Detroit to host ¡Fiesta Tigres! 8/9/08

08/07/2008 2:00 PM ET
Detroit to host ¡Fiesta Tigres!
Celebration to honor contributions of Latin American players
By Scott McNeish / MLB.com

DETROIT -- Latino and Hispanic contributions to baseball will take center stage at Comerica Park on Saturday night.

The Tigers will host their annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration before taking on the Oakland Athletics. The event will explore Hispanics' and Latinos' effect on baseball and will honor them for their efforts.

"Our franchise has a diverse group of players, and we're excited to celebrate them," Tigers vice president of communications Ron Colangelo said. "They're carrying the torch. There's a long history of these different cultures making an impact in baseball."

Eleven current Tigers players and infield coach Rafael Belliard will partake in an event Colangelo described as "festive."

Participating players include: Venezuelans Magglio Ordonez, Carlos Guillen, Armando Galarraga and Miguel Cabrera; Dominicans Ramon Santiago, Placido Polanco, Fernando Rodney, Aquilino Lopez and Freddy Dolsi; Colombian Edgar Renteria; and Joel Zumaya, a San Diego native who has Mexican ties.

"We have a very global group," Colangelo said. "There's a lot of countries coming together. It's unique."

Former Tiger Ozzie Virgil will serve as the event's special guest. Virgil represents the franchise's first Hispanic player, and furthermore, he carries the title of the first Dominican player in Major League history. This season marks the 50th anniversary of his debut.

The game will be broadcast locally in Spanish for the first time in team history. Acclaimed Spanish play-by-play announcer Smith Muniz and Latino baseball historian Adrian Burgos Jr. will commentate for the broadcast, which will air in Detroit on FSN Plus.

An assortment of salsa, jazz and mariachi bands will entertain fans at Comerica Park's entrances.

The park will have flags from Spanish-speaking countries and banners depicting the Tigers' past and present Hispanic and Latino players decorating its concourses.

During the pregame ceremony, Little League players from Southwest Detroit will present flags from the home countries of Hispanic Tigers players. The players and their wives will then be introduced and stand on the field for the presentation of a special video, "Beisbol: The Latin Game," on the scoreboard.

The honoring of Virgil and the 76-year-old's ceremonial first pitch will close the ceremony.

"We value the contributions not just of the players," Colangelo said, "but of the fans and everybody that has had an impact on the Tigers and Major League Baseball."

Scott McNeish is an associate reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Should be a festive night

Love de Musica!

ANDELE