By: Trevor Hooth
DETROIT — There are few places where the first home game of the major league baseball season can be considered a holiday. However, right on schedule, Michiganders take off work and flock downtown, if not only to preserve the pride behind the statement ‘Nobody does Opening Day like Detroit.’
With the spring not quite ready to step into prominence, the Detroit Tigers and their fans had to brave the cold to ensure that, once again, Opening Day was successful.
The American League Central rival Kansas City Royals inhabited the other dugout. Neither team entered the 2019 season with any expectations, meaning that this game would draw little excitement, if not for its placement on the schedule.
But remember, nobody does Opening Day like Detroit.
Simply walking to the entrance gate was enough to feel the roar of the city. Between the all of the tents, the street performers, and large mass of people donning the Olde English D, it becomes immediately clear that this one game means more to the city than baseball. This game is tradition, and it is anything but business as usual.
“Fans were pretty pumped up,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I know it was cold, but they were having fun and it’s nice to see. I hope they can enjoy this ball club all summer long.”
For a game like this, the Tigers needed to show their best. The attendance was over 42,000 strong, yearning for a glimmer of hope. And in a 5-4 win, they got one from a very surprising source.
Spencer Turnbull was the starting pitcher, mostly for no other reason than it was his turn in the rotation. The same luck that got him the gig of the year also saw him strike out 10 Royals, four of them coming as the first four outs recorded.
It was a great performance for Turnbull, in just his seventh career major league start. What helped is that he never lost sight of the fact that it was just another game.
“It was fun,” Turnbull said. “It was cold, but it was fun.”
He attributed his success to the control of his breaking stuff. The Royals seemed almost mystified by his curveball/slider combination.
This outing comes down to confidence. It certainly gives Turnbull confidence, because he performed on the biggest stage he’s reached so far. Besides it being his turn, it also took some confidence on the other end to even get him on the mound for this game.
“I have a lot of confidence in [Turnbull],” Gardenhire said. “His ball dives all over the place and moves. He’s got a great breaking ball.”
Turnbull was not alone today in terms of experiencing Opening Day for the first time. Some of the biggest cogs in the Tiger lineup were new to this atmosphere. Christin Stewart is among them, but so are veterans like Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer. They may have been around awhile, but, remember, nobody does Opening Day like Detroit.
Another guy getting his first taste of the city-wide event was the other half of the battery, catcher Grayson Greiner. The relationship between pitcher and catcher can be vitally important to the success of a team. Turnbull and Greiner have that down after just a short time together.
“[Greiner] is great, we seem to click pretty good,” Turnbull said. “I haven’t thrown to him a ton over the years, but we’ve always been on the same page.”
There could be no better way for this Tigers team to introduce themselves to the fans. It clear that the team is in a rebuilding phase, but having young guns like Turnbull, Greiner, and Stewart was the perfect way to show this city what the team is about, and where it is heading.
If that is going to become a beloved veteran core, then they too need the experience that is Opening Day at Comerica Park. The fans delivered on their end of the bargain.
“[Pitching on Opening Day] was a dream come true,” Turnbull said. “It was the greatest feeling of my life so far.”
It’s a holiday, it’s a right of passage, and it’s just fun. From the field to the streets, the Tigers and their fans once again proved that nobody…well, you know.
Trevor Hooth is a media relations intern for the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, Toledo Mud Hens, and a former intern in the 760-AM WJR sports department.