2009 Caravan activity news, videos and photos

DREW SHARP
Tigers step into firefighters' shoes to become real heroes for a day

BY DREW SHARP • FREE PRESS COLUMNIST • January 23, 2009

There was a time when the bullpen ace was called the fireman, responsible for extinguishing the smoldering flames stoked by the starting pitching. He'd inherit trouble on the bases, knowing that one mistake could prove fatal for his team.

That all changed when then-Oakland Athletics manager Tony LaRussa turned Dennis Eckersley into a ninth-inning specialist, coming into the game with a small lead but, more important, nobody on base.

The bullpen fireman was no more, which was good because I always believed it trivialized the legitimate life-or-death risks real firefighters face when every emergency call comes. You cannot thank them enough for what they do, but at least you can learn a little about what they put themselves through physically and emotionally.

And that was the point of the Tigers' visit to the Detroit Fire Training Academy on Thursday, the opening day of the team's Winter Caravan.

The players were the stars in the fire officials' minds. They brought their cameras, and of course Curtis Granderson was the most popular object of everyone's attention.

"But I'm the one who wanted to have my picture taken with them," Granderson said, "because they are the real stars, the real heroes for what they do with little appreciation or fanfare."

Granderson -- along with teammates Nate Robertson, Zach Minor, Marcus Thames, Mike Hessman and newcomer Edwin Jackson -- didn't just pose for pictures, autograph baseballs and answer queries regarding the coming season. They participated in rudimentary training drills, dressed in full 50-pound protective attire while also carrying a 35-pound oxygen tank.

I participated as well, along with Tigers play-by-play man Mario Impemba and Fox 2 anchor Ron Savage.

I think I sweated away at least 5 pounds.

The Winter Caravan is a promotional vehicle, an opportunity to widen the team's public exposure. It's always important to visit sick children in hospitals because you can't quantify the good feelings created when an ill child sees one of his or her favorite athletes in person.

But it's equally important that millionaire athletes -- blessed with opportunities that others can only dream of -- gain added perspective regarding their professional callings.

Granderson and Minor listened intently as their search-and-rescue instructor detailed the dangers involved. They didn't look like they were biding their time until the day's next public appearance. They were engrossed in the preparation.

"I'm very glad that we did this," Minor said. "They're big fans of us, but they need to know that we're big fans of theirs."

Chief Jeffrey McCall said that firefighting and coal mining rank neck-and-neck as the most dangerous occupations. Nobody questioned him.

These ballplayers probably think they know something about teamwork.

But THIS was teamwork.

We were part of the search-and-rescue team. We participated in a simulation in which firefighters enter a smoke- and flame-filled building, crawling on their knees in full protective gear. We wore masks with the eye holes closed because you're trained to trust your partner's voice and contact rather than your eyes, and rarely can you see in front of you when entering a burning building.

I never thought that I might be claustrophobic until I crawled around in blind confusion, relying solely on my partner's words and actions as a compass.

My instructor asked if I was interested in a running drill up the stairs -- naturally in full 85-pound gear. My answer: Only if he's trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

I passed -- as did the players.

"It's not like we needed any more reminders about the difficulty of their jobs," said Granderson, sweat pouring down his brow as he removed his head gear. "But just experiencing this little touch of what they go through makes you appreciate how hard it is to get through this kind of training. They deserve every bit of admiration and respect they get."

The Tigers gained some new fans. But even more special is that those who truly warrant hero worship won some fans.

Contact DREW SHARP at 313-223-4055 or dsharp@freepress.com

Dennis Eckersley!

Tigers become firefighters

See photos at http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=C4&Date=20090122&Category=SPORTS02&ArtNo=122005&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

Leyland can sing!

Well... today was fun

I just got home. It was soooo cold though. I have some pictures, but not as many as I would have liked to have got.

Got plenty of pics, kids! So glad! Will post soon!

Comerica Park brrrrrrr

Taken from the Fox Theater

The line we waited in for 45 minutes. Season ticket holders were already inside. (Hey Catbox! Does this look like the changing shift scene from Metropolis? )

Jimbo's office, plexiglassed off from the adoring public

A better shot above the plexi

Our Guys' Locker Room! (I don't know any guy who doesn't love those recliners!)

Our Guys' Bathroom!

Carlos and Us! (damn chew!)

This gives you an idea of the lines we had to wait in for autos. Each was 1.5 to 2 hours long. Zach Miner and Marcus Thames were signing at the time this was taken, but by the time we got up there, it was Kyle Bloom and Ramon Santiago.

Ramon Santiago and Kyle Bloom

One of the Hot Stove sessions...Brandon Inge in the center, Dan Petrie on the right...not sure of the dude on the left

My coworker who went with me with one of the many ice sculptures on the main concourse. Notice the plastic sheeting over the main entrance.

Comerica Park, covered in snow!

Wish it was Spring!!!

Dusty Ryan and Casper Wells

Scoreboard from the visitors' dugout

Hot Stove session with our new pitcher, Edwin Jackson

More pics comin' soon, guys!

01/25/09 12:23 AM EST
Detroit faithful brave cold for TigerFest
Comerica hosts over 8,500 to meet and greet club's players, management
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- If the Tigers needed examples of perseverance heading into their 2009 season, all they had to go was to look out the windows of Comerica Park on Saturday morning, then look onto the concourses in the afternoon.
More than an hour before TigerFest opened to the general public, the line of ticket holders waiting to get inside stretched from Gate A around the corner and down the side street, towards Ford Field. Some had been waiting outside for an hour or two before that. Just before the gates opened, the line wrapped back around toward the entrance again and out through the parking lot, almost all the way to Woodward Avenue.

Never mind that temperatures stayed in the teens amid the brunt of what has been a brutal Detroit winter. More than a few fans actually stood in line without caps and gloves.

"I can't say that I have," new Tigers starter Edwin Jackson said when asked if he had experienced anything like this. "That's why I say the fans here are tremendous. You can't have a better fan base. I mean, you look outside and you see people standing an hour before the gates open, and the line is around the corner. It's definitely a great feeling, and we're excited to get the season kicked off for them."

The fact that the Tigers are trying to rebound from a last-place season didn't dampen spirits, either. After a 2008 season to forget, this was their chance to look ahead.

The Tigers were ready to look with them.

"I think it's good to put last season, what happened last year, in the past," reliever Fernando Rodney said, "and keep working to get better for a new season. I think 2009 will be different, and I think we'll play good baseball."

The Tigers have drawn huge crowds the past two years for their annual offseason celebration, and this winter's event sold out past its allotted crowd of 8,500 within three days after tickets went on sale last month. Still, the chilly temperatures were expected to bring somewhat of a scare for some fans.

This marked the third straight year that TigerFest has taken place at Comerica Park, and the Tigers have refined their attempts to keep weather from being a factor by keeping as many events as possible inside. They also used tents and heaters along portions of the concourse to reduce the effect of the wind.

They did what they could to bring some warmth, but fan spirit arguably provided the bulk of it.

"Our fans are tremendous," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said. "First of all, they're out here braving the cold today. This place is loaded. But they backed us to 3.2 million fans last year.

"We know it's a tough economy. We're in a spot where we're trying to provide them great entertainment, a good place to do so here at Comerica Park, and we think we have the type of ballclub that they'll enjoy watching play."

Fans seemingly embraced the change. When Dombrowski started off TigerFest on a different note by announcing their one-year contract with reliever Brandon Lyon, an ovation ran through the meeting room where Dombrowski's question-and-answer session with fans was being held. They gave a rousing welcome to manager Jim Leyland, who's entering what is currently the final year of his contract. As much as fans asked about the pitching staff, they were equally curious about how Dombrowski and others evaluated Adam Everett and the impact his defense at shortstop could have on the team as a whole.

New catchers Gerald Laird and Matt Treanor both received warm welcomes, as did Jackson.

"I've had a great welcoming here," Treanor said. "It's been a nice surprise. I talked to a lot of people that have been with the organization and guys that have been in baseball, and they said I'd really enjoy coming here and seeing the turnout. The fan base here is huge. Even going through the [winter] caravan and seeing the support that the fans give us, it's real refreshing for me."

Others who have been here a few years still don't get used to the reception after a few months away for the offseason. Justin Verlander's struggles were well-documented on his way to a disappointing 2008 season, yet he drew long lines at the autograph tables and well-wishes as he made his way around the ballpark.

"It's interesting," Verlander said. "For me, it's neat that I can make people excited and show those emotions. It's kind of surreal. I've never really thought about it like that, never really thought it was going to be like that, but it's neat. To picture people waiting out there for three hours when it's cold, it's crazy."

For more than a few, simply picturing the cold and seeing a field covered in snow was crazy. In their case, this is the only time in the offseason when some players will venture to Detroit and the accompanying weather. Jackson had a taste of the cold growing up in a military family and living in Germany, but his years in the Dodgers organization and more recently on the Tampa Bay Rays pitching staff have undoubtedly cooled those memories.

After spending the last six years in the heat of the summer with the Texas Rangers, Laird barely had to take a step off of his flight to realize the difference.

"I got off the plane," Laird said, "and I'm like, 'Wow, I hope it ain't like this in April.' They said it's five degrees hotter. I'm like, 'Oh, OK. Thanks.' But I'm looking forward to it. Texas was tough."

Detroit and its colder weather early in the season, he believes, are going to be a little bit easier on his body. That doesn't mean he isn't looking forward to the heat.

"It gets warm here in the summer," he said, "doesn't it? A little bit?"

It does. And events like this serve as a reminder for fans and players alike.

"We get a chance to come out here and really get the area excited about the season," Verlander said. "And it's so cold today, it makes people think about warm weather a little bit. I enjoy doing this a lot."

Which link do you use in servimg to post pictures?

HTML, Show Image to Friends

Spoiler:

Clete Thomas, Guillen (in the background), and I.

Spoiler:

Edwin Jackson Reading. (Sorry It's Blurry)