Detroit Tigers Opening Day: Everything to know ahead of the game

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - Who are these new-look Tigers?

The Detroit Tigers are suddenly on the verge of being relevant again after spending big money in free agency to jolt a franchise that has been focused on drafting and developing players in a long rebuilding process.

Detroit was 77-85 last season, but it was its best record in five years, showing just how rough it has been lately for baseball in the Motor City.

Determined to pick up the pace on the slow turnaround, the Tigers were active before and after the 99-day lockout ended on March 10 to complement the young players they have in place.

"When we show up to spring training, I’ve told every team I’ve ever managed we need to win our division and we need to make the playoffs," second-year manager AJ Hinch said. "I don’t know why this would be any different."

The Tigers have had some real reasons to be fired up since last winter, adding two-time All-Star infielder Javier Báez with a $140 million contract to address a desperate need at shortstop and lefty Eduardo Rodríguez for $77 million to lead a solid starting rotation.

"Our manager and organization last year sent a new message that it’s time to win and they showed that this past offseason, signing two big guys," veteran slugger Miguel Cabrera said. "I think we’ve got an opportunity to do that here so I’m really excited."

Detroit opens the regular season April 8 at home against the Chicago White Sox.

Detroit Tigers have a new look

Besides adding Báez and Rodríguez, Detroit brought Michael Pineda to a rotation that also includes righty Casey Mize, bolstered the bullpen with lefty Andrew Chafin and traded for catcher Tucker Barnhart from Cincinnati.

"There’a a buzz in the clubhouse," said outfielder Robbie Grossman, who became the seventh Tiger to have at least 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 20 doubles last season. "We’ve brought in some really good players. We’re only going to get better so our expectations are getting higher and higher."

The Tigers didn’t lose much in the offseason, parting way with shortstop Niko Goodrum and left-hander Matthew Boyd.

Spencer Torkelson arrives in Detroit

First baseman Spencer Torkelson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, and outfielder Riley Greene, taken No. 5 overall in 2018, seem to be closing in on being contributors in Detroit.

"I hope they don’t put too much pressure on themselves," Hinch said.

Miguel Cabrera closes in another milestone

A season after joining the 500-home run club, Miguel Cabrera is closing in on another milestone to join an impressive group of all-time greats.

Cabrera is 13 hits away from joining six players, including Hank Aaron and Willie Mays, with 3,000 hits and 500 homers. A decade ago, he won the Triple Crown and his first of two straight AL MVP awards.

Cabrera, who turns 39 on April 19, was healthy enough to play in 130 games last year and finished with a .256 batting average, 15 home runs and 75 RBIs.

The Tigers have to win more in the AL Central

If Detroit has any chance of competing with the AL Central Division champion Chicago White Sox, it has to fare better in the division.

The Tigers were 30-46 against Central teams last year while having a winning record against the AL’s other divisions and the NL. They finished 16 games behind Chicago and almost as far back in the wild-card race.

What does Vegas say?

Gamblers who expect the Tigers to win at least one more game than they did last year can make money because their over-under total for wins is 77.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Their odds of winning the World Series are 55-1.

— Courtesy of the Associated Press

Jack White to perform national anthem

Not since 2019 has an Opening Day included such energy and buzz around the celebratory start to Detroit Tigers baseball.

Following two disruptive years from the pandemic, the first official day of baseball won't hold back in releasing all that pent-up energy. And Jack White is going to help. Sporting a new look but the same roots, the Detroit-native will be performing the National Anthem at Comerica Park on Friday.

"You already know Jack White wouldn't miss Detroit's biggest party!" wrote the Tigers' page online. At 46 years old, the 12-time Grammy winner will be in attendance with his band to play an instrumental version of the National Anthem. 

Additionally, there are a few other ways the team plans to celebrate Opening Day. That includes:

• Celebrating the life of Kimera Bartee, who died in the last offseason. His son will throw out the first pitch
• Honoring the Taylor North Little League World Series Championship team, which went on a run like no one was expecting when they won the series last August.
• The Miller Lite Tailgate will be hosted in the McLaren Garage Plaza along Witherell Street outside Comerica Park.

Navigating Opening Day parking with new Detroit app

It’s the night before the Tigers' home opener and they are making preparations at the Anchor Bar in downtown Detroit - in the calm before the storm.

With the COVID-19 pandemic winding down, Opening Day 2022 is again expected to be the giant party that everyone remembers. "It is going to be a big day, and exciting day, we’re all happy to finally have baseball back in full swing," said Keith Hutchings, director, municipal parking department.

And if you’re wondering where on earth am I going to park? The newly upgraded Park Detroit app can help you find that perfect parking spot. "You click on the garage you’re interested in, it lets you know what the cost is, if there is any availability, reserve the space, and you pay for it immediately," said Hutchings.

It works for street parking, too. "Once you apply the filters and if you notice you’ll see red, yellow and green, that tells you on the street parking if you can get a parking space," Hutchings said.

Opening Day forecast: cloudy and rainy

When the Detroit Tigers finally take the field on Friday, they will once again be playing through terrible weather and facing off-and-on showers. But then again, what's new? Well, Derek Kevra decided to dive in about how often we actually get a decent Opening Day. If the trend holds up, it's about once a decade. This year won't be any different. 

Starting around 8 a.m., we'll at 37 degrees. That is a cold way to start baseball season and it won't get much warmer. By noon, we'll only be at 43 and at 45 degrees by 2 p.m. And that's as warm as it gets! On top of that, the chance of rain is between 27 and 62% throughout the day. In other words, off-and-on showers all day long.

Will they play? Derek thinks so, but he doesn't make that decision. So how common is it for the weather to be completely terrible? Very. Since 2015, the last time it was nice (we hit 60 degrees that day!), the weather has been cold and wet.

In 2021, we had a high of just 37 degrees with snow. Though it did give us that classic shot of Miguel Cabrera's homerun through the snow. 2020 doesn't count because the pandemic pushed Opening Day back to the summer. In 2019, we hit 43 degrees with rain, 2018 was 46, with rain, 2017 it was 52 but it snowed in the morning, and in 2016 it was a crisp 43 with snow. So, in other words, this is Opening Day in Detroit. Bundle up. 

How to watch Opening Day

For the first time in three years, Opening Day - the one we're all accustomed to - is back and the Detroit Tigers are going to be one of the more interesting teams to watch in the American League.

The first game of the season is Friday, April 8, and Detroit is opening at home against the Chicago White Sox. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. and FOX 2 is your home EVERYTHING you need for Opening Day - PLUS you can watch it LIVE on FOX2Detroit.com. 

You can watch every single pitch LIVE on FOX 2. We're starting our coverage well before people tailgate downtown. FOX 2 News is on all morning long until 9 a.m. for The Nine which will be LIVE from Comerica Park. Deena Centofanti and Lee Thomas will be on the field to prepare you for everything you need to know about the game, what to expect at Comerica this year, and so much more.

At 1 p.m., FOX 2 is simulcasting Tigers Opening Day but it's the ONLY part of the day that you cannot watch on FOX2Detroit.com/live

What else we're watching

1. Michigan State University's Surplus Store has a new electronic recycling machine. The robot, funded with a grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, automatically sorts waste along a conveyer belt. 
2. The city of Berkley has green lighted two more recreational marijuana dispensaries, bringing the Oakland County community's total to five. The city first adopted its cannabis zoning ordinance in 2019. 
3. Detroit police busted a suspected chop shop run by a pair of brothers in southwest Detroit. The Detroit Police Auto Theft Unit found several vehicles that had been stolen at the location, which were reportedly taken from the Stellantis Assembly Plant. 
4. Gov. Whitmer made her move yesterday to protect abortion rights in Michigan with a lawsuit. The same day, state Attorney General Dana Nessel shared a story of how abortion saved the lives of her twins. 
5. The University of Michigan's dream season in college hockey faltered Thursday night in an overtime loss to Denver 3-2. The No. 1 seeded Wolverines had been absent from the Frozen Four for years. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

It's not just Friday that will remind us of Michigan's colder and cloudier spring conditions we sometimes forget about. Saturday, the rain won't be falling but the temperatures certainly will, hitting the mid-40s at the most. But that also marks the low point for weather as conditions turn around Sunday and next week.

COVID-19 booster shot may be effective against omicron BA.2 variant, study shows

New evidence shows a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine may provide protection against a subvariant of omicron – the variant which has rapidly become the dominant strain in the world and currently accounts for most cases of the virus in the U.S.

Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined neutralizing antibodies produced after vaccination or infection. These are antibodies that can bind to the virus and block its entry into cells.

The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that after a booster vaccination, levels of antibodies in the blood that could bind to and neutralize a new omicron variant increased substantially.

The team tested antibodies from the blood of 24 people who had been vaccinated and boosted with the Pfizer shot. In addition, they looked at antibodies from eight people who had recovered from COVID-19, seven of whom had also been vaccinated.