COLUMN: Clash at Comerica could be improved
It has been five days since I went to Comerica Park in Detroit to cover the Clash at Comerica between the Central Michigan and Michigan State baseball teams.
MSU won the 2016 game 7-3 in 14 innings, its first win in the Clash since 2012. CMU won 8-7 on a walkoff hit in 2015.
After reflecting on my time in the Ernie Harwell Media Center, I feel it is a prodigious event that unites baseball in the state of Michigan.
But it could be better.
One goal of the Clash at Comerica is to allow the student-athletes to move from their college baseball stadiums and play at the home of Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers. It is a colossal opportunity.
What is not excellent is a weeknight game for the fans and alumni of the universities. Wednesday’s game had an attendance of 550. The 2015 game had an attendance of 378. In 2014, 1,755 people attended the game.
Almost every single basketball game at McGuirk Arena drew a bigger crowds.
In 2014, MSU played Michigan at Comerica Park. That game was a Tuesday evening and had 1,935 fans.
One could make the case CMU is smaller attendance-wise than the two schools, which is true — and Michigan and MSU is a rivalry. But the Chippewas should seek to get to that level.
One suggestion I have is to bus students over.
CMU’s fall 2015 on-campus enrollment was 19,549, according to the Office of Institutional Research. I believe a large number of students would enjoy visiting Comerica Park to cheer on their school.
Another possibility would be to play on the weekend, or have a weekend series. With Detroit on a road trip, playing more than one game at Comerica would allow for more opportunities for fans to watch a competitive game.
Playing on the weekend would allow more free time for fans to trek to Detroit, rather than a cold school night.
Those who put the game together should also consider moving the game to May, when it used to originally be. If the Tigers are on the road for a series, a May game would benefit the students who are already out of school. Also, having fans sit in 40-degree temperatures late at night is not ideal.
There's a reason almost 2,000 showed up the last time the game was played in May.
One out-of-the-box suggestion would be to have a Michigan college baseball series featuring four teams. CMU and MSU could play either Michigan, Eastern Michigan or Western Michigan for a weekend at Comerica to crown the champion of college baseball in Michigan.
The series would allow for high school prospects in the state to get a preview of teams they might be playing for. There could also be high school games and a Michigan home run derby to go along with it.
MSU and EMU will square off at Comerica Park on May 11, so college teams in Michigan are already exposed to the major league field. If more teams, including Division II and III schools like Saginaw Valley State and Alma, could do that, baseball in Michigan would be better off.
These are just a few suggestions on how the game could be improved. Athletics Director Dave Heeke and baseball Head Coach Steve Jaksa have something going with this event, but should look into how to make Clash of Comerica a better event or series.
I’m sure the players and fans enjoyed seeing the “Flying C” being displayed on the Tigers scoreboard and watching junior first baseman Alex Borglin stand in position where Tigers star Miguel Cabrera plays.
The game is a unique and exciting opportunity for the CMU baseball program.
Now the next step is to make it a unique and exciting opportunity for all of CMU.
