West Michigan Whitecaps


The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and play their home games at LMCU Ballpark.
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Franchise history

The Midwest League came to the Grand Rapids area in 1994 upon the arrival of the former Madison Muskies. The Whitecaps were brought to West Michigan by local businessmen Lew Chamberlin and Dennis Baxter. The Whitecaps were affiliated with the Oakland Athletics before they joined the Tigers' farm system in 1997.
Their home ballpark is LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park. Before the 2002 season it was known as Old Kent Park; the name was changed when the park's title sponsor, Old Kent Bank, was purchased by Fifth Third Bank. Before the 2021 season, the Lake Michigan Credit Union renamed the venue "LMCU Ballpark". The team's official mascots are Crash the River Rascal, Roxy the River Rascal and Franky the Swimming Pig.
The franchise's attendance record of 547,401 was set in 1996.
Several league and team records were set during the 2006 season. The team posted the second best record in franchise history, going 89–48, including going 23–6 in July. Michael Hollimon hit 3 home runs in one game. Cameron Maybin hit 2 grand slams in the season. Michael Hernandez became the first person in the history of the Midwest League to hit for the cycle twice. The Whitecaps went on to defeat the Kane County Cougars in four games to win their fourth Midwest League Championship.
In 2009, the team drew the attention of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine after a, 4,800-calorie hamburger called the Fifth Third Burger was placed on the menu of the team's concession stand. It was so named in part for the ballpark sponsor and part for its 1.6666 pounds of meat. The Committee requested that the team put a label on the burger indicating that it was a "dietary disaster". To date, more than 100 fans, or about a half of the people who have attempted the challenge, have conquered the burger and earned a commemorative T-shirt. On July 15, 2009, Travel Channel's "Man v. Food" and its host Adam Richman came to Fifth Third Ballpark to attempt to conquer the burger in an episode of the popular show. The episode aired on September 30, 2009, wherein he successfully met the challenge. In 2012, The Whitecaps installed a new scoreboard and high resolution video display screen which was installed by TS Sports out of Dallas, Texas.
On January 3, 2014, a fire started in one of the suites. It spread and caused extensive damage, close to one half of the suites and 1st base concourse were destroyed. Thanks to extensive work, the park was restored and up and running by opening day.
Image:WestMichigan Whitecaps DSCN8265.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Whitecaps at home in Fifth Third Ballpark
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Whitecaps were organized into the High-A Central. In 2022, the High-A Central became known as the Midwest League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization.
In 2025, the Whitecaps won the Minor League Baseball Organization of the Year Award.

Postseason

The Whitecaps won the best-of-five Midwest League championship six times in six opportunities. They defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 1996, the Rockford Cubbies in 1998, the Kane County Cougars twice, the Beloit Snappers in 2007, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels twice, in 2015 and again in 2025. West Michigan is 59–32 all-time in playoff games.

Oakland Athletics affiliation

YearRecordResultsOpponents
19940–2Lost in First RoundRockford
19953–3Lost in Second RoundKane County, Michigan
19967–2Won ChampionshipLansing, Rockford, Wisconsin

Detroit Tigers affiliation

YearRecordResultsOpponents
19970–2Lost in First RoundFort Wayne
19987–2Won ChampionshipMichigan, Clinton, Rockford
20001–2Lost in First RoundDayton
20023–2Lost in Second RoundDayton, Lansing
20047–3Won ChampionshipLansing, South Bend, Kane County
20052–2Lost in Second RoundFort Wayne, South Bend
20067–2Won ChampionshipFort Wayne, Lansing, Kane County
20077–2Won ChampionshipLansing, South Bend, Beloit
20141–2Lost in First RoundFort Wayne
20157–3Won ChampionshipFort Wayne, Lansing, Cedar Rapids
20163–3Lost in Second RoundSouth Bend, Great Lakes
20171-2Lost in First RoundDayton
20182-2Lost in Second RoundGreat Lakes, Bowling Green
20254-0Won ChampionshipLake County, Cedar Rapids

Managers

Since 1994, the Whitecaps have had nine managers. In 2007, former Tigers' third baseman Tom Brookens became the fifth manager in the history of the Whitecaps.
Listed here is each manager and their won/loss record:

Detroit Tigers affiliation

Former Whitecaps in the majors

Below is a list of West Michigan Whitecaps who have played in the major leagues.

Oakland Athletics affiliation (1994–1996)

Detroit Tigers affiliation (1997–present)

Broadcasting

The Whitecaps returned to "The Ticket West Michigan" for the 2024 season with radio simulcast on four stations: 106.1-FM and 1340-AM in Grand Rapids. For home games, they produce a Radio/TV Simulcast, while the road games are produced as a traditional radio broadcast. Dan Hasty is the Voice of the Whitecaps and has also filled in on Detroit Tigers Radio Play-by-Play, as well as hosting the Road to Detroit Podcast from 2019-2022, as well as serving as TV broadcast voice of Men's Basketball for the University of Detroit Mercy, the Grand Rapids Rise of Major League Volleyball and the Grand Rapids Gold of the [NBA G-League.]

In popular culture

B-Roll footage of a game between the Whitecaps and South Bend Silver Hawks at Fifth Third Ballpark, was aired in Champ's Whammy! home runs scene in
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Officials with the West Michigan Whitecaps were unaware they would be featured in the movie and only found out after the movie was released in December 2013.