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