Talk about great customer service.

Tigers at Henry Ford Hospital

The Detroit Tigers traveled across Michigan – through our first “major” winter snow – as part of their annual Winter Caravan to thank fans and get them excited about the upcoming baseball season.

(Spring training and warmer weather are right around the corner!)

Henry Ford Hospital was one of many Detroit-area destinations on the 2012 Winter Caravan route.

We were thrilled to welcome Tigers Vice President and Assistant General Manager Al Avila and players Collin Balester, Brennan Boesch, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Hoffman, Andy Oliver, Ramon Santiago and Tyler Stohr, as well as the “voice of the Detroit Tigers” on Fox Sports Mario Impemba.

Tigers’ team physician Dr. Michael Workings of the Henry Ford Department of Family Medicine was also in attendance.

Henry Ford employees cheer for the Tigers

Our hospital team gave the Tigers an amazing Henry Ford welcome, cheering and swinging Tigers towels in the air.

Some employees even had the chance to ask the Tigers about their most memorable moments during the 2011 season, and a few lucky employees received special prizes from the Tigers.

The visit got me thinking about how  much Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Tigers actually have in common when it comes to our long history in Detroit.

Take 1968. It’s the year the Tigers won the World Series AND Henry Ford Hospital performed Detroit’s first kidney transplant.

Tom Nantis, Dr. Working and I with a jersey given to Henry Ford Hospital by the Tigers

Another World Series championship came in 1984, along with another transplant milestone at Henry Ford, Detroit’s first heart transplant.

More recently, the Tigers were named the 2011 AL Central Division Champions, while Henry Ford Hospital and Henry Ford Health System received the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

As I said at our Tigers rally, our employees truly have the heart of a Tiger and stand behind our Detroit baseball team for another great season.

Tom Nantais even volunteered to dust off that right arm that brought him fame for the Royal Oak Shrine and Wayne State University baseball teams, and throw batting practice for our guys!

Go Tigers!

Doc in the