Rosedale-Grandmont Little League Celebrates its Opening Day with help from Tigers’ Play Ball Detroit Partnership

On April 26, more than 500 people braved a rainstorm and temperatures in the low 40s to celebrate Opening Day for the Rosedale-Grandmont Little League, which included a parade, a pancake breakfast and 29 teams competing across five age divisions.

Rosedale Park in northwest Detroit was buzzing with activity on Saturday morning, as the Detroit Tigers Foundation’s Play Ball Detroit partnership with the Rosedale-Grandmont Little League was in full effect with a live DJ, music from the Cass Tech High School marching band, a visit from PAWS and the Rally Cats energy squad, airbrush tattoo artists and more to officially kick off the start of the youth baseball/softball season.

Chris Gregory, president of the Rosedale-Grandmont Little League, has been part of the organization for 32 years and said days like Opening Day give him a renewed energy to continue being a leader in the community.

“I look forward to days like today more than Christmas,” Gregory said on April 26. “This brings everybody together. We always introduce Rosedale baseball as a family. This is where we all get to sit down and literally break bread together. The excitement of Opening Day is what it’s all about and is what keeps me coming back year after year.”

The Rosedale-Grandmont Little League is one of five youth organizations that partner with Play Ball Detroit to elevate access and opportunities to play baseball and softball.

These partners—including Detroit PAL, Eagle Sports Club, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan and Detroit Parks & Recreation—offer free or low-cost youth baseball and softball programs for thousands of children each year, inspiring local youth throughout the city to dream big through the power of Tigers baseball.

Launched in 2023 by the Detroit Tigers Foundation and Nike, Play Ball Detroit also provides brand-new uniforms and equipment for partner organizations, on-field experiences at Comerica Park, field cleanups with Tigers staff and local volunteers—presented by Pennington—and more.

As of the 2024 campaign, Play Ball Detroit participants received 4,600 complimentary Tigers game tickets, more than 2,000 baseballs and softballs, more than 1,500 uniforms and more than 200 volunteer hours.

“Having the support of the Tigers and the Tigers Foundation is immeasurable,” Gregory said. “Having (Tigers baseball growth initiatives manager) Matt Williams and (Tigers baseball growth initiatives coordinator) Jess Mehr here doing the work that they do is incredible, and we couldn’t do what we do at this scale without their help and without the support of the Tigers.”

Rosedale-Grandmont Little League treasurer Jake Baker has been with the organization for 10 years and said because of the support of the Tigers, the league has added seven teams this year, giving more than 100 additional kids the access and opportunity to develop a passion for the game of baseball and create memories that will last a lifetime.

“Days like today show how strong this community is and show the growth and potential of this league,” Baker said. “For these kids to have access to resources from MLB teams is huge. These kids have a chance to learn the game, to become leaders and great teammates and have a blast playing baseball.”

One of the unique experiences that Play Ball Detroit participants enjoy each season is a parade on the field at Comerica Park. The 2025 parade took place on April 27 before the Tigers hosted the Baltimore Orioles, where Rosedale-Grandmont Little Leaguers joined more than 400 Play Ball Detroit participants and family members as they walked around the field before the game and were recognized on the Comerica Park videoboard.

“They’re really, really excited about it,” Gregory said. “For them to be able to be on the same field as Tigers players, that’s a dream come true for a lot of them.”

In addition to the Opening Day festivities and the parade at Comerica Park, the Rosedale-Grandmont Little League was also the first organization this season to receive a field cleanup from Tigers representatives and local volunteers on April 12. The field cleanup featured more than 50 people contributing about two hours of work apiece, totaling approximately 100 hours of volunteer cleanup work.

Future field cleanups include Balduck Park for Eagle Sports Club on April 30, Peterson Park for Detroit PAL on May 19, Jayne Field for Detroit Parks & Recreation on July 14 and UAW Ford Field for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan on a TBD date.

For more information on Play Ball Detroit initiatives, visit PlayBallDetroit.com.

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