TIGERS CLOSE FIRST HALF WITH LONGEST HOMESTAND OF THE SEASON

Rangers, Twins, Indians and Red Sox All Visit Comerica Park 

DETROIT – Interleague Play is over for 2007 and the Detroit Tigers will bring the first half of the season to a close by playing host to four teams as part of a 13-game, 14-day homestand at Comerica Park. 

  

The Tigers finished Interleague competition with a 14-4 record, which included their just completed 8-1 road trip through Philadelphia, Washington and Atlanta. In 2006 and 2007, Detroit has a 29-7 record in Interleague Play. 

  

The Tigers’ 13-game homestand opens tonight with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. Games against Texas begin at 7:05 p.m. tonight and Tuesday, followed by contests at 1:05 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. 

  

Tuesday night will be Country Night at the ballpark, sponsored by radio station 106.7, The Fox, which will host a pre-game party in the Brushfire Grill from 5-6:30 p.m. Country music will be played throughout the game and various in-game scoreboard features will have a Country theme. Prizes will be distributed throughout the game. 

  

The Minnesota Twins visit over the weekend for three games. Friday night’s contest begins at 7:05 p.m., while games on Saturday and Sunday will start at 3:55 p.m. and 8:05 p.m., respectively. The Saturday game will be carried on FOX, while Sunday’s game time has been changed from its original time to accommodate a national telecast of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. 

  

This homestand is interrupted by one day off on Monday, July 2. Beginning on Tuesday, July 3, the Cleveland Indians visit for three games. Game times are scheduled for 7:05 on July 3 and 4, and 1:05 on Thursday, July 5. The first half comes to a close with a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox make their only regular season appearance of the year from Friday through Sunday, July 6-8. The first two games of the series will begin at 7:05, while the first half concludes with a 1:05 game. 

Tickets for all 13 games of the homestand against the Rangers, Twins, Indians and Red Sox, and all remaining Tigers home games, are available at the Comerica Park Box Office, online at www.tigers.com, over the phone by calling (866) 66-TIGER (84437), or at Detroit-area Meijer stores. 

  

WEEKDAY VALUE PACK 

All four games of the Texas series this week and the Cleveland series next Tuesday through Thursday, are part of the Tigers’ Weekday Value Pack, which is a great way to bring the entire family to a game. The Weekday Value Pack consists of four Upper Reserved seats, four hot dogs and four soft drinks, all for just $63.00. 

  

The Weekday Value Pack is available Monday through Thursday, excluding only the games on Tuesday, August 21 against the Cleveland Indians and Monday, August 27 against the New York Yankees. 

  

FIREWORKS, BASEBALLS, BOBBLEHEADS & PHOTO NIGHT THIS WEEKEND 

Fireworks will follow the opening game of the Minnesota series, as they do after every Friday night game throughout the season, weather permitting. Friday Fireworks are presented by Pepsi. 

  

On Saturday, the first 10,000 fans to enter Comerica Park will receive a coupon, which can be exchanged upon exit from the game for a Justin Verlander, 2006 American League Rookie of the Year Baseball. 

  

Prior to Sunday night’s game, the first 10,000 fans will receive a Magglio Ordonez Bobblehead, courtesy of Esurance. 

  

The Sunday contest will also feature Photo Night. Batting practice on the field has been cancelled to allow fans to come onto the Comerica Park outfield. From 6-7 p.m., Tigers players and field staff will circle the warning track and allow fans to take their photos. 

  

Sunday night’s contest is also Kids Day at Comerica Park. Kids Day features free rides on the carousel or Ferris Wheel for kids age 14-and-under, face painters stationed near Gate A and Kids Run the Bases following the game (weather permitting), courtesy of Pepsi. Big Boy will sponsor Kids Take the Field pre-game, where lucky children will take the field just prior to the Tigers’ players before the start of the game. 

  

Kids will also have the chance to win one of four, Little Tikes Mini-Hummers, which will be given away on the field during in-game breaks on Sunday. Registration will take place at Section 119 for an opportunity to be part of the giveaway. 

  

FOURTH OF JULY 

The Independence Day holiday at Comerica Park will feature a military salute prior to the 7:05 game against the Indians. An Honor Guard from the Selfridge Air National Guard Base will present the colors prior to a joint military choir performing the National Anthem. A flyover is scheduled at the conclusion of the anthem, weather permitting, and a military representative will throw the game’s ceremonial first pitch. A Fourth of July fireworks show will follow the contest. 

  

BOSTON WEEKEND 

Fireworks will follow the opening game of the Boston series on July 6, as they do after every Friday night game throughout the season. Friday Fireworks are presented by Pepsi, weather permitting. 

  

 

 
Tigers great Willie Horton will be signing copies of his autobiography, “The People’s Champion,” at Gate A from 5:30 until 7 p.m. prior to Saturday night’s game. Following the contest, Verizon Wireless will present Saturday Fireworks. 

  

Sunday afternoon’s first half finale is also Kids Day at Comerica Park. Kids Day features free rides on the carousel or Ferris Wheel for kids age 14-and-under, face painters stationed near Gate A and Kids Run the Bases following the game (weather permitting), courtesy of Pepsi. Big Boy will sponsor Kids Take the Field pre-game, where lucky children will take the field just prior to the Tigers’ players before the start of the game. 

  

Kids will also have the chance to win one of four, Little Tikes Mini-Hummers, which will be given away on the field during in-game breaks on Sunday. Registration will take place at Section 119 for an opportunity to be part of the giveaway. 

  

COMMUNITY CORNER 

Monday, June 25: The Tigers have partnered with the American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, to host the fifth annual Boots ‘n’ Baseball Children’s Party at Comerica Park from 5-7 p.m. at the Brushfire Grill. The event is a free day of fun for local children and their families who are battling and winning the fight against cancer. Boots ‘n’ Baseball is an important pre-event leading up to the fifth annual American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball, which is led and supported by the area’s top corporate leaders. The Cattle Baron’s Ball will be held on Saturday, September 15 at the State Fairgrounds. Since 2003, the event has raised almost $4.5 million to support the mission of the American Cancer Society. 

  

Tuesday, June 26: In partnership with Starbucks, Tigers players Carlos Guillen and Brandon Inge will serve as celebrity baristas, serving customers their favorite Starbucks beverages in order to raise money for the Detroit Tigers Foundation. Starbucks will donate $1 from the sale of every Starbucks beverage sold between 12 noon and 1 p.m., which is the hour over which the players will be on hand, at the following locations: 3584 West Maple Road in Bloomfield Hills (Carlos Guillen); 3601 Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor (Brandon Inge). The Detroit Tigers Foundation strives to enhance lives through the game of baseball. 

  

Tuesday, June 26: Vance and Bridget Wilson will help the Tigers host 300 foster youth and their families at Comerica Park in conjunction with the Child Welfare League of America and its 2007 Foster Youth Day. Vance and Bridget are sponsoring a special t-shirt that will be worn by all of the families in attendance and Vance will host some of the children and their families on the field during batting practice. The Child Welfare League of America will have a presence on the main concourse to distribute information about being a foster parent. 

  

Wednesday, June 27: Omar Infante is scheduled to appear from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the ABC Warehouse at 35200 S. Gratiot (North of 15 Mile) in Mount Clemens in support of the “Gloves for Kids” program. Fans can make a donation of gently used baseball or softball equipment to the Detroit Tigers Foundation in exchange for the opportunity to meet the Tigers’ utilityman. CBS Radio stations WXYT, WKRK and WOMC also support the Gloves for Kids program in the community. 

  

 

 
Wednesday, June 27: Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and his wife Shani will host a special community contest to name the activity area in the pediatric cancer infusion clinic that has been funded by their $100,000 gift to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Women’s Hospital, which is set to open in 2011. The contest is being held from June 1 through September 1. The Inges will officially start the community contest at 6:15 p.m. on Field 4 in Veterans Memorial Park, located at 2150 Jackson Road in Ann Arbor. Brandon Inge will throw out the first pitch for the Ann Arbor Little League and will sign autographs for the young baseball players. 

  

Thursday, June 28: Karie Ross and David Dombrowski, Amber and Jeremy Bonderman, and Vance and Bridget Wilson, are serving as honorary chairs of the Tigertown Auction Party from 6-11 p.m. at The Community House (380 South Bates in Birmingham). Tigertown is a street art program that placed more than 80 artist decorated tiger statues around Metro Detroit on Opening Day this season. The statues will be auctioned off at this party with the proceeds benefiting the Children’s Charities Coalition and the Detroit Tigers Foundation. In addition to the honorary chairs, several Tigers players and alumni are scheduled to attend the auction party. 

  

Saturday, June 30: Tigers second baseman Placido Polanco will be signing autographs at the Verizon Wireless store at 5745 Twelve Mile Road (corner of Mound and Twelve Mile) from 10-11 a.m. 

  

Saturday, June 30: Gates Brown will appear at the Henry Ford Museum as part of the celebration of the Historic Baseball Program. In 1867, the Detroit area hosted the World’s Base Ball Tournament and 24 clubs from the United States and Canada competed in what was fast becoming the national pastime. The tradition continues as the La-De-Dahs and the Nationals of Greenfield Village play vintage clubs from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. Brown will meet and greet, as well as sign autographs for fans in attendance. 

  

Tuesday, July 3: Through the Detroit Tigers Foundation and its ticket donation program, the team will host 50 United States Marines who returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq in April. The Marines, who were dubbed “Michigan’s Band of Brothers” in news stories written about them by the Detroit Free Press, are part of the 1st Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, based in Michigan.