We had the pleasure of attending the 69th Annual Detroit Tigers BBQ on February 26th. This marks the beginning of Spring Training, and the 79th season that the Detroit Tigers have called Lakeland their spring home. Hosted by the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Annual Detroit Tigers BBQ is a way for players, staff, and fans to come together and share their love for the Detroit Tigers, Baseball, and Lakeland.
As you enter the stadium, you are immediately greeted and handed a commemorative Detroit Tigers BBQ glass. As you make your way further in to the stadium, you can feel the excitement of the crowd around you. There’s music in the air, the smell of delicious BBQ, and hundreds of people eating, talking baseball, and getting excited for another great year of Spring Training.
You can’t help but start to get excited for Baseball season as you walk around the stadium and see Hall of Fame member, and one of the Tigers all time greats, Al Kaline, chatting with fans and taking pictures. Tigers manager, Dave Dombrowski, was also present and, as always, happy to spend time with the teams loyal fans and pose for pictures. We also had the pleasure of meeting Detroit Tigers star, Rajai Davis. He was extremely personable, and made time to take pictures and chat with his fans.
Rajai Davis with fans!
As the evening came to a close, friends said their good-byes and went their separate ways. The music was gone, the buzz of the crowd was silent, but there was still an excitement in the air. The Excitement of a great season of Baseball, and a fun filled Spring Training!
See more photos from the Detroit Tigers BBQ in our photo gallery, and be sure to share your photos and stories with the spy.