Detroit Tigers: The D ranked 9th best baseball city in the MLB

Detroit is a city in the midst of a renaissance with the Detroit Tigers and Comerica Park at the heart of it.

Even though the Detroit Tigers have not won a World Series in many years, the city has been ranked ninth in a piece by Fox Sports writer Dieter Kurtenbach.

According to Kurtenbach, The D earned its ninth-place ranking because of the amount of sports teams in the area.

In the article, Kurtenbach wrote:

“The only thing that pulls the Tigers down on this list is that Tigers fans seem to divide loyalty in several different directions — Red Wings, Pistons, Lions, Michigan/Michigan State.”

Honestly, this seems like the most ridiculous reason to knock the fans and the city of Detroit. Having multiple sports in Detroit is the reason why the city is a mecca for sports fans. It is the reason why the District Detroit has come into existence. And, it a reason why this once-dying city is having a resurgence. Driving around Detroit (and Michigan) it seems like nearly every car has an Old English D sticker plastered on it. The people love their Tigers.

Loyalty to Detroit teams is a plus

Detroit sports fans are incredibly loyal to their Lions, Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers. While fans are also die-hard loyal to Michigan State and Michigan, it doesn’t seem fair to lump the Wolverines and Spartans in this mix. Especially because neither college is located in Detroit and neither draws fans away from baseball. The loyalty to Detroit teams is what makes the city what it is. Without those sports, who knows what would have happened to Detroit when the city and its people were at the lowest points.

The cities that finished above Detroit include from eighth to first: Toronto, Cincinnati, New York, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, and St. Louis. The four cities that were ranked below Detroit include Los Angeles, Kansas City, San Diego, and Anaheim. Only 13 cities were ranked.

How the rankings were selected

This list was designed using factors like attendance, atmosphere, scarcity of sports, and jersey sales. The author of the post reports being at all but a few parks, so he felt he was qualified to craft it.

Does Detroit deserve to be higher up on this list? As a Tigers fan, I have to say yes. None of the teams in the top nine have ballparks with Ferris wheels, Miguel Cabrera in the lineup, Cory Vette racing around the infield, or BitBits for sale on the concourse. But, what city should drop lower?

What city needs to drop?

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Of the top eight cities, I’ve been to games in Chicago, Cincinnati, and Boston, so I can honestly compare my experiences. In Cinci, I wasn’t impressed with the overall experience at Great American Ball Park, so I certainly think the ranking of seven is a bit high. So, the Tigers should be above Cinci, at least. I absolutely loved being at Fenway, but I found the experience at Wrigley to be pretentiously obnoxious. I know it sounds like blasphemy to say such a thing about the hallowed halls of in Chicago, but the whole experience was like being at a bar rather than at a ball game. But, at Fenway, it was all about the baseball (and, believe it or not, the ticket prices in Boston were lower than in Chicago).

One city that I really wanted to see on the list was Milwaukee. They may not sell out Miller Park, but those tailgate parties are epic, both before and after the games. And, everyone I’ve ever met Miller Park is just so stinkin’ nice.

Next: Tigers' fans irritated by ESPN coverage of Sunday Night Baseball

As Tigers’ fans, we should be incredibly proud of The D and what it has to offer. It