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On
Monday,
Tigers
Paws,
inspect,
pack and
double-check
the
equipment
and
supplies
that
will be
shipped
to Joker
Marchant
Stadium
in
Lakeland,
Florida
for the
spring
training
season.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us USA)
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The
Detroit
Tigers
clubhouse
is
packed
up and
shipped
out
By:
Ryan
Breen/
Sports
Writer
Tell Us
USA
DETROIT
- The
Detroit
Tigers
clubhouse
was
alive
and on
the move
Monday.
Workers
in the
clubhouse
were
doing
the
finishing
touches
on
getting
the team
packed
up for
their
trip
down to
spring
training
in
Lakeland,
Florida.
Boxes
were
piled to
the
ceiling,
and the
noise of
tape
ripping
rang out
through
the air
while
workers
rushed
to meet
the
deadline
to get
everything
in the
shipping
trucks.
Detroit
mascot
Paws
even got
in on
the
action.
He could
be seen
going
through
boxes
and
helping
the
staff
lift and
push
boxes to
their
destinations.
Clubhouse
Manager
Jim
Schmakel,
a
veteran
of 42
years,
explained
that
this is
only the
first
day of
shipping.
There
will be
another
truck
coming
to
Comerica
Park on
Wednesday
to
finish
the
move.
“Everyone
reports
to
spring
training
on
February
12,”
says
Schmakel.
“So, we
need
everything
to be
packed
and
loaded
on the
final
truck
that
comes
Wednesday.”
With
boxes of
clothing,
cleats,
bats,
and
everything
else a
baseball
player
would
need to
be
stacked
as high
as the
12-foot
ceiling
in the
clubhouse,
this is
no easy
or quick
task for
anyone.
“All the
merchandise
that is
here
ranges
from
$600,000
to
$800,000,”
explains
Schmakel.
“Different
players
require
different
amounts
of
equipment.
For
example,
Miguel
Cabrera
will
need
more
than
someone
who may
not play
as much.
Bats are
generally
$106
each,
and he
may need
a couple
just for
spring
training.”
Along
with the
equipment
being
shipped
to
Lakeland,
the team
will
also be
featuring
new
uniforms.
These
uniforms
will be
almost
identical
to last
years
but now
that the
team's
uniforms
are made
by Nike,
the new
uniforms
will
include
the
iconic
Nike
Swish up
in the
left
chest
area.
The
Tigers
will be
down in
Lakeland
for a
little
less
than two
months
and
begin
their
trek
back up
to
Detroit
on March
19. The
team’s
first
exhibition
game of
the
regular
season
will be
against
the
Cleveland
Indians
in
Cleveland
on March
24.
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