To honor the legacy of the Detroit Zoo’s iconic tiger exhibit and its strong historical connection to the Detroit Tigers baseball club, the Zoo’s newest tiger will be making an appearance at Comerica Park to ‘throw’ out the ceremonial first pitch of the 2026 season.
The decision was made to raise awareness of the Zoo’s conservation efforts to protect the endangered Siberian (Amur) Tiger population around the world.
In addition to the first pitch, the Detroit Zoo’s darling Darya will be trotting alongside the team as they exit the tunnel.
When is Detroit Zoo’s Tiger ‘throwing’ the pitch?
The Detroit Tigers’ home opener is going to take place on Friday, April 3rd, in the early afternoon.
While the game is slated to kick off around 1:10 pm, the gates will open at around 11:00 am, but the core of the pregame ceremonies and festivities will be taking place between 12:30 and 1:00 pm.
These pregame events will include things like player introductions, national anthem + flyover, and of course, the first pitch ceremony.
How is Darya the Tiger going to throw out the first pitch?
While it may sound silly, it’s no joke!
The first pitch is no laughing matter; it’s an honor that only goes to Detroiters who mean a lot to the city and have proudly represented the D or even have become representative of the Motor City itself.
With this in mind, it seems fitting that the first pitch of the Tigers’ season would be none other than a new Detroit Tiger that’s been making headlines on their own, only this time at the zoo rather than at the ballpark.
The first pitch will consist of Darya trotting onto the pitcher’s mound with her handlers to pick up the ball, then they will trot over to deliver the ball to home plate.
APRIL FOOLS