Miguel and the Motor City Moon Shot
The American League Detroit Tigers have made appearances in and lost World Series Championships almost exactly a century apart. (They had their first appearance in 1907.) Within that span, the “Big Cats” have also gleefully walked away with four Commissioner’s Trophies.
Detroit boasts some of the all-time top powerhouses in pitching and slugging. Miguel Cabrera has Britannica of MLB accolades for personal achievements, including two MLB MVP Awards (2012, 2013); two AL MVP Awards (2012, 2013); an AL Triple Crown for batting (2012); and Silver Slugger awards (’10, ’12, ’13, ’15, ’16). Pitching-great Justin Verlander claimed Rookie of the Year honors in 2006 and went on to win AL MVP, AL Cy Young, and AL Triple Crown for his performance throughout the 2011 season.
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And we’re just skimming the surface here. The Tigers have fielded some of the all-time greats in American baseball. Legends like Ty Cobb, Hank Greenburg, and Al Kaline have all sported the “Olde English D” on their caps.
Among the Detroit Tigers’ hitting leaders, we have Cabrera who does one thing very, very well: obliterate baseballs. But he’s not the best Tiger to ever do so. Hall of Famer Al Kaline, or 1960’s “Mr. Tiger,” spent over two decades playing for the Motor City. He racked up 399 home runs en route to over 3,000 hits,18 All-Star Game appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, and one 1968 World Series Championship. But he never knocked a dinger out of Comerica Park!
Comerica Park: Detroit Tigers, Detroit, MI
“Comerica Park is for Hitters” reads fashionable bumper stickers blurring by all over the Motor City. The Detroit Tigers have a hitter’s park. It ranks just outside the top 10 for ballparks most favorable for hitters.
Center field is a doozy. Its restraints jettison out 420 feet from the batter’s box. There are no grandstands. Regardless, you may not sit dead center at Comerica Park. Very few home-run balls come to rest here.
Right field sections 104, 105, 106, 107, 110: These mighty five boast the highest volume of home-run balls hit to right. Sit here. Hold your glove up.
The bulk of collectable home-run balls hit to left field are drawn to sections 144 and 147. Why the limited options? Side-by-side home and visitor bullpens about the left field fence. Home runs rain in here all day! But the volume of round-trippers that land beyond the practice mound drops off considerably. So shake the rainbow trout out of your fishing net, and bring it along.
Last year, Cabrera rocketed a 461-foot shot toward left-center and out of the ballpark. That’s Impressive, but the longest homer in Comerica park belongs to outfielder J.D. Martinez, who slammed the ball 466 feet in 2015, directly into no man’s land (center field).
With over 200 home runs in the bag by the Tigers alone last year, an afternoon at Comerica Park is sure to be action packed. If you’re planning on heading out to the old ball game in your tattered Cecil Fielder jersey, maybe it’s time to check out Fanatics to upgrade your gameday gear.
