Chunk of sod from Tigers’ ’68 pennant-clinching game. I planted it in the back yard, but my folks sold the house and I forgot where I planted it. Oh well, I at least remember Joe Sparma pitched the game. 

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Best Nicknames

Charley “Paw Paw” Maxwell
Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez
Mark “The Bird” Fidrych
George “Sparky” Anderson
Frank “Taters” Lary
Ron “Mouse” Jasket (Not a Tiger, 
but good nickname at Coyle Park)

Best Trade

1960: Norm Cash from the Indians for Steve Demeter

Second-best trade:
1960: Sending Harvey Kuenn to the Indians for Rocky Colavito. “The Hamburger for Steak” trade.

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1963: Jim Bunning and Gus Triandos to the Phillies for Don Demeter and Jack Hamilton
 
Second-worst trade:1960: Tigers send manager Jimmy Dykes to Indians for manager Joe Gordon. This was MY worst baseball card trade, and perhaps it was my Sussex buddy John Karalis’ best. I fell for the old, “Hey, I’ll take that Cleveland card off your hands.”

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Dan McCarty. His lung power was legendary in the centerfield bleachers. Once, then-White Sox centerfielder Chet Lemon glanced backward to see who was yelling at him. And we were in the UPPER DECK!

Best sighting

Sometime in 1960s: I think I saw Don Mossi in a softball game at O’Shea Rec Center. (NOTE: This is a disputed sighting. The rest of my family says it was just some old guy with big ears.

1970. A teenager stole Jerry McCarty’s free ball during Free Ball Day at Tiger Stadium. Jerry recalls Dad took a swing at the guy and missed. The guy got away. Afterward, Bob McCarty came up with his own replay call: “If I’d have connected, I would’ve put him through Briggs Stadium.”

1986. When D.J., Rick and Jerry parked their car on a side street near Tiger Stadium, a man approached. He requested money to watch their car while they were at the game. No money exchanged hands. Instead, Rick got in the guy’s face and thundered that if there was a mark on the car when they got back, Rick would hunt the guy down. After the game, the McCartys headed back to their car and saw the guy sitting on the curb by their untouched car. The man got up and said, “Here’s your car, boss.” Another Tiger Stadium legend.

Tiger Announcers’ Memorable Sayings

ERNIE HARWELL:
“It’s loooong gone.” (home run call)
“He stood there like the house by the side of the road.” (when a batter took a called third strike)
“A man from (fill in a city) will go home with that one." (When a fan caught a foul ball.)

GEORGE KELL:
“A dandy.” (a good bunt)
“Ooh, he had a good pitch to hit.” (when a batter looked at a pitch down the middle. This also is how Floyd the Barber would call play-by-play.)
“Could be the ballgame. And it is.” (A pop up to end the game)

RALPH HOUK:
“Norm deck on Cash.” (Oh, well. Ralph had big shoes to fill.)