The Detroit Tigers will host the 18^th annual Negro Leagues Weekend, Presented by Comerica Bank, from July 30-Aug. 1, when the Baltimore Orioles visit Comerica Park. This annual tradition marks the longest-running weekend celebration of its kind in Major League Baseball.

“Paying homage to the tradition and legacy of Negro Leagues Baseball is something the Tigers are incredibly humbled to support every year,” Chris Granger, group president, Sports & Entertainment, Ilitch Holdings, Inc., said. “The history of the Detroit Stars and the stories of Negro Leaguers in Detroit and Hamtramck are legendary, and we can’t wait to celebrate with them, their families and our community at Comerica Park this weekend.”

“Recognizing and celebrating the positive impact the Negro Leagues and the Detroit Stars made on baseball and in Detroit remains one of Comerica’s most cherished events of the year,” Linda Nosegbe, Comerica Bank Vice President and Southeast Michigan External Affairs Manager, said. “For nearly two decades, Comerica has valued its partnership with the Detroit Tigers in helping preserve the legacy of the Negro Leagues. Together, we can reflect on history and appreciate the influence the Negro Leagues have made on today’s generation and on many more in the future.”  

The Negro Leagues Weekend celebration will begin Wednesday, July 28, when Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers present a screening of “The Other Boys of Summer,” a documentary portraying the history of segregation and civil rights in America through the eyes of the Negro League baseball players, at Campus Martius Park at 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to arrive at the ballpark early to enjoy the many activities that are planned throughout Negro Leagues Weekend. DJ Mo Beatz, Big Sean’s official DJ, will perform on the Pepsi Porch prior to all three games. A “Walk of Stars,” inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, will be set up to highlight the achievements of former Detroit Stars players. Norman “Turkey” Stearnes’ Michigan Sports Hall of Fame plaque will also be on display, and much more.

Negro Leagues Weekend festivities will include:

Friday, July 30 (7:10 p.m. first pitch)

• Before the game, the annual “Passing of the Bat” ceremony will be held on the Comerica Park field, celebrating African American baseball players and their contributions to the game. The ceremony features a symbolic “torch passing” from a former Negro Leagues player to several generations of former and current African American Tigers players. The bat is then presented to a local youth baseball player, with Detroit Country Day’s Saborn Campbell serving as this year’s recipient.
• The National Anthem will be performed by Rosilyn Stearnes-Brown and Joyce Stearnes Thompson, daughters of Negro Leagues great and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Norman “Turkey” Stearnes. A member of the Stearnes family will also throw the ceremonial first pitch.

Saturday, July 31 (6:10 p.m. first pitch)

• The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive a Detroit Stars Fedora Hat, courtesy of Comerica Bank. Gates will open to Comerica Park at 4:30 p.m.
• Seven former Negro Leagues players and historians will participate in a Q&A session on the concourse prior to the game. Former Negro Leaguers will include Johnny Walker, Minnie Forbes, Ron Teasley, Pedro Sierra, Eugene Scruggs, Sam Allen and Bill Hill.
• The winner of the Summer Slugger program — a partnership between the Tigers and Comerica Bank — will be recognized in a pregame on-field ceremony. This year’s contest challenges students across the state of Michigan to write an essay discussing the legacy of African American baseball players in Tigers history.
• Former Negro League players will also be recognized in a pregame commemoration that will celebrate Major League Baseball’s 2020 formal announcement of adopting Negro Leagues statistics into baseball history.
• The Tigers will host HBCU/Greek Night in partnership with Detroit-area alumni associations and Black Greek Letter organizations, including a ticket package with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Detroit HBCU Network.

Sunday, Aug. 1 (1:10 p.m. first pitch)

• The Tigers will honor the 60th anniversary of Jake Wood’s MLB debut, the first African American player to rise through the farm system and play for Detroit. Wood will also toss the ceremonial first pitch.
• The Players Alliance, a non-profit organization composed of more than 150 Black current and former professional baseball players, will visit Comerica Park as part of the “Gear for Good Caravan.” Representatives from the Alliance will be donating new baseball equipment to youth players in attendance from the Flint RBI program.
• Youth players from Flint RBI will be invited to serve as “Detroit Stars of the Game” and participate in a pregame on-field ceremony.

The Tigers will honor the Detroit Stars teams of the Negro Leagues by wearing a jersey patch on their sleeves for Saturday’s game. The celebrated tradition of wearing tribute uniforms will resume next season for the 19th annual event. Tony Dee’s Negro Leagues Baseball Store on the Comerica Park concourse will sell popular Negro Leagues merchandise.

The Tigers’ celebration of Negro Leagues Weekend follows the recent announcement of the restoration of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, once home of the Detroit Stars. The $2.6 million project is being funded by Wayne County, the Detroit Tigers Foundation (an affiliate of Ilitch Charities), Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, Michigan Municipal League Foundation, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy and through an African American Civil Rights grant as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior.

Hamtramck Stadium opened in 1930 and was home to several Negro League, semi-pro, high school and Little League teams throughout its history. In their first season playing at Hamtramck Stadium in 1930, the Detroit Stars won the second-half Negro National League title before losing the Championship Series to St. Louis in seven games. At least 17 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame played at Hamtramck Stadium, including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, and Turkey Stearnes. The stadium has been largely unused since the 1990s.

Work on the project, which will include installing a new roof above the grandstand, restoring the seating and the brick exterior, and installing accessible seating, is expected to begin later this summer with an anticipated completion by the end of 2021.

For more information about the history of African American players in the Detroit Tigers organization, visit tigers.com/africanamericanheritage. Limited tickets for all three games during Negro Leagues Weekend, starting at just $10, are currently available at tigers.com/tickets.

The Detroit Red Wings have released their schedule for the 2021–‘22 season — the team’s 96th overall in the National Hockey League. The Red Wings will open the season at home on Thursday, Oct. 14 versus the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Little Caesars Arena will host 17 weekend home games (four Fridays, 10 Saturdays and three Sundays), spanning through the regular-season finale on April 29 on the road at the New Jersey Devils.

This season’s 82-game slate, which includes a 20-day break spanning from Feb. 3-22 for the NHL All-Star Game and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, features 26 games against Atlantic Division rivals, three games against the eight teams in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division (24 games) and two games against all 16 Western Conference foes (32 games).

The Home Opener kicks off a home-friendly start to the season for the Red Wings, with four straight games hosted at Little Caesars Arena to open the campaign. The month of October also features the first of 14 back-to-back games on the season, with the Red Wings taking on two Original Six foes on the road (Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, Oct. 23 and Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, Oct. 24).

Detroit will play four of its last six games on the road, culminating with the 2021–‘22 regular season finale on Friday, April 29 at the New Jersey Devils.

See the full schedule at DetroitRedWings.com.

Game times and ticket on-sale information for the preseason and regular season will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can sign up for the Single-Game Ticket Presale List to have an opportunity to purchase tickets before the public by visiting DetroitRedWings.com/Presale.

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The Wayne County Commission today approved an $850,000 grant proposal from Executive Warren C. Evans to fund the renovation of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, once the home of the Negro National League’s Detroit Stars. In addition to Wayne County’s grant, the $2.6 million restoration project is being funded by the Detroit Tigers Foundation (an affiliate of Ilitch Charities), Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Kresge Foundation, Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium, Michigan Municipal League Foundation, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy and through an African American Civil Rights grant as administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. Work is expected to begin later this summer with an anticipated completion by the end of 2021 and is led by Detroit-based contractor DMC Consultants.

“Hamtramck Stadium is hallowed ground, essential to both Black history and baseball history,” said Wayne County Executive Warren C. Evans. “I am thrilled that we are restoring Hamtramck Stadium to its former glory so that the next generation of Hamtramck and Detroit young people can learn to love this game on the same field where legends like Turkey Stearnes, Satchel Paige, and Josh Gibson once roamed.”

The renovation will include installing a new roof above the grandstand, restoring the seating and the brick exterior, and installing accessible seating.

Hamtramck Stadium opened in 1930 and was home to several Negro League, semi-pro, high school and Little League teams throughout its history. In their first season playing at Hamtramck Stadium in 1930, the Detroit Stars won the second-half Negro National League title before losing the Championship Series to St. Louis in seven games.  

At least 17 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame played at Hamtramck Stadium, including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Turkey Stearnes. The stadium has been largely unused since the 1990s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.

“We are proud to have the support of so many committed partners who are contributing to the restoration of historic Hamtramck Stadium. This work will both honor the site’s history as one of only five remaining Negro Leagues home fields still standing and gives new life to the stadium as was prioritized by the community in the Hamtramck Recreation District Plan,” said David Palmer, Interim Executive Director of the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy. “Reactivating this critical space in the Hamtramck Recreation District will serve the community for years to come, and provide an important stop on the new Joe Louis Greenway where all visitors can learn about our shared experiences and history.”

“The Detroit Tigers have a long-standing tradition of honoring the Detroit Stars, Negro Leagues Baseball, and the legacy of the great players who advanced African American participation in the game,” said Christopher Ilitch, Chairman and CEO of the Detroit Tigers. “We are proud to play a role in revitalizing this ballpark, which is deeply-rooted in baseball greatness and historical significance. As we pay respect to this important heritage, we remain committed to inspiring and providing equitable access to future generations of ballplayers through programs that increase youth sports involvement and accessibility within our communities. We commend the efforts of Warren C. Evans, the Wayne County Commission, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy and Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium for their unwavering commitment in keeping the history of Negro Leagues Baseball and Hamtramck Stadium alive.”

The Detroit Tigers annually celebrate Negro Leagues Weekend, paying tribute to the contributions of the Negro Leagues and African Americans to the game of baseball. This season’s recognition will take place July 30-Aug. 1 at Comerica Park.  

“The renovation of Hamtramck Stadium is a huge win for the youth and families of Hamtramck and broader metro Detroit community to have a safe and accessible space to play and gather,” said Jim Boyle, VP of program & communications, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “We are inspired by the collaborative efforts between several civic and community partners to advance the restoration of this historic landmark as part of the community-led vision for Veteran’s Park and the Hamtramck Recreation District.”

“The restoration of Hamtramck Stadium – and the grand vision to build off this transformation to create a wholly unique recreational and cultural community space – is an unparalleled opportunity for the residents of Hamtramck, one of our state’s most diverse and dynamic communities, as well as the entire Detroit metro region,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of the Detroit Program at the Kresge Foundation. “The best way to honor our region’s rich and storied past is to not only preserve special places such as Hamtramck Stadium, but also to reimagine them to be more accessible, to become shared community assets and to endure for many generations to come.”

In 2020, as part of ongoing efforts to better recognize the contributions of Black players and teams, and in celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Leagues, Major League Baseball officially recognized seven Negro Leagues organizations operating from 1920-1948 as Major Leagues. The revitalized Hamtramck Stadium will further celebrate the legacy of these underappreciated legends and allow future generations to play baseball at the historic site.

“The history of Hamtramck Stadium and the Negro Leagues is an integral part of the history of both Detroit and Hamtramck, and the rehabilitation of the grandstand will make that history accessible,” said Gary Gillette, Founder and Chair of the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium. Along with renovations to the stadium, the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy seeks to organize additional investments and coordinate programing for more than 26 acres of community space within the Hamtramck Recreation District, including Hamtramck and Keyworth stadiums, and Veterans Park, a stop on the new Joe Louis Greenway–the 27.5 mile trail that connects the Detroit Riverfront to Hamtramck, Highland Park and Dearborn. The district will also include several fields used for a wide variety of outdoor games and activities.

“The renovation of this historic stadium is a major event for Hamtramck and I’m thrilled to see it happen,” said Wayne County Commissioner Martha G. Scott, whose district includes the stadium. “Not only is the stadium a part of history, but it will now be an important part of the future of the city and our region.”

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Olympia Development of Michigan’s and Cinnaire Solutions’ Henry Street redevelopment proposal has received a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA). The LIHTC will support the affordable housing aspects of the Henry Street proposal.

The Henry Street proposal would revitalize all seven 1920s-era historic buildings which sit on a single city block bounded by Henry Street, Cass Avenue, 2nd Street, and the I-75 service drive. It would create 170 new residential units, 84 of which would be set aside as affordable housing. All current residents would have the opportunity to live in a newly redeveloped unit at rents similar to what they are currently paying.

“Public support is critical to our ability to bring affordable housing to communities all across the region and with this LIHTC award, it will enable a truly special project that ensures housing opportunities for Detroiters,” Lucius Vassar, corporate counsel and executive vice president of equitable engagement for Cinnaire Solutions, said. “We look forward to working with the City of Detroit and Detroit City Council to achieve the final building blocks that will make the Henry Street proposal a reality.”

Keith Bradford, senior vice president, Olympia Development of Michigan, added that “this public-private partnership between the City and State would help support the City of Detroit’s affordable housing goals, provide green spaces for the community, as well as create construction and permanent jobs for Detroiters.”

In anticipation of city approvals and other public support, pre-development work is continuing.

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Detroit Tigers prospect Spencer Torkelson recently sat down with the Ilitch Companies News Hub for an exclusive conversation on acclimating to the pros, the players he looks up to and how his life has changed since being drafted No. 1 overall last year.

The Detroit Tigers selected Torkelson, from Arizona State University, with the first overall pick in the 2020 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. A Two-Time Unanimous All-American, Torkelson ranks as one of the best hitters in college baseball history, batting a combined .337/.463/.729 with 33 doubles, 54 home runs and 130 RBIs. His home run total was just two shy of tying Bob Horner’s school record of 56 homers.

On June 15, the club announced Torkelson and second-round pick Dillon Dingler were promoted to Double-A. Since Torkelson’s promotion, he has a .280/.351/.560 slash line (batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, respectively). He, along with SeaWolves teammate Riley Greene, was invited to take part in the 2021 SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game with the league’s top prospects.

“Spencer is exactly the type of player we hoped would be there for us,” Scott Pleis, Detroit Tigers director of amateur scouting, said after the club drafted Torkelson. “He’s one of the most polished hitters we’ve seen in the draft for quite some time, showing plus-plus power and excellent plate discipline. We’ve been tracking Spencer’s growth and performance since his breakout freshman season at Arizona State, and are excited to see him grow in the coming years.”

Hear from Torkelson in the video below.

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The Detroit Tigers selected 10 players on day three of the MLB First-Year Player Draft, which included rounds 11—20.

The club’s 2021 draft class consists of 11 RHP, one LHP, one SS, one 1B, one 3B, two C and four OF. 19 of the 21 players drafted by the Tigers are from college, while two are from high school.

The Detroit Tigers previously selected RHP Jackson Jobe with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

View the Tigers’ entire 2021 draft class at MLB.com/Tigers.

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The Detroit Tigers have selected RHP Jackson Jobe with the third overall pick in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft.

“We’ve been fortunate to scout and draft some great high school pitchers over the years, and Jackson ranks up there with some of the best we’ve seen,” Al Avila, Tigers executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager, said. “He pitches beyond his years, and we project him to be an impactful arm in our player development system, and eventually the Major Leagues. Though young pitching is one of our organizational strengths, we see the addition of Jackson as an important one as we continue building depth that will breed sustainable success in the long-term.”

Jobe is selected by the Tigers following four years at Heritage Hall High School, in Oklahoma City, OK. He recently completed a dominant senior season with the Chargers, posting a 9-0 record and 0.13 ERA over 51.2 innings, striking out 122 batters, walking just five, and throwing multiple no-hitters.

Following the 2021 season Jobe was named Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year, and the Prep Baseball Report Player of the Year. Jobe’s slider is ranked No. 1 in the class by MLB Pipeline, while Baseball America lists him has having the best breaking ball among high schoolers.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and 190-pounds, Jobe has lived up to his ranking by Baseball America as the “Top Athlete” among high schoolers in the draft class. Not only has he excelled on the mound, but also in the batters box where he posted a .469 batting average with 13 doubles, 5 triples, 6 homers, and 37 RBI in 2021. Additionally, he was Heritage Hall’s starting quarterback during his sophomore and junior seasons, before COVID-19 abbreviated his career on the gridiron. Jobe averaged 82.3 passing yards per game over 11 games during his 2018 campaign, and 186.5 per game over six contests his junior year.

“Jackson is one of the most talented high schoolers we’ve scouted in years,” Scott Pleis, Tigers director of amateur scouting, said. “The stuff matches the power in his arsenal, and he does a great job at allowing his athleticism to show when on the mound. After months of input and discussion between our analytics, scouting and player development staffs, we all agreed that Jackson would be an excellent addition to our organization.”

Jackson is no stranger to pro sports, as his father, Brandt, has been a professional golfer since 1988 and is currently on the PGA Champions Tour. The elder Jobe has also played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, winning tournaments such as the Principal Charity Classic (2017) and Boeing Classic (2019).

The Tigers will continue their 2021 MLB Draft with one more pick on opening night (32^nd), followed by nine picks on day two (rounds 2-10) and 10 selections on day three (rounds 11-20). It’s rare for Detroit to have this many picks early in the draft, owning three of the top 39 selections for the first time since 1987 (20, 21, 30).

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Little Caesars is asking customers to suspend their “disbeleaf” and declaring its new pizza with plant-based pepperoni to be unbelievably zesty, bold, and absolutely delicious. The chain is launching the Planteroni™ Pizza, made with the new Field Roast™ Plant-Based Pepperoni, to many of its stores across the United States starting today.

The new pizza option will be available at Little Caesars locations in the cities and suburbs of Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, and the chain’s hometown of Detroit. Customers can choose from a regular Planteroni™ Pizza for $8.49, a Slices-N-Sticks product consisting of half Planteroni™ Pizza and half cheesy, buttery tasting breadsticks for $8, or add Field Roast™ Plant-Based Pepperoni as a topping on any custom pizza.

“Planteroni™ delivers a plant-based version of the delicious flavor of America’s most popular pizza topping, and you need to taste it to believe it,” said Jeff Klein, chief marketing officer at Little Caesars. “This product is really going to surprise and delight our customers.”

Consumers have a growing appetite for plant-based protein options according to recent data, which shows that 69% of people would order plant-based meat. Little Caesars and the Field Roast™ brand are satisfying that craving with the Planteroni™ Pizza, a regular pizza made with plant-based pepperoni that delivers an authentic, bold pepperoni taste. Field Roast™ Plant-Based Pepperoni is the first pepperoni alternative on the market to be made with pea protein, not soy; it’s crafted with fresh spices including whole pieces of fennel, cracked black pepper, garlic and paprika. The Field Roast™ brand debuted the first-of-its-kind innovation earlier this year, making Little Caesars the first national pizza chain to offer it so broadly in the United States.

“This is a huge moment for pizza lovers because for the first time, they have access to a zesty, bold -plant-based pepperoni made with pea protein that absolutely delivers on taste,” said Dan Curtin, President of Greenleaf Foods, owner of the Field Roast™ brand. “We believe every occasion deserves bold, inspired flavors—we’re excited to work with Little Caesars to deliver on that promise.”

Customers can order their Planteroni™ Pizza for delivery using the Little Caesars app, or pre-pay and then conveniently collect their order using Pizza Portal™ pickup (a heated, self-service mobile order pickup station) at any participating Little Caesars Location in the selected markets.

For more information about Little Caesars, visit littlecaesars.com and follow @LittleCaesars on Instagram and Facebook. For more information on Field Roast™, visit fieldroast.com and follow @FieldRoast on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

*Finished Pizza is not plant-based. Plant-based is limited to pepperoni ingredient only.

**Plus tax where applicable. Available at participating locations in select markets. Prices may vary. Prices higher in AK, HI, and third-party online sites.

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With Comerica Park now open at 100-percent capacity and summer in full swing, the Detroit Tigers will host “Detroit’s Biggest Summer Baseball Bash,” Presented by Miller Lite, on Saturday, July 17. This special event will bring together many of the favorite Tigers activities fans have missed during their time away from the ballpark — all while celebrating frontline heroes that’ve helped make this day possible.

The Tigers will host the Minnesota Twins that day at 6:10 p.m. Ticketed guests will be welcomed with free pregame autographs, a “Detroit Roots” T-shirt, presented by DTE Energy, for the first 10,000 fans in attendance, guest appearances among Detroit’s four professional sports teams and much more. Gates will open at 3:30 p.m., one hour earlier than normal for a home game day, allowing for full enjoyment of pregame attractions on the concourse and the chance to watch batting practice.

To celebrate the festive day, the Tigers have introduced an online $5 ticket package in select locations of the upper level of Comerica Park while supplies last at tigers.com/bash, coupon code SUMMER. Tickets are limited to 10 per purchase.

“We couldn’t be happier to start the second half of our season off with an event that brings together so many parts of the gameday experience that Tigers fans have loved for generations,” Ellen Hill Zeringue, Tigers vice president of marketing, said. “Whether it’s the gate giveaway, autographs from over a dozen Tigers alumni or seeing athletes and coaches from our other great local sports teams, we can’t wait to play host for Detroit’s Biggest Summer Baseball Bash on July 17.”

Upon entering the ballpark, fans will be welcomed by more than a dozen alumni players and coaches signing autographs on the concourse. Some of the most iconic teams in Tigers history will be represented, including the 1968 and 1984 World Series Championship teams, and the 2006 and 2012 American League Champions. Several alumni will also participate in a pregame question & answer session, with fans in attendance having the ability to ask questions of some all-time favorite Tigers.

Former Tigers players and coaches scheduled to sign autographs and/or take pregame fan photos are listed below, and are subject to change:

•             Mickey Lolich – 1968 World Series Champion

•             Tom Matchick – 1968 World Series Champion

•             Jon Warden – 1968 World Series Champion

•             Steve Kemp – 1979 American League All-Star

•             Juan Berenguer – 1984 World Series Champion

•             Howard Johnson – 1984 World Series Champion

•             Lance Parrish – 1984 World Series Champion

•             Dan Petry – 1984 World Series Champion

•             Dave Rozema – 1984 World Series Champion

•             Jim Leyland – 2006 and 2012 American League Champion

•             Craig Monroe – 2006 American League Champion

•             Phil Coke – 2012 American League Champion

•             Andy Dirks – 2012 American League Champion

•             Doug Fister – 2012 American League Champion

Detroit sports fans will also be treated with special appearances from the Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions.

Also, hundreds of frontline and essential workers will be in attendance, and recognized in a special pregame ceremony for their hand in helping the city of Detroit and the state of Michigan continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For additional details surrounding “Detroit’s Biggest Summer Baseball Bash,” Presented by Miller Lite, fans are encouraged to follow @Tigers on social media or visit tigers.com/bash.

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