Three Michigan Minor League Baseball Teams Open Season Thursday

Three Michigan Minor League Baseball teams, the Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts and Detroit Tigers affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps, begin play on Thursday.

The Detroit Tigers aren’t the only professional baseball team in Michigan getting underway this week. Three Class-A Minor League teams, the Great Lakes Loons, Lansing Lugnuts and West Michigan Whitecaps, are preparing for their seasons as well, which begin on Thursday in the Midwest League.

Minor League baseball has been a mainstay in Michigan for decades and the three teams combined to host over 900,000 total attendees in 2016. Minor League baseball provides an opportunity to watch future Major Leaguers—over 250 players in Major League Baseball have played for one of Michigan’s three MiLB teams—from great seats at an affordable price, oftentimes with promotional deals and special events ranging from fireworks and concerts to theme nights.

Great Lakes Loons – Midland, Mich.

The returning Midwest League champion Great Lakes Loons open their season by hosting the Lansing Lugnuts on Thursday.

12 prospects return in 2017 for the Loons as they try to defend their title, including the Lod Angeles Dodgers’ 2016 first-round draft pick, pitcher Jordan Sheffield. 27-year old former Major Leaguer Jeremy Rodriguez takes over as manager in his first year with the Dodgers.

Dow Diamond can host 5,500 fans, including mascot Lou E. Loon, for home games and will host the Midwest League All-Star game home run derby on June 19 and 20. Weekly promotions include “Kids Eat Free” Sundays as well as Thursday “$1 Family Feast Nights,” during which hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches, 16 oz soft drinks and Better Made potato chips will all sell for one dollar.

The franchise has been in Michigan since 1995, playing in Battle Creek until moving to Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich. in 2007. The team became an affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers when it moved and has stayed with the Dodgers since. Famous alumni include the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw and Cleveland’s Carlos Santana. Games are locally broadcast on 100.9 FM in Midland.

Lansing Lugnuts – Lansing, Mich.

The Lugnuts will visit the Loons on Thursday in their opener before hosting them on Saturday in their first home game after faltering down the stretch to finish a disappointing fourth in the Eastern Division of the Midwest League in 2016.

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Two sons of former MLB All-Stars, Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette, headline the Lugnuts’ opening day roster. 18-year old Guerrero, a third baseman, is considered the top prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays’ system and 19-year old Bichette, a shortstop, was drafted in the second round by Toronto in 2016. Second baseman J.B. Woodman, who was also drafted in the second round in 2016 and who batted .441 in nine games with the Lugnuts last season, returns.

Cooley Law School Stadium’s long renovation project—which included outfield apartments and a new video screen—was finished during the offseason as a new field was laid down. The stadium has over 7,000 seats and can host over 13,000 fans altogether, as well as mascot Big Lug. This season, Mondays will be “Dog Days of Summer,” during which fans are encouraged to bring their dogs to the park. Other special games include the $22 all-you-can-eat “Eat-a-Palooza” on May 27 and September 2 and the Crosstown Showdown against Michigan State on September 5th.

The Lugnuts won the Midwest League title in their second season in Lansing in 1997, but have only won the title once since then, in 2003. The team has been affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays since 2005 after stints with the Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals. Over 100 Lugnuts have gone to the Major Leagues, including Carlos Beltrán, Carlos Zambrano and Noah Syndergaard. Games are locally broadcast on 730 AM in Lansing.

West Michigan Whitecaps – Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Detroit Tigers affiliate West Michigan Whitecaps will host the South Bend Cubs on Thursday in their season opener after losing to the Loons in the league semifinals last season.

#5 Tigers prospect Kyle Funkhouser will be the Whitecaps’ opening day starter, and the roster also features Cam Gibson, son of Kirk Gibson and former Michigan State Spartan. Former Tigers catcher Mike Rabelo will manage the team in his first season with West Michigan.

Fifth Third Ballpark can host nearly 10,000 fans, who can enjoy five-pound 4,800-calorie Fifth Third Burgers as well as new Beercheese Poutine, which is being offered this season after winning a fan vote. Weekly promotions include “Dime Dog Nights” on Tuesday, during which hot dogs are ten cents, and “Tiger Fridays,” which features giveaways and former Detroit Tigers signing autographs.

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The Whitecaps have won six titles since their founding in 1994, most recently in 2015, and have been a Detroit Tigers affiliate since 1997. Many current and former Tigers have played for West Michigan, including Alex Avila, Cameron Maybin, Omar Infante, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Inge. The Whitecaps’ flagship station is 107.3 FM in Grand Rapids.

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