Screen Shot of "Eat Em Up Tigers Guy" from YouTube screen shot.

DETROIT — The rhythmic percussion of the change cup, his street maraca, has gone silent.

On Saturday evening, at the corner of East Montcalm and Witherell outside Detroit Tigers Comerica Park, the gray-bearded Tigers fan who nearly everyone who went to games knew wasn't bellowing and hyping fans with his trademarked chant, "Eat 'em up Tigers, eat 'em up."

Jack VanHorn, known as "the eat 'em up Tigers guy," died about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Also killed was a well-known Detroit panhandler "Dreadlock Mike," who had thick dreadlocks and used a wheelchair after losing a portion of his legs.

Both men were killed in a hit-and-run on Gratiot near Russell about 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The driver has not been identified and police have not confirmed the names of the two victims.

On the corner of Woodward and East Montcalm, with Comerica Park at his back, 58-year-old street saxist Jack Bostic, known by his street name, "Black Jack," unscrews the reed to his brass instrument and lays it in a black case filled with but a few dollars in change.

It's still a half hour until the Detroit Tigers play the Philadelphia Phillies. The crowds are passing in droves. It's an opportune time for busking, but "Black Jack" says he doesn't have it in him.

"He was my friend," Bostic said. "I was out here to meet him today. When I got out here, I stopped in Hockeytown and they told me that he was dead. I've been distraught ever since.

"I'm just totally in shock, standing up here right now in shock. I can't believe it. Every game. We didn't miss a game. I talked to him yesterday and he told me he'd meet me back up here today."

The few songs Bostic does blow are somber. He dedicates "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" to VanHorn.

About 20 yards east of "Black Jack," two bouquets of flower lay in the grass as a memorial to VanHorn.

Nearby is Patrick McCoy, another friend of VanHorn's.

"Eat 'em up Tigers passed away last night," he tells passing Tigers fans while holding up a black T-shirt with 'Eat Em Up' printed on the front in orange letters. "We're trying to sell T-shirts to give the man a proper funeral. Can you guys help us out."

McCoy assists Terry Londy, who provided the shirts and is the founder of Always a Shoulder, a nonprofit that supports children who have lost a parent.



"We raised a ton of money to help kids" with these shirts, "I think it's only fitting that we shift focus this weekend, sell these and try to give this man a proper funeral," he said. "My Facebook profile pic is him and I. I'm a big Tigers fan so every time I came to the game I'd talk to the guy. I know he doesn't have much as far as any help... setting up a proper funeral."

Londy said he started the fundraising effort independently and hasn't been in touch with any of VanHorn's relatives.

Londy sold 14 shirts Saturday and took multiple orders for others. Anyone who want to donate or contact the organization to place a T-shirt order may visit its website.

"It hit us pretty hard," says Floyd Roberts, 64, of Jackson a Tiger fan who just doled out $20 for a T-shirt. He heard the news on the drive to the game.

"We always stopped and talked to him, had some good laughs, he was a nice guy," Roberts says. "He was probably the biggest Tigers fan there was.

"He was a legend."

Related: "Eat Em Up Tigers" James Van Horn killed in hit-and-run







