DETROIT – I don’t want to be a downer about the Detroit Tigers’ excellent opening series against the White Sox, but there’s something I have to get off my chest.
It was a near perfect weekend in Chicago for the Tigers, as they took three straight one-run games from their division rivals to start 3-0 for the first time in eight seasons.
📄 WHAT WE LEARNED ---> 7 real things we learned about Tigers during sweep of White Sox
Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, and the bullpen were fantastic. The Tigers got contributions up and down the lineup. There were some dazzling defensive plays by Parker Meadows, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, and Zach McKinstry.
But there was one thing that I found a bit disappointing.
A pizza spear? Really?
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you must not have had a chance to watch the Tigers on Saturday and Sunday, when they debuted their new home run celebration.
Look, the hockey celebration was OK last season. A Red Wings helmet and a slap shot in the dugout? That’s kind of fun, especially since Detroit is Hockeytown. That was probably, like, a six out of 10.
But now, every time a Tigers player hits a home run, that player gets a spear with fake stuffed pizzas on the end to parade through the dugout.
I’m just not feeling this one.
The idea apparently came from Torkelson, who admitted it’s a nod to team owner Chris Ilitch’s “pizza pizza” mascot. (I’ll admit it was pretty funny during the post-game interview Saturday when Torkelson said, “Hey, it’s good pizza.”)
Torkelson had some great moments this weekend, like the clutch RBI single Saturday and his scoop on Zach McKinstry’s bases-loaded double play. He’s a key piece of the team’s future and a beloved player in Detroit.
But I think Tork might be better at hitting homers than celebrating them.
I love pizza as much as the next guy, but the Little Caesars mascot doesn’t exactly get me fired up for homers. If anything, it reminds me that the Tigers have one of the lowest payrolls in MLB and haven’t spent much since Ilitch took over primary ownership from his father.
It was so fun to watch the Lions make a playoff run while taking on the tough, gritty identity of the city. I wish the Tigers could find a more “Detroit” way to celebrate homers -- or at least something better than advertising the owner’s pizza chain.