(CBS DETROIT) – What a weekend to be a Detroit Tigers fan. The pressure is on for the play-offs and fans say it is the team’s grit that is bringing new excitement to the city.
“Playoff push, we here baby, we here every game,” fans sang Thursday.
There was no shortage of Tigers fans wearing their gear in downtown Detroit on Thursday.
Many hope the team makes the playoffs, but it’s the excitement that fans find refreshing.
“They’ve come a long way, and it’s a new change, a new motivational change,” one fan told CBS News Detroit.
With the success the team has had since August, it is also a win for the business community. One bar and grill said their profit figures have increased over the past two months.
“You see, a lot of people are spending more, a lot of people are drinking more, and that’s part of winning,” said Cesar Ramirez, service manager at Harry’s Bar.
The team’s playoff possibilities are increasing rapidly. Earlier this season, the Tigers had less than a 25% chance of making the playoffs, according to Fangraphs. Now the chance is more than 95%.
“We didn’t see this as a possibility for even a month, so for it to be something that we’re kind of tapping into now is a great thing for the city,” said fan Molly Morre.
Morre is a former collegiate softball coach and lifelong Tigers fan. She’s seen the team at its lows, but like most fans, she enjoys the highs.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was great today [Thursday]. When we were in trouble, you never felt like we were gone,” she said.
Sports in Detroit are eye-catching a lot. The Detroit Lions have had an incredible season, and now the Tigers are making noise.
Some say it’s the Detroit grit that shines through in the sport.
“Our teams know we have their backs ten times over, win, lose or draw; we have their backs,” said fan LaSherri Brown.
Terell Bailey
