Tigers’ Rare Friday Day Off Driven by World’s Most Popular Sport

The Detroit Tigers will get the rarest of things during a 162-game baseball season on Friday — a day off.

The Tigers opened their three-game series with the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, a 10-4 loss. Normally, the Tigers would play on Friday. But they aren't and that's because next door to Globe Life Field in Arlington is AT&T stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. It also happens to be the home to several World Cup matches, including one that will be played on Friday between Australia and Egypt at 2 p.m. eastern on FOX.

Tigers Rare Friday Off Day Explained

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton walks back to the mound during a game. — Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Troy Melton. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Globe Life Field and AT&T Stadium essentially share space. It’s less than a five-minute walk between the two stadiums. Trying to have a baseball game and a round of 32 World Cup match on the same day seemed impossible to everyone involved, so Major League Baseball worked the schedule to ensure the Rangers and Tigers didn't have to go anywhere near the complex that day.

The Rangers have dealt with this once already this season. Last month, the Rangers hosted the Minnesota Twins for a three-game series over four days. The Rangers and the Twins took Wednesday off because of a World Cup match. The Rangers then played 15 games over 15 days, a stretch that culminated with Thursday's game against Detroit.

Otherwise, Texas has been on the road when AT&T Stadium has hosted World Cup matches. The next match in Arlington is on Monday, but the Rangers have a more traditional off day.

Detroit had an off day on Sunday the first weekend of the season, the product of starting the season in San Diego on a Thursday and playing its first three days without a break. The Tigers then played Arizona Monday through Wednesday. MLB has been using strange off days the first weekend of the season the past few years, in many cases giving teams Friday off after opening the season on a Thursday.

Otherwise, Detroit’s off days have lined up with the traditional Monday or Thursday Major League Baseball uses throughout the season. Friday's off day gives manager A.J. Hinch and his staff a day to assess where the Tigers are when it comes to the remainder of the first half of the season. The Tigers are trying to crawl back into the AL Central race, and they made only marginal progress in June.

After the Tigers wrap up this road trip, they'll get another day off on Monday before ending the first half at home with the three-game series against the Athletics and another three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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