First-year Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch recently sat down with radio announcer Dan Dickerson for an exclusive conversation, to talk about building a coaching staff of proven winners, his deep appreciation for the team’s history and the opportunity to lead a young and talented team.

Hinch’s hiring, which was announced in October, is driving excitement and anticipation for the 2021 baseball season as fans look forward to Opening Day, which is scheduled for April 1 at Comerica Park.

Hinch, who has a diverse background in the game, brings experience as a player, success as a manager, and perspective as a scout and from player development from teams across Major League Baseball. He plans to use that experience, along with technology and facilities both in Lakeland, Fla. and Detroit, to maximize the performance of the team’s roster of veterans and talented rising prospects.

“The draw to this opportunity is the players,” Hinch said. “A lot of attention will be on me, but at the end of the day, this game is about players. This organization’s not about me. The talent on the field is what produces the wins.”

Get to know Hinch in the video below.

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Center becomes first metro Detroit native to wear “C” for franchise

The Detroit Red Wings have announced that center Dylan Larkin has been named the team’s captain, becoming the 37th captain in franchise history and the first Michigander and native metro Detroiter. Additionally, centers Luke Glendening and Frans Nielsen will serve as alternate captains for the 2020-21 season.

Larkin, 24, has served as an alternate captain for the Red Wings since 2018-19, and assumes a captaincy that has been vacant for the last two seasons, following the end of Henrik Zetterberg’s career in 2017-18 due to injury. The Waterford, Mich., native is just the second American to wear the “C” for Detroit after Reed Larson (Minneapolis, Minn.) and is the fifth player to serve as captain under Ilitch ownership (since 1982-83). Larkin’s career has been exclusively linked to the state of Michigan, playing his youth hockey in the Lakeland Hockey Association and with Belle Tire AAA Hockey, before spending two seasons with the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based U.S. National Team Development Program (2012-14), one season at the University of Michigan (2014-15) and debuting professionally with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins during the team’s postseason run in 2014-15 prior to making the Red Wings as a 19-year-old in 2015-16.

“Dylan is an extremely competitive and driven player who sets the standard for dedication and conduct for the Red Wings,” Steve Yzerman, Red Wings executive vice president and general manager, said. “This is the right time to name our new captain and we’re certain Dylan is ready to take on the responsibility. He will be an outstanding leader for us, both on and off the ice.”

Entering his sixth season with the Red Wings in 2020-21, Larkin has appeared in 389 games with the team since 2015-16, totaling 266 points (107-159-266) and 246 penalty minutes. In 2019-20, Larkin led the Red Wings in points for the third-consecutive season, becoming one of just six players in franchise history to lead the team in scoring for three-straight years (along with Ted Lindsay, Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg). Additionally, he’s one of just 12 players to lead Detroit in points three-or-more-times in his career. Larkin also became one of the youngest Red Wings to reach 100 career goals, becoming the sixth player in the last 40 years to reach that mark for Detroit prior to turning 24 and, at 23 years and five months, was the youngest to do so since Yzerman.

“I am extremely excited that Dylan Larkin will be our captain,” Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said. “To be named captain of the Detroit Red Wings is an enormous honor and one that Dylan has certainly earned. He is ready for the challenges that come with serving as captain and will be complimented by a great leadership group ready to support him.”

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Since its 1989 renovation, the historic Fox Theatre has been a holiday destination for countless Detroiters. Each winter, the theatre transforms into a winter wonderland, with all the sights and sounds the season brings. Part of what makes those holiday sounds come to life are the theatre’s two organs: the Mighty Wurlitzer and the Moller Lobby Organ.

To bring the theatre’s sights and sounds to you, David Calendine, the Fox Theatre’s house organist, performed some holiday classics for you and your family to enjoy.

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Through the annual Hometown Holiday Assist initiative, the Detroit Red Wings and Tigers partnered with Meijer and The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division’s community program, Pathway of Hope, to bring joy to local families. Pathway of Hope offers services to families seeking to break the cycle of poverty.  

During this year’s Hometown Holiday Assist, five local families identified through the Pathway of Hope initiative were surprised by the Red Wings, Tigers and Meijer with an all-inclusive holiday experience.

“The Salvation Army has enjoyed a long, storied and successful relationship with the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers,” Major Timothy Meyer, general secretary, metro Detroit area commander and chief operating officer for The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division, said. “In a year that has been difficult for thousands of metro Detroit families, it’s a blessing to know that there’s individuals in this community, including the amazing folks with the Red Wings and Tigers, who are helping rescue Christmas.”

Meijer, players from both teams, as well as coaches and front office staff donated thousands of dollars towards the initiative. Colleagues and players then took to the Meijer in Royal Oak, Mich. to purchase gifts, décor, food and a $200 Meijer gift card for five families and then surprised them outside of their homes, along with pre-recorded holiday greetings from Red Wings and Tigers players.

The families were also given the opportunity to “pay it forward,” by donating $1,000 of Hometown Holiday Assist funds to an organization of their choosing. Recipients included the Ronald McDonald House, the National Diabetes Association, The Salvation Army and the Samaritas Family Center.

“The benefits of this initiative extend beyond the gifts and food delivered to each home,” said Kevin Brown, director of community impact for the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers. “True to the spirit of giving and receiving, many additional lives will be positively impacted through the pay-it-forward donations directed by each recipient family to nonprofits near and dear to their hearts.”

To learn more about Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers community impact efforts, visit DetroitRedWings.com and DetroitTigers.com. Learn more about The Salvation Army Eastern Michigan Division and Pathway of Hope here.

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From “Pizza! Pizza!”™ to Hot-N-Ready, innovation has been fundamental to the growth and success of Little Caesars for the past 60 years. And since Anita Klopfenstein joined the company as Chief Information Officer in 2017, she has continued that legacy by creating a best-in-class IT team and implementing industry-leading technology that drives the business forward.

Under her leadership, Anita has helped develop technology solutions that has digitally transformed Little Caesars into a carryout and delivery company.  This includes online ordering and delivery through the Little Caesars app, as well as contactless order pickup through Pizza Portal, the first self-service mobile order pickup station in the quick service restaurant industry.  These innovations help ensure even greater convenience, quality and value to Little Caesars customers.

Anita has also built partnerships with leading technology companies like Cisco, Google, World Wide Technology and Microsoft, as well as grown a world-class IT team with top recruits from around the globe.  

Recognizing Anita’s vast experience, ingenuity and strength as a leader, Industry Era Magazine recently named Anita as one of the “10 Best CIOs of 2020.” With Anita on board, Little Caesars is poised to remain an innovative leader in the food service industry.

See more about Anita and the Little Caesars approach to technology.

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Today, we mourn the tragic loss of a true hero, Benny Napoleon. A champion of the people of Detroit, Benny touched the lives of so many with his decades of public service and leadership, creating a legacy of inspiring mentorship and integrity. He was a tremendous partner and dear friend of our organization and owners, and we are grateful for our longstanding relationship. Our thoughts are with Benny’s family during this difficult time.

This summer, more than 100 current and former Black professional baseball players came together in the wake of social injustices to form The Players Alliance, a non-profit organization to create an inclusive culture within baseball and the community.

Recently, the Players Alliance partnered with Pull Up Neighbor, a Black-owned community response team, to provide direct support to communities in need. The “Pull Up Neighbor Tour” is a two-month, cross-country mobile tour to aid communities of color in a safe, socially distant and responsible way. At each stop, the tour offers baseball gear and equipment to Black youth, a pop-up pantry in conjunction with local food banks, COVID resources like face masks and hand sanitizer, and special gifts from MLB and the local clubs.

Members of the Tigers organization joined the tour for its stops in Flint and Detroit.  They included vice president of baseball operations and general manager Al Avila, pitching coach Chris Fetter, and current players John Schreiber and Werner Blakely, Jr.  All met directly with community members and helped distribute necessary aid.

“The efforts being made by The Players Alliance is inspiring, especially around the holidays,” Avila said. “As an organization, we’re proud of our players, both past and present, who are actively involved. It’s important we support their goodwill and it speaks volumes of the character of the players who are uplifting lives in the black communities. The commitment they have made is impressive — to travel across the country with this tour, especially during the pandemic — all to supply meals, PPE and baseball equipment in Detroit and Flint is wonderful. The Players Alliance is making a lasting impact.”

The tour was funded by a group of Players Alliance members who donated their game-day salaries to the organization. This amount was matched by MLB, allowing The Players Alliance to expand their reach to the communities most in need.  Over the past 5 years, the MLB Players that make up The Players Alliance have collectively donated more than $40M to support Black communities across the country.

“I am so proud of the young Black baseball players that formed The Players Alliance,” Willie Horton, Detroit Tigers legend, said.  “I stand alongside The Alliance in its investment in Black communities beyond baseball, and applaud its founders and members — including current and former Tigers players — for working to provide opportunities at every level of the game, and to combat racial prejudice in the places we live and play.”

Learn more about The Players Alliance and Pull Up Neighbor at ThePlayersAlliance.com andPullUpNeighbor.com.

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Detroit-based journalist, author and broadcaster Mitch Albom formed SAY Detroit in 2006 with a commitment to working in the city’s neighborhoods, providing opportunities and uplifting those in need. Albom created the SAY Detroit Radiothon in 2012 to help raise money for many organizations in need of aid.

Since its first broadcast, the annual SAY Detroit Radiothons have raised more than $7 million to help the poor, the homeless, families without homes, children without medical care, students hoping to reach the college of their dreams and veterans who have hit hard times.

In support of the Radiothon’s goal to help raise funds for vital community organizations throughout metro Detroit, Red Wings executive vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman, Tigers manager AJ Hinch and Ilitch Holdings president and CEO Chris Ilitch appeared remotely during SAY Detroit’s Ninth Annual Radiothon. The Ilitch organization also donated funds, autographed memorabilia and exclusive player virtual meet and greet opportunities.

The Ilitch organization has been proud to partner with SAY Detroit in various ways over the years, beginning with the 2006 creation of Bright Beginnings, a free day-care program for infants and toddlers. Aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness while providing quality education to its students, Bright Beginnings is designed to keep children happy and safe while preparing them for a bright future with the priceless gift of education.

Earlier this year, Detroit Tigers players stopped by the SAY Detroit Play Center, an after-school facility, to record a modern take on “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” with Detroit students.

For more information, or to learn how you can help, visit SAYDetroit.org.

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