Detroit Athletic Co. City Beat

City Beat (July 11, 2007) By Scott Bolohan Jul 10, 2007, 09:54

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Detroit Athletic Co.
You Can Leave Your Hat On

Since Tiger Stadium closed in 1999, much has changed, most noticeably the team’s win/loss record and that their former haunts have deteriorated to not much more than ghosts of the past.

One thing that hasn’t changed is a store just down Michigan Avenue. In the shadow of the old stadium sits a Detroit institution, formerly known by fans as the Designated Hatter, that today calls itself the Detroit Athletic Co.

Run by President Steve Thomas and his brother David, the store, specializing in Detroit sports apparel and memorabilia, has remained in the same place as it originated some 22 years ago. The Thomas brothers have a history of business around Tiger Stadium, dating back to when they were 13 and 11, respectively, sold peanuts outside the ballpark at the corner of Cochrane and Kaline Drive.

“My brother and I used to come downtown when my dad owned a restaurant in the area and some parking lots around the stadium," Steve said. "It was opening day of 1982 [when] we started to sell peanuts in the street corner, and within a couple of years the Tigers had a world championship team and we were selling hats and T-shirts and all the paraphernalia."

As the team’s success grew, so did the boys' profits. By 1984, they started the first incarnation of the Designated Hatter as a concession trailer, expanding from peanuts to clothing and other apparel. Following the championship season in 1984, they opened up the store at its current location of 1744 Michigan Avenue.

In the now seventh year that the neighboring ballpark has sat vacant, Steve claims business is as good as ever. “Things are very good actually. We do just as much business today as we did when the Tigers were playing at Tiger Stadium,” he said. “We really have become one of the few retail destination stores in the city of Detroit. We have a pretty broad customer base. It’s not unusual for people to drive up from places like Ohio or Indiana just to shop here. We offer a pretty unique selection of historical baseball merchandise that most retailers don’t carry. Because of our unique product selection we are able to draw people from far and wide.”

The recent revived interest in the Tigers has brought more business to the store, despite its distance from the games. “There’s always a spike when you have a local team doing well, and the Tigers are definitely a boost to our business,” Steve said. “There’s usually a spike on game days because there are more people downtown, but this is a year-round business for us.”

Despite the Tigers' move from their longtime home, the Detroit Athletic Co. has no plans of relocating nearer to Comerica Park. Steve has proposed ways to save the historic stadium in the past and he still hopes that something can be done to keep the landmark from the wrecking ball.

“As a baseball historian, I’d love to see Tiger Stadium preserved in some fashion, maybe like a Navin Field configuration," Steve explains. "I think there’s tremendous untapped value at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull that could be turned into something really magical.” | RDW