2023 Spring Training Individual Game Tickets To Go On Sale This Saturday at 10:00 A.M.
January 8, 2023
Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Blue Jays and Braves among teams scheduled to visit TigerTown in 2023
Secure your Spring Training Season Tickets by visiting tigers.com/spring or by calling (863) 686-8075
Individual game tickets to see the Tigers at their Spring Training home in Lakeland, Florida go on sale this Saturday, January 7 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets can be ordered by visiting the ticket office at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium, calling (863) 686-8075 or visiting www.tigers.com/spring. For fans planning to attend the on-sale in person, numbers will be handed out starting at 7:00 a.m. on January 7.
This spring will mark the Tigers’ 87th season at TigerTown in Lakeland, extending the longest-standing relationship between a Major League team and a current Spring Training host city. The 2023 spring season marks the club’s 58th consecutive season of play at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The Tigers begin their Grapefruit League schedule with a pair of home games, hosting the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, February 25 and the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, February 26.
The home schedule features visits from the New York Yankees (March 10 and March 17), Boston Red Sox (March 14), Toronto Blue Jays (March 4 and March 20), St. Louis Cardinals (March 7) and Atlanta Braves (March 22). In addition to the Yankees and Blue Jays, the Philadelphia Phillies (February 25 and March 16), Baltimore Orioles (February 26 and March 2) and Pittsburgh Pirates (March 1 and March 24) will all make two visits to Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.
Tickets for the 2023 spring exhibition season are priced at four separate levels: Grey, Navy, Orange and White
Grey games- March 10 and March 17
Navy games- March 7, March 12, March 14, March 16, March 20, March 22, March 26
Orange games- February 26, March 2, March 4, March 8, March 24
White games- February 25 and March 1
Full season ticket packages and flex plans of five-or-more-games for the 2023 Tigers Spring Training exhibition season are on sale now at the Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium ticket office, via phone at (863) 686-8075, or by visiting www.tigers.com. For additional ticket information and special group pricing, call the Lakeland sales department at (863) 686-8075.
Pine Knob Music Theatre Ranked #1 Amphitheater in the World in Pollstar’s 2022 Year-End Rankings
January 8, 2023
Pine Knob Music Theatre, booked and promoted by 313 Presents, Detroit’s premier live entertainment company in partnership with Live Nation, capped off its 50th anniversary season with the #1 ranking for Top 100 Amphitheaters in the world in Pollstar’s 2022 Year-End Rankings. Little Caesars Arena and the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit were ranked among the top 15 nationwide for their respective categories. Pine Knob Music Theatre is presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally. Comerica Bank is the exclusive presenting partner of the Fox Theatre.
Returning to a full summer concert schedule since topping the Pollstar chart in 2019, Pine Knob Music Theatre finished #1 in 2022 for Top 100 Amphitheaters in the world with $36.9 million in reported overall gross ticket sales. This summer was extremely special as 313 Presents welcomed back the name and tradition of Pine Knob Music Theatre thanks to Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, and celebrated the venue’s 50th anniversary. A 50-show slate opened with AJR just ahead of Memorial Day weekend and concluded with Five Finger Death Punch in early October. Highlights of the 50th anniversary season at Pine Knob Music Theatre included performances from 2022’s top touring acts including Pitbull, Imagine Dragons, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, Stevie Nicks, Backstreet Boys, ODESZA, Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Chris Brown & Lil Baby, two Kid Rock shows, The Lumineers and Shinedown.
“It gives us immense pride to have Pine Knob Music Theatre recognized as the number one ranked amphitheater in the world,” said Howard Handler, President of 313 Presents. “From the moment we announced the return of Pine Knob Music Theatre thanks to our proud partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally in January, concertgoers and artists showed overwhelming enthusiasm for the return to our roots. In addition to our Proud Partners, it’s important to thank Live Nation for their partnership in providing the very best in diverse, world-class entertainment. This remarkable accomplishment capped off a memorable 50th anniversary season.”
In the heart of downtown Detroit, Little Caesars Arena, which also serves as home to the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons, ranked #10 in the U.S. for Top 200 Arenas in gross ticket sales with $75.4 million. This year’s concert highlights included two Elton John dates, My Chemical Romance, Justin Bieber, Andrea Bocelli, Eagles, Anita Baker, Post Malone, Eric Clapton and Eric Church.
One of the most iconic theaters and concert venues in the world, Fox Theatre ranked #15 in the country for Top 200 Theatres with $24.8 million in gross ticket sales. In addition to the Fox Theatre Series presented by Comerica Bank, which features a collection of award-winning Broadway musicals, interactive stage shows and treasured holiday favorites, this past year’s schedule was highlighted by Chris Rock, Van Morrison, Kadim Al Sahir, Live from The Streets starring Lil Durk, No Cap Comedy Tour starring DeRay Davis, DC Young Fly, Chico Bean, Karlous Miller, Lil Duval, Michael Blackson and Blaq Ron; The TakeOver 3 featuring Gucci Mane, E-40, Plies and Rich Homie Quan; All Star Comedy Festival featuring comedians EarthQuake, Guy Torry, Arnez J., Adele Givens, Don DC Curry, Ryan Davis and Henry Coleman; and two Katt Williams dates.
“This year marked our industry’s return to a full event schedule at our six venues since 2019, and it was great to see people gather and enjoy live entertainment once again,” added Handler. “To have three ranked in the top 15 in their respective categories, it shows Detroit truly is an entertainment mecca and we are extremely grateful for the continued patronage of our guests.”
Pollstar’s 2022 Year-End Rankings covered dates reported by tours and promoters from November 18, 2021 through November 16, 2022.
Ilitch Companies in the Community: Colleagues Making a Difference
January 8, 2023
At the Ilitch companies, our values are rooted in the transformative power of teamwork and innovation. This year, by working together and thinking big, our partners and colleagues helped make positive change in our community and beyond.
We are dedicated to engaging with our community, supporting education, and developing our youth through sports, making a lasting impact on the people of Detroit and beyond.
Building our Community:
Collaborating with Organizations to Create Change
Investing in Arts and Education:
Giving New Opportunities to Students in Detroit
Building the Future through Sports:
Empowering Teamwork On and Off the Field
Looking Ahead
Through our partners and colleagues, the Ilitch companies are grateful for these opportunities to make a meaningful impact in 2022. We look forward to building our community together in 2023, expanding our relationships, engaging with our neighbors and continuing to make positive change in Detroit and beyond.
Red Wings Assign Elmer Soderblom to Grand Rapids
January 7, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings today assigned left wing Elmer Soderblom to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Soderblom, 21, has recorded five goals and three assists in 21 games with the Red Wings during the 2022-23 season, including a four-game point streak (2-2-4) from Dec. 21-31, which included the game-winning goal on Dec. 31 against Ottawa. The 6-foot-8, 246-pound rookie forward has also skated in two games with the Griffins, making his AHL debut on Dec. 9 at Springfield. Soderblom had a breakout campaign in 2021-22 with Frolunda HC in the Swedish Hockey League, ranking among the team leaders with 21 goals (1st), 12 assists (7th), 33 points (3rd), seven power play goals (1st), 11 power play points (4th), eight game-winning goals (1st) and 132 shots (1st) in 52 games. He also produced nine points (6-3-9) and a plus-five rating in 11 Champions Hockey League games as Frolunda reached the semifinals of the competition. Additionally, Soderblom recorded six points (3-3-6) and a plus-six rating in nine postseason contests to help Frolunda reach the SHL playoff semifinals. In all, Soderblom compiled 38 points (24-14-38) and 11 penalty minutes in 90 SHL games and won a CHL title with Frolunda in his first professional season in 2019-20.
Selected by the Red Wings in the sixth round (159th overall) of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Soderblom made his SHL debut during the 2019-20 campaign after leading the under-20 circuit with 29 goals in 36 games. In total, Soderblom recorded 76 points (40-36-76) and 22 penalty minutes in 87 games at the under-20 level, 53 points (26-27-53) and 14 penalty minutes in 60 games at the under-18 level and 93 points (62-31-93) and 49 penalty minutes in 78 games on the under-16 circuit, all with Frolunda. The Gothenburg, Sweden, native racked up three points (2-1-3) in five appearances for his country at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. Along with fellow 2019 Red Wings draftees Albert Johansson and Albin Grewe, Soderblom was also a member of Sweden’s silver-medal Hlinka Gretzky Cup team (1-2-3 in five games) in 2018 and gold medal-winning IIHF World Under-18 Championship squad (1-0-1 in seven games) in 2019.
Tigers Acquire INF/OF Matt Vierling, INF/OF Nick Maton and C Donny Sands From Philadelphia in Exchange for INF/OF Kody Clemens and LHP Gregory Soto
January 6, 2023
The Detroit Tigers announced that they have acquired infielder/outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder/outfielder Nick Maton and catcher Donny Sands from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for infielder/outfielder Kody Clemens and lefthanded pitcher Gregory Soto.
Vierling, 26, spent most of the 2022 season with the Phillies, hitting .246/.297/.351 with 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 32 RBI. He performed especially well against lefthanded pitching, batting .295/.333/.426 with eight doubles, a triple, two home runs and 13 RBI vs. southpaws. Vierling saw time in 12 games during Philadelphia’s postseason run, going 2×13 with a double and a RBI. He also played in 21 games with Triple A Lehigh Valley, batting .271/.347/.459 with six doubles, two triples, two home runs and nine RBI.
Vierling, who was ranked as the Phillies No. 8 prospect by Baseball America entering 2022, saw his first Major League action in 2021, hitting .324/.364/.479 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs an six RBI in 34 games with Philadelphia. He also played in 79 games between Double A Reading and Lehigh Valley, combining to hit .276/.358/.444 with 12 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 47 RBI. Vierling was named a Phillies Organizational All-Star in 2021 and was a Florida State League All-Star in 2019.
A native of St. Louis, MO, Vierling was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Maton, 25, played in 35 games with the Phillies in 2022, hitting .250/.341/.514 with two doubles, a triple, five home runs and 17 RBI. Maton also played in one game during the World Series against the Astros. He appeared in 57 games with Lehigh Valley, slashing .261/.368/.436 with 20 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 35 RBI.
Maton, who was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Phillies organization by Baseball America entering 2021, saw his first big league action that season, playing in 52 games and batting .256/.323/.385 with seven doubles, one triple, two home runs and 14 RBI. In 410 career games at the Minor League level, Maton has hit .251/.344/.382 with 84 doubles, 12 triples, 27 home runs and 181 RBI. Maton was named a Phillies Organizational All-Star by MiLB.com in 2018 and 2019, was a South Atlantic League All-Star in 2018 and a Florida State League All-Star in 2019.
A native of Chatham, IL, Maton was drafted by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
Sands, 26, played in 57 games with Lehigh Valley in 2022, slashing .308/.413/.428 with nine doubles, five home runs and 34 RBI. He also made his Major League debut last season, appearing in three games with the Phillies and going 0x3 with a walk. Following the season, Sands was named a Phillies Organizational All-Star by MiLB.com.
Ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Phillies organization by MLB Pipeline, Sands has hit .274/.343/.390 with 79 doubles, one triple, 32 home runs and 219 RBI in 428 career Minor League games. Sands was selected as a Yankees Organizational All-Star by MiLB.com and a South-Atlantic League All-Star in 2017, while he was named a FCL All-Star in 2015.
A native of Tucson, AZ, Sands was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He was acquired by the Phillies in November, 2021.
Clemens, 26, split the 2022 season between Detroit and Triple A Toledo. In 57 games with the Tigers, he hit .145/.197/.308 with four doubles, five home runs and 17 RBI. Clemens played in 60 games with the Mud Hens, batting .274/.327/.535 with 12 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs and 43 RBI.
Soto, 27, appeared in 64 games with the Tigers last season, recording 30 saves and posting a 2-11 record with a 3.28 ERA (60.1IP/22ER) and 60 strikeouts. Soto was selected an American League All-Star in 2021 and 2022.
Josh Bullock Joins Detroit Tigers as Vice President of Business Operations in Lakeland
January 4, 2023
The Detroit Tigers today announced that Josh Bullock has joined the organization as Vice President of Business Operations in Lakeland, Florida.
In his new role, Bullock will provide leadership and oversight to all business teams and operations including the planning, developing, and establishing strategies and objectives in alignment with organizational strategies and baseball operations.
Bullock joins the Tigers after serving as the Sports Partnership Director at iHeartMedia, where he oversaw advertising revenue generation and fulfillment for broadcast partnerships with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, and University of South Florida.
Prior to his time at iHeartMedia, Bullock was the Team President for the XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers in 2019-20, where he built and delivered the Vipers’ team identity on a compressed timeline as part of the XFL’s relaunch. Bullock was the Vipers’ first employee, responsible for establishing culture and vision while assembling a comprehensive business operating strategy.
Bullock also spent more than seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays from 2010-17, where he held several roles in the corporate partnerships department, including Director of Corporate Partnerships, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships and Vice President of Corporate Partnerships.
Bullock earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education, Kinesiology and Health Promotion from the University of Kentucky.
Detroit Red Wings Activate Robby Fabbri from Injured Reserve
January 3, 2023
Jakub Vrana Assigned to Grand Rapids
The Detroit Red Wings today activated center Robby Fabbri from injured reserve and assigned left wing Jakub Vrana to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
Fabbri, 26, is expected to make his season debut tonight against New Jersey, marking his first game action since sustaining a lower-body injury on March 10 vs. Minnesota. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward skated in 50 games during the 2021-22 season and ranked among the team leaders with 17 goals (4th), 13 assists (T10th), 30 points (8th), 35 penalty minutes (6th), six power play goals (T1st), eight power play points (T5th), 123 shots (10th), a 13.8 shooting percentage (7th) and 86 hits (T6th). Originally selected by St. Louis in the first round (21st overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Fabbri has recorded 152 points (73-79-152) and 129 penalty minutes in 302 games with the Red Wings and Blues since 2015-16, in addition to 16 points (5-11-16) in 30 postseason contests. Fabbri helped the Blues claim their first-ever Stanley Cup championship in 2019, working his way back from a pair of injuries that sidelined him for over a year, including the entire 2017-18 season, totaling six points (2-4-6) in 32 regular-season games before netting one goal in 10 postseason appearances.
A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Fabbri played three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Guelph Storm from 2012-15, where he was teammates at various points with fellow Red Wings forwards Tyler Bertuzzi and Pius Suter, prior to turning professional. In all, Fabbri racked up 171 points (80-91-171) in 147 games with the Storm, while adding 33 points (14-19-33) over 30 postseason contests. During the 2013-14 season, Fabbri compiled 87 points (45-42-87) in 58 regular-season games and earned the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP after totaling 28 points (13-15-28) in 16 postseason games to help Guelph capture an OHL title. On the international stage, Fabbri won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, and also won gold at the 2013 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Vrana, 26, has appeared in three games with Grand Rapids since beginning a conditioning assignment on Dec. 28, recording two penalty minutes and nine shots. The 6-foot, 190-pound forward has also skated in two games with Detroit this season, tallying a goal and an assist on Oct. 15 at New Jersey. Vrana was limited to 26 games during the 2021-22 campaign but still ranked among the team leaders with 13 goals (T8th), five power play goals (T4th), six power play points (8th) and a 20.0 shooting percentage (2nd). He has recorded 32 points (22-10-32), 18 penalty minutes and a 21.6 shooting percentage in 39 games since being acquired by the Red Wings in a trade with the Washington Capitals on April 12, 2021. In total, Vrana has skated in 323 career games between Detroit and Washington, totaling 189 points (98-91-189), a plus-30 rating and 85 penalty minutes. In his first full NHL season in 2017-18, Vrana helped the Capitals win their first-ever Stanley Cup championship, posting 27 points (13-14-27) in 73 regular-season games along with eight points (3-5-8) in 23 postseason contests. Vrana was originally drafted by Washington in the first round (13th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft – two picks prior to Detroit’s selection of Dylan Larkin at 15th overall.
A native of Prague, Czech Republic, Vrana has registered 75 points (35-40-75), a plus-16 rating and 50 penalty minutes in 91 games with the Griffins and Hershey Bears, in addition to 20 points (10-10-20), a plus-eight rating and eight penalty minutes in 38 postseason appearances. Prior to arriving in North America, Vrana spent four seasons developing in Sweden, where he debuted professionally with Linkoping in the Swedish Hockey League in 2012-13 and logged 27 points (14-13-27) and 14 penalty minutes in 73 games until 2014-15. He also racked up 58 points (35-23-58), a plus-11 rating and 77 penalty minutes in 59 games in Sweden’s top junior league. Vrana has represented his country at the last three IIHF World Championships, where he was teammates with Filip Hronek (2019, 2021 and 2022), Dominik Kubalik (2019 and 2021) and Filip Zadina (2021), combining for 10 points (7-3-10) in 26 games between the three tournaments. Additionally, Vrana recorded six points (3-3-6) in 16 games at three-straight IIHF World Junior Championships (2013-15) and 20 points (14-6-20) in 18 games at three-consecutive IIHF World Under-18 Championships (2012-14).
Detroit Red Wings Assign Alex Nedeljkovic to Grand Rapids for Conditioning
January 3, 2023
The Detroit Red Wings today assigned goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins for conditioning.
Nedeljkovic, 26, has appeared in nine games with the Red Wings this season, posting a 2-4-2 record with a 4.09 goals-against average and a 0.880 save percentage. The 6-foot, 208-pound goaltender was acquired by the Red Wings in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 22, 2021 and led all NHL rookie netminders in games played (59), shots against (1,796), saves (1,618), time on ice (3,230:48), shutouts (4) and assists (2) during the 2021-22 campaign. Nedeljkovic finished third in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy and made the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2020-21 after showing a 15-5-3 record with a 1.90 goals-against average, a 0.932 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 appearances with the Hurricanes, in addition to logging a 4-5 record with a 2.17 goals-against average, a 0.930 save percentage and one shutout in nine postseason contests. Originally drafted by Carolina in the second round (37th overall) of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Nedeljkovic has compiled a 39-35-15 record with a 2.98 goals-against average, a 0.906 save percentage and seven shutouts in 97 appearances over parts of six NHL seasons with the Red Wings and Hurricanes since 2016-17. Nedeljkovic also earned a Calder Cup championship with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers in 2019 after leading the AHL in wins (34) for the second-consecutive year and goals-against average (2.26) en route to claiming the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as the league’s top goaltender and a spot on the AHL First All-Star Team. Additionally, Nedeljkovic became the 13th goaltender in AHL history to score a goal when he accomplished the feat with the Checkers on March 10, 2018, and the 12th netminder in ECHL history to score a goal when he did so with the Florida Everblades on Dec. 30, 2016.
A native of Parma, Ohio, Nedeljkovic has several ties to the state of Michigan, notably as a teammate of Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin on the 2011-12 Belle Tire U16 team. Prior to turning professional, Nedeljkovic posted an 89-77-20 record with a 2.88 goals-against average, a 0.918 save percentage and 10 shutouts in 191 Ontario Hockey League games between the Plymouth Whalers, Flint Firebirds and Niagara IceDogs from 2012-16. He was named the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year in 2013-14 and earned back-to-back selections on the OHL Third All-Star Team the following two seasons. Nedeljkovic has represented the United States several times on the international stage, winning a bronze medal at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship after tallying a 4-2 record with a 1.66 goals-against average and a 0.943 save percentage. He also helped his country earn a gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championship after leading the tournament with a 1.84 goals-against average.
Detroit Tigers Acquire INF Tyler Nevin from Baltimore in Exchange for Cash Considerations
December 30, 2022
The Detroit Tigers announced that they have acquired infielder Tyler Nevin from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations.
Nevin, 25, saw time with both Baltimore and Triple A Norfolk in 2022. In 58 games with the Orioles, Nevin hit .197/.299/.261 with four doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI. He batted .291/.382/.479 with eight doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 36 RBI in 44 games with Norfolk. Nevin made his Major League debut with the Orioles in 2021, appearing in six games and going 4×14 with two doubles, a home run and three RBI.
Nevin has played in 521 Minor League games in his career, slashing .274/.352/.434 with 114 doubles, eight triples, 59 home runs and 281 RBI. Nevin was named a MiLB.com Organization All-Star in 2017 and was selected to the AFL All-Prospect Team in 2018.
A native of Poway, CA, Nevin was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the Competitive Balance A round of the 2015 MLB Draft. His father, Phil, played for the Tigers from 1995-97 and is currently the manager of the Los Angeles Angels.
To make room for Nevin on the 40-man roster, lefthanded pitcher Zach Logue has been designated for assignment.