From Justin Verlander to Brandon Inge: How Will the Detroit Tigers Lean Into Nostalgia Next?

The Detroit Tigers effectively took fans through a time machine at their home opener on April 3, 2026 at Comerica Park, welcoming alumn Brandon Inge to throw the first pitch to Justin Verlander, who just returned to Detroit after being gone since 2017. Uncoincidentally, that moment and that game allowed the stadium to draw the biggest crowd for a home opener since — you guessed it — 2017.

Do you think Detroit loves JV?

Comerica Park Tribute to Mickey Lolich

The pregame ceremony alone set the tone — a moment of silence for Mickey Lolich, the Tigers' 1968 World Series hero who died last month, followed by a flyover from an A-10 Thunderbolt II from Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Then, like the majestic ghost of Tigers past, came Brandon Inge, walking to the mound at Comerica Park to throw the ceremonial first pitch ... and waiting behind the plate to catch it was Justin Verlander.

Inge was a Tigers fan favorite as a catcher-turned-third baseman from 2001 to 2012, and he was the third baseman for both of Verlander's no-hitters as a Tiger, in 2007 and 2011. The pairing was (obviously) not accidental. Inge texted Verlander and said, "You better catch my first pitch," and Verlander happily obliged.

The Detroit Tigers' official account posted the moment with a simple caption: "what year is it even"

???? ???? https://t.co/PZbNEdvXKM pic.twitter.com/hObu6vxlRp

— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) April 3, 2026

Detroit Nation felt that.

Justin Verlander's Return to Detroit

Verlander signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers after nine years and two Cy Young Awards away. He is 43 years old, sitting on 266 career wins, and chasing his 300th. The franchise that drafted him in 2004 is where he intends to get there.

Of his return to Detroit, Verlander, like the nostalgic fans who feel like they're traveling back in time, said that most of it felt familiar, except the updated locker rooms. Valid.

Sunday night, Verlander takes the mound at Comerica for the first time in nine years, with the game airing on Peacock's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. His first start back with the organization — against Arizona — was rough: he lasted 3.2 innings, surrendering five earned runs. He was honest about it afterward: "Nothing was right. Those guys were on time for everything." But he and the analytics staff believe the underlying stuff was there. The results, he hopes, will follow.

Detroit Knows How to Honor Its Past

What Friday demonstrated is something Detroit does better than most baseball cities: it understands that nostalgia isn't a gimmick, it's a bridge.

Inge spent 12 seasons with the organization, appeared in over 1,100 games, and played multiple positions — catcher, third base, outfield. His versatility and willingness to do whatever the team needed made him a staple in the clubhouse and a favorite among fans. He played a key role on the Tigers' 2006 American League championship team, helping Detroit reach its first World Series since 1984.

Pairing him with Verlander for a ceremonial first pitch wasn't just a feel-good moment — it was a deliberate callback to a golden era, one that a sold-out Comerica Park showed up in force to celebrate.

Which raises the obvious question the Tigers' front office is surely already thinking about: who else is out there?

The 2006 AL pennant run alone provides a deep well — Magglio Ordonez, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, Kenny Rogers, Curtis Granderson. The 2012 AL pennant team offers another tier: Miguel Cabrera's legacy looms large, and Prince Fielder's impact on that era is undeniable. And further back, fan favorites like Dmitri Young and Bobby Higginson still carry serious equity with a certain generation of Detroit baseball fans.

The Tigers are a team on the rise — young, talented, and newly armed with a 43-year-old legend who still wants to compete. The formula is working. The question now is how deep into the memory bank they want to reach, and how often Detroit fans will show up for it.

Based on Friday, the answer seems to be: as often as you'll let them.