Sunday Snacks: RIP Woodie Fryman, A Fantasy Camper Says Goodbye and More!

When I was just starting to collect baseball cards, the first thing I always did upon opening a new pack was to flip the card over to see if the player ever was a member of the Tigers. WoodieFryman

Because my memory latches on to such random things, I clearly remember when I turned over the 1977 Topps Woodie Fryman card and saw that he played for the Tigers from 1972-74.

Fryman passed away on Friday in Lexington, Ky., at the age of 70.

Fryman won 141 games from 1966-83 with the Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs. He pitched primarily in relief late in his career, saving 17 games for Montreal in 1980.

Fryman had four career one-hitters – including a nearly perfect game when he was a Pittsburgh rookie. He gave up a leadoff hit to the New York Mets, the runner was caught stealing and Fryman didn’t allow anyone else on base.

In 1972, Fryman joined the Tigers in the middle of the season and went 10-3 with a 2.06 ERA for them, helping Detroit win the American League East.

He was elected to the Expos Hall of Fame in 1995.

I was too young to see Fryman work his half-season magic. Do any of you remember seeing him pitch for the Tigers?

My friend Chuck passed along this story which appeared last week in The Wall Street Journal. The piece focuses on Bill “Pappy” Holcomb, a 71-year-old retired autoworker, who’s ending his 22-season Tigers Fantasy Camp career.The main thread of the story is the aging of Fantasy Camp attendees:

The Tigers this year had 190 campers, with an average age of 54. In 1985, the average age was 44. Teams that started their camps more recently tend to have a lower average age, around 50, but they also find themselves catering to older, more-infirm players.

Be sure to view the slideshow that accompanies the article. You’ll see a photo that includes Steve Kemp.
In our most recent Fungo Flash Poll we asked, If you could choose one, which Tigers killer would you like to see in Detroit?
1. Grady Sizemore (20 percent, 199 Votes)
2. Denard Span (17 percent, 171 Votes)
3. Joe Nathan (16 percent, 162 Votes)
4. Jim Thome (13 percent, 129 Votes)
5. Carl Pavano (12 percent, 116 Votes)
6. Paul Konerko (11 percent, 106 Votes)
7. Michael Cuddyer (9 percent, 85 Votes)
Others receiving votes: Joe Crede, Luke Scott and, based on an interesting perspective, Todd Jones.

I was stunned to see Sizemore earn the most votes and expected to see Konerko or Thome at the top.

Thanks to the nearly 1,000 voters in this poll. Watch for another poll soon.
I’m still amazed that the Tigers cut ties with Jeremy Bonderman. As I said on the podcast last week, the Tigers could certainly use someone of Bondo’s caliber for spot starting a la Eddie Bonine or Chad Durbin, et al. Instead it looks like he’s headed to Cleveland and the Plain Dealer‘s Terry Pluto explains why:

They did offer him a minor-league contract, but he rejected it. The market for Bonderman is slim because of that 6.50 ERA (and 13 HR in 73 innings) after the All-Star break — when his average fastball dropped from 92 mph to 88. The Indians believe fatigue was the reason.

(snip)

The Indians are looking at Bonderman because you can never have enough starting pitching.

Apparently the Tigers think you can.
This story isn’t Tigers related but it’s fascinating nonetheless. If you’ve followed the Bernie Madoff story even peripherally over the past few years, you know the devastation his Ponzi scheme has inflicted on countless people.This article in The New York Times provides a window into Madoff’s ties to the Mets’ owners — and what role Madoff played in managing the deferred income included in player contracts.

Finally, if you, like me, are a sucker for the Dos Equis commercials featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World, The New Yorker introduces us to the actor who plays him.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

Today’s Tiger: Dave Stegman

Dave Stegman

Born: Jan. 30, 1954 in Inglewood, Calif.
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 190
Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round (2nd pick) of the 1976 amateur draft.
Seasons in Detroit: 3 (1978-80)
Uniform Number: 22
Stats: .189 avg., 6 HR, 17 RBI, .589 OPS

Dave Stegman debuted with the Tigers on Sept. 4, 1978. As a youngster, Stegman clearly was a stud player. According to Baseball Reference.com:

Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the 1972 amateur draft, but did not sign.
Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 9th round of the 1975 amateur draft, but did not sign.
Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round of the 1976 amateur draft (Secondary Phase), but did not sign.

The University of Arizona alum was drafted by Detroit in the first round — second pick overall — of the 1976 amateur draft.

He played in eight games in 1978 — all in the outfield — and batted .286 in 14 at bats. In 1979 he played in 12 games and batted .194 (but with one homer!).

The 1980 season was his last with the Tigers. That year he appeared in 65 games and hit .177 in 130 at bats.

Detroit shipped him to the San Diego Padres for Dennis Kinney in December 1980.

He never played for the Padres and was spun-off to the Yankees as a player to be named later in April 1981. He didn’t see any major-league action during that strike-shortened year.

The same could almost be said about 1982. He appeared in two games for the Yankees but had zero plate appearances. That had to be a bummer.

On Jan. 26, 1983, Stegman signed a free agent contract with the White Sox. After two unremarkable seasons with Chicago, he was out of baseball.

His final line: 172 games, 320 at bats, 66 hits, 8 HR, 32 RBI, and a .206 average.

Whether or not you remember Dave Stegman, wish him a happy birthday, won’t you?

Galarraga Arrives a Hero in Arizona

Armando Galarraga, according to this headline, appears to be a popular Diamondbacks player already, which is relative, of course.

In this city, fans are more likely to know the Suns’ 12th man than the Dbacks’ fifth starter. But columnist Dan Bickley says Galarraga’s reaction to the blown call and the aftermath could make him “the most popular losing pitcher in baseball history.”

Here’s a sampling of Bickley’s column in yesterday’s Arizona Republic:

Though he’s only 23-26 as a starter, Galarraga enjoys a lofty reputation among baseball fans. He is viewed as a professional athlete with a heart, a player who can step out of his world and walk in someone else’s shoes. He credits his parents for teaching him to step back and cool off “when something is going wrong, when something makes you want to scream.”

(snip)

Question is, will we love Galarraga in the coming months? That’s hard to say. He will compete for a spot in the starting rotation, and many baseball observers aren’t convinced he’ll ever morph into an impact starter. Still, if his command is as good as his self-control, he has a fighting chance. And he’s very happy for a fresh start, for the chance to throw a perfect game in the National League.

“I’m very excited. I can’t wait to hit. I really like Arizona. That’s a great stadium for pitching,” Galarraga said.

Of course, he’s dead wrong about Chase Field, which is notoriously friendly to hitters. That’s OK. We’ll forgive him. It’s the least we can do.

I’m still not convinced that Dbacks’ manager Kirk Gibson won’t be infuriated by Galarraga’s lack of aggressiveness. I guess we’ll see.

Happy 37th Birthday, Magglio

It never gets old.

Friday Night Morsels

This week is the big Barrett-Jackson classic car auction here in Scottsdale and while I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination, a car guy, I find myself riveted to the coverage. Every year I watch and ask the same questions about the buyers: Who are these people and where do they get their money?

But anyway …

On this date in 1993, Tigers Hall of Fame second baseman Charlie Gehringer died at the age of 89 in Bloomfield Hills, one month after suffering a stroke. During a 19-year career in Detroit, the Mechanical Man posted a .320 batting average with 184 home runs and 1427 RBI. In 1937, he led the American League with a .371 average. Check out Gehringer’s Hall of Fame page here.
On this date in 2000, the Tigers signed free agent pitcher Hideo Nomo to a one-year contract. Nomo’s agent had declined a multi-year contract with the Brewers, expecting more on the open market. Shrewd.
Yesterday former Tigers outfielder Gus Zernial passed away at age 87. Jay Jaffe at FutilityInfielder.com shares this tidbit about the man nicknamed “Ozark Ike”:

For a long time Zernial held the distinction of hitting the most homers for a player whose last name ends in the letter Z with 237, but Todd Zeile passed him in 2003 while playing for the Yankees, hitting a homer off the Red Sox Bruce Chen. In 1951, Zernial and Al Zarilla did team up to form the first outfield with two players with the last name starting with Z, so there’s still that.

Also, he’s one of six players in Tigers history with a last name beginning with Z.

Finally, Happy 30th Birthday to Wil Ledezma, the winning pitcher of the 2006 pennant-clinching game. Here’s a little nugget that I uncovered today about Ledezma:

[He] holds one very obscure all-time record: the most consecutive starts of six innings or fewer: … At the end of the 2006 season, he had made 31 straight starts with six or fewer innings. The previous record had been 28, by Scott Elarton.

Who knew?

Enjoy your weekend.

Today’s Tiger: Hank Aguirre

Hank Aguirre

Born: Jan. 31, 1931 in Azusa, Calif.
Died: Sept. 5, 1994 in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Throws: Left Bats: Right
Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 205 lb.
Acquired: Traded by the Indians with Jim Hegan to the Tigers for Jay Porter and Hal Woodeshick on Feb. 18, 1958.
Seasons in Detroit: 10 (1958-67)
Uniform Number: 30, 37, 21
Stats: 64-64, 3.29 ERA, 138 Starts, 41 Complete Games, 27 Saves
Awards: All-Star (1962)

Hank Aguirre pitched 10 seasons for the Tigers, posting a 64 and 64 record from 1958 through 1967, but he wasn’t able to enjoy the joyride of the 1968 World Series team. Aguirre was traded on April 3, 1968, a week before Opening Day, to the Dodgers for a player to be named later.

When he arrived in Detroit for the ’58 season, Aguirre was predominantly a reliever and would be until 1962 when he was moved into the rotation.

For the next five years he averaged 26 starts a season and 41 appearances. Only in 1965 did Aguirre have a defined role: 32 appearances, 32 starts.

His finest campaign was in 1962 when he was named to the All Star team thanks to a 16-8 record and a league-leading 2.21 ERA.

One thing Aguirre wasn’t, though, was a hitter. Not even close. In 427 career plate appearances he mustered just a .085 average and over the course of his career he averaged two hits per season.

According to his obituary in The New York Times, after his career ended with the Cubs in 1970, he served as the club’s pitching coach and later coached in the minors.

In 1979, he established Mexican Industries in southwestern Detroit. The auto parts manufacturer began with eight workers and a contract to supply components to Volkswagen. It now has about 900 employees.

When Aguirre and Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer broke ground on a new building for Mexican Industries in November, Archer said Aguirre’s name “is like magic and gold wherever I go and wherever I’ve been.”

All told, Aguirre was 75-72 with a 3.25 earned run average in his 16 big-league seasons.

Robert Fick: Ultimate Friend and Teammate

Former Tigers catcher Robert Fick earned his reputation as a bad seed thanks to some poor on-field decisions and in-flight activities.

If you followed the Tigers during his five years (and five uniform numbers) in Detroit, you won’t be surprised by this Fick-related anecdote from former-Tigers flamethrower Matt Anderson:

First Anderson drove from Louisville to Atlanta to say goodbye to the kids. Then he headed west to California to see his friend and former Tigers teammate, Robert Fick, who had possession of the two game gloves — a Mizuno and a Rawlings — that Anderson used during his last stint in pro ball.

After continually badgering Fick to send him the gloves, to no avail, Anderson figured it would be easier to just pass through California on his way to Phoenix and pick them up in person.

“For Robert to muster up what it took to go to the packing store, find my address and all that stuff, I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Anderson said.

I, for one, am hoping that Anderson’s comeback is successful. The fact he’s back on the radar, however temporarily, makes me wonder what an Anderson-Zumaya-Perry bullpen might look like.

As for Fick, well, never mind.

Today’s Tiger: Jason Thompson

Jason Thompson

Born: July 6, 1954 in Hollywood, Calif.
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 200 lb.
Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 1975 amateur draft.
Seasons in Detroit: 5 (1976-80)
Uniform Number: 30
Stats: .256 avg., 98 HR, 354 RBI, .779 OPS
Awards: Three-time All Star (1977, ’78 and ’82)

On May 27, 1980, Tigers GM Jim Campbell traded my favorite player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens.

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.

Continue reading “Today’s Tiger: Jason Thompson” →

Today’s Tiger: George Cappuzello

George Cappuzello

Born: Jan. 15, 1954, in Youngstown, Ohio
Bats: Right Throws: Left
Height: 6′ 0″ Weight: 175 lb.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on April 28, 1980.
Seasons in Detroit: 1 (1981)
Uniform Number: 41
Stats: 1-1, 3.48 ERA, 1 save

George Cappuzello, the man who allegedly was on an ice cream and doughnut diet during Spring Training in 1981, appeared in just 18 games that year for the Tigers.

Originally, Cappuzello was drafted by the Tigers in the 27th round of the 1972 amateur draft. He spent six seasons in the Tigers’ system before being traded with minor leaguer John Valle (minors) to the Reds for Jack Billingham on March 6, 1978. He returned to Detroit after being released by the Reds in April 1980.

After his March 1982 release from the Tigers, he appeared in 17 games for Astros, pitching in his final game on Aug. 5, 1982.

By the way, he turns 57 today.

Today’s Tiger: Morris Madden

Morris Madden

Born: Aug. 31, 1960 in Laurens, S.C.
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Height: 6′ 0″ Weight: 155 lb.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on Nov. 23, 1985.
Seasons in Detroit: 1 (1987)
Uniform Number: 42
Stats: 0-0, 16.20 ERA, 1.2 IP

Don’t feel bad if you don’t remember Morris Madden‘s mini-career with the Tigers. He pitched just twice for Detroit during the 1987 season and one look at his stats tells you why.

On June 11 versus Milwaukee at Tiger Stadium, he came in during the sixth inning to relieve Eric King (who had relieved starter Jeff Robinson) with the bases loaded and promptly walked Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner. In his one inning of work, he allowed two earned runs and three walks. The Tigers lost the game 8-5.

Robinson’s next start, five days later at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium, the lefty Madden came in to start the fifth inning. The first hitter he faced, Fred McGriff doubled to center, then Garth Iorg grounded out to Alan Trammell, advancing McGriff to third. Tony Fernandez singled, Lloyd Moseby flied out to center, then Jesse Barfield got an infield single. And that was the end of Morris Madden’s Tigers career.

Less than a month later, on Aug. 12, 1987, Madden was sent by the Tigers to the Pirates to complete the Aug. 7, 1987 trade of Darnell Coles for Jim Morrison.

If you’re wondering how he fared with Jim Leyland‘s Pirates, well it depends on the year. In 1988, he appeared in five games, allowed five hits and seven walks in five innings (!) but didn’t allow a run. In ’89, Madden pitched 14 innings across nine games — including three starts — he allowed a stunning 13 walks, 17 hits, 14 runs, 11 earned. Final ERA: 7.07.

On Nov. 21, 1989, he was released by the Pirates and while he pitched for the AAA Albuquerque Dukes in 1990, his major-league career was over.