Comerica Park

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Lore & Background

Founded in 1894, the Tigers had played at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood since 1896, when Bennett Park opened. In 1911, new Tigers owner Frank Navin ordered the construction of a new ballpark to be built on the same site. Opening in 1912, the ballpark, which eventually became known as Tiger Stadium, served as the Tigers' home for the next 88 seasons. By the mid-1990s, it had become apparent that the much-beloved ballpark was at the end of its useful life. Comerica Park sits on the original site of the Detroit College of Law. Groundbreaking for the new stadium was held on October 29, 1997. At the time of construction, the scoreboard in left field was the largest in Major League Baseball. It was part of a downtown revitalization plan for the city of Detroit, which included the construction of Ford Field, adjacent to the ballpark. The first game was held on April 11, 2000, against the Seattle Mariners. In December 1998, Comerica Bank agreed to pay $66 million over 30 years for the naming rights for the new ballpark. In 2018, Comerica extended its naming rights agreement with the Tigers through 2034. In October 2025, Fifth Third Bank announced an agreement to acquire Comerica, which was completed in February 2026. As a result, the stadium will be rebranded before the 2027 season.

In Their Own Story

The first game arrived on a cold, snowy Tuesday afternoon, April 11, 2000, with temperatures at 36 °F (2 °C). A crowd of 39,168 watched the Tigers defeat the Seattle Mariners 5–2. Brian Moehler earned the win, mirroring his role in the final game at Tiger Stadium. Over the years, the park hosted the 76th MLB All-Star Game in 2005, where Bobby Abreu set a Home Run Derby record with 41 homers. In 2006, it saw its first World Series game on October 21. The venue has also seen unique moments, such as the entrance tiger wearing a Detroit Red Wings jersey during the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals while the Spirit of Statue was under restoration.

Reader's Guide

The main entrance to the ballpark is located across the street from the Fox Theatre and between two historic downtown churches, St. John Episcopal Church and Central United Methodist Church. Outside the main entrance is a tiger statue. There are 8 other heroic-sized tiger statues throughout the park, including two prowling on top of the scoreboard in left field. These tigers' eyes light up after a Tigers home run or a victory and the sound of a growling tiger plays as well. The tigers were originally created by sculptor Michael Keropian and fabricated by ShowMotion Inc. in Norwalk, Connecticut. Along the brick walls outside the park are 33 tiger heads with lighted baseballs in their mouths. At the left-center field concourse there are statues of almost all of the players whose numbers have been retired by the Tigers (with the exception of Jackie Robinson, whose number was retired in every MLB park in 1997 and is located on the wall in right-center field). A statue of Ty Cobb is also there, but he does not have a number, as he played baseball before players began to wear numbers on their uniforms. These players' names, along with the names of Hall of Fame players and broadcasters who spent a significant part of their career with the Tigers, are also on a wall in right-center field. Ernie Harwell, the team's long time radio announcer and a recipient of the Hall of Fame's Ford C. Frick Award, has a statue just inside the stadium on the first base side. Comerica Park was the last ballpark in MLB to feature a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitcher's mound. This strip, sometimes known as the 'keyhole', was common in early ballparks, but it was very rare in modern facilities. It was removed prior to the 2025 season. Additionally, the home plate area is in the shape of the home plate itself, and not as a standard circle. In the northeastern corner of the stadium behind the stands from the third base line is a Ferris wheel with twelve cars designed like baseballs. In the northwestern corner of the stadium behind the stands from the first base line is a carousel. The flagpole located between center and left fields was originally in play, as was the flagpole in Tiger Stadium. However, the left field wall was moved in front of the pole before the 2003 season. A ball that hits the pole is now ruled a home run. The right field of the stadium features th

Did You Know?

• The first game at Comerica Park was held on Tuesday, April 11, 2000, with 39,168 spectators attending, on a cold snowy afternoon. The Tigers beat the Seattle Mariners 5–2.
• The winning pitcher in the first game at Comerica Park, as in the final game at Tiger Stadium, was Brian Moehler.
• Comerica Park was the last ballpark in MLB to feature a distinctive dirt strip between home plate and the pitcher's mound, known as the 'keyhole', which was removed prior to the 2025 season.