Ivan Rodriguez Defensive Highlights

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Willie Smith Opening Day 1969

Opening day on April 8, 1969, Willie Smith delivered a two-run home run off the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Randy Lersch in the 11^th giving the Chicago Cubs a 7-6 win. It sparked the Cubs to an 11-1 start on the season.

Smith broke in with the Detroit Tigers as a pitching prospect, and before converting to the outfield he compiled a record 2-4 with a 3.10 ERA. He finished his career with a batting line of .248/.295/.395 with 46 home runs and 211 RBI.

Frank Howard: The Capital Punisher

Frank Howard broke in with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In his rookie season Howard hit 23 home runs with 77 RBI earning the National League Rookie of the Year award.

His best offensive seasons would come as a member of the Washington Senators uniform. He hit forty plus home runs in 68-70 seasons. In 1968 and 1970, he led the American League in home runs. He had the creative nicknames of “The Washington Monument”, “Hondo” and “The Captial Punisher.” Howard was a four time all-star. After his playing days, he managed the New York Mets and San Diego Padres. He also served as a coach for his several clubs.

He hit 382 home runs with 1,119 RBI with a hitting line of .273/.352/.499. 

Chicago Cubs: Tinker to Evers to Chance

Between 1902 and 1912 the trio of Joe Tinker shortstop, Johnny Evers second base, and Frank Chance. The trio were elected by the veterans committee in 1946 to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  During their time with the Cubs, they won 1907-1908 World Series, and four National League pennants. The only two World Series championship in Chicago Cubs history mastering the Detroit Tigers in both series.

 Franklin Pierce Adams of the New York Evening Post made the trio famous by penning the poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon." It was originally titled "That Double Play Again" when it was published on July 12, 1910. The poem launched the trio into baseball immortality

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It is well documented that Evers and Tinker didn't speak to each other after September 14, 1905. Evers took a cab to the ballpark leaving Tinker in the hotel lobby, and they ended up having a fist fight on the field. 

Frank Chance managed the Cubs from 1905-1912, and afterwards managed both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. He was a lifetime .296 hitter and twice led the National League in stolen bases.  Tinker would be a player-manager for the Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. He only hit .262 in his career.  Johnny Evers would hit .270 over the course of his long career. In era of high batting averages, the trio were helped by the famous poem.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

The Detroit Tigers Mickey Lolich

In the 1968 World Series southpaw Mickey Lolich registered three complete game wins, and walked away with the MVP trophy. He sparked the Tigers to comeback from a 3 games to 1 deficit to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals.  He his three complete game victories haven't been matched in World Series play since. It wasn't until 2001, when another southpaw Randy Johnson would get three World Series wins. In game two of the World Series (8-1 Tiger win), he would hit the only home run of his career.

Lolich would sign with the Detroit Tigers out of high school and toiled in their farm system for five seasons until making his major league debut in the fifth season in 1963, when he went 5-9 splitting time between being a starter and reliever. It all changed in when he had a won-loss record of 18-9, tossed six shutouts finished with an ERA of 3.26.  Lolich would be a consistent starter for the Tigers, he won 14 or more games in 11 consecutive seasons.  From 1969 through 1974, Lolich would strike out 200 or more in six consecutive seasons. His best season would be in 1971, when he would lead MLB with 25 wins, 308 strike outs, 45 starts, 29 complete games, 376 innings pitched. He was an American League all-star three times in 1969, and 1971-1972. He would follow up the 1971 with 22 wins in 1972, and sending the Tigers into postseason as the American League East champions.

Lolich would be traded after the 1975 season to the New York Mets. He went 8-13 with a 3.22 ERA, and retired at the end of the season. After sitting out the 1977 season, he signed as a free agent with the San Diego Padres pitching two seasons making only seven starts in 47 appearances. 

He retired with a career won-loss record of 217-191 with an ERA of 3.44, and 2,832 strike outs. 

Mark Fidrych A Brief Memorable Career

His career was like a shooting star, bright and brief pitching only parts of five major league seasons. As a long haired teenager with a mop of hair similar to the Mark "The Bird" Fidrych  made his debut talking to the baseball, manicuring the pitching mound with his hands. This bit of insanity made me an immediate fan. 

Fidrych took the American League by storm in 1976. Not expected to make the Tigers roster, he earned his place on the team as a non-roster invitee to spring training. He would wouldn't get a start until May 15, in era of four man rotations, and quality pitchers went the distance in games opportunities had been few. In his first outing he pitched six no-hit innings before allowing a single, and went the distance in a 2-1 game. It would be the first of twenty-nine starts that season. He would complete 24 of them. By comparison in today's era of specialization with pitching staffs the San Francisco Giants led all of major league baseball with 10 complete games as a staff.

Fidrych would go 9-1 in his first ten decisions,  which included a seven game winning streak. He did his pitching with cunning, he allowed only 7.8 hits per nine innings, and 1.9 walks, and 3.5 strike outs per nine. He would finish the season with a won-loss record of 19-9, and he would finish second to Jim Palmer in the Cy Young balloting. He was named Rookie of the Year, and led the American League in ERA 2.34.  He would be an all-star in both 1976 and 1977. He would only make 27 more starts in his career.

In 1977, he would begin the season by tearing cartilage in his knee during spring training. He was just as effective upon his return, but in July of that year he tore his rotator cuff in a game against the Baltimore Orioles. It was an injury that wouldn't be diagnosed by doctors until 1985, and was to bring about treatments that are remarkable today. He turned down his all-star invitation due to injury.  He would finish his injury riddled career with a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA. In 2009, he would die in a tragic accident on his farm.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Justin Verlander's 2,000th Strikeout

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander got Eddie Rosiaro of the Minnesota Twins to chase a pitch up and out of the strike zone for his 2,000th career whiff. Verlander is only the second pitcher in Tigers history to top the 2,000 strikeouts mark, and only the 76th in MLB history to top the mark.  Mickey Lolich is the franchise leader at 2,679.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

The White Sox Turn Another Triple Play

May 19, 2016. The Chicago White Sox turned their second triple play in less than a month. In the first of inning of the game with Detroit Tigers. Just three weeks ago they turned a triple play against the Texas Rangers.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Virgil Trucks Tosses No-Hitter

May 15, 1952. Detroit Tigers pitcher Virgil Trucks fires a no-hit victory over the Washington Senators 1-0. Vic Wertz provides the winning blast with a  home run with two outs in the ninth inning. It was only the second no-hitter in franchise history, and the first since 1912.

Joe Glasgow is a former senior staff writer at Fanstop.com, and is the author of the book Play Ball! Growing Up With Baseball https://amzn.to/2o4M62h

Ty Cobb Ties Home Run Record

May 6, 1925. Ty Cobb ties Cap Anson's 1884 record by hitting five home runs over two games. The Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns 11-4 at Sportsman's Park.

Dan Wilson Hits Inside-The-Park-Grand Slam

May 3, 1998. Catcher Dan Wilson of the Seattle Mariners in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers hits an inside-the-park grand slam home run. The Mariners go on to beat the Tigers 10-6. It is the first inside-the-park home run in Mariners history.

Anibal Sanchez Whiffs 17 Atlanta Braves

On this date in baseball history, right-hander Anibal Sanchez whiffs 17 Atlanta Braves to break Tiger great Mickey Lolich's record of 16, that been set in 1972. The total of 17 strikeouts was accomplished in eight innings of work. The Tigers clubbed the Braves 10-0 in the game. Thus far in his career Sanchez is 82-76 with a 3.75 ERA.

Harry Chiti Traded To Cleveland

April 26, 1962, Harry Chiti a catcher known for his defense is traded by the Cleveland Indians  to the New York Mets  for a player to be named later. June 15, 1962, Harry Chiti is the player to be named later in the deal. He becomes the first player in Major League Baseball to be traded for himself. Dickie Noles, Brad Gulden, and John McDonald would allow follow Chiti being traded for themselves. He never played in another major league after being traded. He played two more years at AAA before calling it a career. He played for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Athletics, Detroit Tigers, and New York Mets.

Larry Doby Baseball Pioneer

Larry Doby was the first black player to play in the American League signing with the Cleveland Indians in 1947.  He would make a his major league debut with the Indians that year, but would have his official rookie season in 1948. The last season the Cleveland Indians won the World Series.  

Before signing with the Indians, Doby had been a star in the Negro league star playing there four seasons, which was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy during WW II.   In 1946, he was part of the Newark Eagles team that won the Negro league title. 

Doby would play for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White So and Detriot Tigers. Doby enjoyed his best offensive season in 1954, when he hit 32 home runs and have 126 RBI. He would hit 20 or more home runs in 8 seasons, last being with the Chicago White Sox in 1956.

Doby was a seven time all-star all in a Cleveland Indians uniform. He would win the American home run title in 1952, and 1954. In 1998, he was elected by the veteran's committee to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  His #14 has been retired by the Cleveland Indians.