Unsuspecting Comerica Park Falls Prey to Overexcited Interns
CW50 made a huge mistake. They unleashed two interns onto Comerica Park for Willie Horton's 10th Annual Batting for Kids on August 5. Scott Lehman and I magically broke out of our coffee-making intern cages and shared the field with about 400 kids on a hot-flash inducing Friday morning.
Batting for Kids is presented by Don Bosco Hall (DBH) and the Detroit Tigers Foundation (DTF). On a recent episode of "Street Beat", I had the opportunity to learn about DBH from President Charles Small in addition to special guest Jordan Field, president of DTF. That interview is here!
If you're not familiar with Batting for Kids, it's an event presented by former Detroit Tiger Willie Horton that brings local kids between the ages of 5 and 15 to Comerica Park to learn the basics of baseball.
DBH was also joined by the Michigan FBI and the Wayne State University baseball team, serving as security and helping to run the separate stations. The participants were tested in pitching and running, and also had a clinic in batting and stretching.
I don't know who was more excited, the kids or us interns. What they saw as an incredible opportunity to learn the basics of baseball, we saw as time to completely nerd out and "stand where Austin Jackson stands" while getting beautiful pictures of Comerica Park. We also saw sunflower seed shells (say that five times fast) in left field. Could these shells possibly have been spit from my future husband Brennan Boesch's mouth? I debated whether or not to grab them and try and sell them on eBay.
The running station was definitely the most – endearing. The kids ran from second to home with volunteers cheering them on the entire time. A huge wave of nostalgia washed over me watching these kids run around the bases. Do they realize how lucky they are?! When I was younger and playing softball, it was a treat if we got to play at the field that had the working bathroom. I would have been absolutely beside myself if I got to run the bases at Comerica Park (mind you, home of the FIRST PLACE Detroit Tigers!).
One thing I noticed was the variety of Major League Baseball hats that the kids were wearing. At first, I was distraught. How can the children of Detroit wear hats into Comerica Park donning the New York Yankees logo?! Then I sat down with Christine Gavin-Patterson of DBH, and she explained to me that a lot of local youth teams also signed up for Batting for Kids. I immediately understood: when I played volleyball, I was on a team called the Orion Stars and our logo replicated that of the Dallas Stars. Sometimes, when you can't think of a team name, borrow from the pros! Not only do these kids get to practice their pitching near the Tigers' bullpen, but they get to experience it with their teammates!
The winners from Batting for Kids will be recognized in an award's ceremony on Monday, August 15 on the field before the Tigers take on the Minnesota Twins.
As much as we were inspired about the picturesque sights of Comerica Park, it was even more inspiring to see all the kids and the joy they got from playing America's pastime; a game that is very dear to us all.
My internship at CBS Detroit and CW50 has been a wonderful experience. If you are a college junior or senior looking for television or sales experience, please check out their internships here. You can also follow my intern adventures @InternStephanie
