Fifth Round (147th overall pick): 3B Ryan Raburn, South Florida Junior College. Raburn is a 6-0, 185-pound third baseman who swings a strong bat from the righthand side of the plate. He is solid defensively at third base and he has the potential to develop plus power.

Eighth Round (237th overall pick): SS Donald Kelly, Point Park College. The second-highest player ever drafted from Pointe Park College, Kelly is a tall, lanky, true shortstop with a plus arm. The 6-4, 190-pounder was named the 2001 American Mideast Conference Player of the Year after leading Point Park with a .450 batting average, 68 hits, 45 runs and 39 stolen bases. In both 2000 and 2001, Kelly was named First-Team All-American Mideast Conference at shortstop.

Here are a couple one-time Tigers you’ll recognize:

Third Round (87th overall pick): 3B John Hannahan, University of Minnesota. The 6-2, 205-pound Hannahan is a lefty swinging third sacker who Tigers scouts describe as a real grinder and a good solid player. (We knew John, of course, as Jack.)

Fourth Round (117th overall pick): C Michael Rabelo, University of Tampa. Rabelo swings the bat well from both sides of the plate, possesses a plus arm and is very intelligent.

By the by, Detroit’s first-round pick that year (11th overall) was Kenny Baugh out of Rice University. The second-round selections included RHP Preston Larrison from University of Evansville (55th overall), and Matthew Coenen out of Charleston Southern University (65th overall).

Not a stellar draft, but at least 10 years later there are a couple of players impacting this team’s postseason run.

In the column, Henning pointed to specific examples in Tigers history where heavy workloads resulted in truncated careers – among them Mark Fidrych.

Here’s the gist:

[L]et’s talk about some past Tigers history that might help put the Verlander decision in better perspective.

(snip)

Denny McLain won 31 games in 1968 — the only man in the past 77 years to have done so — and 24 the following season.

He won two Cy Young Awards during those two seasons. He won Most Valuable Player in 1968.

He pitched a combined 661 innings — no misprint — during those two campaigns.

He was 25 years old at the end of the ’69 season.

He won 21 games, total, the remainder of his career. His arm had been fried during those two colossal seasons.

I knew pitchers 40 years ago regularly went deep in games and threw a lot of pitches, but McLain’s output in 1966 was staggering.

On Aug. 29, 1966, McLain threw 229 pitches in the Tigers’ 6-3 win over the Orioles. He gave up eight hits, walks nine and struck out 11 Orioles to notch his 16th win. According to the Baseball Reference.com box score, McLain faced 43 batters in the game.

He was just 22 at the time.

In that game, McLain set the Orioles down in order only one time, the bottom of the second. In every other inning he faced, on average, about five hitters per inning.

Did I mention he was only 22?

Three days later, on Sept. 1, McLain faced the Indians in Cleveland and again went the distance, facing 39 batters. He retired the side 1-2-3 twice in the game but otherwise had a similar pattern to his previous start. (The Tigers won, 4-2.)

On Sept. 6, McLain pitched nine innings, allowed 11 hits, two runs and struck out six, in an 8-2 win over Washington at Tiger Stadium. He faced 38 Senators hitters in this game, his 18th win.

McLain’s 1966 campaign concluded with him making three starts in the span of eight days. On Sept. 23, he didn’t make it out of the third inning, surrendering eight earned runs on seven hits.

Three days later he went eight innings, allowed one run on four hits against 30 Angels batters on the way to his 20th win.

On Oct. 1, the next-to-last day of the season, McLain would pitch 3 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. He took the loss, his 14th, 5-2 to the A’s.

Fourteen and a third innings in three days. Totals like that can certainly make it a bit easier to appreciate today’s pitch-count obsessed mindset in baseball.

All told, McLain threw 264 1/3 innings in 1966. Forty years later, a 23-year-old Verlander threw a comparatively meager 186 innings – and there was talk then that he was approaching overworked status.

There’s no chance the Tigers would put such a ridiculous workload on Verlander – or, in a more apt comparison, Rick Porcello, and Lynn Henning’s column makes a good case for why pitch counts matter, even though I admittedly roll my eyes when I hear them mentioned during games.

And a closer look at a season from 45 years ago explains Denny McLain’s precipitous fall from a 31-game winner at the age of 24 to the loser of 22 games three years later, and his departure from baseball when he should have been entering his prime.

The White Sox led the Tigers, 8-1, in the fifth inning of Saturday’s game before Detroit came back to win, 9-8. It was the second-largest comeback win that the Tigers have ever had at Comerica Park; on Sept. 27, 2003, they rallied from eight runs down to defeat the Twins, 9-8, thereby avoiding their 120th loss of that season (a total that would have tied the modern major-league record set by the 1962 Mets). It was the 29th time in team history – an American League-record total – that the Tigers have won a game after trailing by at least seven runs – a trait that started with the team’s very first game after the American League attained major-league status in 1901. In that game, played on April 25 of that year, the Tigers trailed the Milwaukee Brewers, 13-4, heading to the bottom of the ninth; but aided by an overflow crowd that encroached on the playing field to the consternation of the Milwaukee outfielders, the Tigers scored 10 runs in the last of the ninth to win, 14-13. (The Milwaukee team moved to St. Louis, becoming the Browns, the following year; the franchise then re-located to Baltimore, becoming the Orioles, in 1954.) It was against the White Sox on June 18, 1911 that the Tigers set the major-league record for the largest deficit overcome to win a game. The Sox led, 13-1, in the fifth inning, but the Tigers chipped away and won it, 16-15, by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth, with Ty Cobb himself scoring the winning run. (Two other major-league teams – the Athletics in 1925 and the Indians in 2001 – have since won games after having trailed by 12 runs, but the Tigers’ record has never been bettered.)

The catch gave the Tigers 4-3, 12-inning win and kept them just a half-game out of first behind the Orioles.

Here’s a WDIV Tigers promo from 1986 that plays off that unbelievable catch.

• 1957 — The Tigers acquired righthanded pitcher Tom Morgan, lefty Maury “Mickey” McDermott, catcher Charlie Thompson, infielder Billy Martin and outfielders Gus Zernial and Lou “The Nervous Greek” Skizas from the Athletics for righty Duke Maas and John Tsitouris, catcher Frank House, infielder Kent Hadley, outfielders Bill Tuttle and Jim Small and a player to be named
  (infielder Jim McManus).

• 1958 — The Tigers picked up righthander Ray Narleski, lefty Don Mossi and infielder Ossie Alvarez from the Indians for righty Al Cicotte and infielder Billy Martin — one year to the day
  they acquired him.

• 1997 — The Tigers acquired righthander Bryce Florie and cash considerations from the Brewers for righty Rick Greene, lefty Mike Myers and infielder Santiago Perez. Then they picked up righthander Nick Skuse from the Angels for catcher Matt Walbeck and infielder Phil Nevin.

And on Nov. 20, 1985, the Pirates hired White Sox third base coach Jim Leyland to be the club’s 33rd manager in history.

Al Ackerman makes an appearance in this one.

Note: The video is a bit dark but it’s a lot of fun to watch.

Twenty-eight years ago today, Tigers GM Jim Campbell broke my heart.

On May 27, 1980, he traded my favorite Tigers player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens. (For more on Cowens, check out this post from the archives.)

The Hollywood native joined the Tigers full time in 1976 and played 123 games that year, hitting .218, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. Two of the homers cleared the rightfield roof at Tiger Stadium. It was in 1977, though, that he made his mark: .270, 31 homers and 105 RBI — and earned an All Star Game selection.

The 1977 Tigers yearbook noted:

Jason led the Tigers with 31 home runs and 105 RBI — the first Tiger since Norm Cash (32) in 1971 to top 30 homers and the first since Willie Horton (100) in 1966 to attain the century mark in RBI.

At that point, the Tigers had to like their team of the future: Thompson, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish, Steve Kemp, Ron LeFlore, Jack Morris, et al, with a third baseman to be named later.

Thompson had another solid year in ’78, hitting .287 with 26 homers and 96 RBI.

The Beginning of the End in Detroit…Already?!

In 1979 he continued to hit homers and drive in runs — 20 and 79, respectively — but his average dropped 40 points to .246. That was also the year that Sparky Anderson arrived and, so the story goes, Thompson and Sparky didn’t mesh.

In 1980, Thompson got off to a slow start: .214/4/20 in 36 games, and Sparky invoked his My Way or the Highway clause and sent his first baseman to Orange County.

As I’ve said before, Thompson’s replacement, Richie Hebner, was a favorite of mine too. But, who were the Tigers kidding? Hebner over Jason Thompson?

From Anaheim to Pittsburgh to Montreal

Back home in southern California, Thompson thrived. In 102 games he batted .317 with 17 homers and 70 RBI. (Hebner hit .290/12/82.) On the eve of the 1981 season the Angels traded the three-time All Star to the Pirates for Ed Ott and Mickey Mahler.

In his five seasons in Pittsburgh, Thompson hit 93 home runs and averaged 93 RBI (not counting the 42 in the shortened ’81 season).

On April 4, 1986, the Pirates traded him to the Montreal Expos for players to be named later. Thompson played only 30 games for the Expos, hitting .196 with no home runs and just four RBI. On June 30, at the age of 31 and with balky knees, Jason Thompson was out of baseball for good.

The Jason Thompson Curse

If you remove the years that Darrell Evans and Cecil Fielder manned first base, the Tigers have had a revolving door at the position since they traded Jason Thompson. I call it The Curse of Jason Thompson: Hebner, Enos Cabell, Dave Engle, Keith Moreland, Tony Clark, Eric Munson, Carlos Pena, Chris Shelton, Sean Casey and Carlos Guillen. (And now, of course, Miguel Cabrera. Though I’m not convinced he’s long for first base.)

When looking back on the 1984 World Series team, I often think about how that team, or three-quarters of the starting nine, could’ve been homegrown talent — if Thompson were still in Detroit then.

With the exception of Chet Lemon and Larry Herndon, the Tigers could’ve had six of eight starters developed from Lakeland on up. (Or seven of nine if Morris or Dan Petry were on the hill.) Quite a different scenario from the 2008 Tigers when only two full-time, homegrown position players — Curtis Granderson and Matt Joyce — roam the field.

Today Thompson runs “Jason Thompson Baseball” in Auburn Hills, where kids can get hitting and fielding instruction from old #30 himself. He’s also an executive with Wachovia Securities.

If you can’t tell, even 28 years later I’ve still not gotten over the trade involving my favorite childhood player. I quickly hitched my wagon onto Hebner as a way to ease the pain. But that didn’t last long either, come to think of it.

So I threw my allegiance behind Kirk Gibson and five eight years later, when Gibson signed with the Dodgers, had to deal with the anguish all over again.

Here, courtesy of the Tigers Media Guide, are some Comerica Park firsts — some from that day, others a bit later:

• First Pitch: April 11, 2000 — 1:18 p.m. (Brian Moehler, strike to Seattle’s Mark McLemore with umpire Rick Reed behind the plate)

• First Hit: April 11, 2000 — Seattle’s John Olerud, double, top of first off of Brian Moehler

• First Single: April 11, 2000 — Gregg Jefferies, bottom of first off of Seattle’s Freddy Garcia

• First Double: April 11, 2000 — Seattle’s John Olerud, top of first off of Brian Moehler

• First Triple: April 11, 2000 — Luis Polonia, bottom of first off of Seattle’s Freddy Garcia

• First Home Run: April 14, 2000 — Juan Gonzalez, bottom of third off Tampa Bay’s Ryan Rupe. With Gonzalez’s three-run shot, it marked the longest stretch without a home run of any new ballpark opened since 1989.

• First RBI: April 11, 2000 — Gregg Jefferies, bottom of first

• First Stolen Base: April 12, 2000 — Seattle’s Mark McLemore off Dave Mlicki/Brad Ausmus, 2nd base.

• First Shutout: April 12, 2000 — Seattle’s Aaron Sele, 4-0.

• First Grand Slam: April 19, 2000 Boston’s Trot Nixon, top of the 6th off Jim Poole.

• First Tigers Grand Slam: June 27, 2000 — Dean Palmer, bottom of fifth off New York’s David Cone.

• First Inside-the-Park Home Run: September 2, 2000 — Juan Gonzalez, bottom of the first off Texas’ Kenny Rogers.

April 9, 1990 — @Red Sox 5, Tigers 2

Tony Phillips, 3B; Alan Trammell, SS; Lou Whitaker, 2B; Cecil Fielder, 1B; Lloyd Moseby, CF; Matt Nokes, C; Gary Ward, LF; Chet Lemon, RF; Dave Bergman, DH; Jack Morris, P

April 7, 1986 — @Tigers 6, Red Sox 5

Dave Collins, DH; Lou Whitaker, 2B; Kirk Gibson, RF; Lance Parrish, C; Chet Lemon, CF; Alan Trammell, SS; Larry Herndon, LF; Darrell Evans, 1B; Darnell Coles, 3B; Jack Morris, P

April 9, 1982 — @Royals 4, Tigers 2

Eddie Miller, RF; Enos Cabell, 1B; Kirk Gibson, CF; Larry Herndon, LF; John Wockenfuss, DH; Tom Brookens, 3B; Lance Parrish, C; Alan Trammell, SS; Lou Whitaker, 2B; Jack Morris, P

April 10, 1975 — Orioles 10, @Tigers 0

Ron LeFlore, CF; Gary Sutherland, 2B; Willie Horton, DH; Nate Colbert, 1B; Bill Freehan, C; Dan Meyer, LF; Art James, RF; Tom Veryzer, SS; Aurelio Rodriguez, 3B; Joe Coleman, P

April 10, 1968 — Red Sox 7, @Tigers 3

Mickey Stanley, 1B; Dick McAuliffe, 2B; Al Kaline, RF; Willie Horton, LF; Bill Freehan, C; Jim Northrup, CF; Don Wert, 3B; Ray Oyler, SS; Earl Wilson, P

April 18, 1950 — Tigers 7, @Indians 6

Johnny Lipon, SS; Jerry Priddy, 2B; George Kell, 3B; Vic Wertz, RF; Pat Mullin, LF; Johnny Groth, CF; Dick Kryhoski, 1B; Aaron Robinson, C; Fred Hutchinson, P

April 25, 1901 — @Tigers 14, MIL 13

Doc Casey, 3B; Jimmy Barrett, CF; Kid Gleason, 2B; Ducky Holmes, RF; Pop Dillon, 1B; Kid Elberfeld, SS; Kid Nance, LF; Fritz Buelow, C; Roscoe Miller, P

Thanks to eBay, I can get the book. The movie is proving to be a tougher find — at least in tangible form. Thanks to YouTube we can enjoy clips from the 1978 epic.

A few things to point out: the bush-league replica Tigers jerseys worn by nearly afro’d “Mickey Stanley“, Jim Northrup‘s silver hair
(we’re supposed to believe he was a current-day player?), and Norm Cash’s un-sculpted build.

Also, check out the mix of old-school dark green paint with the blue that replaced it.

1. Want to go fishing with Jack Morris? World Fishing Network and Comcast Michigan will offer one lucky angler and his or her favorite fishing buddy the opportunity to spend the day fishing with former Tiger Jack Morris in the “WFN’s Fishing with Jack Morris presented by Comcast” Sweepstakes. You can enter here. The contest ends May 2.

   I don’t fish so you can count me out. But if you win, be sure to tell The Cat that I said hello and that I think he should be in the Hall of Fame.

2. One hundred years ago today, Detroit’s Chalmers Auto Company agreed to award a new car to the player who owned the highest batting average at the end of the 1910 season. Nap Lajoie won a disputed batting title over Ty Cobb in a controversial finish. Here’s what happened, according to Cobb’s page in Baseball-Reference.com’s Bullpen:
   

   In 1910, he was so unpopular with other players that St. Louis Browns manager Jack O’Connor instructed his third baseman, Red Corriden, to play well back on the last day of the season as his team faced the Cleveland Naps. The Naps’ star Napoleon Lajoie was locked in a tight race with Cobb for the batting title, but thanks to the Browns’ generosity, dropped bunt single after bunt single down the third base line that day, going 6 for 6 on his way to a batting title that is still controversial today.

   Chalmers gave cars to both players to avoid any hassles.

3. Believe it or not, former White Sox slugger Jermaine Dye is looking for work. But according to our recent Fungo Pulse Check Poll, nabbing Dye shouldn’t be the Tigers’ top priority — but close to it. Here are the results:

   What move should the Tigers make for the final piece of the 2010 puzzle?

   • Trade surplus pitching for a slugger (35%, 63 Votes)
   • Sign Jermaine Dye (34%, 61 Votes)
   • Add infield depth (31%, 54 Votes)

   Thanks to everyone that weighed in. The 178 votes were the most ever for a Fungo Pulse Check. Also, be sure to vote in our latest poll in the sidebar –>

So what, you ask? So, exactly one year later the Tigers sent Martin and pitcher Al Cicotte to the Indians for relievers Ray Narleski and Don Mossi, and shortstop Ossie Alvarez.

Not the most exciting stuff but, hey, at least it’s about two trades that actually materialized.

His best overall season was 1984: .280, 18 HR, 92 RBI and 15 triples. For the Tigers he simply kept centerfield warm for, ahem, Milt Cuyler.

The Portland, Ark. native hit .255 in two Detroit seasons with a total of 20 homers. He retired after the 1991 season at the surprisingly young age of 31.