Comerica Park to see alterations
DETROIT -- The call to the bullpen at Comerica Park is about to go in a whole different direction.
The Tigers are close to finalizing their plans to move Comerica Park's bullpens from right to left field in the coming days, team officials said this week.
Ballpark operations director Tim Padgett said an official announcement could come as soon as next week.
"We're actually just trying to work out internal issues," he said.
The move, which would put the bullpens between the old and new fences in left, would allow the team to add about 950 additional seats in homer-friendly right field by filling in the area where the bullpens have stood for five years under the ballpark's original design. The area will be called the right-field grandstand.
But simply adding seats isn't the primary accomplishment of this project. Like a piece of good real estate, the appeal of the move has much to do with location.
By filling in the bullpens, the Tigers will add seats in the part of the outfield that is friendliest to home runs. Between the predominance of left-handed hitters in Detroit's lineup, the dimensions of the ballpark and the way balls carry, more home runs go to right field than to left.
The effect was more exaggerated in the ballpark's first three years, when hitters had to slug the ball 395 feet to clear the fence in the left-center-field gap and about 435 to hit the flagpole in deep left-center. That changed in 2003, when the club installed a temporary fence to cut down the dimensions by as much as 25 feet.
That change has resulted in 99 home runs falling between the fences in left field over the last two years, including 58 this past season. All they were falling into, however, was empty space.
The team had plenty of ideas on how to use the space, but has wanted to be sure on finding the right use before making any changes. They also wanted to be sure the fence dimensions worked over more than one season. But all along, the bullpen space in right field proved more valuable. Moreover, that area has consistently seen plenty of home runs over the years.
The timing of putting seats there couldn't prove much better. The Tigers host the All-Star Game this year, and in turn the Home Run Derby. Before that, Interleague Play brings future Hall of Fame slugger Barry Bonds to town.
"Obviously it's going to create more revenue for the ballclub," said Bob Raymond, vice president of ticket sales and service. "You're adding seats to the capacity. Secondly, [team owner Mike Ilitch] thought it would be very appealing for the Home Run derby to have people in those seats when Barry Bonds and some other of these left-handed sluggers [come to town]. Basically, they'd be hitting the ball into an empty bullpen [otherwise].
"Thirdly, those seats are great seats. We got a lot of positive feedback."
Season-ticket holders found out about it when brochures they received showed the area on a ballpark ticket pricing diagram, as seen here. The ticket holders' interest quickly required the club to form a waiting list before season-ticket packages went on sale in December. The first three rows of that area are expected to sell out.
For a single-game ticket, right field grandstand seats will cost about $15. The existing seats in right field around the new section will remain at $8.
There will still be one open area in right field. The tunnel area down the line won't change. Structurally, no major changes are expected to be needed to the fences in left to accommodate the bullpens, which will be lined up end-to-end. Other details, including exactly where between the fences the bullpens will be located, will be revealed with the official announcement.
The changes are expected to be completed in time for Opening Day.
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