West Michigan Whitecaps: Your Summer Tradition

With dozens of themed nights, special giveaways, new food/drink choices and a variety of entertainment options, families who attend a West Michigan Whitecaps game get so much more than a baseball game.

The Whitecaps have been a West Michigan summer tradition since 1994, when they first took up residence in what was then known as Old Kent Park in Comstock Park. (It’s now branded LMCU Ballpark.) Over the years, the ‘Caps have switched their major league affiliation from the Oakland Athletics to the Detroit Tigers, won six championship titles and even garnered national attention for their food menu.

The ‘Caps are looking forward to an exciting 2024 season, the 31st year the team has been part of the West Michigan community. In between, there are 130 games, 64 of them at home – giving you plenty of opportunity to come out for an afternoon or evening of good, old-fashioned fun. The first home game is April 9 (playing the Quad Cities River Bandits) and the season closes with an October 8 home against in-state rival the Lansing Lugnuts. In all, the ‘Caps will play 132 games in 2024, 66 of them at home – giving you plenty of opportunity to come out for an afternoon or evening of good, old-fashioned fun.

We’re welcoming back a new season of baseball by taking a look at what’s new for 2024 – with a nod to some of the most popular features of the past.

New Promotions

The ‘Caps strive to provide fun fan experiences as well as great baseball games. Every home game features some sort of giveaway and/or theme, including:

• Bobblehead giveaways on May 11, June 11, July 3, July 25, August 6 & September 7.
• Giveaways of scarves (April 9), beach hats (April 24), plush pop toys (May 10 & 29), first responder hats (June 12), and tiaras & pirate hats (June 14).
• Theme Nights such as a Bluey & Bingo Meet & Greet (May  31 & June 1); Princess & Pirate Night (June 14); Star Wars Night (June 22); Marvel Super Hero Day (July 20); and Super Splash Day (July 24), when the playground inside the ballpark is transformed into a waterpark.
• BATTER UP! (July 26), a chance for everyone to step onto the field and take a swing at a ball – every batter wins a prize.

There’s much, much more in store for fans this year – check the promotions schedule for full details.

New Food

Ever since the ‘Caps garnered international attention for its 4,800-calorie Fifth Third Burger in 2009, they’ve made a habit of introducing fun new concessions each year. Special menu items for 2024 include Pulled Pork on a Pretzel Bun, Jalapeno Bacon Firecrackers, Tony Capp’s Big Beef Sandwiches, Cheese Wedges, Rice Bowls, Dugout Tots, Ice Cream Sliders, Charcuterie Snack Trays and a Frycuterie Box filled with waffle fries, mini mashers, cheese curds and jalapeno bacon firecrackers.

Even if you’re not a huge fan of baseball, the food – and the many local and national craft beverages available – will make for an enjoyable outing.

New Ballpark Improvements

The Whitecaps are in the midst of a multi-year project to modernize LMCU Ballpark into a state-of-the-art facility that will serve West Michigan for generations to come. New home and visitors’ clubhouses, a state-of-the-art batting cage area and enhanced field lighting have all been installed for opening day 2024.

Upcoming upgrades include a 200-person guest suite, concourse-level boxes for fans to rent, a new stadium entrance, a 360-degree concourse to allow people to walk around the field and exterior projects to accommodate non-game events.

You can learn more about LMCU stadium enhancements here.

New Coaching Staff

Tony Cappuccilli, who spent the last two seasons coaching the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens, is the newly installed Whitecaps Manager for the 2024 season. He heads a staff of both experienced ‘Caps coaches and newcomers to the organization.

Same Affordable Family Fun

At $11 per person for lawn seating, it’s hard to find more bang for your buck in terms of family fun. If you prefer traditional seating, you can spring for reserved seats ($15 each), box seats ($17) or premium box seats ($20). View the seating chart here.

Watch in Luxury

Hate standing in line? You can purchase Safeco 4Topps premium seating for games, which reserves a table for four and includes wait service, so you don’t have to join the queue for food and drinks. The tables run for $160 and sell out quickly, so grab one ASAP if you’re interested.

Weekly Promotions

These longstanding promotions are enduringly popular, so the ‘Caps are bringing them back for 2024 home games:

• Tuesday Bulletin Nights: get half off box or reserved seats when you show a worship or community bulletin.
• Silver Slugger Wednesdays: half off box or reserved seats for fans age 50 or over with ID.
• Thrifty Thursdays: $3 20 oz. domestic beers, $3 hot dogs and $3 Pepsi products, plus half off reserved seats or lawn tickets when you show your active college or military ID.
• HopCat Fry-Days: all fans get a coupon for FREE Cosmik Fries at HopCat beerpub if the Whitecaps win.
• Saturday Fireworks: stick around for a spectacular fireworks show after Saturday home games.
• Corewell Health Family Sundays: the first 1,000 kids 12 and under eat FREE, and kids can run the bases after the game.

Las Calaveras de West Michigan

The Whitecaps are transforming into Las Calaveras de West Michigan on three dates – June 2, July 27 and August 25 – to celebrate Hispanic/Latino culture and the influence it’s had on America’s pastime. There will be fun giveaways, food, special team uniforms and more.

Beer City Bung Hammers

The ‘Caps are changing their name to the Beer City Bung Hammers for one night only – August 23 – in honor of Grand Rapids (a.k.a. Beer City USA). There will be beer, bungs and bung hammer-themed games all night long.

Grand Rapids Dam Breakers

To help raise awareness of the Grand River restoration project, the ‘Caps will take the field as the Grand Rapids Dam Breakers on August 10. A portion of all sales will benefit the Grand Rapids Whitewater Project.

Community Engagement

The Whitecaps are proud to help raise awareness and support great causes in the local community. Highlights include:

• Paint the Park Pink (May 12), which celebrates Mother’s Day and raises awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
• Peanut Free Games (May 28 & 29), when no peanuts will be served within the park, making it a safe venue for anyone with severe peanut allergies.
• Pride Night (June 13), offering a special Pride Night ticket package that includes a Whitecaps Pride t-shirt. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Grand Rapids Pride Center, which serves the local 2-SLGBTQ+ community.
• Negro League Appreciation Night (August 8), supporting the Urban League of West Michigan.
• Rivalry Night (August 22), benefitting the Michael Sadler Foundation, which recognizes scholar athletes, and ChadTough, which works to defeat difficult-to-treat brain tumors typically found in children.

Visit the West Michigan Whitecaps’ website and Facebook page for ticket information and opportunities to have fun throughout the season.

Reserve your tickets now and get in the swing of this fantastic summer tradition!