statue. Since the Red Wings are in the Stanley Cup playoffs that the tiger today was wearing a Red Wings jersey. That statue is very nice. There are many tiger heads attached to the walls outside the park with a baseball in their mouth. Right across from the lot on the east side is Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. Across the street on the west side is the Fox Theater and the Hockeytown Cafe, which is a place where pieces of memorabilia from Detroit sports are showcased.

What's Inside the Ballpark: Behind the first base line is a carousel along with a food court. Behind the third base side is a ferris wheel with baseball-shaped carriages. In left field are statues of Tiger greats as these are players whose numbers have been retired by the Tigers (except for Ty Cobb who played at a time before numbers were worn). Behind center field is the GM fountain that remains dormant until the Tigers hit a home run. On top of the fountain are two GM vehicles. In right field is the Pepsi porch with a big Pepsi logo. Throughout the stadium are bits and pieces of Tigers history.

Where I Sat: I sat on the upper deck, section 330, which is a couple of sections toward the third base side from behind home plate. You get a very nice view of the Detroit skylines with the Renaissance Center far in the background.

Home Run Fanfare: When the Tigers hit a home run, a show is put on by the fountains in center field and you hear the sound of a tiger growling through the speakers. Very great scene to watch. The eyes of the tiger become green and different songs are played. There were two Tiger blasts at the game. The first one, the song played was "Shamrocks & Shenanigans" by House of Pain. The second one is "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor.

The Food: I had a Chicago-style hot dog from the food court near the carousel and garlic fries from the Montgomery Inn concession stand on the second level in right field (Pepsi Home Run Porch area). The hot dogs here are really good and there is wide selection of hot dogs as well. The Coney is the signature food item here as there are several Coney hot dog places around the Detroit area.

Bringing Drinks Inside: You can bring in water in plastic bottles that are in its factory seal.

First or Third: Third. You can see a lot more of the Detroit skyline from third, while sitting at first, you are staring at Ford Field and the edge of downtown Detroit.

The Game: Tigers 19, Twins 3
The Tigers pounded the Twins early and often and coinciding with the Red Wings and Pistons game that pretty much the attention was on how they were doing. The Twins pitching was just horrible that night and a couple of fielding mistakes really opened up the floodgates.

Tips: Drop by Greektown after the game for some great food. You can get there by taking the Detroit People Mover.

Overall: Comerica is a great ballpark with a nice view of downtown. It has everything that would make the casual fan want to visit. Highly recommended as a ballpark to visit. And one more thing is that there was a good fireworks show at the end of the game to wrap up my experience. The food selection is also a big plus.

Rating: 4.5 (out of 5) Initial D checkered flags. Definitely a great stadium for the Motor City and I bet that the vehicles on top of the fountain would be great for drag racing around the streets of Detroit.

Other Reviews:
Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles
Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies
Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals
U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox
Angel Stadium, home of the Anaheim Angels
Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres
AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants
Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies
PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Oakand-Alameda County Coliseum, home of the Oakland Athletics
Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers
Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians
Great American Ballpark, home of the Cincinnati Reds