A public memorial display will begin Monday at Comerica Park in Detroit honour Mike Ilitch.
The longtime owner of the Red Wings, Tigers and founder of Little Caesars Pizza passed away Friday at the age of 87.
Windsor's Joe Siddall, a former Tiger player and now Blue Jays broadcaster, says Ilitch had a large positive impact on not just Detroit, but Windsor as well.
"I know we were all very aware of his health that seemed to be deteriorating, but I have not heard too much about that lately. Of course, we knew he was getting a bit older but I did not know anything was immediate or sudden so it was sad news." says Siddall.
He says Ilitch genuinely cared about his teams.
"For Tiger and Red Wing fans they know what kind of owner he has been. Most Tiger people understand what a great sports owner he was. He did not hold back. He had a passion for this game and he wanted to win as much as anyone," says Siddall.
He says he will remember Ilitch as an avid baseball fan.
"The most special memory for me is this is the man that really had a passion for the game of baseball. We know about the pizzas and we know about the Detroit Red Wings and what he did for that organization. But his passion was baseball. He was a former minor league player for the Detroit Tigers and he showed that," added Siddall.