Detroit Tigers fans scoop up latest merch ahead of Opening Day
Detroit — Only a truly invested fan would make a detour to their favorite team's home state while on a road trip. And that's exactly what Ashley Korpela of Oklahoma did when she recently visited the D Shop in downtown Detroit to grab Detroit Tigers merch for herself and her boyfriend. The occasion: to mark the return of a pitching ace, Justin Verlander, to the rotation.
"We're excited Verlander is coming back to Detroit," Ashley Korpela told The Detroit News. Her boyfriend "used to have a very old Verlander shirt that he wore to shreds, so we want to update it now that Verlander is back and just signed that contract. " What better excuse to grab more team gear?
The Tigers' home opener at Comerica Park on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals comes amid high expectations for the playoff-caliber team and uncertain April-in-Detroit weather. Still, Accuweather reports temperatures could touch the 70s as retailers and fans nurse high hopes for a team that reached the postseason in each of the past two years.
Ashley's mom, Susan Korpela of Massachusetts, joined the party, too, picking up multiple T-shirts and hoodies for the other baseball fans in her family. They took pictures outside the ballpark before shopping at the sports retail store. "We came out because Verlander is now with Detroit, and my daughter's boyfriend has followed Verlander for all of his career, so we're shopping for their merch," Susan Korpela, 62, said at the store.
"She's looking for her Verlander shirt. " Unfortunately, Ashley Korpela didn't find it. But she did buy an orange Tigers shirt for her boyfriend.
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