Brighton baseball coach Charlie Christner laughs when reminded of his appearance in the coaches association all-star game at Comerica Park.
He was a pitcher then. On Saturday, April 28, he’ll lead the Bulldogs as coach against Grosse Pointe South in a game that starts at 7 p.m.
“We let them know about a month ago this was going to happen,” he said. “To play in a facility like that, the park where Miguel Cabrera plays, is a big deal for them.”
The Bulldogs are among six teams playing in the inaugural Comerica Park High School Baseball showcase, a tripleheader that starts at 1 p.m. Anchor Bay plays Grosse Pointe North in the first game, Port Huron plays South Lyon East at 4 p.m. with the Brighton-South game at 7 p.m.
“We were contacted by the Tigers about two months ago,” Christner said. “They were looking for some teams to play, and we jumped at the opportunity to do it.”
Tickets are $5, and can be purchased from Christner either by contacting him through the Brighton High School athletic department, or by emailing him at christc@brightonk12.com.
“The cost is $3,000 to play the game,” he said. “They gave us 600 tickets, and if we sell them all, then we’ve made our quota on that.”
Christner says about 400 tickets are still available. Admission is good for all three games.
“The players are going to get there early, and (the Tigers) will give them a behind-the-scenes tour,” he said. “Clubhouses, press areas, and a lot of things they’ll be able to see, plus the opportunity to play on the field.”
Tickets are also available at the game, but the money would go to the Tigers, rather than the teams involved.
Christner hasn’t been on the field at Comerica Park since that all-star game, but he’s looking forward to being there, too.
“I’ll be in the third-base coach’s box or in the dugout,” he said. “That will be fine by me.”
When it was pointed out that Christner stands well off the line when coaching from the box at high school games, he laughed.
“I might go way down the left-field line,” he joked.
