Tuesday featured a doubleheader between the Detroit Tigers and the Cleveland Guardians after Monday’s game was postponed. Unfortunately, the temperature wasn’t much higher on Tuesday at Comerica Park. That led to shockingly low attendance for the first leg of the doubleheader.
Several photos from the early game on Tuesday showed primarily empty seats at Comerica Park.
According to longtime Michigan sports writer Larry Lage, the paid attendance for the game was listed as 10,099 people.
#Tigers paid attendance announced as 10,099 – and nearly 10,000 didn't show up today, and I don't blame them
— Larry Lage (@LarryLage) April 18, 2023
However, with temperatures in the 40s yet again at Comerica Park, the actual number of fans in attendance was fewer than that. Many fans in attendance took to social media to estimate the number of fans at the game.
https://twitter.com/Hendawg1977/status/1648436797431750656
Is today’s game the lowest attended in Comerica Park history?
You could’ve found more people in the ballpark during the COVID season pic.twitter.com/e4hZ5i8o7U
— Calico Joe (@CalicoJoeMLB) April 18, 2023
I would love to know the actual attendance at this Guardians/Tigers game. #ForTheLand
— Perpetually Disappointed (@HailMandalore) April 18, 2023
The Tigers must be playing it safe and keeping the COVID capacity in place. That’s the only way to explain this attendance https://t.co/8ce0NtCKHb
— sportsfan247 (@sportsfan_4_) April 18, 2023
The attendance for the first Tigers game was so bad, they didn’t even post it lol pic.twitter.com/lEo58OrEL7
— Connor (@StoogiesThe) April 18, 2023
The weather is a big reason for the low attendance. However, it’s hard to imagine that the Tigers’ lackluster play in recent years isn’t another factor.
For reference, the Cincinnati Reds set the low attendance record of 7,375 fans in Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. This game in Detroit on Tuesday appears to have far fewer fans in attendance despite the higher paid attendance numbers.
For the brave fans that did overcome the less-than-ideal conditions to come to the game, they were in for a great day of baseball.
Tigers outfielder Kerry Carpenter came up clutch with a walk-off home run in the ninth inning in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Turn the lights off, Kerry me home. pic.twitter.com/HjLYnkvmom
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 18, 2023
They were equally as successful in Game 2, coming away with a 1-0 victory thanks to an opposite-field solo home run from Riley Greene.
Oppo Taco Tuesday, courtesy of @Greene21Riley. pic.twitter.com/FhbA3eWhm3
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 18, 2023
While the wins are great for Detroit, it is indeed concerning that there weren’t many fans that cared to be in attendance to watch.
