by
Lou Whitaker
The MLB All-Star game will be played one week from tonight. All the greats of today’s game will descend on Minneapolis, three of which will be representing the Old English D.
Like all franchises that have been around a while, the Tigers have a long history with the midsummer classic. Today, we take a look back at some interesting anecdotes about the Tigers in relation to this most competitive of professional all-star contests.
Charlie Gehringer was the first
In the game’s inaugural gathering of stars, the Tigers sent Hall of Fame second sacker Charlie Gehringer to represent the club. The “Mechanical Man” acquitted himself quite nicely, walking twice and scoring a run while playing all nine innings in the AL’s tight 4-2 victory at Comiskey Park.
Gehringer also had the unique fortune of coming around to score on Babe Ruth’s third-inning homer, the lone long ball in the Bambino’s all-star career.
In a sign of just how much things have changed since that maiden game, there was only one position-player substitution on the AL’s side the whole afternoon -- when Ruth was replaced on defense for the 9th inning. Otherwise, everyone else (besides the pitcher) stayed out there for the duration. Compare that to next Tuesday when it will be a minor miracle if any player in the game bats more than twice.
It’s about time a Tiger hits a home run
It’s been 28 years and 64 trips to the plate since a Detroit Tiger whacked a homer in the All-Star Game.
The last guy to do it was Sweet Lou Whitaker, taking the fireballing Doc Gooden deep in the Astrodome. That was in 1986.
And it’s not as if there haven’t been extra-base hits. Tiger All-Stars have socked a pair of doubles (Carlos Guillen, Miguel Cabrera), and improbably, three triples (Pudge Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, Prince Fielder).
With hot-hitting Victor Martinez and perennial league-leader Cabrera both suiting up for the AL this year, there’s never been a better time for the dinger drought to come to an end.
Brad Ausmus was once an All-Star Tiger
There was a dark period in the Tigers’ history when they would routinely send exactly one player to the All-Star Game. In fact, it occurred every year from 1995 to 2003. And if league rules didn’t require that each team be represented, we probably wouldn’t have seen any Tigers at all.
In 1999, our league-mandated star was none other than current manager Brad Ausmus. The steady catcher had a relatively pedestrian first half (.277 BA, 7 HRs), but on a team saddled with a grapefruit-throwing Dave Borkowski and an aging-by-the-minute Gregg Jefferies, it was good enough to warrant an all-star nod (the only one of his 18-year career).
His lone at bat might appear uneventful. After all, it was just a weak grounder against Kevin Millwood resulting in a fielder’s choice. But look a bit closer and you see that Ausmus battled for nine grueling pitches, the AL’s longest plate appearance of the night.
Ausmus is still learning on the job and might not be the most clever manager around, but you can’t deny the man’s grittiness. It was an exhibition, it was late in the game, his team was ahead by three runs, yet he refused to give in; even if it did just wind up being a lame bouncer to short.
The most difficult Tigers’ trivia question of all-time
The next time you’re engaged in a battle of hardball wits with a buddy, you can end the proceedings at once with this fair, but impossible, Detroit Tigers trivia question...
Since 1950, who are the only two Tigers to steal a base during an All-Star Game?
Without much effort, you might be able to recall the legendary Al Kaline as the first.
But good luck remembering that the other swiped bag belonged to the certifiably insane Robert Fick back in 2002.
If you did happen to know that nugget without looking it up or reading ahead, a heartfelt congratulations is sent your way; as well as a wish that you find a hobby or natural sunlight sometime in the very near future.
Where’s our MVP?
Since the All-Star Game MVP became a thing in 1962, a grand total of 53 players have been graced with the honor. Somehow, not a single one of them has been a Detroit Tiger.
The Orioles and Giants have bagged the award six times. The Dodgers and Reds each count five. Even relatively young franchises like the Marlins and Rays can find themselves on this list.
Whitaker probably deserved the award for his aforementioned two-run blast in a nail-biting 3-2 win in ’86, but it went to Roger Clemens, who started the game and retired all nine hitters that he faced.
Hefty lefty David Wells was similarly snubbed in 1995 when he entered late and fanned the only batter he faced, the hulking 135-pound slugger Mickey Morandini.
The Detroit Tigers are still patiently waiting for their moment in the all-star sun.
Could this be the year a Tiger walks away with the trophy?
We’ll find out in one week.
