By Susan G Parcheta
(published April 4, 2011 at www.livingstontalk.com)
“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.” Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (KJV)
Opening day – when the voice of the turtle is heard in the land — reverberates through the heart of every Michigander who loves the game of baseball.
“Who’s your Tiger!” “Play Ball!” “Talkin’ Baseball!”
No matter how tuned in to the sport we are, or are not, most of us feel the thrill of the first game of Detroit Tiger Baseball season. The Tigers are in our blood; and baseball’s opening day means that springtime has truly arrived in Michigan. It’s one of those wonderful Great Lakes State traditions.
The Tigers launched the season March 31 in a series of away games against the New York Yankees. Cold northern temperatures greeted them. While losing the first two games, they managed to pull out a 10 to 7 win in the third, heading off to Baltimore before coming home April 8 to Comerica Park.
Tiger pitcher Max Scherzer
A few days before Opening Day, “For Love of the Game,” — the movie with Kevin Costner — was on TV. I found myself enjoying it again, absorbing it in a new way. We’d just returned from a winter vacation in Florida; and we’d taken in our first spring training game in Lakeland in early March.
The Tigers didn’t do so well that day. They were playing the Marlins. We chose that game, because my husband’s dad, having lived in Florida for the past three decades, feels dual allegiance as a fan for both clubs. The Marlins won.
The three of us concluded that Tiger mania is a little overdone in Lakeland. I guess we were expecting that spring training games would be more relaxed and laid back down in that southern- hospitality-sunshine state. What surprised us was the loudness of the sound system for the smaller stadium. Other than that, we enjoyed the Florida atmosphere. Joker Marchant Stadium is cool; and we had wonderful seats, under cover from the extremely warm setting sun.
Enthusiastic crowd at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, FL
Yes, it was warm in Florida in February and March, dare I say almost too warm? So, we were empathizing with the cold in the bones as we watched the players on opening day in New York City, playing the Yankees. Tiger pitcher Justin Verlander confirmed it in an aftergame interview (after losing to the Yankees 6-3). In the cold and mist in New York, he reached the point, he said, of not being able to feel the ball.
It was so warm in Lakeland, I began to wonder how much sun screen I’d need if I’d sat on the lawn at Joker Marchant Stadium. Still, there we’d have been a little further from the maddening loudspeakers, and the extremely boisterous woman announcer, wooing the crowd, LOUD, as she roamed the stands each inning with some wild and crazy interviews with fans and triva stuff. We just wanted to sit back and watch the game, without such a distraction.
What made it mind boggling for us was: both my husband and his dad are in that age range of having some hearing impairment. So you’d think the loudness wouldn’t bother them. Instead, it put a damper on their enjoyment of the game. Maybe the announcers think that all the fans are OLD and can’t hear at all.
The stands were full that day. Some 6,000 fans came to see their Tigers. It was great to be in the smaller stadium, to enjoy watching the players up close and personal. I guess we were looking for a more old-fashioned, slow-time experience. Spring training, we thought, would be more casual. But, the only thing that seemed laid back and casual was Tiger manager Jim Leyland. Used to seeing him pacing up north, it was fun watching him relaxed, barely move a muscle as he observed the game, under brilliant blue skies, through dark glasses.
Jim Leyland alongside the Tiger dugout
On March 31, opening day for the 2011 season, he was back to the up-north mode, jacketed and red-nosed in the cold and misty New York weather, telling one interviewer that he’d planned for it and bought a sweater. Spring training must have been fun for the Tigers, with the weather so conducive to enjoyable baseball this winter down there.
While watching the first two New York games (missed the third, when they won), we noticed the “Sparky” emblem on the uniform sleeves. Michigan lost two Tiger greats last year, former manager Sparky Anderson and Ernie Harwell. I’d forgotten they both left us in 2010. Still, I know we’ll never forget Sparky; and I’m sure we hear the voice of the turtle …and the voice of longtime Tiger broadcaster Harwell. It doesn’t seem possible that they’re both gone.
I’m an evolving convert to this game. It’s one sport I enjoy watching because of its slowness, and also for the grace and flow. My husband will laugh at that thought; but it’s also why I enjoyed watching years of kids playing soccer. In both sports, I appreciate the beauty of the movement of the athletes and the finely tuned skills on the field.
As for baseball, my youngest brother is a die-hard fan, who once – for love of the game – enjoyed his “bucket-list” experience at Tiger Baseball Camp, getting to meet players like Al Kaline. I guess there are thousands of guys who’ve dreamed of being major league baseball stars. And thousands more follow the players. Is the trading card business still going well?
Miguel Cabrera at bat
I’ve also become more enamored with the game after my friend Clayton Klein wrote his baseball book, published in 2007: A Well Kept Secret: From the Glory Days of the Detroit Tigers. That book is about his wife Marjorie’s friendship with Tiger great Hank Greenberg, back in the 1930s before the Kleins were married. Clayton knew that Marjorie knew Greenberg, but he didn’t know to what extent until he found her diary after she died.
The book revolves around that, her friendship with Greenberg, and her beautiful artwork. I enjoyed writing about Clayton and the book; and since have become ever more fascinated with baseball history and lore.
For lo the rain is over and gone, ….and now, what do I hear? They’re planting sunflower seeds and maybe growing corn in the old Tiger Stadium field? Wow,the flowers appear on the earth…for love of the game, a field of dreams. Right here in Michigan.
Opening Day Links:
Ernie Harwell
‘Ernie’ — Mitch Albom’s play about Ernie Harwell — now playing until June 26 at City Theatre in Detroit (article by John Quinn in Encore Michigan). The play is directed by Tony Casselli, artistic director for Williamston Theatre
‘Ernie’ — Mitch Albom’s play about Ernie Harwell — now playing until June 26 at City Theatre in Detroit (article by John Quinn in Encore Michigan). The play is directed by Tony Casselli, artistic director for Williamston Theatre
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