Detroit Tigers at top, so why not Detroit?

Hosting the World Series has given residents of the Motor City a welcome opportunity to show a game face to the world – and to themselves.

It's no secret, after all, that Detroit today is known more for its problems than for Motown rhythms or Midwestern industrial muscle.

Hardly any cities have faster falling populations. As for urban poverty, Detroit nearly tops the charts. Its key industry, automobiles, seems to be stuck in reverse gear.

This week's games provide a diversion from all that. But the fall classic – reviving an old rivalry with St. Louis – is something more as well.

It holds a mirror to the city's aspirations. Fans are rallying around a Tigers team that in four years has clawed its way from worst to first in its league.

That is bringing people, money, and national attention back to a downtown core that, many say, is on the mend. "We've seen a huge improvement" in recent years, says area resident Gilda Garcia. "Regardless of whether they win or lose [in the series], it's bringing a lot of people to the city."

She and her husband, Rolando Garcia, came into the city this weekend from their home in nearby Dearborn, joining legions of fans who displayed civic pride as well as Tiger loyalty by thronging the blocks around Comerica Park.

The series now shifts to St. Louis, where at least two games will be played. But for Detroit, although the first two games in the series weren't the most satisfyingly imaginable for fans, the economic imprint has already been significant.

Each home game of postseason play is a multimillion-dollar event. Millions of television viewers, meanwhile, have seen the city in the news for something other than auto-industry layoffs and plant closings. A gleaming ballpark, filled to capacity with people waving "Tiger towels," is welcome publicity for a team that in 2003 nearly set a record for most Major League losses.

The park was built as part of a downtown renewal effort that is now bearing fruit.

"There has been a conscious 10-year focusing of activity in a downtown center that didn't work," says Robin Boyle, an urban planning expert at Wayne State University here. "It still doesn't work very well, to be truthful, but it's making progress."

The ballpark and a nearby football stadium – which hosted the Super Bowl earlier this year – punctuate a revitalized entertainment district, with music clubs and theaters as well as restaurants. To occupy new office space, the downtown has also lured some big employers, led by Compuware and General Motors. In addition, civic leaders are creating new green space along the riverfront. Lofts, town houses, and other new residences are beckoning some young residents into the area.

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