DETROIT - The Tigers will celebrate the 12th annual ¡Fiesta Tigres!, sponsored by Miller Lite, to recognize and honor the contributions of Latino players and coaches to the game of baseball on Saturday, August 12 as the Tigers take on the Minnesota Twins at 6:10 p.m. Current Tigers players with Latino heritage will be honored as part of the celebration.
FRIDAY
Día en el Parque: The Fiesta Tigres festivities will launch with Día en el Parque with Detroit Tigers infielder Dixon Machado and first base coach Omar Vizquel. Over 100 youth baseball and softball players from the Southwest Aztecs Baseball Organization and the Clark Park Coalition will have a special day in the park beginning at 12:00 p.m. that includes playing catch on the Comerica Park field and an exclusive Q&A session with Machado and Vizquel at 1:15 p.m. This is a private event, however media are welcome.
¡Fiesta Tigres! Pregame Q&A: At 5:45 p.m. in the Big Cat Court, former Tiger and member of the 2006 American League Championship team, Placido Polanco along with Pedro Sierra, a Cuban native who played in both the Negro Leagues and Minor Leagues, will participate in a fan Q&A session about the legacy of Latinos in baseball. The session will be hosted by Dan Leach from 97.1 The Ticket.
SATURDAY
Returning to ¡Fiesta Tigres! in 2017, Detroit Tigers uniformed personnel will wear a special alternate uniform with Tigres on the chest, the Spanish translation for Tigers. Detroit Tigers "Tigres" t-shirts are available now for purchase in The D Shop for $30.00 and Miguel Cabrera, José Iglesias and Victor Martinez "Tigres" shirts for $32.00.
The first 10,000 fans 21-and-older will receive a pair of ¡Fiesta Tigres! Beer Mugs, courtesy of Miller Lite.
Gates will open early at 4:00 p.m. ¡Fiesta Tigres! pregame activities will feature live entertainment on the concourse from salsa and merengue bands including Orquesta Sensacional, Mariachi Cristal, Sean Blackman, Venezuela Tambor Y Son, Los Primos and Tumbao Bravo.
Prior to the game, there will be a festive, on-field ceremony to pay tribute to the Detroit Tigers Latino players and coaches. The Detroit Tigers will make a special presentation to Pedro Sierra for his role as a pioneer in the legacy of Latinos in baseball. The on-field ceremony will include a Mexican folkloric dance performance by Raices Mexicanas and Moyocoyani Izel, a tribute video and a presentation of the flags representing all current Latin Major League Baseball players and their countries.
The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown by Placido Polanco, Pedro Sierra and a representative from Miller Lite.
A limited number of copies of the special ¡Fiesta Tigres! edition of Mi Gente Magazine will be distributed after the game.
Sunday
To wrap-up ¡Fiesta Tigres! all kids 14-and-under will receive a Victor Martinez poster, presented by AMP Radio 98.7.