February 13 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Ryan Perry

Frank Williams is a tragic story with and without the Tigers.  He was given up for adoption at birth with his twin brother and were named by the state, Frank and Francis.  They grew up as orphans in Seattle WA.  He was in the foster care system for years.  At one point they was so poorly fed by their foster parents that he stole dry dog food from the cupboard.   But he still managed to make it college at Lewis-Clarke State College in Idaho.  This is the same college that Keith Foulke went to.  The brothers had vowed to take care of each other if either made it to the big time.  Frank was drafted at the age of 21 by the San Francisco Giants and worked his way up to the majors in 5 years, making his major league debut in 1984 with the Giants.  He played three years with the Giants going 14-9 with a 3.22 ERA as a righty reliever.  He was given one start and showed his ability by throwing a complete game shutout.  But he would never get another start and the Giants traded him to Cincinnati in 1987. He pitched two years there getting in 85 games the first year and 60 games the second.  He was one of their top relievers and was 7-2 with a 2.41 ERA.  Yet the Reds released him at the end of the 1988 season.  This might be in part due to his telling reporters about the unpleasant people hanging around the Reds managers’ office.  This was when Pete Rose was in his gambling days as manager.  Frank signed as a free agent for the Tigers for the 1989 season.   He was third in appearances out of the bullpen with 42 and was 3-3 with a save and a 3.64 ERA on a team that had a 4.53 ERA.  At the end of the season two things happened to Frank.  He was released by the Tigers and his wife ran into a tree while driving.  Frank was not wearing a seat belt and about half his face was gone and he broke a vertebra in his neck.  He was done pitching in pro ball at the age of 31.  Shortly afterwards his marriage fell apart and he left his wife and two kids.  He tried comebacks but they failed.  He and his brother went back to their roots as they had found they were from one of the tribes from the northwest.  But things were not good.  His brother was also hurt in a bicycle accident and had badly hurt his back.  The two could no longer even play catch.  They turned to drugs and were living in shelters and flop houses.  Francis died in a basement apartment fire in 2004.  Frank went further into the depths and was basically a street person who blamed himself for his brother’s death.   He would sell his signature at the local baseball card shop to earn a few bucks.  Finally, in 2009, Frank died from pneumonia and a heart attack at the age of 51. 

Jim Brideweser

Hack Miller

George Gill

Ben Dyer

Fritz Buelow