May 2 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Mark Johnson pitched with Detroit.  After bouncing from the Astros to the Brewers to the Yankee’s minor leagues he was picked by the Tigers in the rule 5 draft in 1999.  He made the roster coming out of spring training in 2000 and made his major league debut on April 7 against the Orioles.  The game was tied 7-7 in the fifth with a runner on second and no outs.  He got the first two batters he face, Hrold Baines and Cal Ripken out.  But then a walk and two homers soured his debut and made the score 11-7 in favor of the O’s.  He came back to pitch the 6^th and put the O’s down 1-2-3.  Then he pitched the 7^th and got Harold Baines out again.  But then he walked Cal Ripken and before giving up a single and then two runs on an error and a sac fly.  The score was now 13-7 and Mark was pulled.  But Mark did not get the loss.  Dave Milcki got the loss as he put the runner on second in the fifth.  He would start three games and finish three games though not the same games.  He would get one decision, a loss to the Twins when he was the starter against the Twins.  Mark lasted 3.1 innings and game up 4 runs on 4 hits and 6 walks.  He faced Joe Mays of the Twins who pitched complete game shutout.  He started the game on June 24 against the Cleveland Indians and lasted only 2 innings.  This was after he had been on the DL.  He game up 6 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks.  The next day he was designated for assignment and three days later unconditionally released.  The Tigers resigned him four days later but he never made the majors again.  He was mainly in the Tigers organization with a brief time in the Dodgers farm system before his career ended after 2005.  His final major league tally was one decision, a loss against the Twins and a record in the majors of 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in 9 games.  He coached in the Tigers farm system from 2006 through 2012.  In 2013 he was the pitching coach of the Tigers A affiliate in Connecticut. 

Jim Walewander was fan favorite in Detroit.  He was eccentric but that is what I think fans in Detroit liked.  He was also the under dog.  He was not on the roster in 1987.  Yet he was called up and made his debut on May 31 of 1987.  The kid who attended Iowa State University made his debut going 1 for 2 and scoring a run.  But he was so sure he was not going to last that he used aluminum foil for curtains in his apartment.  He liked to listen to the Dead Milkmen.  This irreverent nature gained him his own fan club.  He played for Detroit in 1987 in 53 games and hit .241.  But it still was not enough to put him on the roster.  In 1988 he was a non roster invitee to spring training.  And while he was not on the opening day roster he was called up three days after opening day.  He stayed for the whole season.  He started 52 games in place of Lou Whitaker at second.  He was not a strong hitter hitting only .211 for the Tigers that season.  He was sent back to Toledo finally on August 29 but was recalled September 1.  While his numbers were not great, when he scored the Tigers were 17-6.  Not a bad winning percentage.  In 1989 he was again not on the Tiger roster and spent the whole season in Toledo where he hit only .225.  The Tigers granted him free agency and he signed with the Yankees.  He hit .250 in the Yankees AAA Columbus team and appeared in only 9 games as a Yankee that season and went 1 for 5.  1991 found him in the Yankees AAA Columbus again and this time he hit only .225.  He bounced to Texas in their farm system and then the Angels where he made his last MLB appearance in 1993.  He went 1 for 8.  He ended his career in 1994 with the new Florida Marlins farm system hitting .190 as a 32 year old middle infielder.   His batting helmet in on the floor of the left locker in my basement.

Keith Moreland played part of the 1989 season, his last in the majors, with Detroit.  He was a mainly a DH first baseman.  He hit .299 with Detroit and drove in 35 runs and hit 5 homers.  He was more known for his time with the Cubs when he played outfield for them. 

Steve Grilli pitched for the Tigers from 1975 thru 1977.  He had a record of 4-3 with Detroit.  He was done with the majors in 1979 so he did not qualify for the new pension guidelines created in 1980.  When the players association went back and made the pensions retroactive to the players who played before 1947 Steve was still left out.  Today, Steve does not have a pension from baseball as do hundreds of other players who played between 1947 and 1979 and qualify under todays standards but played before the standards were created.  Steve’s son, Jason Grilli, who also played with the Tigers, does qualify.

Gates Brown played with the Tigers in the 60’s and 70’s. He is known for some great quotes.  My favorite is when he was asked what he took in school.  Gator, who in his youth spent time in the Ohio State Reformatory, said “mainly just hub caps.”  Gator was mainly a pinch hitter.  He appeared in more games as a DH/pinch hitter than he did as an outfielder.   In 1968 was normally used late in the game as a pinch hitter.  However, in one game manager Mayo Smith called on him early.  Here is an excerpt from his SABR bio, “I was sitting down at the end of the dugout eating a couple of hot dogs.  It was only the fifth inning (and) I never expected Mayo to call on me to pinch hit that early.”  Since he didn’t want Smith, who was always harping on him to lose a few pounds, to see he was eating during the game, Gator shoved the hot dogs down his shirt before heading to the plate.  “That’s the only time I ever wished I’d strike out.”  But being the clutch hitter that he was, Gator didn’t get his wish.  Instead he cranked a double and ended up having to slide head first into second.  While Tiger fans roared and cheered, Gater realized he made quite a mess of himself.  “I had mustard and squashed meat all over me and my teammates were all doubled over laughing.  Gator was also team player.  Once he was playing poker with Denny McLain, Jim Northrup and John Hiller.  Northrup caught McLain cheating and attacked McLain.  He had his hands around McLain’s throat yelling “I’m gonna kill you, you bastard!”  But Gater grabbed Northrup from behind and pulled Northrup off of McLain.  Then he looked Northrup dead in the eye and said “You’re not going to touch him until after we win the pennant.  Then he is all yours.”  Gator and Dick Tracewski were unique as a Tigers as they both have 1968 and a 1984 World Series ring.  Both were players in 68 and coaches in 84.