Five Major League Baseball players from the Detroit Tigers, members of their families and team staff visited the Pentagon today ahead of the team’s three-game series tomorrow against the Washington Nationals.
During the visit, the more than two dozen visitors from the Midwest were given a full VIP Pentagon tour, followed by the opportunity to take photos inside the press briefing room.
“We’re so happy to have you join us today. You all represent so much more than just baseball; you really embody the spirit of Detroit — the grit of the Midwest,” Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told the group.
Wilson went on to express thanks from the Defense Department for the Tigers’ “unwavering support for service members and veterans,” noting visits by the team to military installations to boost troop morale, as well as the various charitable initiatives the Tigers organization engages in.
“Even the smallest gestures of your appreciation [make] a huge difference, and it goes a really long way with the folks that I work with every day … all across the DOD and all of our deployed forces across the globe,” Wilson told the group.
As one example of the team’s commitment to their local community — as well as the military — Wilson highlighted that the Detroit Tigers Foundation recently donated $30,000 to Fisher House Detroit in support of free lodging for families of veterans hospitalized at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.
“That really shows just how much you care and how much patriotism you exude when you [interact] with our veterans and with your community,” she said.
Wilson also offered a shoutout to one of the visiting athletes, Tigers starting pitcher Sawyer Gipson-Long, who has seven family members who have served in multiple branches of the military between World War II and the Global War on Terrorism.
