December 5 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Gene Harris was a Tiger for part of one year.  He started his major league career in 1989 with the Expos and pitched in 11 games before being traded to the Mariners as part of the Randy Johnson trade where Randy went to the Mariners with Gene and Brian Holman for Mark Langston and Mike Campbell.  The Mariners kept Gene into 1992 when he was sent to the Padres.  He was 3-7 combined in his time with the Ex pos and Mariners with two saves as a reliever and spot starter.  For the Padres he was 7-9 when in foreshadowing the future, Randy Smith, then the Padres GM, traded him to the Tigers for Scott Livingstone and Jorge Velandia in 1994.  While with Detroit Gene was 0-0 in 11 games with a 7.15 ERA and one save when he came in to pitch the 9^th in a game against the A’s that David Wells started but Storm Davis would eventually get the win.  The Tigers released Gene at the end of the 1994 season and he signed with the Phillies for 1995 but finished the season with the Orioles.  For his career Gene was 12-18 with a 4.71 ERA and 26 saves over seven seasons in the majors.

Ed Summers played his whole time in the majors with the Tigers.  Ed played ball at Wabash College and in the minors at the same time before joining the Tigers in 1908.  In his first year he was the ace of the staff of himself, George Mullin, Bill Donavan, Ed Willett and Ed Killian.  Summers went 24-12 with a 1.64 ERA in 40 games with 23 complete games.  On September 25^th he pitched and won both complete games of a double header against the Philadelphia Athletics by scores of 7-2 and 1-0.  Unfortunately in the World Series against the Cubs he did not do as well.  He was 0-2 with a 4.30 ERA in two games and the Tigers dropped the series to the Cubs in the last series the Cubs ever won, 4 games to 1.  In 1909 Ed was again on the same strong staff but had dropped to the third man in the rotation.  He was 19-9 with a 2.24 ERA but again had a rough World Series this time against Honus Wagner and the Pirates.  Ed went 0-2 again with a 8.59 ERA.  Ed was 13-12 in 1910 and hit two homers in one game becoming the first pitcher ever to do so when he did it against the Athletics.  Ed was 11-11 in 1911 and was only 1-1 in 1912 when he was done playing baseball in June of 1912. 

Billy Shindle started his major league career as a Detroit Wolverine in 1886.  He got in 7 games and went 7 for 26 as a back up shortstop.  He returned to the Wolverines in 1887 but was moved over to third as a back up to Deacon White.  He was 24 for 84 with 12 RBI’s and scored 17 runs for the Wolverines who won the National League title and the World Series against the St. Louis Browns 10 games to 5.  Unfortunately for Billy, Deacon White played all 15 games so Billy did not get into the series.  Billy left Detroit in 1888 and became a starting third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association and later joined the Philadelphia Quakers of the Player League, Philadelphia Athletics of the National League, Baltimore Orioles now of the National League and finally the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the National league before ending his career in 1898.  He was a career .269 hitter with 759 RBI’s and 993 runs scored.