Rob Deer

The Tuesday Fungo: April 23

🌧️ Game 14: Postponed

Easter Sunday’s cold and rainy weather in Detroit persisted and the Tigers and Twins face a doubleheader on April 24.

Record: 12-1

Eric Davis – #33

The 1993 season was a weird one. From April 23 to June 25, the Tigers were either in first place or tied for the division lead.

Then, beginning June 23, they lost 10 in a row and 13 of 14. The next thing you know, they were 4.5 games back by July 1.

On Aug. 31, sitting in third place and six games back of the Blue Jays, the Tigers made a curious and intriguing deal with the Dodgers, acquiring former All-Star outfielder Eric Davis for a player to be named later.

Davis was a superstar with the Reds and was traded to Los Angeles in December 1991 and re-signed with his hometown team in November 1992. He didn’t match the dual-threat production he had in his first eight seasons* in Cincinnati — 177 homers, 247 stolen bases — so at the Aug. 31 traded deadline, the former Gold Glover was sent to Detroit.

The power hitter joined a lineup already full of power hitters: Cecil Fielder, Rob Deer, Mickey Tettleton, Pete Incaviglia and even Kirk Gibson.

He debuted with the Tigers on Sept. 3 at Tiger Stadium against the White Sox. Sparky slotted him in the seven spot, in centerfield. He doubled in his second at bat and homered in the bottom of the eighth — a three-run shot to draw the Tigers to within two, 8-6. That was the final score.

Davis’s 1993 Detroit totals: 23 games, six homers, .253 average and a .904 OPS. He also stole two bases, bringing his L.A./Detroit combo to 35.

As for the Tigers, they finished tied for third, 10 games back of Toronto.

The Tigers brought Davis back in 1994, but injuries limited him to just 37 games. He batted .183 with three home runs.

His final game with Detroit was July 26, 1994; he went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored in a 9-1 win over the Mariners.

All told, his 60-game Tigers career wrapped with a .210 average, nine home runs, seven stolen bases and a .706 OPS.

*After sitting out 1995, he returned to the Reds for one more season in 1996, and then had a post-cancer resurgence with the Orioles, Cardinals and Giants.

Birthdays

Zach Logue and the late Elam Vangilder and Harry Coveleski

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 387 9/9 — Rarity: 92

Two former Tigers …

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo

Mickey Tettleton – #20

Who didn’t like Mickey Tettleton? He was built like a tank, stood ramrod straight at the plate and could crush the ball from either side. And, he was solid defensively.

Tettleton came to Detroit from the Orioles in a steal of a trade for the once-promising righty, the late Jeff Robinson.

Why would the Orioles, who weren’t exactly brimming with offensive talent, want to part ways with Tettleton?

According to this story, they “did not want to pay him more than $1 million to be backup to Bob Melvin.” Bob Melvin! And shortly thereafter his ticket to Detroit was punched.

“He has good defensive skills and is adept at working with pitchers,” acting Tigers General Manager Joe McDonald said. “In addition, he brings even more punch to our lineup.”

And how.

Tettleton joined a Tigers roster full of mashers: Cecil Fielder, Rob Deer and Pete Incaviglia.

He averaged 32 homers in his first three years with the Tigers … and 136 strikeouts. But, he also averaged 110 walks over those three seasons including a league-leading 122 in 1992.

Sparky penciled him in primarily at catcher in 1991 and ’92, with a few dozen starts at designated hitter. In 1993 and ’94, Tettleton began to see more time at first base and the outfield.

Tettleton and Tiger Stadium were a perfect fit: More than half his homers as a Tiger came at home.

After the strike-shortened 1994 season, he was granted free agency by the Tigers. He signed with the Rangers just before the 1995 season began and played parts of three seasons in Arlington before retiring in July 1997, with 245 career home runs.

Birthdays

Will Rhymes and the late Rusty Staub, Ron Perranoski, Frank Castillo, Moe Franklin, Jake Wade

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 365 7/9 — Rarity: 213

I was overdue for a stinker. I still managed to work Jack Morris into it.

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo

Fernando Valenzuela?

Yes. Briefly.

This blog could not exist without Baseball Reference, and the $80 a year for the ad-free subscription is a steal given how much time I spend on the site. I always seem to uncover some delightful tidbit and lately it seems to be the result of post-Immaculate Grid curiosity.

Today’s discovery might be atop the list, if I kept a list.

Did we know Fernando Valenzuela was, for 75 days, in the Tigers system?

This development leads to a less-intriguing but worthy follow-up question: Did we know Rick Renteria was too?

My answer, at least, is: no!

Random Game: Aug. 13, 1983

Tigers 6 – Yankees 3

W: Jack Morris (14-8) – L: Ron Guidry (13-8) | Boxscore

I sat in the upper-deck bleachers, dead center, for this game with my brother, future brother in law, and my friends (to this day!) Rob and Jeff.
It could not have been a better stage: A warm August Saturday night, a packed house to see Jack Morris face Ron Guidry in a classic 1980s A.L. East showdown with the teams tied for the division lead.
This was the first time in my Tigers fandom that the Tigers were this good, this close to first place, this late in the season — not counting 1981.
The game took place a few days after Yankees right fielder Dave Winfield had dispatched a seagull with a warmup toss at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. Those of us in the bleachers tormented him with bird-like arm waving. Top-notch hijinks for a 15 year old.
We went crazy after the game when the scoreboard showed the standings with the Tigers on top by a game. Insanity.

Highlights

The Yankees led 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh when John Wockenfuss launched a homer to left, scoring Larry Herndon, to take a 4-2 lead. (I can still it in my mind, the ball arching in slow motion to left … but now I can’t remember if it was upper or lower deck.)
Glenn Wilson hit a two-run double in the eighth to widen the lead to 6-2.
Alan Trammell went 4 for 4.
Morris went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out 12.
According to The New York Times game story by Murray Chass, the loss snapped Guidry’s seven-game Tiger Stadium winning streak. The Tigers had last beaten him in Detroit May 21, 1979, 3-1.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Derryl Cousins.
Time of Game: 2:27
Attendance: 50,016
Start Time Weather: 76° F

Birthdays

José Valdez, Joe Mantiply, Jimmy Hurst, Doug Creek, Kris Keller and the late Tim Thompson.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 334 7/9 — Rarity: 212

Swings and misses include: Jerry Morales and Scott Rolen. But a couple of former Tigers*.

*Phil Plantier, in a classic Randy Smith move, was dealt away before he ever appeared in a regular season game for the Tigers.

Have a great weekend. We’ll see you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo

On this Date in 2000

Sparky Anderson and Detroit Stars slugger Norman (Turkey) Stearnes were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

Random Game: April 6, 1992

Blue Jays 4 – Tigers 2

Jack Morris starting an Opening Day at Tiger Stadium for the visiting team was certainly different. As usual, he went the distance, giving up ninth-inning homers to Cecil Fielder and Rob Deer.

W: Jack Morris — L: Bill Gullickson | Boxscore

Monday, April 6, 1992
Attendance: 51,068
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Game Duration: 2:46

Recap

Dave Winfield had three hits for the Jays.
Travis Fryman had a pair of hits.
Speaking of Rob Deer, this was the quintessential Deer performance: 1 for 4, three strikeouts to go with the homer.
Recently acquired Les Lancaster made his Tigers debut with a scoreless ninth.

Birthdays

He hasn’t made the Tigers yet, but Bligh Madris has a Leap Day® birthday.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 333 6/9 — Rarity: 427

Abysmal. But! A nice Hail Mary in the bottom right corner.

See you tomorrow.

Today’s Tiger: Mickey Tettleton

Mickey Tettleton

Born: Sept. 16, 1960 in Oklahoma City
Height: 6′ 2″ Weight: 200 lb.
Acquired: Traded by the Orioles to the Tigers for Jeff Robinson on Jan. 11, 1991.
Seasons in Detroit: 4 (1991-94)
Uniform Number: 20
Stats: .249 avg., 112 HR, 333 RBI, .867 OPS
Awards: Silver Slugger (1991, ’92) All Star (1994)

Who didn’t like Mickey Tettleton? He was built like a tank, stood ramrod straight at the plate and could crush the ball from either side of the plate. And, he wasn’t half-bad behind the plate.

Mickey Tettleton.jpg Tettleton came to Detroit in a steal of a trade from the Orioles 20 years ago next week, the Tigers sending once-promising righty Jeff Robinson to Baltimore in the deal.

After four nondescript seasons with the A’s in which he never hit more than 10 home runs, Tettleton was released by Oakland and signed by the Orioles at the end of March 1988. That season he hit 11 homers but struck out 117 times in 411 at bats.

In 1989, however, he became a dangerous hitter, clubbing 26 homers and earning an All-Star appearance. And while his strikeouts rose along with his plate appearances, so did his walks. In 1990, he fanned 160 times (a career high) but walked 106.

Why would the Orioles, who weren’t exactly brimming with offensive talent, want to part ways with Tettleton? According to this story, they “did not want to pay him more than $1 million to be backup to Bob Melvin.” Bob Melvin! And shortly thereafter his ticket to Detroit was punched.

“He has good defensive skills and is adept at working with pitchers,” acting Tigers General Manager Joe McDonald said. “In addition, he brings even more punch to our lineup.”

And how.

Continue reading “Today’s Tiger: Mickey Tettleton”

Happy Birthday, Rob Deer

In two-and-a-half years with the Tigers (1991 through mid ’93), Rob Deer, #45 in your scorecard, hit 71 home runs and drove in 167 runs. He also struck out 426 times — that’s 37 percent of his 1,164 at bats.

Still, it was fun to watch him swing the bat with all his might every time up. And, oh, when he made contact…

Let’s wish Rob Deer a Happy 48th Birthday.