Back to the Detroit Tigers Newsfeed

Why some Detroit Tigers prospects have a new motto: 'Live Like Numi'

Workouts at the Detroit Tigers' spring training complex resumed after a downpour made things briefly uncomfortable. Detroit Free Press

LAKELAND, Fla. — James Lopresti stood behind a fence on Friday afternoon outside Joker Marchant Stadium, wearing a Chace Numata tribute T-shirt.

Numata, a catcher at Double-A Erie last season, died Sept. 2 after a skateboarding accident.

“Hey dude, helluva jersey there,” Cam Gibson shouted at Lopresti while walking toward the barracks at Tiger Town. “Love that!”

A few minutes later, another minor-league player walked by without stopping and shouted: “Love that shirt.”

It happened over and over — a reminder of how the pain of Numata’s death hangs over the Tigers' camp.