According to Baseball Reference, 54 players have worn the number 12 in Tigers franchise history. Casey Mize currently wears it. Let’s look at a few Tigers that wore number 12 during the Fungo’s focus, 1977 through 1994:
Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Dave Phillips, 2B – Jerry Neudecker, 3B – John Hirschbeck
Time of Game: 2:49
Attendance: 41,192
Doug Flynn – IF #20
The Tigers signed veteran infielder Doug Flynn as a free agent on June 20, 1985,nine days after he was released by the Expos. Here are four things to know about his brief time in Detroit:
He debuted on June 22 against the Yankees, starting at second base and batting ninth. He singled off Ron Guidry in his first at bat, one of just four hits Guidry allowed.
After losing two of three to the Blue Jays, the Tigers travel to visit another A.L. East rival, the Brewers, for a three-game weekend set at County Stadium.
Record: 44-16 — 6 games up on Toronto
So here’s another June 14 game. This one from 1978:
Record: 31-27 — Fifth place, 91/2 games back of Boston
Highlights
The Tigers scratched out just four hits off of Splittorf who threw a complete-game gem.
Billingham was roughed up for eight hits and four walks in six innings, and allowed five earned runs.
Mickey Stanley‘s fifth-inning homer was the Tigers highlight.
Miscellany
Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dave Phillips, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Steve Palermo, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 2:05
Attendance: 21,025
Mike Laga – 1B #4
The first paragraph of the 1984 Tigers Yearbook profile on Mike Laga pretty much summed it up:
“Mike Laga has been called the Tiger first baseman of the future. And despite the presence of a veteran star like Darrell Evans, it seems clear the Tigers still have high hopes for Laga.”
I’d go so far as to say we still have high hopes for Laga.
We heard so much about the left-handed hitting slugger but he didn’t capitalize on his brief visits to Detroit from 1982 through 1986 — and as I recall, injuries were a problem.
1982: Laga made his debut on Sept. 1, 1982 against the Angels and faced Ken Forsch, flying out to left. Two days later he hit his first homer, a two-run shot, off the A’s Rick Langford. He played in 27 games for ’82 Tigers, essentially the starting first baseman in September.
1983: The bulk of his season was spent in Evansville with a dozen games in Detroit: 21 at bats, no homers, .190 average.
1984: Laga again was a September call up but appeared just nine games: but he hit .545 — six for 11.
1985: Another nine-game stint. Thirty six at bats, two home runs, .167 average.
1986: Laga made the Opening Day roster and appeared in 33 games before being sent to Nashville. The Tigers traded him to the Cardinals, as a player to be named later, along with Ken Hill for catcher Mike Heath.
His final numbers with Detroit: 72 games, .239 avg., eight home runs, 28 RBI and a .691 OPS.
dailyfungo.com 