‘Tiger fans are the biggest’

Inside the clubhouse, Detroit Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch spoke to the fans as he watched players and coaches celebrate clinching a postseason berth for the first time since 2014.

Ilitch eventually joined the party and received an invitation he couldn’t refuse from All-Star outfielder Riley Greene, leading to a beer shower from the players.

“I always dreamed of doing that,” Greene said.

FINALLY: Tigers earn first postseason appearance since 2014

Before that, Ilitch watched the Tigers celebrate on the field in front of 44,435 fans.

“I’m so excited for the Tiger fans,” Ilitch said after Friday’s 4-1 win, which secured a wild-card spot in the American League. “I mean, Tiger fans are the biggest fans. They are loyal fans who have supported this club for years. You saw it tonight. They came out in droves. Tiger fans deserve this. I couldn’t be happier for our fans .” “

The Tigers marched to the playoffs by winning 31 of 42 games after falling eight games below .500 on August 10. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins were terrible down the stretch. The Tigers are one of two MLB teams to ever advance to the postseason after falling at least that far below .500 through 115 games.

“I can’t remember the exact match,” Ilitch said, “but after a while it became clear that it wasn’t just luck or coincidence that we were winning matches. It was part of a plan and execution at a high level. At some point, when we evaluated what was happening from an organizational point of view, you could see that things were working and falling into place.”

For all the wins, Ilitch credited the players and coaches – all led by manager AJ Hinch.

The Tigers hired Hinch in October 2020.

Hinch had three losing seasons in a row before rediscovering his winning ways in 2024.

“It’s not safe for anyone there, not even the owner,” Hinch said of Ilitch’s beer shower. “He is incredibly supportive of me, our office and our ambition to be a winner. It’s really cool to see our players feel comfortable enough in their own skin – or naive enough – to include him in the celebration.”

THE GAME: Tigers clinch AL playoff berth in 4-1 W; White Sox set MLB record with 121st L

After the players, Ilitch credited president of baseball operations Scott Harris and assistant general manager Jeff Greenberg for their views. He also mentioned assistant general manager Ryan Garko and assistant general manager Rob Metzler.

The Tigers hired Harris in September 2022.

“It all starts with Scott,” Ilitch said. ‘He had a vision. He has a plan. He carries it out.”

Ilitch doubled.

Harris has a plan that he fully supports.

“Sometimes he can tell us all about everything he’s doing, and sometimes he just has to execute,” Ilitch said. ‘I have complete confidence in him. Fortunately, I get to hear all the background and details behind the plan they are executing. Some we obviously can’t reveal for competitive reasons, but there is a real vision.”

Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] or follow him @EvanPetzold.

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