Jack White has quietly ticked off a milestone that’s been years in the making: attending a game at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums.
The final stop in his cross-country pilgrimage came over the weekend in Philadelphia, where the Detroit Tigers faced off against the Phillies. White was in the stands to witness his beloved Tigers claim the win, completing a journey he described as a “longtime mission” on Instagram.
The former White Stripes front man has never made a secret of his love for baseball. Over the years, it’s become a defining feature of his off-stage persona not unlike his obsession with analogue tape or vintage guitars. He’s thrown out ceremonial first pitches, performed the national anthem, helped fund the restoration of a historic Detroit park he used to play in, and even dabbled in the business side by investing in a bat company.
His final visit at Citizens Bank Park was marked with photos posted to his social media, showing him in the stands, low-key as always. It’s the latest in a long line of baseball sightings for White, who was last spotted at a Cubs vs Dodgers clash earlier this year, sitting alongside Bill Murray and wearing a jersey gifted by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder in Japan.
While his stadium-hopping feat is worthy of a quiet round of applause, it’s not entirely out of character. White’s relationship with the sport has always been more than performative. He’s played in charity games, featured on official Topps baseball cards, and even used a bat as part of his pre-show ritual.
The accomplishment also comes not long after another personal first: becoming, in his words, the “reluctant owner of a cellular telephone” to mark his 50th birthday. A long-time holdout, White has famously banned phones at his concerts and spoken openly about what he calls society’s “addiction” to voyeurism and digital distraction.
For now, though, the spotlight’s off the stage and on the bleachers and White’s mission, at last, is complete.
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