Tigers Honor Placido Polanco During the 10th annual Fiesta Tigres Celebration
Tigers to honor Polanco in a special pre-game on-field ceremony featuring current Tigers players; Tigers will wear alternate "Tigres" jerseys for the event
DETROIT - The Tigers will host the 10th annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! Celebration, sponsored by Miller Lite, to recognize and honor the contributions of Hispanic and Latino players to the game of baseball on Saturday, August 8 as the Tigers take on the Boston Red Sox at 7:08 pm. Current Tigers players with Hispanic or Latino heritage will be honored as part of the ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration. In addition, the club will also honor iconic former Tigers player, Placido Polanco. As a part of ¡Fiesta Tigres!, Detroit Tigers player name and number "Tigres" t-shirts will be available for purchase in The D Shop throughout the weekend for $30.00.
FRIDAY
Polanco will also be the featured guest at the sixth annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! Luncheon, hosted by Miller Lite on Friday, August 7 at the Motor City Casino Hotel Tiger Club at Comerica Park. Leaders from the Detroit Latino community will be in attendance at the luncheon to participate in a special Q&A with Polanco and learn more about his time playing baseball in Detroit. This is a private event.
Friday's festivities will also include "Dia en el Parque" with Detroit Tigers shortstop, Jose Iglesias. Youth baseball players from Southwest Detroit Clark Park Coalition will enjoy a day at the ballpark with a barbeque, rides on the ferris wheel, photos with PAWS and a visit from Iglesias from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the FOX Sports Detroit Brushfire Grill. This is a private event.
Fans will have the opportunity to experience an up-close and personal one-on-one interview with Polanco and fan Q&A session at 6:00 p.m. at the Big Cat Court on the Comerica Park concourse.
SATURDAY
Returning to ¡Fiesta Tigres! in 2015, Detroit Tigers uniformed personnel will wear a special alternate uniform with the Spanish translation for "Tigers" on the chest. It will mark the third time since 1960 that the club has worn anything other than the Olde English D on their home uniform. Replica jerseys will be sold exclusively at The D Shop. Limited quantities available.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. for ¡Fiesta Tigres! and will feature live entertainment on the concourse from salsa and merengue band Orquesta Sensacional, Cuban Jazz by Tumbao Bravo, premiere guitar duo Los Primos, Xplozivo and a roaming mariachi. Spanish radio stations, La Mega 88.1 and La Explosiva-WSDS 1480AM will be broadcasting live from the concourse. The first 10,000 fans 21-and-older will receive a "Tigres" hat, courtesy of Miller Lite. Following the game, stay for fireworks, presented by Pepsi accompanied by a wide variety of Latin music. Don't miss out on this special celebration! No se pierdan esta celebración especial!
The special pregame on-field ceremony will include a parade of flags, Venezuelan drummers, Mexican folkloric dancers, introductions of current Latino Detroit Tigers players and a special ceremony to honor Polanco. After the ceremony, Polanco will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
As a part of the ¡Fiesta Tigres! celebration, Tigers All-Star shortstop Jose Iglesias will hold a public autograph signing at Comerica Park from 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. in The D Shop. All signatures will be authenticated by Major League Baseball and a limited number of autograph tickets will be available for purchase in The D Shop on Saturday. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Detroit Tigers Foundation, an affiliate of Ilitch Charities. Additional autograph signing information is available by email at [email protected] or by phone at 313-471-2064.
SUNDAY
To wrap up ¡Fiesta Tigres!, all kids 14-and-under will receive a Jose Iglesias poster, courtesy of Meijer.