Officials with Fifth Third Bank and the Detroit Tigers held a press conference on Monday afternoon to announce a new name for Comerica Park. Back on February 2, Fifth Third Bancorp completed its merger with Comerica Incorporated. The latter’s absorption into Fifth Third immediately prompted the question about future naming rights for the Detroit Tigers’ ballpark. That question was answered today, as starting in 2027, Comerica Park will be re-named Fifth Third Park.
In a sense, this keeps things in the
family. The Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens play at Fifth Third Field. From 2000-2021, the Tigers’ High-A affiliate, the West Michigan Whitecaps, played at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan, until it was re-named LMCU Ballpark.
We could’ve hoped for something like Tigers Stadium at Fifth Third Park, or Mike Ilitch Field at Fifth Third Park, but instead it’s the most basic name possible. We’ll get used to it, but “Fifth Third” just doesn’t roll off the tongue. It sounds more like an exercise for people trying to cure a lisp, but here we are.
Comerica Park has 25 years of memories in it through Tigers baseball, and the buildup of the surrounding entertainment district. This is a new chapter, but as some Olde English guy once wrote, “what’s in a name?” Ultimately, all that matters is how the Detroit Tigers play in Fifth Third Park.
