Heart of the Tigers: Inside Detroit’s Devoted Fanbase

There’s a roar in ol’ Motown! For over a century, Detroit Tigers fans have turned Motor City into their home den at the beginning of every MLB season. As the oldest of Detroit’s active professional sports teams, the Tigs have more than earned their stripes with 11 World Series appearances and four wins behind Hall of Fame players such as Ty Cobb, Charlie Gehringer, Al Kaline and Jack Morris. However, Tigers fans have shown their true bite in periods of the team’s record-breaking poor performance when they gather once again at Comerica Park to back the Bless You Boys.

Find out more about the history, team culture and home traditions of Detroit Tigers fans below.

What it Means to be a Detroit Tigers Super Fan

One look at the Old English “D” logo on the classic Detroit Tigers home whites and the history behind the baseball club is apparent. Although the Tigers were included in the inaugural American League season in 1901, the team had already been well established in the city and was only welcomed further after early success with Hall of Fame outfielder Ty Cobb. However, in spite of four World Series wins in 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984, the Tigers’ legacy lies more in the losses, with the team suffering two of the worst regular season records of the 162-game era, in 2003 and 2019, which double as the first- and third-worst records of the 21st century respectively.

Based in the blue collar capital of the auto industry, fans of the Detroit Tigers reflect their city’s unbreakable spirit with punishing perseverance and hard-earned victories. While loyalists celebrate highlights like the 90  league records broken by The Georgia Peach or the team’s four consecutive division titles in the 2010s, they certainly don’t shy away from the lows. After all, even the beloved nickname for the 1984 “Bless You Boys” championship roster began as a sarcastic comment by local sportscaster Al Ackerman. Regardless of standing, Detroit could always count on superfans, like the late legend Joe “The Brow” Diroff, to cheer on the Tigers pack.

The Detroit Tigers activate the fan community with philanthropic efforts and in-game events like the 50/50 raffle fundraiser presented by the Detroit Tigers Foundation. Meanwhile, the organization sponsors youth baseball summer camps and arranges travel to select away games via Tigers Vacations. For up-to-date Detroit Tigers fan offerings from the team, check the team’s website.

Detroit Tigers Fans on Gameday

Starting with Opening Day, Detroit turns into the Tigers’ den. Fans of the Motor City Kitties show their spirit at Comerica Park with striped face paint sporting the team’s navy blue, white and orange colors. While tailgating has only been permitted for special occasions like the annual home opener, eager fans can enter Comerica Park early to take in one of the stadium’s unique attractions. Ride the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel and Hi-Chew Carousel or count all nine tiger statues across the ballpark while history buffs can immerse in Tigs lore through the Walk of Fame on the main concourse.

During home games, fans should be on the lookout for the Bengal tiger mascot Paws or lead their own cheer with the classic “Go Get ‘Em, Tigers.” When the Tigers pull out a home win, the ballpark plays the official team song “Bless You Boys” commemorating the 1984 championship squad. In the stands, “Who’s Your Tiger?” is also not only a routine question between Detroit fans, but also a popular slogan that’s stuck.

Though it seems all of metro Detroit descends on Comerica Park for game day, home series are especially heated against regional rivals like the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians. Theme nights and fan giveaways on the Tigers’ 2024 promotional schedule are also hot tickets throughout the regular season.

Memorable Moments in Detroit Tigers Fandom

The Detroit Tigers were a dominant force in the early years of Major League Baseball, fielding all-time great Ty Cobb between 1905 and 1926 and earning their first World Series title in 1935 after losing the season prior. The team’s third title, in 1968, seemed out of reach after the Tigs went down 3–1 but was saved by electric gameplay from eventual series MVP pitcher Mickey Lolich.

The team sealed their most recent World Series victory in 1984 against the San Diego Padres after Kirk Gibson hit a game-winning home run in Game 5. The championship run was preceded by the Tigers’ 104-win regular season and a clean sweep of the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS.

Younger fans will likely better remember moments like Magglio Ordóñez’s walk-off homer in the 2006 ALCS that took the Tigers to their first Fall Classic in over 20 years. In 2012, Miguel Cabrera became the first player in over 40 years to win the batting Triple Crown and remains the only to accomplish the feat in the 21st century. Cabrera retired as a Tiger in 2023, but not before notching his 3,000th hit in April 2022.

Famous Detroit Tigers Fans

Motor City has been home to celebrity Detroit Tigers fans such as musicians Jack White, Alice Cooper and Bob Seger, rappers Eminem, Big Sean and Kid Rock and Detroiters comedians Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson. Michigan natives like the NBA’s Draymond Green, actors Tim Allen, J.K. Simmons and Elizabeth Berkley and filmmaker Michael Moore were raised on Tigs baseball, while the team’s out-of-state fanbase includes actors Jeff Daniels and Anthony Mackie.

Perhaps the most dedicated Tigers fan is actor and Detroit native Tom Selleck, who actually played with his hometown team for several weeks in preparation for his role in the 1992 sports comedy film Mr. Baseball.