February 14 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Alejandro Sanchez was a Tiger when he set a major league record. He started his career as an outfielder in the majors in 1982 with 7 games as a Philadelphia Philly. In 7 games he made 14 plate appearances and 14 at bats. That means he did not get hit by a pitch, walked, or sacrifice. He did get four hits, two were homers. In 1983 he had 8 games with 8 plate appearances and 8 at bats. In 1984 he was traded by the Phillies for future Tiger Dave Bergman. For the Giants he got in 13 games with 41 plate appearances and 41 at bats. He was warming up for his 1985 season. He was brought to Detroit in 1985 when we traded Roger Mason to the Giants for Alejandro. Now Alejandra got serious about his record. Alejandro appeared in 71 games and made 133 plate appearances and 133 at bats setting a single season record for most times at bat without a walk, HBP or sac. He hit .248 for Detroit and was rewarded with his record by being traded to the Twins for Dave Engle with the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, Chris Pittaro. This threw off Alejandro. While in Minnesota he got in 8 games and had 17 plate appearances but unfortunately drew a walk so he only had 16 at bats. He was released after the season. It is uncertain if it was for taking that walk. The Oakland A’s picked him up and Alejandro got in 2 games with 3 plate appearances and 3 at bats. But his blemish was already on his record and Alejandro was done in the majors after that.

Pretzels Getzien was the career greatest pitcher for the Detroit Wolverines.   Charlie Getzien was born in Germany during our Civil War in 1864.  He started his playing career with Grand Rapids of the Northwestern League in 1883 at the age of 19.  He was 14-12 with Grand Rapids and returned in 1884 and went 27-4 before joining the Wolverines when Grand Rapids folded.  In his major league debut he lost 1-0 to another Grand Rapids player making his debut, John Henry of Cleveland.  He lost seven more before he won his first game and finished the season 5-12 with a team that was 28-84.  Pretzels got his nickname from the curve ball he could throw.  Many at the time still claimed the curve ball was an optical illusion.  The Wolverines were better in 1885 but still bad.  Pretzels went 12-25 for the 41-67 Wolverines.  The next year Pretzels career took off.  He was 30-11 with 42 complete games on a second place Wolverine team that was 87-36.  However, Pretzels was not the ace of the staff.  That role belonged to Lady Baldwin who was 42-13 with 55 complete games.  But the Championship year of 1887 was largely due to Pretzels.  He was the ace at the young age of 23 when he went 29-13 with 41 complete games.  In the World Series against the St. Louis Browns Pretzels went 4-2 while pitching more innings than any other pitcher on the Wolverine staff.  Pretzels earned a huge salary of $1,900 for the Championship season of 1887.  In 1888 Pretzels started more games than any other Wolverine but posted a 19-25 record.  With 45 complete games.  At the end of the season the Wolverines folded and Pretzels was sold to the Indianapolis Hoosiers.  Pretzels holds the Wolverines franchise records for wins with 95, K’s with 726 and complete games with 182.  Pretzels went on to play until 1892 with the Hoosiers, Boston Beaneaters, Cleveland Spiders and St. Louis Browns. 

Joe Gerhardt played one year out of his 15 as a major leaguer with the Detroit Wolverines.  He started his career in 1873 with the Washington Blue Legs of the National Association.  He played 13 games as a back up shortstop and hit .211.  Joe went to the Baltimore Canaries in 1994 and was a back up shortstop again.  In 1875 he got his first starting role as the starting third baseman for the New York Mutals.  He hit .214.  He continued his team a year pace in 1876 playing for the Louisville Grays as their starting first baseman hitting .260 for third best on the team.  He moved over to second base in 1877 for the Grays and hit .304.  Joe was in Cincinnati for both 1878 and 1879 and in the minors in 1880 with the Washington Nationals.  He finally made his way to Detroit in 1881, the first year of the Wolverines.  Joe was the starting second baseman hitting .242 with 36 RBI’s, good for fourth best on the team.  But his time in Detroit was short lived.  He was out of baseball in 1882 but did get back in in 1883 with the Louisville Eclipse.  Joe continued to bounce around through 1891 with the Eclipse, New York Giants, New York Metropolitans, Brooklyn Gladiators, St. Louis Browns, and Louisville Colonels.  He was a career .227 hitter and played mainly second base but some third, first and shortstop as well.