Tyler Collins started his major league career in March of
2014. He joined the Tigers out of Baylor
University and has been working his way up the Tigers farm system since
2011. In 2013 he hit .240 with 21 homers
at AA Erie. In 2014 he was up with the
Tigers for the first two weeks of the season, until April 13, when he was sent
done to Toledo. In those 14 days he
played in opening day as a pinch runner for Alex Avilla where he scored the
walk off winning run. The next day he
got the start in left but went 0-4. He
was a defensive replacement in the third game of the season replacing Torii
Hunter in right. A couple days later he
got another start in left but went 0-3 while getting on base for the first time
with a walk. He was a pinch hitter in a
game against the Dodgers and failed to get a hit. He got a start also against the Dodgers in
right and finally got his first major league hit. He went 2-5 that game. He was called on to pinch hit once more
against the Padres but failed to get a hit.
So just when he was getting hot, 2 hits in his last 3 at bats, he was
sent down to Toledo. In 7 games he was
2 for 14 for a .143 average. Currently he
is hitting .238 in Toledo with 6 homers in 42 games.
Collin Balester was briefly on the Tiger roster. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos in
2004. He stayed with the franchise when
they moved to Washington to become the Nationals. He made his debut as a starter in 2008 with
the Nats and was 3-7 in 15 starts with a 5.51 ERA. He was used as a starter again in 2009 before
going to the bull pen in 2010. He was in
the bullpen in both 2010 and 2011 and posted a 2.57 and 4.54 ERA both years
respectively. He was traded straight up
for Ryan Perry in December of 2011. For
Detroit in 2012 he was 2-0 in 11 games all in relief. His two wins came against the Tampa Bay Rays
early in the season when he came in to replace Drew Smyly in the 5th. He pitched the next two innings and the Tiges
scored 3 runs to get the win for Collin.
His second win was when he came in to relieve Max Scherzer in the 5th
against the White Sox in Chicago. He
went 1.1 innings and won the game when the Tiges scored 8 runs in the 6th
to take the lead 8-6. He was released at
the end of the season in 2012 and signed by the Texas Rangers. He is in their farm system today. So for Detroit he was 2-0 with a 6.50 ERA in
the 11 games he has appeared. If you are
wondering, Ryan Perry was 1-0 with a 10.13 ERA in 7 games with the Nats.
Eddie Bonine pitched his entire career in the majors for the
Tigers. He started his time in the
majors in 2008 when at the age of 27 he debuted against the Dodgers in Detroit
and went 5.1 innings to and gave up 6 runs on 9 hits. But the Tiges scored 7 runs on Dodger starter
Brad Penny and Eddie got his fist win in his debut. He made 4 more starts and was 2-1 with a 5.40
ERA. He spent most of 2008 in Toledo and
Erie and was 12-5 for the season. In
2009 he was 4-5 in Toledo with a 4.41 ERA but was 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in
Detroit. In 2010 he was 4-1 with a 4.63
ERA in 47 games all in relief. At the
end of the season the Tiges granted Eddie free agency and he signed with the
Phillies. He spent all of his time in
the Phils organization either in the minors or on the DL. He was released by the Phils after the 2011
season and was not signed by anyone.
Dave Bergman was a fan favorite on the Tigers in the 1980’s
and 90’s. He was famous for his at bat
against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 4, 1984 when with two on and two out in
the 11th inning he took a full count to 13 pitches when he went
after a pitch and drilled it into the upper deck at Tiger Stadium to win the
game. I remember him well for his
shoes. A few years ago I found someone
selling his shoes on Ebay for $7. I
checked them out and everything looked legit and I figured what do I have to lose
at $7. I won them for $7 and I picked
them up from the guy as he lived in Warren.
When talking to him he said he had 7 other pair that he would sell me
for $7 pair. I have a few friends who
also are nuts like myself (my brother was one of them and he as some of the
shoes.) and so I said sure. The story
the guy had told me was he had worked at
a local school where Bergman had donated them and the school was throwing them
out so he took them. A few months later
Bergie was signing at a show. I took my
shoes there to get them signed. When I
got up to him in line he looked at the shoes and asked me where I got
them. I told him and he was not a happy
person. It was like a bad TV sitcom
where he kept putting the pen up to the shoes and then pause and pull it
away. He was angry and talking the whole
time about “these were a gift” and “I shouldn’t sign these”. Finally he signed them and said “I will never
sign another pair of shoes again”. I
said, “uh….my brother is behind me in line…”.
He quipped “well his will be the last I ever sign.” Later, I sent a letter to Bergie and told him
I would be glad to send him the shoes as I felt it was like receiving stolen
properly. I only asked that if he gave
them to a charity for auction that I know where he gave them so I could bid on
them. He sent a letter back saying he
found out that the school could no longer use metal spikes so they had to get
rid of them. Bergman then said I gave
him hope for the religious collectors or as my wife calls me, a nut job.
Chet Morgan played his entire time in the majors with the
Tigers. He became a professional ball
player in 1933 when he joined the Tigers farm system as an outfielder for the
Beaumont Exporters of the Texas League. He
bounced around to other farm systems before getting back to Detroit and making
the big league club out of spring training in 1935. He made his debut in the fourth game of the
season when he came in to pinch hit for pitcher Fred “Firpo” Marberry in the 9th
of a game the Tiges were losing to the White Sox 3-2 at Detroit’s Navin
Field. He did not get on base and the Tiges
lost. He got into 13 more games for the
Tiges in the 1935 championship season but only got 4 hits for a .174 average with
1 RBI. He spent most the season in
Toledo where he hit .321. He stayed in
the Tigers farm system hitting about .300 until he got called back to the bigs
in 1938. He was the main starting center fielder in 1938, a
season where the Tigers used 5 guys in the outfield for 50 or more games. He played 74 games and hit .284 in 1938 with
27 RBI’s. He was traded to the Red Sox
with Eldon Auker and Jake Wade for Pinky HIggins and Archie McKain after the
1938 season. But he never again played
in the majors. He played in the minors
through 1950 when he was a player manager for the Clarksdale Planters of the
Cotton League.
Izzy Goldstein pitched in the majors only for the
Tigers. Isidore Goldstein was born in
Odessa, Ukraine in 1908 to a Jewish family.
His family emigrated to the US and settled in the Bronx. He was not a good student but was a good ball
player. He dropped out of high school to
only be drawn back by the coach of the James Monroe High School team. There he was teamed up with another Jewish
player by the name of Hank Greenberg.
The two took the James Monroe team to the City Championship at the Polo
Grounds where they lost 4-1 with Izzy on the mound. He dropped out of high school a second time and started in pro ball in 1928. He was a switch hitting right handed
pitcher. He was a decent hitter and
pitcher in the minors hitting .247 and in his first four seasons in the minors and
winning 12, 12, 14, and 16 games. In
1931 he was with Beaumont of the Texas League where he was teamed up with his
old high school teammate Hank Greenberg.
This was where he won his 16 games and posted a 3.58 ERA. He was invited to Spring Training in 1932 and
was with the Tiges in April. He made his
first appearance in a major league game in relief for 1 inning. In that 1 inning he showed wildness as he
walked 3 and hit another batter but only gave up 1 hit. He got his first win as a major leaguer about
a month later when we started against the St. Louis Browns and went 7.1 innings
and allowed 5 runs on 10 hits and 6 walks.
4 days later he would get his second win of his career in a complete
game victory over the Chicago White Sox in Chicago. He allowed only 1 run but gave up 5 hits and
6 walks. Izzy got one more win when
about a month later he pitched another
complete game victory over the Chicago White Sox this time allowing only
3 runs but on 5 hits, 5 walks and 2 hit batters. A month later Izzy came in against the
Athletics in relief of a game the Tiges trailed 4-8. Izzy pitched 2/3’s of an inning and gave up 2
runs on 2 hits with 2 walks and a wild pitch.
The Tigers were scared of Izzy’s wildness and sent him down to the
minors. Izzy never played in the majors
again. His final record was 16 games
with 3 wins and 2 losses and a 4.47 ERA while giving up 41 walks in 56.1
innings pitched and 3 hit batters.
Today is also the anniversary of
the D-Day invasion during World War II.
As such I like to recall a player who never made the majors but still
should be remembered. It is Joe Pinder. Joe Pinder was born on June
6, 1912 but never played for the Tigers. Joe pitched in the minors starting in
1935 as part of the Cleveland Indians and Washington Senators organizations. He
had two seasons where he won 17 games, 1939 and 1941. But after his 17 win 1941
season, after December 1941, Joe took a break from baseball and enlisted in the
Army. Joe was already a veteran of the invasion of North Africa and the
invasion of Italy when on Joe's 32nd birthday, June 6, 1944, he was part of a
third invasion. Joe was part of the first wave of the invasion force landing in
France on Omaha Beach. His landing craft was hit and dropped the ramp to unload
the men into the water 100 yards off shore and into heavy machine gun fire. Joe
picked up one of the 86 pound radios and headed for the beach in the waste high
water. Along the way he was hit by a bullet and stumbled but steadied himself
and moved on towards the beach. He was hit in the face by shrapnel and held his
flesh with one hand as he continued to carry the radio, the size of a window
air conditioner, towards the shore. Upon reaching the beach he refused cover or
medical help but rather turned back towards the half sunken landing craft 100
yards out in the surf to pick up a second radio. Joe returned and went back
into the surf and bullets a third time to pick up more radio equipment. On the
third trip Joe took machine gun fire in both legs. He did not seek medical help
but rather worked to set up the radios. Ultimately, he was hit once more on the
beach and was killed. For his bravery Joe posthumously received the Medal of
Honor. He is the only professional baseball player to ever earn the medal.
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