The News’ Tony Paul gives his quick takes on the Tigers’ 5-1 loss to the Royals on Saturday:
One thing I loved
I’ve been to nearly half of the current Major League Baseball stadiums, and there are lots of gems on that list — including some of the obvious ones, like Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, San Francisco’s Oracle Park, Seattle’s T-Mobile Park and Chicago’s Wrigley Field, among others.
But one of my favorites is a sneaky one that rarely makes anyone else’s list: Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.
It’s the fifth-oldest stadium in baseball (behind Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium and Anaheim’s Angel Stadium), but it’s stood the test of time, and actually has gotten better with age. Opened in 1973, in the cookie-cutter era, it really is anything but, thanks in large part to a large waterfall and a fair amount of detail-oriented renovations over the years. The best change was subbing out the ugly (and heat-emitting) turf for real grass in the mid-1990s. They’ve also got the cool and huge crown-shaped jumbotron in center field.
In 2015, they also unveiled a Royals Hall of Fame in left field, and that’s a very neat experience, and one, frankly, the Tigers should’ve taken note of years ago. It’s a great and no-brainer way to honor and share the stories of the many good players whose careers didn’t rise to the level of number retirement. With the Tigers, if your number isn’t retired, you’re a total afterthought throughout Comerica Park.
Kauffman Stadium doesn’t have the neighborhood buzz of so many major-league stadiums — it’s not downtown — but it’s a fan-friendly ballpark, and a highly recommended visit. Of course, you might want to wait until the Tigers leave town. It might make for a better experience.
But don’t want too long. In 2030, the Royals are planning to open their new, $2-billion downtown stadium.
One thing I didn’t
Late, legendary Tigers manager Sparky Anderson famously said you don’t know what kind of ballclub you have until you hit the 40-game mark in a season. The Tigers hit that mark Saturday, with a thud. They’re 18-22, having lost five games in a row, all since receiving word that their ace, Tarik Skubal, would need elbow surgery and be out until well into the summer.
The Tigers have never made the playoffs with a worse record through 40 games, and only twice have they made the playoffs despite being under .500 through 40 games:
If there’s a saving grace for the Tigers, of course, it’s that they play in the consensus worst division in baseball, the AL Central. Only the Cleveland Guardians are over .500, and barely. Of course, they’ve still gotta stay afloat until Skubal returns, and right now, they look a sinking ship (as the injuries continue to pile up).
Three stars
(Season total in parentheses)
Ty Madden
Tyler Holton (3)
Riley Greene (11)
Player of the game
Michael Wacha
Next Tigers game
Game 41: Tigers at Royals, 7:20 Sunday, NBCSN/Peacock, 97.1
ICYMI: Yesterday’s Tigers recap
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Tigers, Game 40: One thing I loved, one thing I didn’t
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
