May 27 Happy Birthday to Former Tigers or Detroit Wolverines

Ed Nunez

Ron Tingley made a career out of being not quite a major league starter.  He went to the pros out of high school in the San Diego Padres organization.  He played in their farm for five seasons mainly as a catcher but also at first, second, outfield and even pitching.  In his fourth year in the majors he almost hit .300 when he hit .299.  He finally got called up in 1982 as a late season call up.  He got in 8 games and in 20 at bats he got two singles for a .100 average.  He K’d 7 times and did not get a walk.  He then bounced around various farm systems until 6 years later he again got a late season call to the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 1988.  In his first at bat with the Tribe he hit a homerun.   In 1989 he was traded to the Angels for Mark McLemore.  He stayed with the Angels for 5 seasons but always as a back up catcher.  In those five years he hit .198 with four homers and 33 RBI’s.  In 1994 he split time with the Florida Marlins and Chicago White Sox.  At the end of the season he was released and the Tigers signed him as a 36 year old back up.  The 1995 Tigers had John Flaherty as their starting catcher and John hit .243.  Ron was the back up and appeared in 54 games hitting .226 and had the most RBI’s of his career at 18.  He also had probably his greatest day in pro ball.  In a game at Tiger Stadium Ron came in to catch the 9^th inning after John Flaherty had been taken out of the game for a pinch hitter in the 8^th.  It was a 8-4 game in favor of the Tribe.  Ron caught a 1-2-3 top of the 9^th.  In the bottom of the 9^th Ron faced Jose Mesa and on an 0-1 count drove a ball deep to right field for a grand slam to tie the game.  Unfortunately the Tigers lost it in the 10^th.  Ron was released about a month later.  He played one more season in the minors in 1996 before his career was over.  He had played 20 seasons in pro ball with part of 9 seasons in the majors.  He had a career .195 batting average with 10 homers and 55 RBI’s in 278 games.

Pinky Higgins was good hitting third baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics for five years before being traded to the Red Sox after the 1936 season.  For the A’s he hit .307 and drove in about 90 runs a season.  For the Red Sox he also hit over .300 and drove in over 100 runs per season for 1937 and 1938.  After the 1938 season he was traded to the Tigers to solidify the position that had foundered a bit since Marv Owen was sent to the White Sox.  Pinky would hit .333 in the 1940 World Series behind only Soupy Campbell and Hank Greenberg and tie for the  RBI lead for the Tigers with six and score two himself.  One run scored was on a home run in game 2.  Pinky would later become manager of the Red Sox and hold the position from 1955 until 1962.  However, the Red Sox would never finish above third during his tenure. 

Here is a photo of Pinky scoring in 1940.  When I look at the photo I can only assume the catcher drops the ball.  I have the negative in my collection and the photographers envelope states he scores.