DETROIT – This year marks the 25th anniversary of Comerica Park, and fans have noticed some new additions to the Detroit Tigers’ game day experience — including a fresh voice on the public address system.
Zach Linfield, the Tigers’ PA announcer, is in his first full season behind the mic at Comerica Park.
Despite his youthful appearance, Linfield was born on March 12, 2001 — nearly a year after the stadium opened.
He is part of the first generation to grow up watching the Tigers play exclusively at Comerica Park.
One of eight siblings, Linfield grew up attending games with his father, cherishing memories like Rajai Davis’ walk-off slam and the 2012 World Series — moments that left him emotional as a young fan.
This season, Linfield has enjoyed one of the best seats in the house, thriving on the energy of the buzzing crowd as the Tigers currently hold the best record in Major League Baseball.
Linfield’s journey to the broadcast booth started in his bedroom, announcing games of MLB The Show — much to his mother’s chagrin.
“She’d tell me it’s time to shut the game off and go to sleep,” Linfield recalled.
An injury ended his college football dreams, leading him to seek a new path at the University of Michigan.
A cold call to retired Tigers PA announcer Bobb Vergiels sparked a mentorship that continues to this day.
“I shot off a bunch of emails to anyone I could at Michigan that might have one connection,” Linfield said. “I found the treasure trove and got one gig doing Michigan tennis. Since then, it’s become pretty much every other sport over in Ann Arbor and a job here at the Tigers. Shoot your shot, man.”
Linfield isn’t the only young talent at Comerica Park.
Kara Wolfbauer, the in-game host and former University of Detroit Mercy softball player, joined the team last season and has recently become part of the radio broadcast team.
The two share a unique pregame tradition of playing rock-paper-scissors.
Looking ahead, Linfield hopes to branch into play-by-play announcing, having already worked with the Michigan Panthers. But for now, he’s enjoying the ride.
“I’m lucky that I’m a baseball fan that gets to sit in one of the coolest seats in any ballpark ever,” Linfield said. “I get to be a part of the game day experience pretty much just as a fan with a much louder microphone.”
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