SPORTS

This
synagogue
president
has the job
of his
dreams. All
it took was
a little luck
. . . and a
prayer?

MIKE ROSENBAUM

BASEBALL FANTASY

Sabbath or on holidays. He even pass- slowly this season before rallying to
ed up a trip to San Diego for the 1984 win the East Division title on the last
World Series because of his beliefs.
day of the season. The year, says
iall alk into Irwin Cohen's
Tiger employees, and their Cohen, "was the first one that was so
office in Tiger Stadium spouses, were all invited on the 1984 different, because it started off so slow
and you know why he is trip. "I was the only one who didn't (in terms of ticket sales). Usually
called "Mr. Baseball." go, in the whole place," Cohen recalls, we're so busy in April, people buy the
His walls are covered with "because the team was coming back tickets in advance, then it usually
baseball photographs. There are pic- on the first day of Succot, and being winds down. This one worked the ex-
tures of players and managers, old Orthodox I wouldn't do that. And I act opposite. It started off slow, and
and young. Many are autographed. never felt as bad as I did then.
the momentum picked up in June, Ju-
Many of the photos were taken by
"I had no doubt in my mind what ly. September calls usually fall off to
Cohen. There is even space reserved I was going to do, there was no pro- nothing, but being that we played the
for photos of ballparks. You could blem with what I was going to do, but Blue Jays the end of the month, the
describe it as almost a baseball I felt terrible about being the only one (phone)lines were busy with people
shrine.
here (at Tiger Stadium). I was sort of who woke up late" to' the pennant
But as much as Cohen loves running this whole stadium. No one race.
baseball, he does not truly worship it. else was here; everybody was there in
Many Detroiters wondered why
An Orthodox Jew, Cohen attends ser- (San Diego)."
the Tigers' attendance was down for
vices daily and does not work on the
Unlike 1984, the Tigers started the four-game series with Baltimore

Special to The Jewish News

64

FRIDAY, OCT. 16, 1987

which preceeded the finale with
Toronto. Attendance averaged 20,000
per game against Baltimore and
50,000 for the Jays. Cohen responds
by asking a guestion: "Do you ever go
to shul? Same thing. During the
week, nobody goes, but they come on
the weekends, or a holiday. Same
thing. They go when they have to or
when they think it's a happening."
For the playoffs with Minnesota
there were no group sales, but Cohen
and other members of the team's of-
fice staff were ready to pitch in at a
moment's notice, doing things which
they did not do during the season. In
1984, Cohen assisted TV crews from
San Diego who wanted footage of
Tiger Stadium before the World
Series moved to Detroit for Game 3.