Comerica Park

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Lore & Background

The stadium's identity is defined by its iconic tigers. A 15-foot statue stands at the main entrance, while eight other heroic-sized figures roam the grounds, including two prowling atop the left-field scoreboard. Only those two statues have eyes that light up and emit a growl after every Tigers home run or victory. Inside, statues honor retired number players and Hall of Famers like Al Kaline in "Kaline's Corner," alongside Ty Cobb, who played before uniform numbers existed. Ernie Harwell, the radio voice for decades, has his own statue on the first-base side. The park also featured a distinctive dirt strip known as the "keyhole" between home plate and the mound until it was removed prior to the 2024 season.

In Their Own Story

The first game arrived on a cold, snowy Tuesday afternoon, April 11, 2000, with temperatures at 36 °F (2 °C). A crowd of 39,168 watched the Tigers defeat the Seattle Mariners 5–2. Brian Moehler earned the win, mirroring his role in the final game at Tiger Stadium. Over the years, the park hosted the 76th MLB All-Star Game in 2005, where Bobby Abreu set a Home Run Derby record with 41 homers. In 2006, it saw its first World Series game on October 21. The venue has also seen unique moments, such as the entrance tiger wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey during the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals while the Spirit of Statue was under restoration.

Reader's Guide

Visitors enter across from the Fox Theatre, flanked by St. John Episcopal Church and Central United Methodist Church. Behind center field lies a giant fountain; originally sponsored by General Motors (2000–2008), it now bears Chevrolet branding after GM's return in 2010. The northeastern corner features a Ferris wheel with twelve baseball-themed cars, while the northwestern corner holds a carousel. In right field, "Kaline's Corner" offers seating near the historic "Comerica Landing," formerly the Pepsi Porch, which was renovated in 2014 to include lounge chairs and a fire pit. An LED scoreboard debuted in 2012, replaced by a massive 15,688-square-foot videoboard for the 2024 season. Public transit is accessible via the Detroit People Mover, QLine at Montcalm Street, and regional SMART routes.

Did You Know?

• Comerica Park was built on a site that was primarily a parking lot and other structures, not the original grounds of the Detroit College of Law.
• The park features a unique dirt strip called the 'keyhole' between home plate and the pitcher's mound, which was removed prior to the 2024 season.
• Two tiger statues atop the left-field scoreboard have eyes that light up and growl after every Tigers home run or victory; the other six tiger statues do not.
• Despite a common misconception, Comerica Park's home plate actually faces east-southeast—not south—and ballparks like Tropicana Field and Chase Field have more southward orientations.
• A statue of Ty Cobb exists in the left-center concourse despite him never having a retired number, as he played before players wore numbers on uniforms.