Detroit Tigers: No Baseball? Try a Little Cricket Instead

While I love going on vacation, the lack of baseball took away some of the pleasure of getting out of Michigan.  I missed the Detroit Tigers Opening Day.

This was the first time in many years that I was unable to actually watch the Tigers on the first day of baseball. For several years, I have been able to find the game on TV – even if I have not been in Michigan. There are always bars and restaurants that will change a channel to please a customer.

But not this year. This year, I found myself on a cruise ship in Jamaica in the Caribbean on Opening Day. And, not just any cruise ship – it was a cruise ship owned by a European country. Do you know what does not exist in Europe? Baseball. And, European cruise ships play European sports.

So, what did I watch on Opening Day? Cricket. (And I’ve never watched cricket in my lifetime). 

As a baseball fan, I know that baseball and cricket are connected. I also know that baseball was not based on cricket. Now that I have watched bowlers work hard to hit the wicket, it is crystal clear to me that these games have very few things in common.

Cricket uses completely different equipment than baseball uses. Yes, there are bats, balls, and some protective equipment, but even that is different. I was fascinated watching the balls caught with bare hands and I could not imagine a cricket player trying to catch a ball hit by Miguel Cabrera or J.D. Martinez with their bare hands. The only player with gloves is the keeper, who is set up behind the batsman. The gloves look more like those used in soccer than in baseball.

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed watching the bowlers. Their running approaches and windmilling windup looks like a complicated skill to master. It is clear why the batsman needs to wear so much protective gear, because those balls come in quickly and at unexpected angles as they bounce off of the ground. While baseball batters have so many opportunities to miss, cricket batsmen hit more often than they miss. Their big bats make it easier to hit the ball. 

What I missed the most in cricket was the lack of bases. Once of my favorite aspects of baseball is baserunning. I love watching lead-offs, slides, and running for extra bases. Without baserunning, imagine how disappointing it would be to never see Jose Iglesias or Ian Kinsler make their way around the diamond.

Cricket does not have a quick-moving rotation through the lineup. I love that baseball players move through the lineup so quickly. In cricket, the rotation only involves two batsmen who switch places as they hit. I like being able to see nine batters get their turns instead of two of them getting their turns over and over.

The game I watched was played in India with a crowd of almost 50,000 people. The huge stadium was filled with a cheering crowd. They appeared to thoroughly love watching the match between England and the West Indies. What I appreciated was the enthusiasm of the crowd that was clearly engaged in the game.

Next: Detroit Tigers: Spring Training Improvements

I hope that everyone who did get to watch the Tigers face the Marlins did so with the enthusiasm of the crowd in Kolkata did. I know I would have! I will say that after being stuck with so much cricket on television that the game is rather fascinating and I’m looking forward to learning more about it when I do not have to pay so much to use the Internet while out of the country.