Detroit Tigers
April 15, 2000
Tampa Bay Devil Rays 7, Detroit Tigers 0
DETROIT (AP) - Dwight Gooden, debuting for his hometown team, pitched six shutout innings for his first win since last July 28 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0 Saturday. Gooden (1-0), a Tampa native, was obtained Thursday in a trade with Houston. Gooden mixed his fastball and curveball and kept the Tigers off-balance, holding them to four hits. Jim Mecir and Jeff Sparks finished the six-hit shutout. Jeff Weaver (0-1), who often lacked run support last season, made his first start of the year and allowed four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in seven innings, with six strikeouts. The Devil Rays broke the game open with a five-run eighth featuring Greg Vaughn's two-run double and RBI singles from Miguel Cairo and Vinny Castilla.
Tigers place Easley on disabled list, recall Weaver
DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers placed second baseman Damion
Easley on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, opening a spot for
right-handed pitcher Jeff Weaver to immediately start Sunday
against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Weaver (0-1) allowed four runs
-- three earned -- and eight hits in seven innings, with six
strikeouts as the Tigers fell 7-0 to the Devil Rays. Easley,
whose disabled status is retroactive to Monday, strained his
ribcage while swinging at a pitch April 9 in Baltimore. He has
missed the past four games. Weaver was optioned to Triple-A
Toledo on March 30 and made one start for the Mud Hens on April
11, when he allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings and struck out 10
but still took the loss.
April 14, 2000
Detroit Tigers 10, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 5
DETROIT (AP) - Juan Gonzalez hit the first home run in Comerica Park history and Tony Clark also homered for the Detroit Tigers in a 10-5 win Friday night over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Gonzalez's three-run homer in the third was the first in four games at the Tigers' new home. Of the 13 other major league ballparks that opened since 1989, none took more than three games for its first long ball. The Tigers have won two straight for the first time this season and three of their first four at Comerica Park. C.J. Nitkowski (1-2) allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings. Gerald Williams hit a three-run homer for Detroit. The Devil Rays lost for the sixth time in their last seven games. Ryan Rupe (0-2) allowed eight runs and eight hits, including two homers, in 4 1/3 innings.
Tigers set record for season ticket sales
DETROIT (AP) - The Detroit Tigers have set a franchise record for
season ticket sales with more than 17,000, about 5,500 more than
the record set last year, the team announced Friday. The record
was set even though the average cost of a ticket increased 103
percent this season, from an average of $12.23 at Tiger Stadium
last year to $24.83 at Comerica Park. The Tigers said they have
sold 1.75 million tickets so far this season, surpassing the
year-end total for nine of the past 11 seasons. The team record
for ticket sales was 2,704,794 in 1984, when the Tigers last won
the World Series. The Tigers sold 2,026,441 tickets last season,
the most they had sold since 1988.
April 13, 2000
Detroit Tigers 2, Seattle Mariners 0
DETROIT (AP) - Juan Gonzalez proved Thursday night what he's been saying all week -- that he's ready to play. Gonzalez, making his first home start for Detroit, hit an RBI double to break up a scoreless tie in the eighth inning as the Tigers held off the Seattle Mariners 2-0. Gonzalez, who went 2-for-4 as the designated hitter, hadn't started since the season opener last week in Oakland because of a right hamstring strain. Shane Halter drew a leadoff walk off Arthur Rhodes (0-1) in the eighth before Gonzalez scored him easily with a drive up the right-field gap off Jose Mesa. Dean Palmer scored the second run with a sacrifice fly. Doug Brocail (1-1) pitched one scoreless inning of relief before Todd Jones finished for his third save.
April 12, 2000
Seattle Mariners 4, Detroit Tigers 0
DETROIT (AP) - Aaron Sele pitched a three-hitter for his fifth career shutout and Raul Ibanez drove in two runs as the Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers, 4-0, Wednesday in Comerica Park's first night game. Sele (1-0), who signed as a free agent in January after going 18-9 last season for Texas, kept the Tigers off-balance with a combination of good control and changing speeds. The Tigers, who broke a five-game losing streak by winning Comerica's opener Tuesday, didn't get a runner past first base. Sele, who pitched the 10th complete game of his career, had 1-2-3 innings in the first, fourth and fifth. Detroit starter Dave Mlicki (0-2), the Tigers' best pitcher last season, gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings.
April 11, 2000
Detroit Tigers 5, Seattle Mariners 2
DETROIT (AP) - Gregg Jefferies and Bobby Higginson each drove in two runs as the Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners 5-2 Tuesday at Comerica Park, Detroit's first home game in 104 years that wasn't at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Before a crowd of 39,168 on a cold afternoon, Brian Moehler (1-1) -- who started and won the final game at Tiger Stadium -- gave up 10 hits and one walk, but allowed just two runs -- one earned -- in six innings. Freddy Garcia (1-1) gave up five runs and six hits in six innings. Luis Polonia tripled to start the two-run first and scored Comerica's first run when Jefferies singled to right. Detroit made it 4-0 in the second on Higginson's two-run triple.
Players, fans brave cold to open Comerica Park with victory
DETROIT (AP) - For more than a century, baseball in Detroit meant
the corner of Michigan and Trumbull -- where Tiger Stadium is
located. That all changed Tuesday. The Detroit Tigers and more
than 39,000 fans shivered through light rain and 40-degree
temperatures to help give Comerica Park a victorious opening, a
5-2 win over the Seattle Mariners, "Uncluttered and nice and wide
open" was the praise of Scott Primrose of Brighton, among those
embracing the $300 million ballpark after decades of sitting in
behind screens and beams in Tiger Stadium's cramped seats "I
thought this was great," said Fred Vanhala of Allen Park. "I
loved Tiger Stadium, but it was time for a switch." Comerica Park
sits across from where the Detroit Lions' new Ford Field is
scheduled to open in 2002. Together, they are part of a major
push to revitalize Detroit's long-suffering downtown.
Fate of old Tiger Stadium is unclear
DETROIT (AP) - Nine months after inviting developers to propose
new uses for Tiger Stadium, the city still has no takers. With
the Detroit Tigers relocating to Comerica Park, where they began
play Tuesday, concerns have been raised that 88-year-old Tiger
Stadium will fall into neglect and eventually face the wrecking
ball. "We don't want the facility to start falling apart," Doug
McIntosh of McIntosh Poris, a Birmingham architectural firm,
said. "The city had plans to bring in events to Olympia
(Stadium), but nothing ever happened." Plans for redeveloping
Olympia were floated after the Detroit Red Wings relocated to Joe
Louis Arena in 1980. Nothing came of them, and the facility was
demolished. Officials insist that won't happen to city-owned
Tiger Stadium, even though there have been no responses to a July
1999 request for development proposals.
April 10, 2000
Tigers limp into new park with baseball's worst record
DETROIT (AP) - Comerica Park, a spacious new ballpark in the
heart of downtown Detroit, has all the amenities, from statues of
Cobb and Kaline to liquid fireworks and a carousel. Alas, it also
has the Tigers. After opening the season with a win, the Tigers
lost five straight and will have the worst record in baseball
when they open their new stadium against the Seattle Mariners on
Tuesday. "Don't be misled by what this team did the first week,"
said manager Phil Garner, who expressed his displeasure after an
11-6 loss in Baltimore on Sunday. "This team will win a lot of
games." Win or lose, it's a safe bet fans will enjoy visits to
the 40,000-seat stadium built at a cost of $300 million, about
$200 million of it from team owner Mike Ilitch. "It's kind of
like Christmas," right-hander Brian Moehler said. "You can't wait
to get to the tree in the morning."
April 9, 2000
Baltimore Orioles 11, Detroit Tigers 6
BALTIMORE (AP) - Will Clark drove in three runs and the Baltimore Orioles used a 16-hit attack to beat the Detroit Tigers, 11-6, Sunday, completing a three-game sweep. Rich Amaral, Albert Belle and Jeff Conine had three hits apiece for the Orioles, who led 11-3 after four innings before coasting to their fifth straight victory. Delino DeShields had two hits, two stolen bases and two RBIs. Jose Mercedes (1-0), pitching in the majors for the first time since 1998, allowed three earned runs and seven hits in five innings. Dean Palmer and Juan Encarnacion homered for Detroit, which went 1-5 on its season-opening road trip. Detroit starter C.J. Nitkowski (0-2) gave up 11 runs -- seven earned -- and 11 hits in 3 1/3 innings.
April 8, 2000
Baltimore Orioles 2, Detroit Tigers 1 (10)
BALTIMORE (AP) - Delino DeShields singled in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Baltimore Orioles stretched their winning streak to four by defeating the Detroit Tigers 2-1 Saturday. The Orioles trailed 1-0 in the eighth before coming back. Mike Bordick scored both runs for Baltimore. Bordick led off the 10th with a single off Doug Brocail (0-1) and took second on a sacrifice. DeShields then dumped a single to left and Bordick slid into the plate an instant before the throw from Bobby Higginson. Al Reyes (1-0) stranded the potential tiebreaking run at second base in the ninth and 10th. Rob Fick singled in a fourth-inning run and Brad Ausmus had three hits for the Tigers, who have lost four straight.
Tigers fans get peek at new park
DETROIT (AP) - Three days before its debut in the Detroit Tigers'
home opener, Comerica Park was opened Saturday to fans who braved
snow flurries and temperatures in the mid-30s to get a sneak peek
at the new ballpark and its amenities. Fans roamed the
40,000-seat ballpark, pointing and smiling at everything the
stadium has to offer, but also a little nostalgic with memories
of the old Tigers Stadium. "It's definitely different," said Joe
Smith of Woodhaven. "It's kind of overwhelming and a unique
experience. So different from Tiger Stadium." "It's beautiful,"
said Joe Galuscka, of Detroit, bundled up in winter gear and
eating his first hot dog of the season. "It's a big improvement
over the old one."
April 7, 2000
Baltimore Orioles 14, Detroit Tigers 10
BALTIMORE (AP) - Charles Johnson homered for the fourth time in three games as the Baltimore Orioles beat Detroit 14-10 Friday night in a slugfest that featured nine home runs. Johnson's three-run homer highlighted a six-run fifth inning that put the Orioles ahead 11-7. The teams combined for five home runs in the inning, tying a major league record. Johnson and Albert Belle both drove in four runs. Cal Ripken and Mike Bordick also homered for the Orioles. Ripken's first homer of the season left him six hits short of becoming the 24th major leaguer to get 3,000 hits. Baltimore has won three straight. Juan Encarnacion, Brad Ausmus, Dean Palmer, Tony Clark and Wendell Magee homered for the Tigers, who have dropped three in a row. Dave Mlicki (0-1) took the loss and Todd Worrell (1-0) won for Baltimore.
April 5, 2000
Oakland Athletics 8, Detroit Tigers 2
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Frank Menechino, playing in place of the injured Randy Velarde, hit his second homer in three games and added a run-scoring groundout in a three-run third as the Oakland A's defeated the Detroit Tigers 8-2 Wednesday. Eric Chavez also homered for the A's, Matt Stairs had an RBI single and Giambi, Ben Grieve and Ramon Hernandez all added sacrifice flies. Omar Olivares (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings as the A's, who took two of three from Detroit, won their opening series of the season for the first time since 1993. Tony Clark drove in the Tigers' first run with a sixth-inning single. Detroit added another run in the eighth. Brian Moehler (0-1) allowed five runs on seven hits in six innings for Detroit.
Detroit fans get low grade
(AP) - Baseball fans don't exactly stand out in Detroit. In fact,
they're pretty tame, according to a study. The city ranks 62nd on
a 64-city ranking of places with the most avid baseball fans.
Only 6 percent of Detroit's adult population have a "high level
of interest" in Major League Baseball, compared to the national
average of 15 percent, the study conducted by Chicago-based
Scarborough Sports Marketing showed. Cleveland led with 36
percent. St. Louis was second, with 31 percent, followed by
Atlanta, with 25 percent; San Diego, 24 percent; and New York, 21
percent. Scarborough is a partnership of Arbitron Co. and VNU
Marketing Information, which owns Nielsen Media Research. The
study also found that 63 percent of avid Major League Baseball
fans are men and 54 percent have attended college.
April 4, 2000
Oakland Athletics 3, Detroit Tigers 1
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Forget the sophomore jinx for Tim Hudson. Last year's rookie pitching sensation opened his second season by holding Detroit hitless for 6 1/3 innings en route to Oakland's 3-1 victory over the Tigers on Tuesday night. Hudson allowed only one hit -- Tony Clark cleanly doubled to the left-center field gap on the right-hander's 100th pitch. Hudson (1-0), who went 11-2 last year to finish with the highest winning percentage ever by an Oakland rookie, struck out eight and walked three in the A's first win of the season. Clark had Detroit's only two hits. He singled in the ninth to set up a run that scored on Jason Isringhausen's wild pitch. C.J. Nitkowski (0-1) allowed three runs -- only one earned -- in six innings.
Sore hamstring sidelines Juan Gonzalez
(AP) - Detroit slugger Juan Gonzalez, bothered by a sore right
hamstring, will miss at least two games in hopes the rest will
give the lingering injury a chance to heal. Gonzalez, a two-time
AL MVP who was acquired from the Texas Rangers in a nine-player
trade last November, was hitless in four at bats Monday in his
Detroit debut, a season-opening 7-4 win at Oakland. Speaking
before Tuesday night's 3-1 loss in Oakland, Gonzalez said the
injury has been bothering him for the last two weeks and flared
up Monday night to the point where it was hampering his swing.
"The weather here was cold and last night after the game, the
inflammation in the hamstring was big," said Gonzalez, who
started as the designated hitter Monday night rather than in the
outfield. General manager Randy Smith said the Tigers were giving
Gonzalez a break from playing as a precaution.
Tigers, Giants, Astros lead ticket price increases
(AP) - Fans who go to baseball's three new ballparks this season
will leave with much lighter wallets. The sport's average ticket
price went up 11.8 percent -- the highest markup in a decade --
to $16.67 this year. But that's nothing compared with the
increases in Detroit, San Francisco and Houston. The average at
Comerica Park is $24.83, the fourth-highest in baseball and a 103
percent jump from the $12.23 average at Tiger Stadium last
season, according to the annual survey by the Team Marketing
Report. At Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, the average of
$21.24, baseball's sixth-highest, is up 75.2 percent from the
$12.12 average last year at 3Comm Park, formerly Candlestick.
Houston's Enron Field is reasonable by these standards. The
average there is $20.01, No. 8 among the 30 major league teams.
That's up 50.4 percent from last year's average of $13.30 at the
Astrodome.
April 3, 2000
Detroit Tigers 7, Oakland Athletics 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Hideo Nomo won his American League debut with seven strong innings, and the Detroit Tigers opened by beating the Athletics, 7-4, Monday night before the largest baseball crowd ever at the Oakland Coliseum. Dean Palmer went 4-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs and Deivi Cruz went 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored to help make Phil Garner a winner in his debut as Tigers manager. Two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez, acquired from Texas in a nine-player trade, went 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts in his Detroit debut. A crowd of 53,498 saw Jason Giambi homer twice and Matt Stairs and Frank Menechino hit one each -- Oakland's only hits. Kevin Appier, making his eighth career Opening Day start, took the loss.
With its debut near, Comerica Park shown off
(AP) - While the Detroit Tigers were opening the season on the
West Coast, workers were rushing Monday to make sure Comerica
Park will be ready to open April 11. Some bustled about the
40,000-seat ballpark on powered carts, through an April chill and
the thick fumes of fresh paint. Outside, heavy machinery cleared
mounds of dirt and concrete chunks from a parking lot. As workers
planted evergreens outside, those inside shoveled and raked
around home plate. Two others behind it perched atop an elevated
platform, working to put up netting that'll protect fans with
some of the choicest seats. Yellow tape blocked field access to
the dugouts not far from where Tigers president John McHale Jr.
took it all in and swiftly put to rest any worries about the work
in progress. "Everything will be done," aside from a couple of
fast-food restaurants and a sports tavern.