How did you become a Tigers fan?

So just because I am nosy and love reading these kind of stories, tell everyone how you became a Tigers fan.

I'll go first

I have liked the Tigers most of my life, but haven't really watched and been addicted to them like I am now until we went on that fantasy trip to Cleveland and I got to meet all of the guys. It was so cool, and I have loved them ever since.

I'm a Californian and I live halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco (give or take 10 miles) so I have no allegiance to either one. My dad is from North Dakota who has no teams.

My mom was born at the Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan and grew up in Fenton. I took my first trip (that I remember) to Michigan in the 2nd grade and liked it so I started cheering for their teams.

I have been a Tiger fan my whole life. My dad was a huge fan as was my grampa. Many many MANY great times I had bonding with them watching the Tigers as I grew up. My brother is also a huge Tiger fan, I think we inherited it

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and my dad was a High School Baseball coach. He took the team to a Tigers game each year, as a field trip, and when I was old enough, I got to go also! So, I naturally fell in love with the Tigers, and baseball, in general.

What was there not to love, Kaline, Horton, Lolich, Stanley, Cash, Freehan, and on and on......

We had no girls little league, no females allowed in HS baseball, and softball began in HS the year after I graduated! But who wanted softball, the ball is too big and harder to throw! I liked pitching hardball and playinf 1st base.

We had a girls softball league when I was growing up, I believe I started playing at age 8. I will never forget playing catch with my dad out in the yard and having him come to my games, wow, what great times. Buying my first glove haha, okay yes, I've had wine... I am mucho better

oh i havent LOL

LOL! I feel so much better, I could smack you

Paul McCartney wrote:

oh i havent LOL

So, how'd you become a Tigers fan?

SoulRat wrote:

LOL! I feel so much better, I could smack you

smack moi??

bobrob2004 wrote:

Paul McCartney wrote:

oh i havent LOL

So, how'd you become a Tigers fan?

well once upon a time when the yankees were ready to play the tigers in 2007 i decided to put up a good luck thread on the tigers MB to be nice lol well and u tiger fans were nice to me and the i got an invitation here and now were are all good buddies just like the way we should cus were all humans and americans (sings "imagine" by John Lennon)

Paul McCartney wrote:

SoulRat wrote:

LOL! I feel so much better, I could smack you

smack moi??

Only because I love you... and missed you... yeah...

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

SoulRat wrote:

LOL! I feel so much better, I could smack you

You really are feeling better!

I am thank gawd

SoulRat wrote:

Paul McCartney wrote:

SoulRat wrote:

LOL! I feel so much better, I could smack you

smack moi??

Only because I love you... and missed you... yeah...

awwz

:mwah:

I was born in Battle Creek and while my family moved to Fla when I was 7. That year my dad took the family to a Tigers game at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Don’t remember much about the game but do remember getting a batting practice foul ball. After moving to Fla I went to college in Lakeland where the Tigers spring train. Actually I got hired to be a night watchman because the new dormitory had been built for the minor league clubs and they had not torn down the old world war II wooden buildings which were being replaced. Then I went to work part time for the city parks and recreation department who maintained Tiger Town. I did the grounds maintenance and prepared all of the practice fields for two years. Remember Joe Sparma walking around yelling "Ya gotta love it" to all the rookies. Then Freehan would put 4 balls in the bazooka at the end of practice every day and pull the trigger. You didn't want to get beaned by one of those bombs. Got to eat breakfast and lunch everyday with the 68 world champions - what a dream come true.

Then the bad news is my mother did throw away all of my baseball memorabilia when I went to college. In all fairness she gave me warning and I just didn’t get the stuff picked up. Too bad I had an Al Kaline auto practice jersey and the Miami Herald Newspaper announcing Babe Ruth’s death, not to mention 100’s of baseball cards. Then my most prized possession was a scrap book of every single box score write up from the 1968 season and that was done from the beginning before there was even a thought of world series.


I’ve got about 30 Al Kaline autos and many other Tigers signed photos and baseballs. Met him in person in Phoenix and a couple of other shows.

I was able to get back to the stadium in Sept of 1995 to watch the boys from the Bronx take two out of three. Then on to the Hall of Fame to watch the Tigers play the Cubs In the HOF Game and see Mike Schmidt get inducted. I thought it was sacrilege when they used Tiger Stadium in 2000 to make the HBO Movie 61*. So all and all yes I’ve been a Tigers fan from the start and it will be to the finish.

phil50 wrote:

I was born in Battle Creek and while my family moved to Fla when I was 7. That year my dad took the family to a Tigers game at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Don’t remember much about the game but do remember getting a batting practice foul ball. After moving to Fla I went to college in Lakeland where the Tigers spring train. Actually I got hired to be a night watchman because the new dormitory had been built for the minor league clubs and they had not torn down the old world war II wooden buildings which were being replaced. Then I went to work part time for the city parks and recreation department who maintained Tiger Town. I did the grounds maintenance and prepared all of the practice fields for two years. Remember Joe Sparma walking around yelling "Ya gotta love it" to all the rookies. Then Freehan would put 4 balls in the bazooka at the end of practice every day and pull the trigger. You didn't want to get beaned by one of those bombs. Got to eat breakfast and lunch everyday with the 68 world champions - what a dream come true.

Then the bad news is my mother did throw away all of my baseball memorabilia when I went to college. In all fairness she gave me warning and I just didn’t get the stuff picked up. Too bad I had an Al Kaline auto practice jersey and the Miami Herald Newspaper announcing Babe Ruth’s death, not to mention 100’s of baseball cards. Then my most prized possession was a scrap book of every single box score write up from the 1968 season and that was done from the beginning before there was even a thought of world series.


I’ve got about 30 Al Kaline autos and many other Tigers signed photos and baseballs. Met him in person in Phoenix and a couple of other shows.

I was able to get back to the stadium in Sept of 1995 to watch the boys from the Bronx take two out of three. Then on to the Hall of Fame to watch the Tigers play the Cubs In the HOF Game and see Mike Schmidt get inducted. I thought it was sacrilege when they used Tiger Stadium in 2000 to make the HBO Movie 61*. So all and all yes I’ve been a Tigers fan from the start and it will be to the finish.

Great answer! That was a cool story though. You always like the team more if you actually get ot talk to some of the players its much much cooler!

GO TIGERS

UPDATE:

I guess I was a Tiger fan shortly after birth and I've got photos to prove it. Here's one ugly looking baby!

(Sorry about the poor image quality - they're old photos of me and I didn't take them)

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

LOL, i love the second picture! Thanks for sharing!

That is cute catbox! Thanks for sharing!

A cat for catbox!!! cute!

I was actually brought up with annual pilgrimages to KC to watch the Royals play in the mid 70s. I was a bat girl for our HS team.
Not until last year did I start watching the Tigs. Baseball has been somewhat of a salvation for me...it has got me out and meeting people, given me a focus, and brought tremendous friends into my life...all youse guys! We went to our first game last August and have been to 2 already this year. (pretty good considering we live 1.5 hours away)
I didn't notice Magglio until he hit his walk-off HR against the As in 2006. The rest, as they say, is history!!! my midlife crisis!!!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

That is cute catbox! Thanks for sharing!

Everyone was always complaining they didn't know what I look like. Just take those pictures and add 20 years or so and there you go!

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWZ LOOK AT BABY CATBOX LOL ugly shirt though lol jk jk

I have pictures of me in other team's clothing, too - mostly San Francisco 49ers. That was my dad's doing.

catbox_9 wrote:

UPDATE:

I guess I was a Tiger fan shortly after birth and I've got photos to prove it. Here's one ugly looking baby!

(Sorry about the poor image quality - they're old photos of me and I didn't take them)

Spoiler:

Spoiler:

Aww...

All growing up, long before there was cable tv, about the only tv stations we got in very clear were the one's from Toldeo. That being said, every Saturday or Sunday afternoon, If I wanted to watch baseball on tv, it was always the Tigers...so that's where my Tiger fanhood began.

What solidified it was in the summer of '84 when the priest at our church (who was a Detroit native) took all of us (ehem) Alter Boys to a game at the old Tiger Stadium vs. the Baltimore Orioles. I had the time of my life! It was the 1st game I had ever been to, and it really left an impression!

I was born and raised a Tiger fan...
My dad has '68 on albums, and my grandfather went to the 1984 World Series... he was buried in his Tigers Hat and with his Ticket Stub.

I probably won't be buried in a tigers hat, but I will take my Tigers tatoo with me to the grave....lol