Songs in the key of (Old English) D: Tigers debut organist against Astros

Dave Calendine searched the archives, and combing the full history of Comerica Park — dating back to 2000 — he came up with no notes.

And so he played his own.

On Friday night, against the Houston Astros, Calendine became the Detroit Tigers' first organist at the corner of Adams and Witherell.

The Tigers carved out space for Calendine and his Hauptwerk organ, which features four keyboards, 32 foot pedals and two computer monitors, in the press box for his debut during their 5-2 loss to the Astros.

"It's fun bringing back an old tradition that's never been here," said Calendine, who donned a Tigers jersey with No. 61 on Friday night — not in honor of former closer Shane Greene, but in tribute to the 61 keys on each of the four keyboards. "It's just part of baseball."

Calendine, who also plays for the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, is currently scheduled to play the organ for Friday, Saturday and Sunday home games at Comerica Park throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.

"With the possibility of adding more games," Calendine said.

The debut of an organist at Comerica Park had been in the works for a few weeks, beginning with an idea from the Tigers' park operations department within business operations. The franchise's former home, Tiger Stadium (1912-1999) at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, featured an organist. So why not the new one?

Pete Soto, the vice president of game presentation and fan experience, played a role in getting Calendine — and his electric organ — into the press box, as did members of other departments.

"This is normally in my living room," Calendine said.

Calendine, 52, grew up in Warren, Ohio, but he moved to Detroit when he became a house organist at the Fox Theatre, starting in March 1996. He is employed by Olympia Entertainment, a division of Ilitch Holdings.

And he lives just a block away from Comerica Park.

If it were up to him, Calendine would play the organ for the Tigers for all home games, not just on the weekends. He received widespread praise from the fans on social media for his performance in his Comerica Park debut.

The fans want more of him at the ballpark.

"I love it," Calendine said. "It's such a part of baseball history. To bring that back is really exciting."