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Tigers start with same team in 'unreal' renovated spring training home

LAKELAND, Fla. — Early Tuesday morning, catchers James McCann and Alex Avila walked out of the Detroit Tigers’ brand-new, stunningly beautiful player development building and headed to the practice fields at TigerTown.

They came down the new concrete steps and approached a gate to the field.

Avila, the veteran with strands of grey in his beard. And McCann, the starter who still is so young and fresh he barely needs to warm up before weight lifting.

Together again.

“After you,” Avila said, deferring to McCann, allowing him to go through the gate first.

They walked across the artificial turf field on the first day of workouts for the Tigers’ pitchers and catchers.