It was cold and
the Tigers lost.
But the memories of
earlier summers
kept everybody warm.
JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER
so-duegree
t p and d 48
uidtnsoki
he ovwerocas
revent Southfield mident-
- J. oanne Levine from enjoying the rite of
spring. On Monday, she was among the sell-
out crowd attending the Detroit Tigers' home
opener.
Ms. Levine, a diehard fan of baseball for
, . 26 years, had a ticket for the game but was
sure she could attend only at the last minute
after arrangements had been made for her
children.
For the 99th time, Detroiters gathered at
the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trum-
bull for a Detroit Tigers opening-day game,
which almost always provides an opportu-
nity for fans to reminisce about their base-
ball memories and discuss their love for the
game.
Attending the home opener is a ritual that
many have carried on for years.
Ed and Faye Greenfield, of West Bloom-
field, have been season-ticket holders for 16
or 17 years and have gone to every opening
game since the early '70s.
"Opening day is exciting," said Mr. Green-
field, whose dog, Sparky, is named after
Tigers manager Sparky Anderson. 'There is
something different in the air and the ball-
park is always packed. We really enjoy go-
ing to the game. I like a pitchers duel with
the tying run on third and two outs. If it's an
exciting game, it gets my mind off business."
Jules Goldman's mind is far from being
off his business. Opening day is one of the
busiest days for the Tigers' marketing man-
ager.
11
He spent Monday afternoon amid Tigers
hats and shirts and a line to buy Tigers mer-
chandise that exceeded most bathroom lines.
The start of the season brings out old mem-
ories for fans like Bob Steinberg and Larry
Stein. As youths, both spent their summers
working as ushers and vendors in the stadi-
um and idolizing a Jewish ball player named
Hank Greenberg.
"There were a lot of us who spent the
summer working as ushers or usher assis-
tants," Mr. Steinberg said. "We would take
our lunch to the ballpark and wipe off seats
for the fans. We also got to know a lot of the
players."
The Tigers also have been a part of Ms.
Levine's and Mr. Goldman's lives for decades.
During the summer of 1968, Ms. Levine,
who was 12 at the time, began listening to
many of the games with her mother, who
was also a big fan of baseball. That same
year, Mr. Goldman and his brother had a piz-
za concession stand during the World Series.
"As a child I was a runner for the conces-
sion people," said Mr. Goldman, who began
working in merchandise marketing at Tiger
Stadium last year. "In '68, my brother and I
were the first to sell pizza in Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers have been in my blood for some
40 years. It's good to come back to something
you enjoy and love."
Although the Tigers lost the home open-
er Monday, fans will have close to 80 more
home games this season to enjoy the atmos-
phere at the old ballpark and recall their
baseball memories.
Hosing down the field before the game.
Jules and Jill Goldman: Inundated with Tiger merchandise.