Friday, February 21, 2014

Happy Baseball Birthday...Alan Trammell

Former Detroit Tigers World Series MVP Alan Trammell is today's Happy Baseball Birthday boy.

Trammell turns 56 today,  and has the priviledge of  sharing a birthday week with yours truly.

Trammell was born on February 21, 1958, in Garden Grove, California.

In 1976 the Tigers drafted Trammell in the 2nd rd. of the amateur draft, out of Kearney High School in San Diego. 

After a couple of years in the minors, including a championship with Montgomery of the Southern League, Trammell made his big league debut on September 9th, 1977, at Fenway Park in Boston.

In 20 years in the big leagues, all with Detroit, Trammell appeared in 2,293 games, with 9, 376 plate appearances, 8,288 at bats, collecting 2, 365 base hits.

All those base knocks included 55 triples, 412 doubles, and 185 Home Runs.

Trammell drove in 1,003 base runners wearing the Olde English Tiger D, was a 6 time American League All-Star, won 3 Silver Slugger Awards, and 4 Gold Gloves.

It all came together for Trammell and the Tigers in 1984.

The Tigers won the American League East Division in '84, beat the Kansas City Royals for the A.L. Pennant, and hammered the San Diego Padres in 5 games to become World Series Champions.

Trammell was the WS Most Valuable Player in 1984, batting .450, with 9 hits, 2 HRs, and 6 RBI.

●●●My Memory●●●

In 1987 I visited my Uncle Bob in Maryland, and got to on see a Tigers-Orioles game at old Memorial Stadium.

Alan Trammell hit a 3-run HR that night in a Tigers victory.●●●

Alan Trammell was the best shortstop in the American League for 10 years, and yes, I know who Cal Ripken and Tony Fernandez are.

After he retired,  the Tigers named Trammell  the team's roving hitting instructor, and in 2003 Trammell became the Tigers manager.

●●●My Memory●●●

Trammell was the Tigers manager in 2004, and I was able to see the 1984 WS Champions celebration during a weekend sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Eric Munson hit a walk off HR that landed in the grass above the center field fence, and on Sunday the Tigers walked off again on a Carlos Pena Grand Slam.●●●

Alan Trammell became a bench coach with the Cubs after being let go by the Tigers, and is currently a coach with his Tigers teammate,  D-Backs manager Kirk Gibson, in Arizona. 

Alan Trammell was voted by Tigers fans as the teams #1 All-Time Shortstop in 1999.

The Tigers, as usual, have failed to retire Trammell's #3, as well as the #1 of his longtime teammate Lou Whitaker.

Trammell and Whitaker played in a MLB record 1,918 games together...they were, in fact.. Trammakker.., and the two turned more double plays than any SS-2B combo in baseball history. 

Both Tram and Sweet Lou's numbers are being worn again, #1 by shortstop Jose Iglesias,  and #3 by second baseman Ian Kinsler. 


Happy Birthday to #3, the greatest shortstop in Detroit Tigers history.


Play Ball!




 



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