Slugger Prince Fielder has only played one regular season game with the Detroit Tigers, but the team is reveling in his economic impact.
New scoreboard, new slugger/photo by Micki Maynard
The Tigers drew a record Opening Day crowd of 45,027 to Comerica Park, the second-highest single game attendance in the park’s 12-year history.
Many people were there simply to see Fielder, the former Milwaukee Brewer who signed a $214 million, nine-year contract with the club earlier this year.
Thanks to Fielder, the Tigers have seen an immediate impact on season ticket sales.
They sold 21,000 season ticket packages (six games or more) before the season started, guaranteeing them annual attendance of at least 1.6 million fans. That’s up 50 percent from the 14,000 season tickets the Tigers sold in 2011, when they won the American League Central Division title. Continue reading