Twilight Tigers: Bob Hamelin

Recently, I read an article in Baseball Digest regarding Rookie Flameouts focusing on Joe Charbeneau and Mark Fidrych.  2x3 states a certain outfielder of the Dodgers may join that list.  Bringing back one of the Hot Corner's features parallels with this theme....The Hot Corner Twilight Tigers.

Bob Hamelin burst on the scene in 1994 at the age of 26 to win the AL Rookie of the Year.

None of these cards show off his trademark HUGE 1990s glasses.  As you see below, Hamelin was a big time prospect for the Royals in 1990, but didn't make it to the bigs until the end of 1993 and his best season in 1994.   I seem to recall some type of miracle drug flailing hitters could take to improve their power numbers, what was that called?

In the strike shortened 1994 season Hamelin hit .282 AVG with 24 HRs & 65 RBIs.  There was a hugh commotion about this OLD prospect having such an outstanding season.  The following year, The reigning Rookie of the Year came back to Earth and hit .168 with 7 HRs & 25 RBIs.  

Released by the Royals in late March of 1997, who would want this flamed out star?  One guess, signed April 8, 1997 with the Detroit Tigers.

The 1997 Detroit Tiger version of the ROY featured Hamelin in 110 games hitting .270 AVG,18 HRs and 52 RBIs.

Following the 1997 season Hamelin signed with Milwaukee and was out of baseball.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Twilight Tigers: Warren Morris

Every Tuesday the Hot Corner takes a look at stars in the game of baseball came to finish their careers with the Detroit Tigers.

Warren Morris, you say, a star?  This guy was twice a Tiger with LSU in college and Detroit.

Also, Morris hit walk off homers in the College World Series in 1996.

That summer Morris played for Team USA in the 1996 Olympics, winning bronze.

Morris was drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 1996, would be dealt to the Pirates with Todd Van Poppel, make his debut in 1999, played for the Twins in 2002 and finally landing in Motown.

Morris became a starter for the Tigers in 2003 when Damion Easley was released, playing in 97 games, hitting .272 (346 AB), 6 HR, 37 RBI.  This would be the last season in the pro's for Morris.

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Twilight Tigers: Hideo Nomo

Here at the the Hot Corner we take a look at stars that played for the Detroit Tigers at some point in their career.

Not really the end, but in between --- Nomo Mania struck the Motor City in the year 2000.

Detroit would be Nomo's fourth team (LAD, NYM, MIL) spending 2000 with the Tigers.

Nomo would go 8-12 with 4.74 ERA, striking out 181 in 190 IP.  Nomo would head to Boston in 2001 and lead the AL in strikeouts, back to LA to spend 3 more season with the Dodgers, then finishing out his career with Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

I recall Nomo's entrance into MLB and paved the way for more stars to come over from Japan.  His signature windup and delivery were classic.

For what it is worth, I only had 4 Nomo cards, none with the Dodgers! 3 Tigers and a Brewer.

We had this guy?

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Twilight Tigers: Gregg Jefferies

This post is a tad late, but nonetheless, the weekly installment of star players finishing their careers out with the Tigers has arrived.

One of the hottest rising stars was a Mets player by the name of Gregg Jefferies

Jefferies would play 14 major league seasons, spending his final two in Detroit from 1999-2000.  Five years spent in the Big Apple, finishing 3rd in the ROY voting in 1989 stealing 21 bases, hitting .258 with 12 Hrs and 56 RBIs during that campaign.  Represented the St Louis in the All-Star game twice in 1993, 1994.  Career .289 hitter.  I am sure This Way to the Clubhouse would be able to give a closer insight to the lore of Mr. Jefferies.

Jefferies would appear in roughly 110 games over two season w/ the Tigers hitting 8 HRs, batting .238, and knocking in 32 RBIs.

We had this guy?

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Twilight Tigers: Steve Avery

Every Tuesday, I am taking a look at former stars that finished up their careers with the Tigers.

Steve Avery picked #3 overall in 1988, was a prominent member of the Atlanta Braves super rotation in the 1990s winning 18 games in 1991 and 1993, a native of Taylor, MI.  Avery went to the Red Sox and Reds following Atlanta, spent two seasons out of baseball (2001-02)

The Braves would  be my favorite team during the 1990s due to their success and local boys Avery and John Smoltz.

Came back to finish his career with the Tigers in 2003, going 2-0 with an ERA over 5 in 19 games.

We had this guy?

Keep it Hot on the Corner, pat.

Twilight Tigers: Vince Coleman

Seriously, we had this guy?

1985 Topps Traded --- 1997 Fleer Ultra

There is no way I can do justice to how good this guy was, or describe how FAST he was.  Stolen Bases came easy --- 110 in 1985, 107 in 1986, 109 in 1987... 1985 NL Rookie of the Year

I have to admit, I had no idea Coleman was with the Tigers.  1997 was his final season in the Majors and finished his career in Detroit, playing in six games. 

Twilight Tigers

Going through my old Tigers collections, it appears most of the late 1990s and early 2000s were a final resting place for those stars finishing out their careers.  Many of these guys I collected and enjoyed watching.  Because of the 1994 strike, I walked away from baseball so this is relatively new information to me that the Tigers at one time had these former stars on the roster.  I had been kicking around the title for this post like "We had these guys?"

Rondell was a huge part of the Expos success in the late 1990s, picking up his first full season in 1995 playing in Montreal for eight seasos, He would land with the Cubs, Yankees, Padres, and Royals before finding his was to Detroit for the 2003 and 2004 seasons.  This guy was quick and recall great defense more than the offense, but still, we had this guy?

With the Tigers, Rondell hit remarkably well on a bad (72-90) team ,  .270/19HR & .313/12 HR respectively.  White would head to Minnesota for two more seasons before retiring after the 2005 season.

We had Rondell White? Yeah, right?

Keep it Hot on the Corner, Pat.