This story was excerpted from Jason Beck's Tigers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris joked last week that there were a lot of hard hats around Comerica Park trying to put the finishing touches on the new outfield fences. On Thursday, Harris and the Tigers had a chance to show it off.
“We feel great about the finished product,” Harris said Thursday morning as he led reporters on a walking tour of the alterations. “We made a commitment to elevating the player and fan experience. I think this project achieves both.”
The new dimensions didn’t have much of an impact on the Tigers’ 6-3 home-opener loss to the Red Sox. Jake Rogers’ two-run homer went 414 feet to left field, according to Statcast, long enough that it cleared the ballpark’s original left-field fence and landed in the seats.
Adam Duvall’s go-ahead three-run homer went the same distance to left-center. The one hit where the new center-field dimensions came into play was Rafael Devers’ game-tying double off the new fence, but it was over Riley Greene’s head.
The new fence in center field, an estimated 412-foot drive straightaway, stands about 10 feet in front of the old fence, and a few feet lower. There’s a gap in between, but unless you’re looking from the outfield seats, it’s difficult to discern. That gap is likely to remain for now.
In right-center, the new fence stands six feet lower but just a couple feet in front of the old fence that used to house the out-of-town scoreboard, close enough that it looks almost like a two-tiered fence. They’re the same shade of green, but the big yellow line at the top of the new fence makes it easy to pick out, both in person and on TV.
The best blend of old and new is in right field, where the fence was kept in the same place lowered from 8 1/2 to seven feet. That created a gap between the top of the fence and the bottom of the railing in front of the right-field seats. That’s now filled by greenery, a decoration used by other Major League parks such as San Diego’s Petco Park.
All of the fences new include thicker padding, which is evident from a side view.
“I'm really proud of all the work that went into [this project] from a lot of people,” Harris said. “Specifically [assistant GM] Sam Menzin, [vice president of park operations] Chris Lawrence, [Ilitch Sports + Entertainment Executive VP/COO] Ryan Gustafson. We couldn't have done it without the talent staffs below those guys and their leadership.”
The fences weren’t the only changes being shown off at Thursday’s home opener. While the 1:10 p.m. ET start meant the game was played in daylight and under sunshine, the Tigers still got to show off the park’s new LED lighting and use it as part of the pregame and in-game festivities.
Meanwhile, in the underbelly of the ballpark, the Tigers opened a renovated home clubhouse for players to see for the first time. The changes in the locker room include new televisions, couches and chairs and a new blue-and-white color scheme for the walls. The weight room has been upgraded to help active players stay at the top of their game while allowing injured players to remain with the team and rehab in Detroit. Brighter lighting all around sheds new light on the place.
“The brighter colors really stand out to me,” Greene said. “We walked in here before and it was to a kind of darker room. The brighter colors, lots of white on the walls, it feels like the energy is higher just walking in here.”
The most popular change, however, seems to be the upgraded kitchen, complete with chefs to prepare healthy meals on demand.
“What I'm going to say is not going to do it service: It's really nice,” Tarik Skubal said. “It's probably the nicest kitchen I've ever been in.”
The clubhouse upgrades, as well as the outfield fences, were done in about two months after the Tigers digested the feedback they received from exit interviews with players and coaches at the end of last season.
“We didn't break ground until Feb. 1,” Harris said. “It's pretty remarkable how much was accomplished between Feb. 1 and now, a testament to [owner Chris Ilitch’s] commitment in providing the resources and the staffs that were able to execute on it. We feel like we did a lot in a short period of time, but we're going to continue to address things as they come up and make sure that our players have every resource they need.”
Harris hopes the changes reflects their desire to make Detroit a destination for prospects and veterans alike to look to improve their game while contributing to a better team.
“Our players and staff are eager to get better. Everyone's hungry to get better in this organization,” Harris said. “Everybody is excited about rewriting the narrative of this organization.”