Detroit, MI

Detroit Tigers rise early for morning start against Toronto Blue Jays in series finale

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

Detroit Tigers rise early for morning start against Toronto Blue Jays in series finale

The Detroit Tigers were at Comerica Park earlier than usual for Sunday’s series finale against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The final game of the four-game series began at 11:35 as a part of the MLB’s Sunday Leadoff series in partnership with Roku. The nationally televised game is free to watch on Roku and gives baseball fans a fix during brunch.

The early first pitch pushed up roll call for Tigers players, hours earlier than what’s typical for a normal day game beginning just after 1 p.m.. Players arrived to the park with coffee and breakfast in hand, but not everyone was a fan of the uncharacteristic start time.

“I think whoever schedules an 11:30 a.m. game is a big ole stinker,” reliever Andrew Chafin said Sunday, while eating strips of bacon in front of his locker.

Bacon wasn’t the only thing on the menu for Chafin before the game. He decided to treat himself, outside of the coffee that most players had.

“I had a bagel and a Frosted Flake crusted French toast or some boujee stuff,” he said.

Players said the early start didn’t have much of an impact on their sleeping schedules last night, but couldn’t deny the difference in the atmosphere. Catcher Jake Rogers, a self-described morning guy and the first one dressed in uniform for the game, said it was unique.

“I’m here and I’m ready to go,” Rogers said. “It doesn’t really bother me none, but yeah, it’s definitely different.”

Players went through the typical pregame routines, as they would for any other start: stretching, hitting and taking fielding drills while the sun was still rising over the left field wall and scoreboard at Comerica. The pregame warmups, however, were in a slightly condensed window.

“We only have three hours so I’m just going to hit the cage,” infielder Zach McKinstry said.

The Tigers (25-27) had nearly a full day off after Saturday’s 2-1 win in a day game. Detroit is looking to win three out of four to take the series from Toronto (23-28), which would be its first series win at home since the end of April.

The Tigers are off Monday on Memorial Day, before beginning the next series against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a two-game series at home. An added benefit of the early start Sunday is snagging a few extra hours of rest between games in the marathon 162-game season.

“We are getting to the point of the year where any time you can get quote-unquote ‘extended time off’ from the game or away from the field is a good thing,” Chafin said.

City Connect mojo

The Tigers will wear the alternate City Connect uniforms for the third straight game in the series finale. The Tigers snapped a five-game losing streak Friday while donning the new black-and-blue jerseys introduced two weeks ago.

The City Connect uniforms were initially only supposed to be worn for Friday home games, but the 6-2 win Friday prompted manager A.J. Hinch to ask Rogers if he wanted to wear the uniforms again. Rogers said yes, but first had to text Reese Olson, the starting pitcher Saturday, to conduct a poll. As the starting pitcher, it was ultimately Olson’s final call which uniforms the Tigers would wear.

“I texted Reece, and he was like ‘let’s do it’,” Rogers said head-to-toe in uniform. “That was kind of the poll.

“Then I went to A.J. and told him we are wearing it tomorrow and he said okay. Then we won again yesterday and so here we are again.”

The Tigers are now 3-1 in the City Connect uniforms. The uniforms debuted May 10 against the Houston Astros in a 5-2 loss, but have won every game since then. The first win came the following day against Houston in a game where Kerry Carpenter hit two home runs. The next two wins came this weekend against Toronto, where Carpenter homered in each game as well.

Glove catching up to bat: Detroit Tigers’ Kerry Carpenter is a great hitter, and now a reliable outfielder too

Carpenter is out of the lineup Sunday against Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, on the bench along with other lefties Riley Greene and Colt Keith.

The players are split on whether or not sticking with the jerseys is a superstition inside the clubhouse. On one end of the spectrum, you have Chafin, who said “every damn thing we do is superstitious whether you say it or not” because that’s just second nature in baseball. McKinstry said he doesn’t believe it’s superstition while saying he doesn’t believe in any.

As for Rogers, it may be too early to make a definitive call.

“I think we’re just winning and having fun with it,” the starting catcher said. “Superstition or not, we are winning with them on.”

The decision to go back to the Motor City uniforms for Sunday was an easy one after Saturday’s win. Hinch didn’t want to mess with the team’s newfound mojo after struggling throughout May coming into the series.

“I don’t know if it’s the reason, but we’re not going to test it,” Hinch told reporters after Saturday’s game.

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Detroit, MI

Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Published

9 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Best barbershop in Metro Detroit: Finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best

Voting on finalists open from June 22 through July 20

What is the barbershop in Metro Detroit? We’ve got our finalists for this year’s Vote 4 The Best category for best barbershop.

Here are this year’s finalists:

Andino’s Barbershop in St. Clair Shores
Bennies Barbershop in Trenton
Chivalry Barber Co. in Royal Oak
The Garage Cuts and Coffee in Plymouth
Walter T’s Grooming Company in Waterford Township

We received more than 16,700 nominations across our 80 Vote 4 The Best categories this year. Each category was then narrowed down to five finalists.

Click here to view the full list of finalists.

Now that nominations are over, voting on finalists can begin. Voting is open from June 22 through July 20, and you can vote for each category once per day during that time.

Click here to vote for finalists in all 80 categories.

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Detroit, MI

Top 10 ‘Hour Detroit’ Covers, As Voted By Readers

Published

20 hours ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

Top 10 ‘Hour Detroit’ Covers, As Voted By Readers

As part of our 30th anniversary celebration last month, we asked Hour Detroit readers to vote for their favorite covers from the magazine’s history. With all votes tabulated, here are the top 10 Hour Detroit covers, as voted by our loyal readers.

10. May 2022

Our May 2022 cover story by Nolan Bianhi highlighted the rise of Detroit City Football Club. The cover itself, photographed by Sal Rodriguez and featuring DCFC’s rabid Northern Guard Supporters, also birthed the very funny #EdDuckerForever social media trend.

As explained by Editor-In-Chief Kate Walsh in her Editor’s Letter in the June 2022 issue, “When the DCFC fans noticed a fan holding a scarf that said “Ed Ducker Forever,” some were left scratching their heads…Most people figured out that Ed Ducker was born to cover a profanity front and center on our cover, but they didn’t leave it at that. #EdDuckerForever became a thing on Twitter, with DCFC fans and others creating a backstory for this fictional character, including tales of his prowess on the pitch and in the sheets, saving (or dropping) babies, his love of beer, etc.”

Truthfully, the whole incident is symbolic of the overall vibe at any DCFC match. If you’ve never attended one yet, what are you waiting for?

Another piece of trivia: former Hour Detroit digital editor Christina Clark is among the group of fans — she’s the one with pink hair. Coincidentally, the photo was taken before she joined the magazine.

9. July 2023

Featuring a stunning aerial photograph by William Cunningham, the cover for the July 2023 issue of Hour Detroit just draws you in with its beauty. The cover story by Kate Townley chronicled the many reasons (65, to be exact) why the Great Lakes are so great. Frankly, there are plenty more reasons to add to this already extensive list.

Hour Detroit's July 2023 cover featuring an aerial shot of one of the Great Lakes

8. April 2024

Like the DCFC cover, the cover for the April 2024 issue, created by Ryan Olbrysh, has an incredible kinetic energy. Based around Detroit hosting the NFL Draft, the “City Guide” cover story explored all of the details any visitor to metro Detroit should know and featured contributions from Bill Dow, Dana White, Juliana Lumaj, Mickey Lyons, and Jack Thomas.

Hour Detroit's April 2024 cover featuring fans gathered in the city of the 2024 NFL Draft

7. May 2020

For the May 2020 issue, Hour Detroit chronicled the impact of COVID-19 on metro Detroit in a nine-page special report by Steve Friess, Amy Haimerl, Joanne C. Gerstner, and Ashley Winn. The cover depicts the Spirit of Detroit monument wearing a mask and hospital scrubs. The poignant image is an original oil painting by Luke Mack for Hour Detroit.

Hour Detroit's May 2020 featuring a rendering of the Spirit of Detroit statue wearing a mask

6. January 2018

Abdul El-Sayed graced the January 2018 cover of Hour Detroit, was profiled by Lou Blouin, and photographed by Matthew LaVere. At that time, he was a 33-year-old Michigan gubernatorial candidate gaining lots of attention for his rising grassroots campaign.

The former director of the Detroit Health Department lost the Democratic nomination to Gretchen Whitmer. However, the man some thought could be the first Muslim governor in the United States now has a chance at becoming the first Muslim person elected to the United States Senate. El-Sayed, now 41, is in a very competitive 2026 Democratic primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens and State Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Primary elections for the open Michigan Senate seat vacated by a retiring Sen. Gary Peters will take place on Aug. 4, with the Democratic and Republican primary winners facing off in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.

Hour Detroit's January 2018 issue featuring Abdul El-Sayed

5. February 2021

On this cover photographed by Julia Pickett, contributor Steve Friess summed up Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s 2020 rather perfectly: “A pandemic. An ‘SNL’ parody. A kidnapping plot. And mean tweets from the president. Did anyone have a more bizarre and intense 2020 than ’the woman in Michigan’?” Friess’ cover story on Whitmer explored her 2020 experiences and describing them as “surreal” could be the most apt use of that word ever.

Hour Detroit's February 2021 cover featuring Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

4. January 2024

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell headlined our annual “Detroiters” list in 2024, which highlights the people making unique impacts on metro Detroit. His striking portrait, courtesy of the Detroit Lions, appeared on the cover, with contributor Jim McFarlin detailing the rise of Campbell becoming one of the most beloved Detroit sports figures in recent history.

Hour Detroit's January 2024 cover featuring Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell

3. June 2005

Detroit has been very fortunate to have some incredible local news anchors over the years. WDIV-TV’s Carmen Harlan is certainly among the most iconic. A Detroit native, Harlan joined WDIV-TV in 1978 as a general assignment reporter. Three years later, she became an anchor. Paired with Mort Crim, another legendary Detroit news anchor, Harlan continued to serve as anchor until her retirement in 2016. Photographed by Roy Ritchie, Harlan appeared on the cover of Hour Detroit in June 2005 for our “Best of Detroit” issue. In the 2005 edition of our readers’ poll, Harlan won three honors: Best local TV anchor, best TV hairdo (female), and best-looking TV personality.

Hour Detroit's June 2005 cover featuring legendary WDIV-TV anchor Carmen Harlan

2. April 2026

Our latest “City Guide” feature took on the theme of “Hidden Detroit.” In it, we examined lesser-known aspects and treasures in metro Detroit. The cover was of Tintoretto’s “The Dreams of Men,” which is featured in the Detroit Institute of Arts, but it’s in a surprising location. If you’re looking to find out where to spot this gorgeous painting, Jack Thomas and Kate Walsh share its location in their piece appropriately titled “Things You May Have Missed at the Detroit Institute of Arts.”

Hour Detroit's April 2026 cover featuring Tintoretto's 'The Dreams of Men,' which can be found on the ceiling at the DIA

1. June 2019

The 2019 “Best of Detroit” list served as a tribute to Aretha Franklin, who passed away in Aug. 2018 at age 76. Not only did the “Queen of Soul” win the honor of “Detroit Legend,” but she appeared on the cover via an original oil painting by Kim Frank Fujiwara. (Fujiwara won in the category of “Best Fine Artist.”) Simply put: This is a breathtaking cover. We admire and agree with our readers’ outstanding taste in their choice for the best Hour Detroit cover.

Hour Detroit's June 2019 cover featuring an original oil painting of Aretha Franklin by Kim Frank Fujiwara

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Detroit, MI

First responders honored after rescuing 12 people from capsized sailboats near Belle Isle

Published

1 day ago

June 19, 2026

Press Room

First responders honored after rescuing 12 people from capsized sailboats near Belle Isle

DETROIT – Detroit first responders and several private citizens are being credited with helping rescue a dozen people after multiple sailboats capsized in the Detroit River near Belle Isle during severe weather last week.

The incident occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. on June 10 as a line of thunderstorms moved through southeast Michigan, bringing strong winds to the area.

According to the Detroit Fire Department, crews were dispatched to Belle Isle near the beach following reports of overturned boats and people in the water.

Firefighters, EMS personnel, Engine 27, and Fireboat 2, known as the Sivad Johnson, responded to the scene.

When crews arrived, they found multiple small sailboats overturned in the river.

Officials said 20 people aboard seven sailboats were involved in the incident.

Twelve people were rescued from the water, while eight others safely returned aboard two boats that remained upright.

Fireboat 2 rescued four people from the water.

The Detroit Police Department Harbormaster rescued two more, while a private boater assisted three people. Another three were brought to safety by a nearby boat club vessel.

The operator of the sailing group said as many as 26 people were on the water before the storm arrived, with six making it back to shore on their own before rescue efforts began.

Despite the dangerous conditions, no serious injuries were reported. Officials said all rescued individuals declined medical treatment.

Authorities praised the coordinated response among firefighters, police officers, boat club members, and private boaters who assisted during the emergency.

“Be aware of your surroundings,” said Detroit Fire Department Fireboat Operator Daniel Familant. “To be honest, we do make a lot of the saves by the private boaters out there that are fishing or just having a good time, and people were out there screaming, ‘Help, help,’ and there they go, so everyone helps out. It’s an all-hands effort.”

Emergency crews remained on scene until everyone involved was accounted for.

Officials noted that one member of the Fireboat 2 crew was serving on the vessel for the first time during the rescue operation.

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