November 25 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Octavio Dotel

Randy Veres

Don Leshnock had a sip of coffee with the Tigers in 1972.  He went to Youngstown State University where he pitched for the Penguins for 3 years and graduated in 1969.  He was drafted and signed by the Tigers in 1968, the same year he got married.  He moved up the ranks in the Tiger farm system and pitched a no-hitter in 1970 against the Peninsula Phillies who had a young Andre Thronton on their roster.  In 1971 Don had a son, Donnie.  In 1972 Don got a call to the Tigers.  On June 7^th, the Tigers were facing the Angels and Nolan Ryan in Tiger Stadium.   Ryan was hot that night as he K’d 5 and only gave up 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks.  He threw a complete game while the Tigers used 4 pitchers in 8 innings and gave up 5 runs on 10 hits.  In the 9^th with the score 5-1 in favor of the Angels Tiger skipper Billy Martin brought in Don for his major league debut.  He got Leo Cardenas to ground out to second.  Don then K’d Nolan Ryan before giving up singles to Sandy Alomar and Mickey Rivers.  Finally Don K’d Vada Pinson to end the inning.  The Tiges went 1-2-3 in the 9^th and Ryan got his complete game victory.   Don never played in the majors again after that one inning.  His son Donnie grew up to be drafted by the New York Yankees and pitched in their minors for a few years in the mid 1990’s.  Don is a tough Tiger autograph.   In all my Tiger autographs I do not have a single Don Leshnock signature.  He died in 2012.    

Wayne Redmond was possibly the next Willie Mays according to the Media Guides from the Tigers.  Wayne was signed out of high school, Detroit Central, after graduation.  He went to the Tigers A level Jamestown to start 1965, and in 47 games hit 13 homers with a .277 average.  He was moved up that first pro season to AA Montgomery and continued to show his power hitting another 18 homers and stole 6 bases in 73 games.   The power impressed the Tigers enough that they brought him up to Detroit as a late season call up that very first year.  He made his debut against the Boston Red Sox when in a 3-3 game at Tiger Stadium, skipper Chuck Dressen called on Wayne.  With 2 outs in the 7^th catcher John Sullivan got a single of Bill Monbouquette.  Dressen put Wayne in as a pinch runner for Sullivan.  Ray Oyler followed and hit a double that drove in Wayne as the winning run.  Bill Freehan came in to replace Wayne behind the plate and his debut was over.  About 2 weeks later Wayne got another call.  This time the score was tied 4-4 in the 14^th at a game against the Cleveland Indians.  Wayne was called in as a defensive replacement for left fielder Gates Brown.  Wayne did not make a play as the Tribe scored the winning run on a bases loaded single that very inning.  A few days later Wayne was called on to pinch hit for Tiger pitcher Vern Holtgrave in the 6^th with the Tigers trailing 7-0 against the Cleveland Indians.  Wayne drew a walk but was promptly removed on a double play ball that was basically a bounce back to the pitcher.  Wayne was then removed from the game for a new pitcher.  On the last day of the season Wayne got his first major league start.  He went 0-4 at the plate but did catch three fly balls in the field, two were by weak hitting shortstop, Eddie Brinkman.  Wayne was back in the minors in 1966 through 1968.  It became apparent that Wayne was not the next Willie Mays but rather the next typical all or nothing power hitter.  He hit only .238 in 1966 and hit 13 homers.  But he K’d 130 times while walking only 32.  1967 and 1968 were more of the same.  In 1969 Wayne hit only .239 in AAA Toledo and K’d 94 times while walking 30 times and hit 14 homers.  He was benched at the end of the season by Toledo skipper Jack Tighe for lackadaisical play.  But he was still called up at the end of the season and got in 5 games.  In those 5 games he never made a start nor played the field.  He made only three plate appearances and recorded outs on all three times.  He never played in the majors again.  He bounced around the minors until his career ended in 1973.  His career totals were 9 major league games, 8 plate appearances, 0 hits, 1 BB, 1 run and 3 put outs in the field.

Ray Narleski