The pennant race continues as Tigers host the Orioles, Blue Jays and Angels during nine-game homestand at Comerica Park

DETROIT – The Tigers return home from a six-game road trip as they host the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim during a nine-game homestand at Comerica Park. The Orioles (August 17-19) and Blue Jays (August 21-23) make their only trips to Detroit this season, each with a three-game series. The Angels make their second and final trip of the regular season to Comerica Park with a three-game series (August 24-26). Friday’s and Saturday’s games against the Orioles begin at 7:05 p.m., while Sunday’s game begins at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s contests against the Blue Jays begin at 7:05 p.m. while Thursday’s begins at 1:05 p.m. Friday’s and Saturday’s games against the Angels begin at 7:05 p.m., while Sunday’s begins at 1:08 p.m.  

Get your Tigers tickets for the 2012 season at Comerica Park now! Tickets are available at the Comerica Park Box Office, online at tigers.com and by phone at (866) 66-TIGER (84437). For complete ticket information including single game, season, group and suites visit tigers.com/tickets or call 313-471-BALL (2255).

Friday, August 17 – Baltimore Orioles (Probables: Verlander vs. Hunter) @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• Friday Night Fireworks, presented by Pepsi, will take place following the game (weather permitting).
• Boxing trainer, commentator and inductee of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Emanuel Steward, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch to help promote the return of Kronk Boxing to the Joe Louis Arena on August 25^th.  
• Game Ball Delivery: Specialist David Mix of the United States Army from Hazel Park, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his first tour in Afghanistan as a member of the Security Forces Assistance where he earned an Army Achievement Medal and a NATO Medal. He has proudly served the Army for two years.  
• Delta Dental “Smile Day”: Delta Dental will be sponsoring “Smile Day” at Comerica Park for the second year. Prior to the game, Delta Dental will present a $250,000 check to the Michigan Department of Community Health. As part of “Smile Day,” the first 1,000 kids 14-and-under will receive a Delta Dental Backpack, courtesy of Delta Dental. Delta Dental employees will perform the national anthem. Additionally, their mascot, Marshall Molar, will make an appearance and take pictures with kids.
• Detroit Tigers 50/50 Charity Raffle: The Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Charity Raffle continues at Comerica Park this season at every Friday and Saturday home game. The Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities, has partnered with Friends of Camp Mak-a-Dream, Michigan Chapter, who support the mission and goals of Camp Mak-a-Dream in Montana by providing strategic, financial and marketing support for specifically chosen projects that will further the growth and advancement of Camp Mak-a-Dream, for Friday and Saturday’s 50/50 Charity raffle. Tickets will be sold from the time gates open through the end of the second inning. 50/50 Charity Raffle volunteers in orange aprons will be stationed throughout the concourse on the 100 level, at entry gates and at the 50/50 raffle table near gate A to purchase raffle tickets. 50/50 Charity Raffle tickets are sold 3-for-$5. Each night a winner will be selected and announced after the sixth inning and will receive half of the funds collected through that game's raffle ticket sales. The remaining funds are shared between the Detroit Tigers Foundation and the select partner charity. To date, the Detroit Tigers 50/50 Charity Raffle has raised $75,450 for charity with the single largest one-game prize this season being $8,377.50.

Saturday, August 18 – Baltimore Orioles (Probables: Porcello vs. TBA) @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• Game Ball Delivery: Specialist Chris Johnson of the United States Army from South Lyon, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his first deployment to Afghanistan where he earned a Combat Medical Badge, Army Achievement Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal and was named Hero of the Week.  He has proudly served the United States Army for over two years.
• Saturday Night Fireworks, presented by Verizon, will take place following the game (weather permitting).
• PLAY Campaign: The PLAY (Promoting a Lifetime of Activity among Youth) Campaign is a program of the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society and the Taylor Hooton Foundation that will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. The program promotes healthy living by teaching children the importance of staying fit, being active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to prevent childhood obesity. The event also features a session with Donald Hooton, Jr. of the Taylor Hooton Foundation on the harmful effects of steroids and performance enhancing substances. Tigers Head Athletic Trainer Kevin Rand and his staff will host nearly 70 youth from youth baseball organizations from Detroit during the clinic on the field at Comerica Park as part of the league-wide initiative. During the event, the children will rotate through several stations, each featuring an instructional lesson on healthy living which include agility drills, stretching techniques and a session about the dangers of using steroids and performance enhancing substances. A fifth station will include Tigers pitcher Doug Fister sharing his personal experiences with fitness and how he stays healthy year-round. Also involved in the program are Tigers Team Orthopedic Physician, Dr. Stephen Lemos, Assistant Trainers, Steve Carter and Doug Teter, and Tigers Strength and Conditioning Coordinator, Javair Gillett.
• UMPS Care: Through the UMPS Care Ticket program, guests will receive complimentary game tickets, a Tigers cap, food and beverage vouchers, baseball themed items and a photo to remember their experience at Comerica Park.  Additionally, all guests will be given the opportunity to meet the umpires and take a photo on the field. Participants are selected through Big Brothers Big Sisters. The entire program is courtesy of UMPS Care Charities.
• Elvis® Night: Elvis Night will be rocking and rolling Comerica Park for the fourth consecutive year. Elvis Tribute Artists are scheduled to meet, mingle and perform for Tigers fans beginning at 5:30 p.m. Other festivities for the night include Elvis music played at Comerica Park all night, Elvis-inspired giveaways, an Elvis-themed fireworks show and PAWS and DTE Energy Squad dressed in 1950’s style Elvis-inspired outfits!

Sunday, August 19 – Kids Day – Baltimore Orioles (Probables: Fister vs. Chen) @ 1:05 p.m. (Gates open at 11:30 a.m.)

• All kids 14-and-younger will receive an “Every Kid, Every Sunday” Quintin Berry Poster, courtesy of Meijer.
• Grammy-Award winning and Detroit native gospel vocal group, The Clark Sisters, will perform the national anthem.
• Game Ball Delivery: August 19:  Sergeant Chris Taisor of the United States Army from Auburn, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from deployment in Kuwait. He has also served a tour of duty in Cuba in 10 years of service to the United States Army.  
• All Sunday home games are Kids Days at Comerica Park. All kids 14-and-younger will receive a free promotional item as part of the “Every Kid, Every Sunday” giveaway guarantee, can enjoy free rides courtesy of Kroger on the Comerica Bank Carousel or the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel, can take part in free face painting, have the chance to win a bicycle and are invited down to the field for Kids Run the Bases courtesy of Aquafina and Meijer following the game.

Tuesday, August 21 – Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• First 10,000 fans to enter Comerica Park will receive a Prince Fielder Bobblehead, courtesy of Belle Tire.
• Be a Tiger for Kids: Cornerstone Schools will host the Seventh Annual “Be a Tiger for Kids” event at Comerica Park. It is Cornerstone’s premier fundraising event with over 3,000 supporters scheduled to participate. Representatives from Cornerstone Schools will participate in an on-field pregame ceremony, will throw out the ceremonial first pitches, perform the national anthem, and will take part in Kids Take the Field, Kids Run the Bases, and other fun-filled activities and family entertainment. Cornerstone Schools and Cornerstone Charter Schools serve more than 1,500 children in grades pre-kindergarten through 10th grade in an urban setting. Cornerstone Schools has delivered an excellent education to children in need for over 20 years. In a city with the lowest high school graduation rate in the country, Cornerstone students achieve a 95% high school graduation rate and 91% continue with higher learning. 100% of the proceeds from this event will support the Cornerstone Schools Association Scholarship Fund.

Wednesday, August 22 – Toronto Blue Jays @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• First 10,000 fans to enter Comerica Park will receive a 2012 Detroit Tigers All-Star Poster, courtesy of Valvoline Instant Oil Change.
• FIRST Robot, a robot built by high school students, will throw out a ceremonial first pitch.
• Game Ball Delivery: Sergeant Justin Hass of the United States Marine Corps from Woodhaven, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his third deployment and served in Iraq, Japan, Guam and Thailand.  He has proudly served the United States Marines for eight years.

Thursday, August 23 – Toronto Blue Jays @ 1:05 p.m. (Gates open at 11:30 a.m.)


Friday, August 24 – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• Game Ball Delivery: Corporal Joshua Archer of the United States Army from Monroe, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He has received the Combat Medic Badge and has proudly served the United States Army for nearly four years.
• Friday Night Fireworks, presented by Pepsi, will take place following the game (weather permitting).
• Detroit Tigers 50/50 Charity Raffle: The partner for the Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Charity Raffle for Friday and Saturday will be the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is now the largest charitable supporter of T1D research.

Saturday, August 25 – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ 7:05 p.m. (Gates open at 5:30 p.m.)

• All kids 14-and-under will receive a Tigers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wristband, courtesy of Nickelodeon. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will make a special appearance at Comerica Park and will be greeting fans on the concourse.
• Game Ball Delivery: Sergeant Robert Matthew Stone of the United States Army from Wayland, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his third deployment including tours of duty in Iraq, South Korea and most recently Afghanistan. He has proudly served the United States Army for nearly five years.
• Tigers great Willie Horton will sign copies of the updated edition of the book Willie Horton: The People’s Champion by Kevin Allen on the Comerica Park concourse from 5:30-7:00 p.m.
• Saturday Night Fireworks, presented by Verizon, will take place following the game (weather permitting).
• UMPS Care: Through the UMPS Care Ticket program, guests will receive complimentary game tickets, a Tigers cap, food and beverage vouchers, baseball themed items and a photo to remember their experience at Comerica Park.  Additionally, all guests will be given the opportunity to meet the umpires and take a photo on the field. Participants are selected through Big Brothers Big Sisters. The entire program is courtesy of UMPS Care Charities.

Sunday, August 26 – Kids Day – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @ 1:08 p.m. (Gates open at 11:30 a.m.)

• All kids 14-and-younger will receive an “Every Kid, Every Sunday” Back to School Insulated Lunch Bag, courtesy  of SVS Vision.
• Game Ball Delivery: Staff Sergeant Ricky Ellis of the United States Army from Burton, Michigan will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his third deployment including tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been awarded numerous medals and ribbons and has been recommended for a Bronze Star. He has proudly served the United States Army for nearly seven years.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES

Verlander’s Victory for Veterans: When Justin Verlander takes the mound at Comerica Park, he strives for victory. This season, his outings on the hill take on a new meaning. For each of his home starts, Verlander will host Veterans from the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System. These Veterans sustained injuries or illness in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom or in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veterans along with their families cheer on the Tigers from the comfort of Verlander’s personal luxury suite. After serving our country, the special day provides American veterans the opportunity to enjoy a Tigers game with their family. All guests receive a Verlander’s Victory for Veterans T-shirt and are welcomed on the video board during the game. Veterans also receive a personalized welcome letter from Verlander. When you see Verlander on the mound, he is not only playing for his team and Tigers fans around the world, he is also playing for America’s heroes.