July 31 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Andy Van Hekken

Gabe Kapler nailed me with a foul ball at Tiger Stadium as a Tiger.   Gabe started his professional baseball career as a Tiger draft pick in 1995 out of Cal State Fullerton, a well known baseball school.  He worked his way up the Tigers farm system showing great power.  He should have showed power as he was also a body builder.  In 1998 he was at AA Jacksonville and hit .322 with 28 homers when he got the call to the Tigers as a late season call up. In his debut he got his first MLB hit off of another late season call up for the Twins, Benj Sampson.  He got into 7 games that season and got 5 hits including a triple and stole 2 bases as a right fielder.  In 1999, the last season at Tiger Stadium, Gabe was the Tigers starting left fielder.  He hit .245 with 18 homers and 11 stolen bases.  That was the year he hit me.  It was a line shot that I swear never went above his shoulders.  I was sitting on the third base line just beside the Tigers dug out in the front row.  I could not bail to the left or right so I went up.  The ball went between the railing and the concrete wall.   It hit my program first.  The ink from the ball is smeared on the program and then it hit me in the gut just below  the ribs on my right side.  The ball then bounced off me and hit the lady to my left in the arm and then bounced under my seat.  The lady behind me picked it up for a souvenir.  The ushers came down the aisle and stood in the aisle and called over "are you okay?"  I replied "yeah, I'm fine."  The usher then replied rather annoyed "not you, her!" indicating the woman beside me.  I sheepishly sat down.  My 15 minutes of fame were fleeting at best.  I had the blackest bruise I have ever had and shockingly it was about the size of a baseball.  If you don't remember, Gabe was also a body builder.  But at the end of the season Randy Smith decided he wanted a big power hitting name to go to the new pitchers ball park, The Coma, errr, Comerica Park.  Randy traded Gabe with Justin Thompson, Frank Catalanotto, Francisco Cordero, Bill Halelman and minor leaguer Alan Webb for his big name, Juan Gonzalez and Danny Patterson and Gregg Zaun.  Gabe went on to play until 2010 with the Rangers, Rockies, Red Sox, Brewers and Rays.  He was a career .268 hitter and was in right field when the Red Sox won their first World Series in 86 years. 

Howard Bailey

Terry Fox was the Tigers career saves leader for years until I think John Hiller.    Terry started his major league career in 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves.  He played in 5 games and did not record a decision coming out of the pen all his games.  At the end of the season he was traded to the Tigers with Dick Brown, Bill Bruton, and Chuck Cottier for Frank Bolling and Neil Chrisley.  Terry immediately became the Tigers closer.  He had 12 saves that first season as a Tiger which was more than half the closers of the rest of the AL had and he posted a 1.41 ERA.  He continued to be a fantastic closer for the Tigers over the next four and half seasons.  He would end up being sold to the Phillies in May of 1966 where he ended his season and his career.  For the Tigers he had 55 saves which made him the all time team leader.  He also had a very solid 2.77 ERA.  I purchased the artwork for his Topps rookie card from 1961.  It actually was a photo of him as a Milwaukee Brave that was shaded over to look like a Tiger uniform and then colored.  I sent him a letter asking if he remembered the photo being taken or any other stories being about the card.  He wrote a nice letter back in perfect penmanship (so neat it looked like he used a ruler.) and he said the photo was taken in Spring training in 1958 while he was a Brave.  He said he never saw his card or even knew about it until he retired.  Then he sent me a signed photo of himself as well as that letter and a signed card.  A truly classy gentlemen.

Al Aber

Harry Malmberg spent his entire major league career as a Tiger.  He went from high school to the US Army in 1944 after he was drafted by Uncle Sam.  After his discharge in 1946 he was drafted again but this time by the Indians.  Actually he was signed as a free agent.  He worked his way up to AAA for Cleveland in 1951.  There he stayed for four years.  Not good enough to break the strong Indians line up and not bad enough to be used as trade bait.  Just before the 1955 season the Indians finally relented and sold the then 29 year old to the Tigers.  The Tigers had been trying to solve second base for a few years.  In 1952 they had Jerry Priddy.  In 1953 they had Johnny Pesky.  In 1954 they had Frank Bolling (see the Terry Fox story for how Frank left Detroit.) Harry would join the fray in 1955 as Frank Bolling was taken by the Army.  On opening day the Tigers used Fred Hatfield as the starter at second but Harry was used a pinch runner that same game.  The two would battle all season for second base.  But Fred hit .232 to Harry’s .216 and Fred hit 8 homers to Harry’s 0.  In 1956 Harry was back in the minors and Fred was on the bench.  The Tigers went back to Frank Bolling at second who was back from the military.  Harry would stay in the minors until 1962 when he was done as a player at the age of 36.  But Harry was not done with baseball.  He would go into coaching and managing in the minors before he was done in 1973.  He died three years later at the age of 51 in 1976 of pancreatic cancer.

Billy Hitchcock

Joe Sugden

July 30 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Scott Fletcher

Mickey Mahler

Gus Trinados

Joe Coleman Sr. was the father of future Tiger Joe Coleman Jr. of the Tigers.  He started his major league career in Philadelphia with the Athletics in 1942.  He was a late season call up in his debut and pitched 6 innings of relief and took the loss against the Washington Senators.  He was a tough luck pitcher in his debut in that while he gave up 5 runs only 2 were earned.  He got the first 5 batters out before 4 singles brought in the first run.   3 hits and an error in the 8^th brought in the other runs.  That was Joe’s only game in the majors before his career was interrupted by World War II.   Joe was in the Navy but returned after the war in 1946.  He was 14-10 at Toronto in the Athletics AAA farm team when he was called up in September.  He did not do well losing 4 games and winning none in four appearances.   In 1947 he got his first win.  It was a complete game shutout of the Yankees.  His second win was also a complete game victory against the Yankees.  He finished the 1947 season at 6-12 with a 4.32 ERA plus a save.  His best year was the following season, 1948 when he went 14-13 with a 4.09 ERA and an All-Star appearance.  He pitched the last three innings of the All-Star game and did not allow a hit or a run.  He did allow 2 walks.  One of the walks was to Stan Musial.  However, he got back at Stan the Man when he made him the last out of the game and earned a save in the All-Star game.  Joe pitched one more season with effectiveness before his drop off.  He was 13-14 in 30 starts in 1949 but dropped to 0-3 in 1950 in only 6 starts.  He struggled for 4 more wins with the Athletics spread out over 4 years before he was traded to the Orioles in 1954 for former Tiger (who pitched to midget Eddie Gadel) Bob Cain.  Joe was a new player in 1954.  At the age of 31 he found his groove and was 13-17 for the O’s with a 3.50 ERA.  It earned him some votes for MVP that season.  However, in 1955 he did not have the same form.  He was 0-1 for the O’s when they released him in July.  The Tigers picked him up.  The Tiges use him as a closer and in 17 games he was 2-1 with one of those wins against the Yankees and 3 saves and a 3.20 ERA.  He was released by the Tiges before the 1956 season.  But that is not the end of his impact on baseball.  His son was Joe Coleman Jr. who pitched for the Tiges in the 1970’s.  Joe Jr. won 20 games twice with the Tiges and was on the 1972 All-Star team.  But wait, there is more.  Joe Jr’s son is Casey Coleman who is pitching with the Kansas City Royals this season.  Casey’s last game was July 5 against the Indians.  Maybe Casey will end up a Tiger and get an All-Star berth. 

July 29 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Seth Greisinger was the pitcher of the only foul ball I ever got at a ball game.  He was a top high school player but chose to go to the University of Virginia.  From there he went to the US Olympic team before signing with the Tigers for a $1.4M bonus in 1996.  He spent 1997 in AA Jacksonville going 10-6 with a 5.20 ERA.  He moved up to Toledo in 1998 and was 3-4 with a 2.91 ERA in when he got the call to join the Tigers in June.  He debuted as the starter of a game against the Blue Jays in Toronto and Roger Clemens.  Seth lasted 6.1 innings but gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and a walk.  But he did K 4 and one of the runs was unearned.  Seth remained in the starting rotation for the Tigers for the rest of the season and made 21 starts going 6-9 with a 5.12 ERA on a very poor Tiger team.  But it was enough to show that he was a top pitching prospect.  It was this year that I got a foul ball from him.  I was one of the few people in my section and the ball landed in the row behind me but had such spin on it that it bounced backwards and into my hands.  In the hundreds of games I have been to that is the only foul ball I have ever got.  I also picked up Seth’s jersey that year and it is in my basement.  Seth’s other highlite that year was he graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in finance.  The low lite would be that Seth would never do that well again in the majors.  He was injured in 1999 and had Tommy John surgery.  He would not pitch again in the majors or minors until 2002.  He spent most of that season in the minors but did make 8 starts as a Tiger going 2-2 with a 6.21 ERA.  Seth played 2003 in the Tigers farm system before the Tigers granted him free agency.  He would pitch for the Twins in 2004 going 2-5 and the Braves in 2005 where he pitched one game with no decision.  He then left the States and joined the Kia Tigers of the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) for two years.  After that he moved to Japan and pitched for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Yomuri Giants and Chiba Lotte Marines as late as 2013.  I am unsure where he is in 2014.

Dave LaPoint

Jeff Jones (coach)

Don Wert was the third baseman for the 1968 World Champion Tigers.

Roy Henshaw

George Cutshaw

July 28 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Ted Lepcio taught the Red Sox the power of a player scorned when they made him a Tiger.  Ted started his major league career in 1952 as a member of the Red Sox.  They played the Washington Senators in Washington on opening day and the tradition was back then that the president of the United States would throw out the ball from the stands.  Harry Truman tossed out the ball and several of the players scrambled for it, but Ted came up with it.  He returned it to Truman and the two chatted as pictures were taken.  In the seventh inning of the game Ted got a single and then stole second on a botched hit and run.  The Sox beat the Senators 3-0.  The next day the Washington papers talked about the three hot rookies for the Sox, Faye Throneberry (Marvelous Marv’s brother), Jimmy Piersall and Ted.  Ted and Jimmy were roommates and Ted was one of the few players to recognize Piersall had an illness and defended his roommate when his teammates wanted to cause him physical harm.  Ted played mainly second that first season but also some third.  He would continue bouncing around between second third and short hitting .247 and being an average fielder his entire time with the Sox until 1959 when the Sox sent him to Detroit with Dave Sisler for Billy Hoeft.  In his first game as a Tiger the Sox came to Detroit and Briggs Stadium.  Ted went 2 for 4 with walk and a grand slam to take the lead in the game and ultimately win it 8-3.  He went 5 for 12 in the three game series.  For 1959 Ted played against the Sox in 12 games and hit .357.  A bit better than the .247 he had hit with the Bosox.  Ted has his best season at the plate with the Tiges as utility infielder hitting .279 in 76 games.  But at the end of the season he was traded with Ken Walters and minor leaguer Alex Cosmidis for Chico Fernandez and Ray Semproch.  Ted did not respond well to his new surroundings and manager Eddie Sawyer.  Sawyer called Ted the worst major leaguer he had ever seen.  Big talk coming from a manager who had managed the Phils to last place finishes the two previous seasons.  Eddie skippered the first game of the season, a 9-4 loss to the Reds where Eddie left Robin Roberts in the game for four and third innings giving up 8 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks.  It was a poor decision by manager Eddie and it would be his last of his managerial career as he was fired after the game.  But Ted still had a career to play.  Ted hit only .227 for the last place Phils and at then spent one more season in the majors, 1961, where he split time with the White Sox and Twins.  His career average for 10 years was .245.

Ben Steiner

John Glaiser

Hank Perry

July 27 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Max Scherzer

Ray Boone

Benny Bengough

Charley Hall

Harry Kane

July 26 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Joaquin Benoit

Jody Reed

John Knox

Milt Welch

Jimmy Bloodworth

Larry Woodall

July 25 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Torey Lovullo

Jose Bautista

Mick Kelleher almost ended his major league playing career as a Tiger.  He started his major league career in 1972 with the Cardinals and was the stereotypical weak hitting shortstop.  In his first four seasons in the majors he was a .160 hitter for the Cards and Houston Astros.  He had a total of 4 doubles and 1 triple in 181 plate appearances with 5 RBI’s in that time frame.  He was then traded to the Chicago Cubs where for the next 5 seasons he had possibly his best time in the majors.  He hit .226 and drove in 53 of his career 65 RBI’s.  He was the Cubs starting shortstop his first year and then was a utility infielder after that.  The Tigers purchased Mick just prior to the 1981 season.  The Tiger media guide talked about how Mick had 4 hits in his first 5 games as a Tiger.  That was considered a highlight.  If you put that with the 16 plate appearances you get a .267 batting average.  Mick played 61 games for the Tiges in 1981 and hit .221 with 4 doubles and 6 RBI’s.  He returned to the Tigers for 1982 but only appeared in 2 games before he was sold to the California Angels.  In those two games he made 1 plate appearance and did not get a hit.  For his career he was a .213 hitter with an above average glove and range.  He never did hit a homer in 11 seasons in the majors.   In 2014 he is the Yankees infield coach.

Fred Scherman came out of the Ohio State University where the lefty spent one year before becoming a pro with the Minnesota Twins organization in 1964.  But the Tigers claimed him less than a year later.  He paid his dues in the minors until 1969 when he got into a total of 4 games for the Tiges that were fairly spread out.  In April he made his major league debut and did well with one exception.  He got his first batter, Joe LaHoud to ground out.  Then he got Mike Andres to fly out.  Then he gave up a homer to Carl Yastrzemski.  He did end the inning getting Tony Conigliaro to fly out.  He pitched one more innint giving up a triple to Dalton Jones but he did not score and Fred Did get George Scott to ground out and K’d Rico Petrocelli.   It was about two weeks later when he got in his next game.  There he gave up another homer to Harmon Killebrew in his only inning pitched.  It would be months before he got in another game and in that one he came in to pitch the top of the 13^th inning against the Oakland Athletics in a 3-3 tie with two outs.  He faced Terry Francona and got Francona to ground out to end the inning.  In the Tiges half of the inning Jim Northrup hit a homer with two outs to win the game and give Fred his first win in the majors by facing only one batter.  A couple of weeks later Fred pitched his last game of season.  4 games, 4 innings pitched, a 6.75 ERA and 1 win.  In 1970 Fred started to come into his own.  He appeared in 48 games and had a 3.23 ERA as strictly a bull pen guy.  In 1971 Fred had a great season.  He was in 69 games and recorded 20 saves, third in the league.  He was 11-6 and had his best ERA of 2.71.  He even made one start and made it count.  In a game between the division leading Baltimore Orioles and the second place Tigers he pitched a complete game and beat the Orioles 5-3 on 6 hits.  He was voted King Tiger of the Year for the season.  He came back in 1972 and was the lefty closer with 12 saves for the Tigers pennant winning team along with the righty closer Chuck Seelbach who had 14.  Fred was 7-3 in with a 3.64 ERA in 57 games.  The pair accounted for over 200 innings pitched and 16 wins while also posting a combined 26 saves.  In 1973 John Hiller came into his own and Fred only had 1 save.  Fred posted a 4.23 ERA where John Hiller had a phenomenal 1.44 ERA.  During that season Fed was caught up in a kind of bizarre situation.  Tiger skipper Billy Martin was complaining that opposing pitcher Gaylord Perry was throwing a spit ball.  The umps did not seem to care about Billy’s complaints.  So Billy ordered Fred to throw a spit ball.  As Fred complied as he said “I didn't know how to throw a spitball so I just spit on it and threw it.”   Three days late Billy was fired and at the end of the season the Tigers sent Fred to the Houston Astros with some cash for Jim Ray and Gary Sutherland.  Fred was an average bull pen pitcher on an average Astros team which was 81-81.   In 1975, after his ERA grew from 4.11 the year before to 4.96 the Astros sold Fred to the Montreal Expos.  He lasted one year and one month with the Expos and was better than he had been at Houston.  He was 6-5 with a 4.02 ERA and 1 save.  But he was released half way through the 1976 season with Montreal.  

Larry Sherry