COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. -- After 25 seasons of baseball in West Michigan, baseball fans who have been there since the very beginning are enjoying a season of looking back on how far they have come.
"I'll never forget that opening day," said season ticket holder Ron Dubois of the Whitecaps' first game in 1994. "It was cold, rainy, the weather was not cooperating that well. It was foggy, but what a game. It was so much fun, and we just waited so long for something like this in West Michigan."
Whitecaps Vice President Jim Jarecki said the past 25 years have flown by. "It's all about the memories we've been able to provide and all about the memories that West Michigan has had here at the ballpark."
Despite a number of ups and downs, the last 25 seasons have showed how strong the community is in West Michigan.
Whitecaps co-owner Lew Chamberlin said he has a lot of good memories and some difficult ones. "One devastating memory was the fire, of course. But what I get out of the fire is the way we recovered. We couldn't have done it without the support of the community. It said a lot about the organization. I was very proud of the organization, the way we bounced back from that fire."
The way the team's relationship has grown with the Detroit Tigers over the years has also been very special to the Whitecaps organization and the fans.
"You know guys that are playing for the Tigers now that came through here -- has just been awesome," Dubois added.
Chamberlin said the support the Whitecaps have received from the Tigers has been outstanding. "I can't say enough about the Detroit Tigers, and of course, I grew up here. I've been a Tigers fan all my life, so what a thrill for me."