Saturday, October 17, 2015

May 17 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Carlos Pena is a player I have always expected to do better outside of Detroit than in.  He came to us in the three way trade that sent Jeff Weaver out of Detroit and brought us Jeremy Bonderman, Franklin German and Carlos.  Carlos was a .244 hitter for the Tigers and showed some decent power but just never quite put it together.  He was released by the Tigers and still could not find a home, being released by the Yanks and Red Sox before catching on with the Rays.  He looked really solid in 2007 hitting .282 with 46 homers and 121 RBI’s.  But all those numbers are career highs for him.  While his RBI’s and homers are decent, he has not hit above .250 since 2007 and right now is hitting .225 back with the Rays. 

Billy Hoeft started his big league career in 1952 with the Tigers.  He was 2-7 that year.  He stayed with Detroit part way through the 1959 season.  In that time he won 74 games for the Tigers including his 1956 season when he won 20 and lost 14.  He also led the league in complete game shut outs the year before with 7.  While with the Tigers he threw 16 complete game shut outs.  Billy bounced around after being traded from Detroit.  After the 1964 season he was picked up by the Tigers again but was released the last day of spring training.  Billy was picked up by the Cubs and played with the Cubs and Giants until the end of the 1966 season.  He compiled a total of 97 wins and 1010 losses in his 15 seasons in the majors.

Ozzie Virgil came to Detroit in 1958 from the New York Giants.  Mainly a third baseman in the minors, the Tigers tried to convert him to catcher and also used him at short and second.   He hit .254 with Detroit in three years here.   Ozzie stuck around in the majors for 9 seasons but never really caught on as a starter.  His most productive year was his second year when he played in 96 games and had 226 at bats.   Still not a starter.


Frank Mountain played for the Wolverines of the National League in 1881.  That was 100 years before I graduated high school.  He was 3-4 in seven games for the Detroit team.  The Wolverines finished fourth in the league that year with a 41-43 record.  Frank was the number three pitcher on the staff that had a total of six pitchers with George Derby as their Ace.   After leaving Detroit Frank went on to play with the Worcester Ruby Legs and the Philadelphia Athletics as well as the Columbus Buckeyes and Pittsburgh Allegheny’s.  

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