BASEBALL NIGHT - A Very "Big Hit"

By Raymond Rolak

It was a vision of color and the evening was a huge success with those in attendance.  The stadium was standing room only. 

The bottom of the order needed to hit for the Tigers though.  They lost to the Oakland A’s, 5-4, but the post game fireworks got most in attendance in good spirits before they left the stadium.  The accompanied Polka music during the fireworks show was a surprise and an added bonus.

Polish-American Night at Coke-Cola Field will be August 3, when the Bison’s take on Lehigh Valley as part of Polish Fest.  Fireworks will be presented by UNYTS. 

In Detroit, it was the 40th Annual Polish-American Night with the Tigers and before the game General Manager, Dave Dombrowski was smiling, “We will have a full house and it will be a great pre-game show.”  The Tigers and the Polish-American Night committee hit a home run with the presentation.” 

Even “PAWS”, the Tiger’s mascot was dressed in Polish folk costume and the Press Box and staff commissary was serving Polish stuffed cabbage and kielbasa-n-kraut.

Early arrivals to Comerica were treated to the lively tunes of Big Daddy Lackowski & the La-De-Das, The Natural Tones and The Kielbasa Kings.  Big crowds gathered outside of Comerica Park before the game and enjoyed the music.  WDIV-TV weatherman, Chuck Gaidica highlighted Big Daddy Lackowski on the Channel-4 evening news.

Also, the first 10,000 people entering the stadium got vintage-style wool ‘Olde English D’ Tigers caps with the 1935 World Series highlighted.  These were sponsored by the Detroit Medical Center.  It is the 75th anniversary of that title.  Furthermore, The Tigers and the Polish-American Night Committee presented tee-shirts to those that bought a pre-planned ticket package.

Before the game, Tiger radio broadcaster Jim Price, hosted Wally Ozog, currently of Chicago and President of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America, on his pre-game show.  Price highlighted past Polish-American nights at Tiger Stadium.  Throughout the Oakland-Detroit game broadcast, Price brought to light, anecdotes about former Major League Polish-American baseball players and told humorous stories about Tom Paciorek, Frank Tanana, Ron Peranowski and Dick Tracewski.  Price said, “We always looked forward to Polish-American Night as we had Polish food in the clubhouse after the game and we always teased “Trixie” (Tracewski), for getting another plaque from the host committee.  People forget he was on three World Series winners as a player and another as a coach.  That’s four rings.  Those are great memories.”  Price mentioned that former Tiger Jim Northrup and his wife are sponsoring an orphanage in Poland. 

On the field, right before the umpires declared, “Play Ball”, Barb Toboy, introduced Robert Szczublewski, who was dressed in traditional Polish costume.  He had stirring renditions of the Polish National Anthem and the “Star Spangled Banner”.  It transitioned to the honoring of a decorated U.S. Army veteran, Specialist Joe James, who was on leave from Iraq.  They got standing ovations.  The PRCUA Zakopane Polish Folk Dance Group had the distinction of being the color guard. 

Ceremonial first pitch throwers, Nicole Blaszcak and Jerry Lubiarz did commendable jobs and survived the tremendous applause.  Sponsoring Polish fraternal group representatives were introduced before the game.

The Tiger loss dampened a spectacular three home run night by Miguel Cabrera.  It was the first time for the Tiger slugger that he had three in one game.  Oakland reliever Andrew Bailey earned his 10th save of the year.  The A’s are now 9-2, in the all-important, one-run games.

In the press-box, former Tiger great Willie Horton reminisced how honored he felt when presenting Paciorek into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.  “I remember how great the mushroom soup was that evening.  I love Polish food.  Tom and I were teammates in Seattle.  He had good years in Seattle.  He always helped keep the clubhouse loose.  He is a great baseball broadcaster, always prepared.” 

Ray Fosse, former catcher for the Oakland A’s and now their flagship station broadcaster sent glowing reports of the evening to California during his call of the game.  Mario Impemba of Fox Sports Detroit also painted the picture of Polish –American Night with highlights on the Tigers TV-cast.  Fox Sports Detroit had great camera work with their High Definition video of the pre-game show.  The television camera’s highlighted all the color of the Polish-American Night extravaganza. 

Vice President of the Polish National Union, Paul Odrobina said, “I hope we can have this many people for Polish Night in Chicago.”  The White Sox will host Polish Night at U.S. Cellular Field on July 6.

Most of the electronic media outlets mentioned the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony June 24, in Troy, Michigan which will honor former Phillies Manager Danny Ozark.  Past Philadelphia slugger Greg Luzinski will accept for the deceased Ozark.  Paciorek, the popular and veteran broadcaster, is scheduled to emcee.  He was awarded a sports Emmy for his White Sox telecasts.

NPASHF board members manned an informational table near the right field foul corner.  Chairman Jim Conrad said, “We will also be inducting swimming champion Kristy Kowal and Hamtramck native and tennis great Peaches Barkowicz.”  

During an afterglow (poprawiny) at the Coaches Corner Bar & Grill, in Harmonie Park, former University of Buffalo football player Gerry Ratkewitz over piwa (Polish beer), said, “I remember Al Kaline’s only three home run game, it was in 1955 against Kansas City.  Steve Gromek was the winning pitcher.”  Detroit native son, Gromek, pitched for the Tigers at the time and was inducted into the NPASHF in 1981.

The Tigers will finish their home stand with a 1:05 PM, Thursday matinee against the Cleveland Indians.

Polish-American Night, the game and festivities, were dedicated to the memory of Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski and First Lady Maria Kaczynska and the 94 others who lost their lives in the tragic airplane crash of April, !0, 2010 in Smolensk, Russia.  They were in route to the 70th anniversary memorial of the World War II, Katyn atrocity.



                                                 
THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS WERE REPRESENTED ON THE FIELD at COMERICA PARK

 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
ZAKOPANE POLISH FOLK DANCE GROUP
HONOR GUARD AMERICAN AND POLISH FLAGS
 
POLISH SCOUT ASSOCIATION
ZWIAZEK HARCERSTWA POLSKIEGO
DETROIT DIVISION
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
ROGALIN DANCE TROUPE
WYANDOTTE
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
HALKA DANCERS
DETROIT
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
OPOLE DANCERS
WARREN
 
POLISH WOMENS ALLIANCE
LOWICZ DANCERS
WARREN
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
POLSKIE MAKI DANCERS
HAMTRAMCK
 


POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
MALA POLSKA FOLK ENSEMBLE
STERLING HEIGHTS
 
POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE
CENTENNIAL DANCERS
PLYMOUTH
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
SYRENA DANCERS
DEARBORN
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
ZAJACZEK DANCE ENSEMBLE
STERLING HEIGHTS
 
POLISH WOMENS ALLIANCE
ZAMEK DANCERS
DETROIT
 
POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC UNION OF AMERICA
WIELICZKA DANCERS
REDFORD
 
POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE
POLISH ALLIANCE DANCERS
DEARBORN
 
POLISH NATIONAL ALLIANCE
POLANIE SONG & DANCE ENSEMBLE
DEARBORN
 
 

(Raymond Rolak is a Michigan based sports broadcaster)