I was 6 when I went to my first game. The Twins were in town. We won, 1-0. Dad and I sat in the Upper Deck Bleachers.

Later on, I once saw Cecil Fielder, Mickey Tettleton and Rob Deer hit back-to-back-to-back dingers on three pitches against the Red Sox (or at least I remember it as three pitches).

I saw the Tigs lose to the Brewers when they were in the AL at the old Milwaukee County Stadium.

I sat huddled with a few other Detroit expats in a DC sports bar, and we hi-fived and hugged and bought each other beers like old chums when Maggs put one in the cheap seats on that cold October night.

Those are my bonafides. Eat 'em up Tigers!