Let me root, root, root for the home team!

DETROIT TIGERS - 5

OAKLAND A'S - 2

FINALLY! It was August 11 and we had tickets to see the Detroit Tigers play the Oakland A's at Comerica Park. My sister, Ruthanne, and brother-in-law, Terry, go to LOTS of ball games. They have a good friend who has season tickets and he is in the habit of giving them away because he is a nice guy. Since it was Shane's birthday this past week and since he is a loyal Tiger's fan, I asked Ruthanne and Terry if it would be possible for us to join them for a game. They talked to their friend, and we got to use his tickets! How nice was that?

We had a pretty uneventful road trip to Detroit, except we saw an accident where a car was actually off the road and wedged sideways into a tree! Which of course backed traffic up a bit. We listened to U-2 and the Beatles on the way down -- played rather loudly so that I would stay awake while driving (I've told you about my tendency to fall asleep in cars, whether driving or not) and we made it safely.

The last time we were at a Tiger game was back in 1990 or 1991 -- I can't remember exactly. I just know the boys were young and I took them down to Tiger stadium to see a game. I grew up loving baseball in Detroit. My family went to many games when I was a kid. But I had never been to Comerica Park. What a great place!

The Entrance

Rather intimidating, don't you think?

There are gigantic tigers everywhere!

We arrived early and ate dinner at the ball park. Then we took a walk all around the inner circumference. The place is huge! There are food courts and shops and cool baseball memorabilia, statues of baseball legends, and about 100,000 people (the actual count was 42,016)!

The scoreboard

In and around Comerica Park
This is the BIG CAT Carousel

If I were a little kid, this would look pretty scary!

I'm not sure ANY of the grandkiddos would venture

to ride on this -- except Olivia!

This is a statue of Ernie Harwell

When I was a little girl, his voice used to put me to sleep at night

I had a small transistor radio

and used to listen to all of the games

Ernie Harwell has a very distinct voice

that I love to this very day ...

As we walked around the park, I tried to get as many

photos as I could

but there were so many people!

I ducked out during the game and walked around some more

and got better pictures that way.

We had great seats -- Section 121, Row 30 -- right down the first base line as you look towards second base. It was a beautiful night, 77 degrees, with a nice breeze blowing. Ahhh, perfect! The National Anthem was sung as we looked at the flag, and then the game was on!

The view from the upper deck

I went up to the upper deck to try and get some good

pictures of the park and the city

I tried to get every possible angle,

hoping to recognize some of these buildings

surrounding the park --

but it has been so long since I have lived in Detroit

that I can't tell you even one of them!

except for that group right there in the middle

-- the Renaissance Center

A very cool ferris wheel

I had another purpose for going up to the upper deck. I was looking for my friend Mary. Do you remember her? I told you about her wedding back in the middle of July. She still works for RVO, now remotely, from her home in Granger, Indiana, and so we e-mail each other all the time. We discovered that we both had tickets to see this game -- what a small world! We determined to find each other and talk face to face. I was so pleased to see her! It seemed we only talked for a very few minutes, but missed more than two innings of the game before we said good-bye.

My good friend, Mary -- I just love her!

It was time for the seventh inning stretch ...

PAWS came out and danced

and everyone sang, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

I had forgotten how much I liked that song!

It was a pretty exciting game. Justin Verlander (the young kid who pitched the no-hitter awhile ago) was pitching for the Tigers against Dan Haren from Oakland. We were down 2 to 1 for awhile and the crowd seemed a bit aggitated. We picked up two other runs along the way, but then Magglio Ordonez hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning that cinched the game for us. So Verlander got the win (his first win since July 15) and only the fifth win for the Tigers in the last 19 games -- but we were there and we saw it!

Terry and Dylan

Terry and Ruthanne

It was so good to be with them!

We stayed for the fireworks after the game

This is the best shot I got of them

Fireworks at Comerica Park, compliments the Internet

It was about a 15 minute fireworks display and really worth seeing. They set it all up and quickly started them right after the game was over. We left the ball park at about 10:30. We had parked my car in the parking lot at Cornerstone Baptist Church where Terry is the administrative pastor and Ruthanne works in the library and gift store. We were back on the road to Grand Rapids at about 11:45. I was really nervous about the drive back and soon after we got on the road, I saw a very large doe standing alongside the expressway eating tall grass! I certainly was glad she was at the SIDE of the road and not trying to cross! Thanks, LORD, for keeping us safe on the road to and from Detroit! I'd like it very much if we made going to a Tiger baseball game an annual event!

"Take me out to the ball game,

take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,

I don't care if I never get back.

Let me root, root, root for the home team,

If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,

at the old ball game."

Written in 1908 by Jack Norworth.

Set to music by Albert Von Tilzer