Ultimate Baseball Road Trip (73 page)

The Tigers perennially rank in the upper third of the baseball pack, averaging more than thirty thousand fans per game, or nearly three million a year. Nonetheless, with more than twenty-three thousand seats in the lower bowl, this is a ballpark that offers ample opportunity for you to treat yourself to an excellent view for relatively cheap bucks. And we advise doing so, because many of the upper seats at Comerica aren’t terribly good.

Instead of stacking two steep decks on top of one another to keep upper fans close to the field, Comerica’s designers strove to keep fans as low to the field as possible. As a result, both the lower- and upper-seating decks extend from the playing field very gradually, leaving fans in the back rows far from the action. We’re not proponents of treacherously steep upper decks, like the one at Rogers Centre, but there must be some sort of happy medium, like the upper deck in Kansas City, that the modelers of Comerica might have been better off aspiring to duplicate.

The On-Deck Circle seats are in the first few rows between the dugouts. At under $100, even on weekend dates during the summer, which the Tigers designate as “premium” days and for which they charge a surplus, these are much more affordable than comparable seats at most other stadiums.

The Tiger Den seats, meanwhile, are moveable wooden chairs. These are wide and padded, and their holders order off a fancy menu and get wait-service. But the Tiger Den is located behind the Infield Box and On-Deck Circle seats at the very back of the lower bowl. We appreciate that they’re padded, but found them a tad far from the action.

These are all good seats for the money. Pay attention to what row number you’re purchasing, however, as the boxes go all the way up to Row 35, and the gradual incline of the lower bowl leaves fans in back far from the field. The opportunity to sit right behind home plate for $50 is appealing. And sight lines throughout the section rate above average.

Because of the gradual slope and larger-than-average foul territory, only small portions of the outfield corners are out of view from any seat. The wide and open concourse behind these sections allows for glimpses of the field to those waiting in line or walking about between the many concession carts.

The seats in the back rows of the Field Boxes and first few Outfield Boxes along the right field (116–118) and left-field (136–141) lines sell for less than the Infield Boxes. Still, they’re pricier than the Outfield Boxes, many of which offer closer views. We don’t recommend these unless the pickings in the rest of the first level are slim.

The Outfield Boxes are located between the Infield Boxes and Lower Baseline Boxes, which are deep in foul territory. If the Infield Boxes are sold out, consider Outfield Boxes in Sections 138, 139, 117, 116, and 114. These are angled nicely toward the infield. If these sections are unavailable, we recommend passing on the remaining Outfield Boxes and opting for a straightaway view from home run territory for less money.

Section 115 is probably the worst section in the lower bowl as its position makes it impossible to see much of the right-field corner. So avoid it like Kevin avoids yuppie bars. Row 37 of these sections is behind a walkway, so try for seats in Rows 36 or lower to avoid the traffic. Any row higher than Row 40 is under the overhang of the upper deck, which, if nothing else, provides a nice umbrella on rainy nights.

These seats deep in the outfield corners were our least favorite in the lower level. You can and should do better.

Located in home run territory beyond the left-field bullpens, the Pavilion is lower to the field than the right-field bleachers. It is also a bit farther from home plate owing to the ballpark’s asymmetrical dimensions and the presence of the pens, which run along the wall, adjacent to one another.
As the result of these two factors, the view from the Pavilion is not as good as from the seats in right. If you’re hell-bent on sitting in the Pavilion (say, to heckle a certain Yankees outfielder), try for the single-letter rows, as Rows AA and higher are behind an aisle and farther from the field. Parts of Section 144 are screened by the foul pole.

Tiger fans now find three sections of comfortable seats where the bullpens once resided in straight-away right. We think these exist just to make the bleacher-bound fans sitting behind (in the double-lettered rows) and beside these seats jealous. Nonetheless, these are the best home-run-territory seats in Comerica, so if hawking is your thing, you should rest your tired rump here.

Kevin liked the view from the bleachers and applauded the Tigers for offering these at such a low price. Most of the seats in Section 101 are partially obstructed by the centerfield wall, as fans can’t see part of the center-field pasture. But otherwise the views check out fine. They are bleacher benches though, not seats, so we’ll leave it to you to decide whether this is the three-hour ballpark experience you seek. Stadium security swarmed upon the only beach ball that fans (okay, it was Kevin) tried to send aloft one time when we visited. Even a simple bit of ball bopping was apparently too rowdy for management’s taste, which led us to wonder if too much family atmosphere at a ballpark might be a bad thing. If you’ve ever seen the look on a six-year-old’s face when an usher tears an inflatable ball from his hands and rips it to shreds, you know what we mean. Should security be focused on keeping people safe rather than being the fun police? We think so, as through all our research we found nary a single beach-ball-related accident at a sporting event of any kind.

Tucked behind the right-field foul pole these cheapie seats are best to be avoided, unless you’re just looking for a way into the park in order to spend a game seat-hopping.

The first row of the upper deck hovers in the airspace directly above the last row of Infield Boxes. The deck extends very gradually away from the field. If you are afraid of heights and shudder to recall your recent trip to the upper reaches of Rogers Centre (have we panned that place enough?) or U.S. Cellular Field, you might like the effect in Detroit. Otherwise, you probably won’t care much for it. The seats may be low, but they are distant from the field.

The Tigers call the first few rows the Upper Club and charge an extra $6 for them. The seats and aisles are a bit wider than elsewhere but that’s it. No slinky waitresses or special concessions. We think there should be uniform rules governing what can and cannot be called a “Club” seat. We also think the pitcher’s mound should be raised, the DH abolished, and the amateur draft expanded to include the Latin American and Asian countries. But those are all issues we’re currently negotiating with Bud Selig. He’s a tough nut to crack, but we think he’s coming around. Either that or he thinks he might be able to sell us a used car somewhere down the line and he’s trying to keep things simpatico just in case.

But back to Comerica’s upper deck. The Upper Boxes represent the seats on the infield (321–337) behind the “Club” rows. These are decent but we recommend buying lower-level Infield Boxes instead, even though they’re twice the price.

The Tigers call the first five rows of the left and right-field upper levels “Box Seats” and charge extra for them. Avoid these seats, especially the so-called Box Seats in Section 345 and 346, where ticket holders pay $24 to sit one row in front of Skyline ticket holders who paid $5. This is the biggest rip-off in the park and quite possibly in the whole world! Across the diamond, meanwhile, the Upper Boxes in right field are lower than their counterparts in left, owing to the fact that the right-field mezzanine is set closer to the first level than the upper deck in left.

Similar to many new parks, railings and glass plates appear above all upper entranceways, obstructing the views of fans in a number of seats behind them. In Rows 6–8 throughout the upper level, avoid aisle seats numbered 19–24 or 1–5 for this reason.

Because of the underhang, the left-field corner starts to disappear at Section 336. This becomes worse as you continue toward the outfield. The sunroof above the upper level will keep you in the shade if you’re in Row 17 or higher.

Because the suite level does not extend past first base, the Tigers opted to construct an intermediary level at a height
between the lower and upper decks. This was done in lieu of a right-field upper level. Fifteen feet lower than the 300 Level, the 200 Level consists of four thousand seats. However, this deck is sloped even more gradually than the 300 Level and as a result we felt exceptionally far from the action here. Hey, there’s a reason all of the movie theaters are adopting “stadium seating,” you know.

At the very least, avoid the first row of the Mezzanine seats (Row 5, since the first four rows of the deck constitute Upper Box Right-field seats) since the railings and glass plates obstruct sight lines. Also beware: Fans sitting in Sections 210–213 will not be able to see the right-field corner.

Kudos to the Tigers for continuing to let fans in for a five-spot. Just remember you don’t want to actually sit in these seats unless you have binoculars, Superman vision, or only a passing interest in the game. So here’s your plan. Score a $5 seat in 345 and hop into the Upper Boxes behind the plate. There are usually plenty of empties and ballpark staff doesn’t seem to mind folks moving around within the upper altitudes. Follow general seat-hopping protocol and you should be fine: Wait until the bottom of the second inning, load your arms with food and drink, then stumble toward an open seat while pretending to study your ticket stub to make sure you’re in the “right” place. And don’t get greedy. If you’re going to head for a front-row seat down on the first level, you might as well just tell the usher on your way past that you don’t have a ticket.

Reselling tickets at any price is illegal in Michigan. We doubt this law has anything to do with it, but there is a noticeable dearth of scalpers as you approach the park. Tickets are reasonably priced from the team, we suppose, and Detroit’s bad boys have bigger fish to fry on the mean streets of Motown or at the nearby casinos.

As long as you stay within a few blocks of the ballpark in the area known as Foxtown, you should feel comfortable and safe. However, getting to the ballpark does require driving through some of Detroit’s poverty-stricken streets. Detroit was once one of the most prominent of America’s great manufacturing cities. Although we understand that the forces of globalization and free trade have already severely limited the boundaries of just how far back it can bounce in the years after the Great Recession, we sincerely hope that it finds a way to recapture some of its lost glory. Whether the path to prosperity is lined with autos, as in the past, or with some new consumer product to manufacture, or with a whole new industry, we don’t know. But there’s no doubting that the industrious, hardworking people of the city will flourish if big business only gives them more of a chance than they’ve had in recent decades. And here’s hoping baseball does its part, too, to bring better times to the Motor City.

Comerica is located just south of Interstate 75 on Woodward Avenue. Its main entrance is across the street from the Fox Theatre. Follow Interstate 75 to the Grand River Avenue exit. Off the ramp, cross Grand River and take a right onto Woodward Avenue. Follow Woodward to the ballpark. Most of the private parking lots in the immediate area charge $10, while the official team lot charges $25. Keep your eyes open on the streets a few blocks away from Comerica and you’ll likely spot an $8 lot or two. The People Mover monorail deposits passengers at the Broadway and Grand Circus Park stations, which are both near the park. At only fifty cents per ride, this elevated loop is a highly affordable option for those staying overnight in town.

Monorail Information:
www.thepeoplemover.com/Overview.id.26.htm

Perched atop the marquee of the Fox Theatre at 2211 Woodward is a pair of winged lions that predate by seventy years construction of Comerica. William Fox, founder of Twentieth Century Fox Pictures, built the theatre in 1928. In 1987 the Ilitch family purchased the building and restored it to its elegant present condition.

Josh:
This represents an opportunity to fuse high culture and hardball.

Kevin:
I wonder if they’ve ever staged
Damn Yankees.

A few blocks away, at 2326 Woodward, stands St. John’s Episcopal Church, a beautiful example of neo-Gothic architecture. The church was constructed in 1927. On one of the occasions we visited, a large banner hung outside reading, “Pray here for the Tigers and Lions.” We found this a unique appeal, to say the least. And who knows, maybe one of these days it’ll work and the Tigers will win their first World Series since 1984.