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From Hanoi to the Motor City

12 October 06
by Austin Kelley

I know only one hardcore Detroit Tigers fan: Magnum, P.I. He drives a Ferrari and lives on a lavish Hawaiian estate, but Thomas Magnum’s no snob. He always wears a blue baseball cap with a gothic “D” on it. That makes him a bona fide regular guy.

When “Magnum, P.I.” premiered in 1980, that Tigers hat carried a heavy historical load. At the time, the Vietnam War was portrayed soberly by the media; it was the open wound of American history. Then series creator Donald P. Bellisario and Tom Selleck resurrected it, moved it to Oahu, gave it a sports-car sheen, threw in a Tigers hat and a rubber chicken, and created the soul of a modern American hero.

The Tigers’ history had a lot to do with Magnum’s appeal. One of the original American League teams, they had a storied past with four World Series victories, including a dramatic 1968 victory over the Cardinals while Magnum was still fighting the Cong. Down three games to one, the Tigers stormed back and beat Bob Gibson in the seventh. But after that they had slipped into mediocrity. By 1979 they routinely finished well out of the playoff race.

Tom Selleck was born in the Motor City, and I’m sure he had personal reasons to don the big “D” (Later Selleck even got to play in a pre-season game). But for Magnum, it was symbolic. It meant that he was in touch with the heartland. He supported an underdog—an underdog with potential. He was American. I loved Magnum as a kid, but looking back on his privileged lifestyle, it’s not surprising that Tom Selleck is a right winger or that he played Dwight Eisenhower in a TV movie.

The Tigers, meanwhile, won the Series again in 1984. (Perhaps Magnum’s fictional fandom buoyed the team.) In the post-Magnum era, they’ve been terrible, never reaching the playoffs. In 1992, the team was bought by Mike Illich, who runs the pizza empire called Little Caesars (no relation to any other Caesars). He led the club to a record twelve straight losing seasons, then dismantled their historic ballpark to build the generally despised Comerica field. The Tigers posted a record 109 losses in 2003.

This year the team is re-born. The Little Caesars stormed through the regular season, then beat up on the big bullies from the Bronx, called the “Yankees” (That name that no longer evokes the Civil War and Reconstruction, but instead conjures a shipping magnate in a blue blazer. Is Steinbrenner the real Robin Masters?) A lot of people have dusted off their old Tigers caps for the playoffs. Not Magnum. His hat is now a relic in the Smithsonian. It’s official: Magnum, his Tigers fandom, and his Reagan-era optimism are history. I wonder what kind of baseball fans Iraq will produce.

Maybe our new heroes will be more like Icepick – the invisible hand of Oahu. Icepick was a gangster/bookie on “Magnum P.I.,” who secretly ran things throughout Hawaii and maybe beyond. He had a strange sort of moral weight on the show. Who does Icepick root for? The Yanks?

  1. I don’t usually like to point out the 2003 season, but the Tigers actually lost 119 games that season. Not a mere 109.
    Also, as far as I know Comerica Park was never despised. It was Ilitch who was hated for abandoning Tiger Stadium like he did. It was never dismantled either. Tiger Stadium still sits empty today.

    — Jeremy in the D    Oct 15, 11:45 PM    #

  2. Jeremy, Thanks for the corrections. Indeed, it was 119 games lost. And you’re right: Tigers Stadium is still intact. But for how long? I had read that they were going to dismantle it this fall, auction off the parts, and build condos. But I think the project is on hold.

    — Austin    Oct 16, 06:57 PM    #

  3. Dude, save the Left-wing hackery for the New York Times. Who cares (besides you) what politics Selleck has?

    — Rudy    Oct 25, 11:24 PM    #

  4. Wow, Rudy… I see you made it over here via the NY Times bats blog, just like me. It’s good to know people like you read. Keep pluggin’ away, buddy, there may be hope for this nation yet.

    — Joe    Oct 25, 11:51 PM    #

  5. Where’s the funny, Joe?

    Don’t worry, I’m sure your non-armpit shaving, Gaia-worshipping, vast Right wing conspiracy- believing girlfriend/spouse laughed at your witless non-humor.

    So, you’ve got that going for you.

    Which is nice.

    — Rudy    Oct 26, 12:40 AM    #

  6. Quite witty, Rudy, but I think you should have made Joe out to be gay. Then he REALLY would have felt insulted.

    Thinking out loud here… you’re directly alluding to a quote from Bill Murray’s character from “Caddyshack.” Do you realize you’re doing that, and therefore asking us to associate you with a masturbatory stoner sociopath, or was the quote unconcious because you have become so like the character, either by design or breeding?

    — John    Nov 2, 01:26 AM    #