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Prince Fielder signing brings back memories...that may or may not have happened

Friday January 27, 2012 Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago by Dan Cash

He may not remember but there are certainly stories all around Metro Detroit about Prince Fielders days as a young boy in the area.  I'll share the one I always heard.  Somewhere around the early 1990's Prince Fielders youth league team came to Bosco Field in Novi, Michigan.  The field is no longer in it's location...it was developed and most of it is either homes or a large field next to the Bosco family home off Beck Road and 11 mile road. There was a point however when I heard stories of Prince Fielder coming to the park.

At the time Cecil Fielder was starring with the Detroit Tigers and Prince was the talk-of-the-town.  He was seen in the dugout, running on the field and taking batting practice.  It was however this story that probably made it's way to every single playground in Metro Detroit that everyone was talking about.  

Somewhere early on it began making the rounds that Cecil wasn't able to attend Prince's Little League games because of his star power.  So Fielder would sit in his windows tinted vehicle watching his son play.  That story morphed into a time that the younger Fielder once hit a line drive through his fathers windshield.  

As stories started coming out that Fielder was going to sign with the Tigers I started telling co-workers about this story.  Somewhere along the way I realized it has morphed from Fielder hitting the homerun into his fathers windshield somewhere to Fielder hitting the homerun at Bosco Field in Novi, I was playing against him and I saw Cecil Fielder get out of the car.  

Maybe it's true.  Maybe it's not but I know one thing: the legends are MAJOR when it comes to Prince Fielders Little League accomplishments in the early 1990's.  Here's to hoping he shatters some more windshields over the statues in right center at Comerica Park.

(Photo is courtesy of Reuters)

Tigers owner Mike Illitch elevated himself to being the most beloved owner in sports by signing Fielder Thursday.  I read a story saying how you can't sign players like that in Cleveland or Pittsburgh.  In Detroit...in Michigan...the Tigers can because the Illitch family generously shares its money to make Detroit a winning city.

 

That's what I call a great owner.  Fielders back...because Mike Illitch put his money where his mouth is and now the Detroit Tigers are back as favorites of the American League Central Division in 2012.