Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball Unveils 2005 All-Star Game Logos

Countdown officially begins at Comerica Park

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

DETROIT -- The 2005 All-Star Game now has an image, not to mention a countdown. Combining the tradition of the Tigers with the renewal of the city's revamped skyline, the team and Major League Baseball revealed logos for next year's Midsummer Classic at a Friday afternoon press conference in front of Comerica Park. They showed off the artwork to fans in a ceremony prior to the game against the Yankees.

"This is a great, great day," Tigers owner Mike Ilitch said. "I'm really excited because I know Detroiters, and I know how they're going to respond to something like an All-Star Game. I can hardly wait until next year."

The logos mix the old and the new in the shiny white lettering, while incorporating the heritage of both the team and the city. It uses Old English lettering for the first letter of each word, similar to the styling used for the traditional Old English 'D' on the Tigers' home uniforms and home and road caps. The rest of the letters are in a modern block form with orange trim and gray shadowing.

The primary logo features the lettering against the backdrop used in the Comerica Park logo -- two bats leaning out from a centerpoint, connected up top by a bridge with pennants on top and "Detroit Tigers" listed below. At the centerpoint is the Major League Baseball logo.

An alternate logo features a rendering of the downtown Detroit skyline. The buildings are in relative order as seen towards right field from behind home plate at Comerica Park, including the Renaissance Center, Cadillac Tower, Comerica Tower, the Compuware Building, 1001 Woodward, Penobscot Building, David Stott Building and the David Broderick Tower -- known to some fans and visitors as the "Whale Building" for the sea-themed mural on the side facing the park.

Another alternate logo features just the lettering below the MLB logo and "Detroit 2005" at the bottom.

Also present at Friday's press conference were Commissioner Bud Selig, Ilitch Holdings president Chris Ilitch, team president/CEO Dave Dombrowski, Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Michigan lieutenant governor John Cherry, Tigers All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez and Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell.

The press conference was more than an unveiling. With this year's All-Star Week in Houston now completed, the announcement turned the All-Star spotlight on Detroit and officially started the countdown until the game comes to the Motor City for the first time since 1971.

That game will forever be remembered for six future Hall of Famers hitting home runs, including an estimated 520-foot blast from Reggie Jackson that struck a light tower on the right-field roof of Tiger Stadium.

It's that kind of history, plus a long-running friendship with former Tigers owner John Fetzer, that has drawn Selig to Detroit.

"Everybody who knows me knows what a history buff I am," Selig said. "Watching Ted Williams gallop around the bases after he hit the home run in the upper deck at Briggs Stadium [in the 1941 All-Star Game] is one of those enduring moments in baseball history, as is Reggie Jackson's home run that almost tore down the light standard.

"We're going to have a very nice five days here. I'm very pleased with that."

More than Major League Baseball, several sports will be paying attention to how this event goes. About six months after the All-Star Game leaves town, Detroit will host the Super Bowl across the street from Comerica Park at Ford Field.

"It's a one-two punch," Mayor Kilpatrick said, "and it starts with the All-Star Game."

Ford Field will also host the NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2009.

"There's a lot of synergy that we can use together as a community," said All-Star Week liaison Michael Healy, who along with Chris Ilitch will head up the Tigers' planning efforts for next summer's event.

Healy, who has been a consultant with Super Bowl planning for the past six years, essentially has taken over the All-Star role held by former senior vice president of business affairs Jim Stapleton, who resigned last week. Healy has been involved in the Tigers' effort ever since they put together a bid to the league.

Planning for the event continues to proceed, Healy said. While Cobo Hall will be used to host FanFest in the days leading up to the game, venues are still being considered for the All-Star Gala the night before the game.

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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