DETROIT — Comerica Park, which has held its name for over 25 years, will become Fifth Third Park starting next season when fans come downtown for a Detroit Tigers game.
The Tigers and Fifth Third Bank announced the name change Monday afternoon.
For some fans, the news is hard to swallow.
"I feel like my childhood is being taken away," Nick Sierpien, a fan from Bloomfield Hills, said.
The change does not come as a complete surprise. Fifth Third Bank merged with Comerica Bank — the ballpark's longtime sponsor — last year.
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Tim Spence, chairman and CEO of Fifth Third Bank, addressed the significance of the ballpark to the city.
"Fifth Third knows what this ballpark means to Detroit and we don't take that lightly. We're here to be a responsible partner for this team and the cities future. To honor it, invest in it and help carry it forward to the fans that love it so," Spence said.
Fan Debbie McCoy, from Detroit, noted the bank already has a presence in the minor leagues.
"They have a lot of stadiums with Fifth Third in the front, and another name right after," McCoy said.
About an hour away, Fifth Third Field is home to the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate.
Not everyone was hoping for the Fifth Third name. Gina Ervin, a fan from Detroit, had hoped the ballpark would return to its original name.
"A bank. A bank. And not Tiger Stadium, I want it back to Tiger Stadium," Ervin said.
Ervin said she has fond memories of watching games with her father decades ago.
"And he passed away in 2011 so, I cherish those memories," Ervin said.
Those kinds of memories are something many fans carry with them.
"Because it's not just the sporting event. It's oh I spent time with my grandpa, or my parents or just family memories," Manager of Gameday Detroit, Katie Kuptz said.
Kuptz said longtime fans are not shy about sharing what the ballpark means to them.
"Like there will be people who come in talk about how they had season tickets as kids, and where they sat and just all the different things that go into being a baseball fan," Kuptz said.
She also said fans can likely expect new merchandise to mark the end of the Comerica Park era.
"I feel like at some point, we will get something to commemorate the park since normally we do once they change a name or move park locations," Kuptz said.
Fans can expect the new name to be in place for the start of next season.
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