Our staff was fortunate enough to be able to see the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons at their home stadiums all in one weekend. Me being the Major League Baseball fanatic that I am, I was especially excited to finally get to visit Comerica Park to see the Tigers. One of the neatest features you will see at Comerica Park are the giant tiger statues that sit atop the Comerica Park rooftops near the stadium entrances. They’re intimidating but works of art, nevertheless. There is tiger themed décor all over Comerica Park, almost to the point of excess but I liked it. I especially liked the tiger’s heads outside of the stadium that have baseballs in their mouths.

 

*Tiger Stadium*

I know there are plenty of baseball purists that probably think the Tigers organization should have never torn down the old Tiger Stadium at Michigan and Turnbull. Why couldn’t they have preserved it like Fenway Park, Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field they ask? The old Tiger Stadium had a ton of history but also a ton of obstructed views which creates a poor fan experience. It also had no club and luxury seating and that’s something new ballparks need these days.

Compared to the other ballparks I have visited, I would have to say that Comerica Park is the most underrated ballpark in Major League Baseball. The Tigers organization definitely went out of their way to create a great experience for the fans. It’s quite possible that Comerica Park doesn’t get a ton of recognition league wide because of it’s location in downtown Detroit. There is almost nothing to do right next to the ballpark.

Greektown is a few blocks down but Greek restaurants and shops don’t always offer the best baseball atmosphere. The Greektown Casino is also super nice but again, casinos don’t offer the best baseball atmosphere. There is Cheli’s Chili Bar adjacent to the stadium, owned by former NHL player Chris Chelios. It is often the most packed spot on game day and has an outdoor patio that overlooks the ballpark next door. Hockeytown Café is another establishment that fans can congregate at before and after games but the wait times are usually ridiculous. These will be the two establishments you should aim at visiting either before or after Detroit Tigers games or perhaps Detroit Lions games which sits behind Comerica Park. If you do visit Greektown, PizzaPapalis has Chicago style deep dish Pizza, an excellent beer selection and has an excellent setting with seating both upstairs and downstairs.

The Tigers were hosting the New York Yankees the weekend we went and I was surprised that we didn’t see the large New York Yankee fan base that typically follows the team on the road. The ballpark was 90% Detroit Tigers fans. Like PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Comerica Park has only two levels of seats; lower level and upper level. We sat upper level on the third base side and the view was excellent. The third base side gives fans a beautiful view of the downtown Detroit skyline, which serves as the stadium’s backdrop. Eerily, most of those downtown buildings are completely vacant.

If you want a cheap ticket for the lower level, the bleachers near Kaline’s Corner in right field are the way to go. There are also bleacher seats in the upper level outfield called the “Jungle Bleachers” which were a new addition to Comerica Park at the time. You’re going to sacrifice a little bit of comfort if you purchase bleacher seats but that’s going to be the same story in any Major League ballpark where such seating is available.

Also in the area was an upscale patio area called the “New Amsterdam 416 Bar” and it was adjacent to the Pepsi Porch which is an area you can rent out for groups of fans. The bar has flat screen TVs where you can watch other Detroit sports teams in action if they're playing. If your main goal at Comerica Park is to catch a home run ball, you’ll want to sit in left field because other parts of the ballpark are so deep. Be aware that this is a ballpark that caters more to pitchers than hitters.

I don’t know why but I found one of the neatest features in the ballpark to be a tunnel in the right field concourse that fans can walk through to get to the center field area. The center field area is where you will find the famous statues of Willie Horton, Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser. The Ernie Harwell statue is outside of the main entrance. It resembles Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. You will find all kinds of fans snapping photos and posing amongst the statues. Though he was disliked by fellow baseball players, Ty Cobb is a baseball legend that Detroit Tigers fans boast about often. 

If you’re sitting in left field, you’ll be able to see into either bullpen really well and get close enough to talk to the players if your seats are in sections 144-151. Both bullpens are adjacent to each other. I loved that Comerica Park’s ushers allow Tigers fans to stand in the walkways behind the lower level seats and don’t gripe at them to move. Many sections in the upper level didn’t have ushers guarding the entrances. If you don't mind spending a little more money on tickets, the Tigers Den seats offer over-sized wooden chairs with tables to eat at. They sit in the shade and underneath the overhang on Comerica Park's lower level.

In regards to food, the stadium concessions are averagely priced, I do recall the beer prices being a little higher than in other Major League ballparks. If you’re looking for craft beers, there is a stand called “Michigan Craft Beers” in the right field area. I loved that there were Little Caesar’s concession stands all throughout the ballpark. There is an especially cool area called the “Big Cat Food Court” on the lower level which has a carousel for kids. There is a small ferris wheel for children also inside the ballpark. Many ballparks have home run features and Comerica Park was no different. In high center field is the Chevrolet Fountain area that shoots water whenever home runs are hit. That aspect of the ballpark reminded me of Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. We didn’t really sample any of the concession food since we ate at Hockeytown Café before the game. According to other Detroit Tigers blogs on the web, the other concessions worth checking out at Comerica Park are 313 Burger Company, Hudsonville Ice Cream and Side Kicks.

This is one ballpark I hope to visit again, hopefully later in the season than last time when it’s warmer. Detroit is cold, even in April when the season begins. The city gets a bad reputation for its high crime but most of that happens miles away from the stadiums. Parts of the city are very ugly to look at but that’s only because it’s become so neglected with the thousands of people that vacated the city. From what we hear, Detroit is undergoing sort of a renaissance and I surely hope so because the city has a certain charm that can’t be explained. 

 

JUMP TO

• Detroit Tigers Hotels on the Road
• Detroit Tigers To Add Additional Netting To Comerica Park
• Hotels Near Comerica Park
• Breakdown Of The Comerica Park Seating Chart
• Comerica Bank and Detroit Tigers Extend Naming Rights Agreement for Comerica Park
• Sports Bars near Comerica Park