2013 information guide - MLB.com

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TIGERS SPRING TRAINING INFORMATION
JOKER MARCHANT STADIUM AND TIGERTOWN
SPRING TRAINING HOME OF THE DETROIT TIGERS
The Detroit Tigers return to Spring Training in 2013 for their 77th season in Lakeland and their 48th at Joker
Marchant Stadium.
The Tigers first trained in Lakeland in 1934 at Henley Field before moving a mile north to Joker Marchant
Stadium in 1966. In January 2001, the Tigers agreed to extend their relationship with Lakeland for 16 additional
years.
Marchant Stadium was named in honor of the late Joker Marchant, Lakeland’s former parks and recreation
director. The all-concrete grandstand of the stadium was built by the City of Lakeland at a cost of $500,000 and
originally seated 4,900 spectators. Expansion projects beginning in the early 1970s brought the capacity to 7,100
and the recently completed renovation project upped the capacity to 9,000. Previous renovations have included
the addition of lights that allowed the first night game to be played in Lakeland in 1972 and a food and picnic court
that was added in 1994 to increase the fan appeal of Joker Marchant Stadium.The recent $11 million renovation
project has transformed the park into a state of the art facility that features luxury suites, a second tier concourse
level, new seating areas, an outfield seating berm, as well as brand new individual seats with cupholders and
improved seating for handicapped fans. The improvements continued to the exterior of the park with the extensive
use of Mediterranean style architecture. The press box has been improved and expanded, a new practice field has
been added, as well as four new indoor batting cages.
2013 DETROIT TIGERS INFORMATION GUIDE