DETROIT (WWJ) - Optimism is in the air at Comerica Park Thursday morning, as the Detroit Tigers begin their 2012 season. And fans have been ready since the wee-hours of the morning.

Opening day in Detroit is always a big party. Click here for more information about activities around the ballpark.

Al Kaline will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the start of the season opener between the Tigers and the Boston Red Sox. American Idol finalist Haley Reinhart will sing the national anthem and Thornetta Davis will be singing God Bless American during the seventh inning stretch.

Pre-game festivities will also include a military flyover featuring the 107th Fighter Squadron "Red Devils" flying the A-10C Warthog from Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

Listen to a recap of WWJ's Opening Day morning broadcast:

AccuWeather's Dean DeVore said weather for opening day looks great, with a mix of sun and clouds. He said temperatures will be approximately 48 degrees at the time of the first pitch.

Fans started gathering well before the ballpark gates opened at 10:30 a.m., like Dale Abule of Grosse Ile, who said it was hard falling asleep last night. He's among the many who are making bold predictions for their home team sluggers.

Hear all of the action on 97.1 FM, The Ticket.

"I'm thinking World Series, just to put it in a brief fashion. I think the player potential, the attitude of the players, the talent of the players, to sum it all up it's the World Series," said Abule.

Tigers Jerseys At The Opening Day Block Party

Christine Wafford of Canton is predicting even more for Detroit's sports teams.

"We have to get the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup, the Lions to win the Super Bowl and the Tigers to win the World Series, the trifecta, that's my prediction," said Wafford.

Mike Kampfer and Steve Beaubien, both from Eastpointe, started their tailgate before the sun came up.

"Opening Day in Detroit is like no other opening day anywhere else," said Beaubien. "We got down here around 1:30. We've got the pork butts grilling right now, and we've got the other grill to keep us warm."

View photos from Opening Day 2012

Former state lawmaker Curtis Hertel said the excitement at the ballpark is unbelievable.

"The talent on the team, I mean I can't recall a year quite like this. You've got to go back to 1984 and the expectations for that team to find something even close to this," said Hertel.

Long-time Detroit Tigers broadcaster Jim Price said Tigers fans are really in for a treat this year.

"They have so many fellas in the line up that one swing of the bat could change the game. I'm not sure many other teams have something like that, and that puts so much pressure on the opposing pitcher to keep making key pitches all throughout the game, and it's very tough to do," said Price.

Christopher Ilitch, President and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, was asked about some of the competition the Tigers might have to claw past if they're going to make it to the World Series this year.

"I think at the very least, we're going to have a very exciting team. There's a lot of plots and subplots that we're going to watch unfold this year which will be a lot of fun as a fan. But, we're all hopeful and excited," said Ilitch.

Listen to his full interview:

The players are gearing up for the start of their season too. Tigers pitcher Phil Coke expects the fans to be wild.

"I hope it's nuts. I hope it's off the chain crazy," said Coke.

Tigers catcher Alex Avila said he has high hopes for his team this season.

"We've got to win a World Series and if not, you  know, that's why we play the game," said Avila.

Making his debut with the Tigers, Prince Fielder is one player that many fans are excited to see this season. So, is he nervous?

"I don't know about nervous, a little, I'd say anxious. I think I'm just excited, more than anything," said Fielder. "I've got to play one game at a time and I'm just here to play hard for my team."

Tigers CEO Dave Dombrowski said fans have a reason to be excited about Fielder -- it's the biggest deal he's ever been involved in.

"It's the biggest deal of my life, as far as signing a player is concerned. I feel very good about it because he's a quality player and of course, Mike Ilitch was instrumental in making that happen. He really was the one who stepped forward and said 'Let's do something,'" said Dombrowski.

Listen to his full interview:

More importantly than going downtown and having a good time is making sure you make it home safely. Central District Police Commander Kenneth Williams is reminding fans to follow the rules, especially when it comes to parking.

"We will be addressing illegal parking, we're not going to really deal with the meters too much but anybody in tow away zones, loading zones, blocking fire hydrants, driveways, things of that nature. We will be ticketing and towing," said Williams.

He said that students from the University of Michigan and Wayne State University will help issue warning citations to help prevent vehicle break-ins. Williams said not to leave any valuables visible.

"It's almost a common sense thing, you know, if you leave your laptop case in the back seat, people will presume your laptop is in there. If you leave your GPS on the dashboard, they're going to take it," said Williams.

Opening day in Detroit is always a big party. Click here for more information about activities around the ballpark.

Hear all of the action on 97.1 FM, The Ticket.

View photos from Opening Day 2012

Tigers Jerseys At The Opening Day Block Party