Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

I don't have much to say today but I will say this:

Thank you to Brandon Inge for giving it his all every time he hit the field and for being a fantastic Detroit ambassador. You will always be a Detroit Tiger.

Weekend Roundup

1. Totally Awesome Fest 8 (Facebook link) - Enjoy a weekend in Ypsilanti filled with music, live painting and more. April 27—29.

2. Day out with Thomas - The little ones are going to want to head to Greenfield Village to spend the day with their favorite tank engine. Storytelling, live music and, of course, train rides! April 28—29 and May 5—6 and 12—13.

3. James Cagney Double Feature - You dirty rat! Enjoy The Public Enemy and Angels with Dirty Faces on the big screen at the Redford Theatre. They have real butter for your popcorn too! April 28th.

4. Detroit Revealed: Photographs 2000-2010 - If you haven't seen this photography exhibit at the DIA, you'd better hurry! The last time you'll be able to see this decade of Detroit photos is this Sunday. Through April 29th.

5. ZooZoo - A mashup of artistic acrobatics, creative costumes and fantastical imagery complete with polar bears, penguins and bugs. [Editor's note: I worked with Imago Theatre many moons ago and they are a delight!] April 29th.

Bonus: The 2012 Detroit Music Awards

Double Bounus: Detroit Restaurant Week wraps up and Royal Oak Restaurant Week begins.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

El Guapo food truckForgive me, I’m a bit jet-lagged after arriving home from vacation today. After tons of the typical rain and crappy weather in the UK, it was a delight to land and find such nice spring weather here in Detroit. Even with my stuffy nose, I can still smell the blooming lilacs!

Speaking of spring, it's Earth Day on April 22nd. Plant flowers or a tree and clean up your corner of the world.

There are tons of good eats going on in the city this week. Fill your tummy and get out there and enjoy Detroit!

Weekend Roundup

1. Dine & Drive in the D - In need of a break from the office for lunch or an early dinner? Head to the New Center area for a food truck rally and get your grub on! April 20th.

2. Detroit Restaurant Week - The sixth incarnation of the Detroit feeding frenzy features 21 restaurants offering a 3-course menu for $28. April 20—29.

3. Fifth Annual Dossin Rowing Regata - The Detroit Rowing Club will take on two crews from Toledo, Ohio on the Detroit River. April 22nd.

4. Oregon Shadow Theatre's Thumbelina - Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale is updated by taking Thumbelina through the flower power and music of the 1960's & 70's. April 22nd.

5. Motor City Bike & Brew Tours: Prohibition History - Enjoy a bike ride from the Traffic Jam and Snug to Belle Isle and back while learning about Detroit's bootlegging, rumrunners and gangs during prohibition. April 22nd.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

I'm still on vacation in Bournemouth, England. We head to London Monday morning. But...even after a stumble yesterday, the Detroit Tigers are off to a fantastic start of the season. And our Red Wings are going to need some extra cheering to pick up a win in Music City.

Get out there and enjoy Detroit!

Weekend Roundup

1. Detroit Moth StorySLAM - The theme this month for the 5-minute story extravaganza is "Silver Lining." You know, always look on the bright side of life and such. Also, did you know you can now by Moth tickets in advance? It's true! April 12th.

2. 2012 Michigan Pinball Expo - Are you a pinball wizard? Over 100 pinball and video games are featured (no quarters needed, play is included in admission) and/or you can play in the tournaments. This is a family friendly event. April 12—15.

3. Jay and Silent Bob Get Old! - Film icons Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes perform live at the old Redford Theatre as they record their popular podcast. April 13.

4. Pewabic Pottery Staff & Student Exposition - The opening reception for the 41st annual event showcases the diversity and creative range of Pewabic Pottery. April 13th.

5. Greenfield Village - Step back in time as the historic village opens for the season. From Henry Ford's Model T to Edison's original light bulb and the Wright Brothers' Cylce Shop, Greenfield Village has something for everyone. Opening for the season: April 14th.

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

Detroit Moxie's Weekend Roundup

Paws and Detroit Moxie!Many people would say that today is the best day of the year. Our Detroit Tigers swing back into action at Comerica Park with Justin Verlander on the mound. Downtown will be buzzing in more ways than one.

I’ll be missing the game as I’m jetting off to England today but GO TIGERS! May you all have a good Easter and Passover. Now, get out there and enjoy all the cool things to do in Detroit!

Weekend Roundup

1. Detroit Tigers Opening Day - Play ball! It's time for the first pitch of the season as our Tigers take on the Boston Red Sox at Comerica Park. Don't have tickets? Check out these opening day parties. April 5th.

2. Opening Day Food Truck Rally - You need some food to go with your baseball, right? Head to Campus Martius for some cool eats and live music. April 5th.

3. Marshmallow Drops - What's better than thousands of marshmallows dropping from the sky? Um, nothing! There are two marshmallow drops in Wayne County and one in Southfield. April 6th.

4. The Shrine Circus - Step right up and enter the bigtop for all sorts of family fun in Hazel Park. Clowns, big cats and more. April 6—8.

5. Bunnyville at the Detroit Zoo - Hop on down to Bunnyville featuring costumed characters, a live musical, games, crafts and the Easter Bunny. April 7th.

Bonus: The Incredible Shrinking Man

Do you know of a great event going on in Metro Detroit this weekend? Add it to the comments and share it with us!

My Dad: Future Detroit Tiger circa 1959

I love that this letter comes from Briggs Stadium. I love that there aren’t any zip codes and that “City” is enough to let the United States Postal Service know where to deliver it. And I love that they call him Bob. He's always been Bob.

But what I love most about this letter is that it is addressed to MY DAD. He was quite the ballplayer in his day and besides playing in the Detroit Public School league, he would also bus up to Pontiac during the summer and play up there.

You have been recommended as a future professional baseball player to the Detroit Tiger Organization.

How awesome is that? Can you even imagine this letter dropping in your mailbox?

Also, think about how far away Detroit and Pontiac were in 1959! I-75 was just a glimmer in the Department of Transportation's mind.

This letter is a mystery and a love letter all rolled into one.

My dad was a left-handed pitcher and THE DETROIT TIGERS asked him to tryout for their baseball team! Back then they didn’t rest a pitchers arm. Hell, even when my brother played little league in the 70s, you pitched as many innings as needed.

There have been many myths circulating through the family—and my mind—about what happened on August 15, 1959. “Did he go?” was just the beginning of the rabbit hole that the mind will take you down.

He went. He didn’t make the team. My parents didn’t meet until 1964 so it’s pretty safe to say that I wouldn’t exist if he made the team. After all, we know what baseball players are like.

My dad has told me two different versions of the story. One version was recited over 10 years ago—possibly over beers—and the other just this last August. I won’t tell you all the details because, well, it took me 30 to 40 years to find out what I do know and I’ve enjoyed the mystery.

I will tell you one thing, my dad and Willie Horton were contemporaries in the Detroit Public School league. My dad went to Pershing and Horton was with Northwestern. In fact, Horton is just 3 days older than my dad. When I pressed my dad about Horton last August he confessed, he pitched against him in the DPS league and walked him with the bases loaded. D'oh!

My dad as a young boy in Detroit, ready to play ball.Since that isn’t the way this story was is supposed to end, I’ll tell you another myth about my dad. He lost all his teeth when he was a young teen and has been wearing dentures ever since. My dad is the eldest of six children and my grandparents weren’t rich. He had to get adult dentures before he was really ready for them so his high school graduation picture—with the big white teeth and the widow's peak—looks a bit like Dracula. Or a vampire, which would be totally hip and trendy today.

What I still don’t know is how he lost his teeth. It was either a baseball, a baseball bat or a hockey puck. Really, that’s all I know. And I’m OK with that. What I do know? My dad is pretty awesome.

P.S. My mom may or may not have dated a local Hamtramck boy—BEFORE she met my father—who has gone on to be associated with another Major League Baseball team. My mom is pretty amazing too!

Ah, the mystery!