Mike McClary

Fixing the 2025 Tigers’ Morass of Uniform Numbers

The Tigers’ current uniform number assignments are dreadful and it starts with allowing pitchers to wear single-digits.

Here’s how I would reassign uniform numbers:

Number	Who Wears It	Who Should
4	Beau Brieske	Colt Keith
7	Manuel Margot	Trey Sweeney
9	Jack Flaherty	Jace Jung
12	Casey Mize	Jake Rogers
15	Matt Manning	Zach McKinstry
27	Trey Sweeney	Manny Margot*
26	George Lombard	Casey Mize
33	Colt Keith	Wenceel Pérez
39	Zach McKinstry	Beau Brieske
46	Wenceel Pérez	Jack Flaherty

*Margot could also wear 34, as could Flaherty or Andy Ibañez, though I think that’s too high a number for an infielder.

It would be nice to get a real number for #87 Tyler Holton, wouldn’t it? Perhaps Chris Fetter could offer up his #41 to support the cause.

Double Ujdurs

This week I received the missing piece(s) of my hyper-specific Tigers baseball card collection: the 1983 team set. (I’ve never learned if a set’s designation is the last season listed on the back, or the year it came out.)

Anyway, an unexpected bonus was receiving two Jerry Ujdur cards.

Birthdays

Daz Cameron, Armando Galarraga, George Cappuzzello and the late Luis Alvarado, Mike Marshall, Steve Gromek and Grover Lowdermilk.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 654 9/9 — Rarity: 22

Have a great day.

R.I.P., Gary Sutherland #3

The other day I saw on Baseball Reference’s In Memoriam section that former Tigers infielder Gary Sutherland died on Dec. 16 at 80.

Sutherland wore number 3 and played in 320 games for the Tigers in 1974, ’75 and part of ’76. He (and Jim Ray) came to Detroit from Houston on Dec. 3, 1973 for Fred Scherman and cash.

In ’74, he played 149 games, with 619 at-bats and a .254 batting average, drew 26 walks, and scored 60 runs.

The next year Sutherland played 129 games and 509 at-bats, posting slightly better numbers with a .258 batting average and scoring 51 runs.

His 1976 season began with Detroit but he struggled, hitting just .205 in 42 games before being traded to Milwaukee on June 10, 1976 for Pedro García. As Sutherland’s successor, García performed even worse, managing only a .198 average.

Here’s more.

December 13, 2024

Birthdays

Bubba Morton, Larry Doby, Frank Metha and Rube Kisinger.

The Tigers traded for Doby on March 21, 1959, sending Tito Francona to the Indians. He lasted only two-ish months in Detroit, appearing in 18 games before his contract was sold, on May 13, to the White Sox for $30,000.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 621 9/9 — Rarity: 35

Have a great weekend.

November 20, 2024

Number 20

Fifty-two Detroit Tigers have worn number 20, and it’s currently worn by Spencer Torkelson. But the first player I remember wearing number 20 was Mark Fidrych from 1976 to 1980.

After that, it belonged to:

Jerry Turner, 1982
Howard Johnson, 1983-1984. HoJo originally wore number 5, but it was retired during the ‘83 season (along with number 2*) to honor Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, respectively.
Doug Flynn, 1985
Jim Weaver, 1985
Jim Slaton, 1986. Slaton first pitched for the Tigers in 1977 and he wore number 21. When he returned in ‘86, he wore 20 and then changed to number 40.
Doug Strange, 1989
Urbano Lugo, 1990
Mickey Tettleton, 1991-1994

*Rich Hebner, in 1982, was the final player to wear number 2 before it was retired.

Birthdays

Tarik Skubal, Jacob Robson, Lino Urdaneta and the late Ron Cash, Lou Berberet, Augie Prudhomme and Ray Powell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 598 8/9 — Rarity: 176

See you tomorrow-ish.

November 14, 2024

Number 14

From 1977 to 1992, only two players wore number 14 for the Tigers, both of them (mostly) played first base and were fan favorites:

John Wockenfuss, wore it from 1977-1983, resurrecting the number after a three-year layoff following Bill Slayback’s two-season tenure, 1973 and ‘74. In his 10 seasons in Detroit, Johnny B played in 677 games and hit .261 with 80 home runs and 284 RBI.

Dave Bergman put on number 14 within days after being traded for Wockenfuss in March 1984. From then until he retired in 1992, he wore it in 871 games, batting .259 with 39 homers and 219 RBI.

A.J. Hinch currently wears it, but wore number 40 when he played for Detroit in 2003.

Birthdays

Clete Thomas, Fu-Te Ni, Johnnie Seale and the late Willie Hern á ndez and Fred Carisch

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 592 7/9 — Rarity: 237

See you tomorrow.

November 13, 2024

#13

In 124 seasons, only 15 players have worn number 13* for the Tigers. For me, it will always be Lance Parrish‘s number, which he wore for 10 seasons, 1977 through 1986.

Here’s something: Before The Big Wheel put on number 13 in 1977, the number sat unworn for 13 years after Bill Faul hung it up after two seasons, 1963 and ’64.

With the exception of Alex Avila, who first wore it in 2010, no player of consequence has worn it since Lance … with apologies to Rico Brogna (1992) and Mark Leiter (1993).

*Gio Urshela was the most recent player to wear it, in 2024.

Birthdays

Gerald Laird, Vic Darensbourg, Dan Petry, and the late Steve Bilko and Jim Delsing

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 591: 9/9 — Rarity: 17

And speaking of Lance ….

See you tomorrow.