As I write this, there is Detroit Tigers baseball on my TV. The Bally broadcast team is interviewing A.J. Hinch, and the score is tied 0-0. But more than anything: there is Tigers baseball on my TV.
A few weeks ago this felt like it was an impossibility more than an expectation, and when the lockout ended, there was nothing we were more excited about than seeing our favorite team return to the field. There are new faces and prospect names we’ve heard for years. The sun is out, the team looks good: it’s time to be excited.
What’s better, right now it seems like MLB TV is putting a majority of spring training games as their “Free Game of the Day,” so if you haven’t renewed your subscription yet, you can still watch games over the weekend.
I don’t know about you guys, but it’s hard to be anything but happy watching my first game of the year.
- Two former Tigers will start a completely different gig this summer. Alex Avila and Cameron Maybin, who both announced their retirement from the majors over the 2021/22 offseason, aren’t going to stray too far from baseball. MLB Network announced this week that the ex-Tigers will be serving as analysts for the coming season. Previously, Avila was featured alongside Hunter Pence during the 2021 postseason and obviously made enough of an impact to stick around. Now if only we could move Avila and Maybin into the Bally Sports broadcast booth…
- Matthew Boyd has signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants, and now that he’s officially left Detroit, he’s penned a farewell letter to fans.
- Eric Haase is just a normal Michigan dad.
Eric Haase grew up a Tigers fan, and so playing in his hometown is special.
“Just like out at Costco or running to the grocery store, people are genuinely surprised when I still have to do normal dad stuff,” @ehaase3 said.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) March 18, 2022
- Speaking of Haase, he just received a pretty nice gift.
Spencer Turnbull, who’s in Tigers camp rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, presented Eric Haase with a Rolex in the daily team meeting this meeting for catching his no-hitter last year against Seattle. Verlander did similar for Alex Avila 11 years ago for his second no-hitter.
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) March 18, 2022
- The Tigers have released two new episodes of their web series “The Offseason,” featuring Akil Baddoo and Tarik Skubal.
- Andrew Chafin is going to be a blast.
- Former Tiger Daniel Norris is doing pretty well for himself. He has a Blundstones ad campaign in which he co-features with his girlfriend pro surfer Sage Erikson. He also just signed a major league contract with the Cubs.
And of course, it wouldn’t be a proper links post without our tiger of the day.