As much as we, as fans, are deeply connected to our team and can find new players to love with each passing season (something we, as Tigers fans, are learning to get better at with these short-term rentals), we also get attached to individuals. It’s impossible, as you watch dozens of games over the course of a season, to not learn more about player personalities, and find ourselves connecting to certain guys, rooting for them like we have a personal investment in their success.
I think it’s also safe to say that most of us remember the exact player we first considered to be our favorite. The one guy whose jersey we were willing to buy, whose walk-up music we recognized immediately. It didn’t matter if he was a good player, a long-term team guy, or just a brief call-up who made a splash. Everyone remembers their first favorite.
Mine was Alex Avila. I came to baseball later in life, and something about Alex Avila really stuck out to me. He took so many hits off the helmet and kept standing (usually). I also really respected his ability to grow a full beard over the course of a single nine-inning game. Avila’s is the first baseball jersey I ever bought. To this day I keep an eye on how he’s doing with new clubs, and I personally can’t wait for him to come back as a manager in the Tigers minor league system in three or four years.
In this week’s FanPost Friday, we want to know who your first favorite player was, and why they were so special to you. Were you in the stadium for their first home run? Did you get into their line at a fan event and have a great interaction? What was it about them that made them stand out to you so much? It doesn’t need to be a Tigers player! Absolutely any player works here.
Head over to the FanPost section, select “New FanPost” on the left, then tell us all about the player who made you love baseball on a slightly more personal level.