DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers are wrapping up their first homestand with a subtle change on the field at Comerica Park, putting grass over a strip of dirt that used to be between the pitcher’s mound and batter’s box.
AL Cy Young and Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal said he’s glad the team got rid of the keyhole, making the lefty’s sightline the same as it is in every other ballpark in Major League Baseball.
“I might get some heat for this, but they asked what we thought of it, and I said I didn’t really like it,” Skubal said Wednesday morning before a series-ending game against the New York Yankees. “I wasn’t a fan of it.
“Obviously, I understand from a fan perspective. It’s unique and stuff, but just from a visual perspective, it’s so much different.”
Detroit was the last team in the majors to have the throwback feature — which was common in the 1800s and early 1900s – in their ballpark that opened in 2000 after leaving Tiger Stadium. The Arizona Diamondbacks also had a keyhole at Chase Field before removing it in 2019 when they changed their playing surface from grass to synthetic turf.
The Tigers also made major renovations in the seating area behind home plate, removing a tunnel that was mostly used by umpires and installing state-of-the-art chairs that allow fans to heat or cool their seats.
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“I’m a fan of having no tunnel,” Skubal said. “I’m glad it’s gone. It makes it feel pretty clean back there.”
While Skubal said the front office asked for his input following the 2024 season and he gave his strong opinion, two other pitchers on the staff simply shrugged their shoulders when asked about the new-look view and an All-Star outfielder insisted he didn’t even realize the keyhole was gone.
“They asked a couple guys, but it didn’t bother me,” right-handed reliever Will Vest said. “It just doesn’t really move the needle too much for me.”
When lefty Tyler Holton is on the mound, he said he’s locked in on the catcher’s target with or without a path of dirt in front of him.
“I think if you’re noticing things like that, you’re probably not focused on what you need to be focused on,” Holton said.
Riley Greene, meanwhile, insisted he didn’t know the keyhole was gone until a reporter asked him about it on Wednesday.
“I’m going to be honest, I didn’t even notice it,” Greene said. “Somebody told me that it was being taken out and I was like, `Oh, cool. I’m probably not even going to notice it.’ And, I haven’t even noticed it.”
