Al Kaline is considered one of baseball’s all-time finest hitters and defensive outfielders.

Since Kaline’s passing earlier this year, there has been an outpouring of appreciation for the legendary Hall-of-Famer. Prior to the home opener on Monday, July 27, the Detroit Tigers held a tribute to Kaline. And, during the 2020 season, in memory of his Hall-of-Fame career where he wore number 6, the team’s on-field uniform featured a “6” patch stitched on the right sleeve of every Tigers jersey.

Now Tigers fans can join in remembering Mr. Tiger himself with their own commemorative “6” jersey sleeve patch. In loving memory of Kaline, proceeds from sales will benefit the Detroit Tigers Foundation to support youth baseball and softball programs in the greater Detroit community.

Patches are available, while supplies last, at Tigers.com/patch and in The D Shop at Comerica Park near the corner of Witherell and Montcalm.

Learn more about “Mr. Tiger” and his outstanding achievements on and off the field at Tigers.com.

Roy Roberts has had a distinguished career, including head of sales and marketing for General Motors; president of the Boy Scouts of America; an officer in the NAACP; and recipient of the Michigan Chronicle’s Legacy in Motion Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

Now, Roberts is turning his attention to a new endeavor: historic residential development. As one of nine partners at Bagley Development Group, Roberts is helping restore the historic former United Artists Building at 150 Bagley into new market-rate and affordable residential housing and street-level retail at 150 Bagley.

The redevelopment of the 18-story, C. Howard Crane-designed building will bring about 140 apartments to a prime location on Grand Circus Park, of which 20 percent will be affordable.

“I am happy to bring residential housing to The District Detroit, and, in so doing, creating hundreds of construction jobs while building it out and permanent jobs once it’s completed. That’s what’s turning this city around.”

Watch Mr. Roberts discuss The Residences @ 150 Bagley in the video below.

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Little Caesars Delivery Now Available on Both Little Caesars and DoorDash Apps Nationwide

Little Caesars and DoorDash announced a major expansion of their exclusive partnership, extending the availability of Little Caesars delivery to the DoorDash app and website. Little Caesars delivery, already available directly through the Little Caesars app and website in the U.S. and Canada, will now also be available on DoorDash’s third-party delivery marketplace for the first time.

“Little Caesars is committed to providing quality, convenience and value to our customers, which is why earlier this year, we partnered with DoorDash to make fast and affordable Little Caesars delivery possible through the Little Caesars app and website,” Ed Gleich, senior vice president of innovation at Little Caesars, said. “Today, we’re excited to expand our product availability to the DoorDash app so pizza lovers can have even more options for having America’s Best Value delivered right to their door.”

The news comes nearly 10 months after the two companies teamed up to offer delivery through the Little Caesars app and website for the first time in Little Caesars’ 60-year history. Little Caesars delivery has been powered by DoorDash Drive since day one, pairing DoorDash’s quick, reliable on-demand delivery with Little Caesars quality, convenience and value.

Little Caesars offers contactless options for both delivery and carry-out through the Little Caesars app and website, and now also through the DoorDash app. Little Caesars is home of the Pizza Portal®, an order pickup method where customers can scan their phones and retrieve their orders from heated compartments, making the brand the only national chain to feature this type of contactless pickup in stores across the country.

“During this unprecedented time, DoorDash’s goal has been to empower its partners to build and grow their off-premise channels, whether through their own app, in-store with pickup, or through our marketplace,” Toby Espinosa, Vice President of Business Development at DoorDash, said. “The HOT-N-READY® model was built on ease, value, and efficiency, and we’re proud to expand our exclusive partnership with Little Caesars to continue to build a lasting off-premise strategy that matches the legacy they’ve worked decades to achieve.”

Customers getting pizza delivered will experience a contactless drop-off of their order. The chain has also reinforced cleanliness and sanitization procedures, increasing the frequency of cleaning commonly touched surfaces including door handles, glass, countertops, Pizza Portal surfaces, phones, and cash registers. Pizzas are baked in 475-degree ovens and are never touched after baking.

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Fall is a beautiful time in The D, and three fun-filled, socially distanced outdoor events on Columbia Street (right next door to the Fox Theatre) are the perfect opportunities to enjoy the crisp October weather.

• The District Detroit Workouts presented by Saint Joseph Mercy Health System on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. promises sweat-inducing, high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, followed by a 40-minute yoga session led by premier local instructors. Each workout costs $5, and includes a new yoga mat for each attendee, plus a Rush Bowls gift card. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Detroit Red Wings Foundation. Register today and find more information at DistrictDetroit.com/Workouts. Parking is free at the Fox Theatre Garage.

• The District Detroit Acoustic Nights presented by Jack Daniel’s on two consecutive Fridays, Oct. 9 and 16, give adults a chance to enjoy free, live acoustic music outdoors from 7-10 p.m. Some of metro Detroit’s best acoustic artists will perform. Masks are required, and seating will accommodate six-feet social distancing. Entry is free. Pre-register here for free parking at the Fox Theatre Garage.

• The District Detroit Comedy Night on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. is packed with local talent, featuring Michigan natives Pat Sievert and headliner Josh Adams for 90 minutes of laughs. Tickets cost $29.00 and are available on Ticketmaster.com.

To help keep attendees safe, temperature checks will be conducted at all events, and the completion of a health screening form is required upon entry. Learn more about all the upcoming events at DistrictDetroit.com.

The Detroit Red Wings Foundation is committed to making a positive impact in the community. Earlier this year, the foundation announced the Learn, Play, Score program. The Program, which is designed to increase hockey access for kids, is rooted in a commitment to build confidence in character, promote positive values and part enduring life skills to thousands of youth across Detroit.  

As an extension of the groundbreaking Learn, Play, Score program, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and Labatt Blue are donating a total of $60,000 to three hockey rinks in the city of Detroit. The announcement was made during the Red Wings’ NHL Draft Virtual Show on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Jack Adams Memorial Arena, Clark Park and East Side Foundation Hockey Arena will each receive $20,000 to enhance programming and make facility improvements.

“We are committed to providing kids throughout Detroit with access to the game of hockey,” Kevin Brown, Red Wings director of community impact, said. “And this donation, to these rinks, all located in the city, is central to that effort.”  

Anthony Benavides, director of the Clark Park Coalition, said he’s excited to safely welcome hockey players back to the rink.

“This donation from the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and Labatt will help the Clark Park Coalition engage more Detroiters in ice hockey and provide for a safe outdoor hockey experience,” Benavides said. “We are extremely grateful for this support.”

Brian Francis of the East Side Youth Sports Foundation echoed Benavides’ excitement.

“The East Side Youth Sports Foundation would like to thank the Detroit Red Wings and Labatt for donating $20,000 to be allocated for building improvements at the ESH Ice Arena in Detroit,” Francis said. “This investment will help us continue to keep our rink safe and efficient.”

Earlier this year, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, through the Learn, Play, Score initiative, caught up with Detroit Ice Dreams Hockey Association founder Jason McCrimmon and 13-year-old King Moore — just one of the Detroit kids who has flourished on the ice.

Learn, Play, Score is funded through a $1 million investment in partnership with the Red Wings, the Detroit Red Wings Foundation and the NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund to grow and expand access to hockey across Detroit. Learn more at DetroitRedWings.com/LearnPlayScore.

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Serve Detroit, a City of Detroit initiative, began this year to connect willing and dedicated volunteers with meaningful ways to help Detroiters. Shawnise Brown, administrative coordinator in the Little Caesars finance department, is one such volunteer.

Through Ilitch Charities’ “I Care Colleague Engagement Program,” which connects colleagues with an array of opportunities to give back, Shawnise is working with Serve Detroit to deliver meals to Detroiters who lack access to food due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Follow Shawnise as she spreads kindness and delivers essential meals to Detroiters in the video below.

For more than 20 years, Ilitch Charities has developed programs and made significant donations to causes like Serve Detroit that uplift the community. Learn more about Serve Detroit and how you can help at DetroitMI.gov.

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Whether in the stands or at home, one thing’s for sure: Detroit Roots. This season, Tigers fans continued to support their team and it was genuinely felt and appreciated by the players. As a thank you, the Detroit Tigers are hosting a virtual Fan Appreciation Weekend, taking place Sept. 25–27.

The three-day festivities kick off today with the “Retweet to Win” contest, where two lucky fans will win the chance to virtually join one of three former Tigers players from the 2006 AL Championship team and watch the first two innings of Friday’s game. (Spoiler: former Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland is confirmed to be one of the participants). Additional virtual events include:

• Friday: Fans have the chance to win special prize packs, as well as autographed and authenticated Tigers items.
• Saturday: More giveaway opportunities and a surprise Tigers player will join fans on Twitter to virtually sign photos from fans an hour before the game.
• Sunday: 40 autographed #DetroitRoots t-shirts will be given away.

Fans will need to submit an entry form through the Ballpark App or Tigers.com to win prizes throughout the weekend. The winners of each contest will be announced in the middle of the 7^th inning of that day’s game.

Watch members of the Detroit Tigers personally thank their fans in the video below.

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This season, the Detroit Tigers are missing their faithful, cheering fans at Comerica Park. But, with the help of a creative broadcast team, the sounds of the game and the Tigers’ always-supportive crowds still fill the stadium.

The roar remains, virtually, as cheering sounds are piped through speakers during games highlighting homeruns, clutch hits and strikeouts.

Stan Fracker, the Tigers’ director of broadcast and in-game entertainment, has been keeping Detroit sports fans on their feet behind the scenes for more than two decades.

As the Tigers take on the Cleveland Indians for their final home game of the unique 2020 season, take a look at Fracker and his team as they keep the sights and sounds pumping at Comerica Park.

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Beginning this weekend, the Detroit Tigers will highlight the important contributions of Hispanic and Latino players, as well as Detroit-based community organizations. The effort is part of “Somos MLB,” a league-wide recognition of Latino baseball stars and their contributions to the game.

The celebration kicks off on Friday, September 18, when Detroit Tigers radio announcer Dan Dickerson virtually interviews Tigers icons Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, Placido Polanco, Ramon Santiago and Juan Berenguer, who played for the team during their 1984 World Series win.

Throughout the coming weeks on social media, the Tigers will share stories and content celebrating the accomplishments of other Hispanic and Latino players who have made an impact on the team.

Additionally, the Tigers will highlight community organizations such as Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development, Inc. (LA SED), a non-profit agency that serves Hispanics and residents of Southwest Detroit. The Tigers have a long-standing relationship with LA SED, and the organization’s Ago Benavides will throw out the Virtual First Pitch prior to Saturday’s Tigers game.

As part of its programming, LA SED’s Youth Center provides invaluable resources for Hispanic and Latino children in the Detroit community. The bilingual volunteer staff of the Youth Center is dedicated to serving young people in need through advocacy, tutoring, summer employment programs and more.

Learn more from LA SED’s Jane Garcia, who this week sat down for an interview for the Word on Woodward to talk about the importance of resources such as the Youth Center.

To learn more about “Somos Tigres,” Hispanic and Latino Detroit Tigers players, past and present, and the ongoing “Fiesta Tigres” event, which has been held at Comerica Park since 2008, visit here:  https://www.mlb.com/tigers/community/hispanic-heritage/

You can follow the Detroit Tigers Spanish-language Twitter and Instagram pages here.

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