October 6 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Joel Hanrahan is the Tiger who will likely never play a game as a Tiger.  He started his major league career as a right handed starter for the Washington Nationals in 2007.  He was 5-3 with a 6.00 ERA.  The following season the Nationals moved him to the bull pen where he remained.  It was a good move for Joel who improved to 6-3 with 9 saves and a 3.95 ERA.  The following year he struggled for the Nats with 5 saves and a whopping 7.71 ERA and was dealt to the Pirates before the season ended.  He tamed his ERA and in four seasons with the Pirates was 10-8 with 82 saves and a 2.59 ERA and two All Star game rosters.  At the end of the 2012 season Joel was sent to the Boston Red Sox.  He pitched only 9 games and while he had 5 saves his ERA climbed to 9.82 and he was shut down in May for Tommy John surgery.  He was granted free agency at the end of the season but no one signed him.  Finally in May of 2014 the Tigers signed him for $1M and $2M of incentives while he recovered.  But in July of  2014 his rehab went south.  He was shutdown after a bull pen session in Lakeland.  Dave Dombrowski has said he will not likely pitch for the Tigers.  

Freddy Garcia

Jeff Farnsworth

Ruben Sierra

Bruce Fields

Roger Weaver

Paul Calvert

Dutch Meyer

Harry Baumgartner

Carl Zamloch pitched in the majors only for the Tigers.  He born in California in 1889.  His father was Anton the Great, a very popular magician in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  He started his professional career in the Pacific Coast League with Sacramento in 1909.  He played in minors for San Francisco, Missoula and Providence until getting a call from the Tigers in 1913.  He made his debut as a Tiger pitcher against the New York Yankees in Detroit at what would have been Bennett Park.  The Tigers lost.  I can not tell how Carl did as the box score is incomplete.  Carl pitched well that season posting a 2.45 ERA on a team that averaged 3.38 earned runs per games. He pitched 3 complete games in 5 starts and also made 12 appearances form the bull pen.  But he was 1-6 and was done in Detroit in July almost 2 months to the day of his debut.  He went back to the west coast played ball in various leagues, teams and positions.  He coached UC Berkley in 1916 thru 1929 with the exception of 1918.  He became a player manager in the minors and last played and managed in 1932 for the Oakland Oaks of the PCL when he was also part owner.   Carl also scouted and would hook a player with some slight of hand tricks to get their attention that he learned from his father.  After baseball Carl even earned a living as a magician.