The “Tarps Off” world tour has made its way to Comerica Park.
What began as a quaint gathering of shirtless fans in the upper deck Tuesday night quickly grew into a rowdy crowd of several hundred bare-chested men, young and old, late in the Tigers’ game against the Guardians.
The crowd began with about a dozen or so fans removing their shirts and waving them over their heads like they were rally towels. They started in Section 213 in the mezzanine level in foul territory along the first-base line, and by the bottom of the eighth inning, the fans had taken over much of the next section over, too.
Eventually, Paws even joined the posse — but kept his shirt on.
More from Tuesday’s Tigers game: Tony Paul — One thing I loved, one thing I didn’t
How did ‘Tarps Off’ start in Major League Baseball?
The “Tarps Off” movement has been sweeping Major League Baseball lately, sparked by a Stephen F. Austin club baseball team that took in a St. Louis Cardinals game last weekend. That crowd started small and grew to more than 500, catching the attention of the Cardinals, who won that day on a walk-off, and later welcomed the baseball team into their locker room.
“Tarps Off” didn’t quite bring the same magic to the Tigers on Tuesday.
With fans chanting, “Let’s Go Tigers!” and “Cleveland sucks!” the Tigers left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, and left two runners on in the ninth inning, too, in losing, 4-3, and falling to 20-29, their most games under .500 since July 4, 2024. The Tigers lost for the 12th time in their last 14 games.
The “Tarps Off” phenomenon actually began in earnest this past college football season, at Oklahoma State.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Tigers fans ditch shirts as ‘Tarps Off’ takes over Comerica Park
Reporting by Tony Paul, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
