Detroit Tigers Top Ten: Big bats and a reliever
By Tab Bamford
¿Quién es tu Tigre? Who is your Tiger? That’s the question the Detroit Tigers asked fans for several years at Fiesta Tigres, Detroit’s annual celebration of Latinos and baseball. Fans who have rooted for the Tigers the past two decades may believe the team has always featured a roster full of Latino sluggers, glovemen and flamethrowers.
Longtime Latino fans of the Tigers know different. Their memories perhaps go back to smooth-fielding Aurelio Rodríguez or “Señor Smoke” Aurelio López. Some might go further back to Mexican-American pitcher Hank Aguirre, who not only pitched 10 years in Detroit but made that city’s Mexicantown the base of his automobile parts business after his professional playing days were over. But not too many more Latinos were penciled into Detroit’s starting lineup or became starting pitchers back then.
The Tigers’ tale has been different since 2000, when the team smartly acquired Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillén, and Magglio Ordoñez, along with now Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodríguez.
Who are the Tigers’ Latino Top 10? To figure that out, La Vida Baseball used each player’s WAR stat (as calculated by Baseball-Reference.com) to rank the Top 10 Latino players in each organization’s history. Thus far we’ve discussed three National League Teams. Roberto Clemente was No. 1 for the Pirates, Nolan Arenado is the peak of the Rockies and Hanley Ramirez is the highest-rated Marlins player.
It’s time to turn to the AL.
¿Quien es tu Tigre?
DETROIT TIGERS
1. Miguel Cabrera
50.6 WAR, 10 years with Detroit,* 2-time MVP, 1 Triple Crown, 7-time All-Star
Venezuela
There are almost too many accolades and gaudy numbers to walk through with Miggy over the last 10 seasons (and counting). He’s hit 324 home runs with the Tigers; overall, he’s 38 away from 500. He has driven in 1,090 runs with the Tigers and will get his 1,800th hit with the club at some point early in 2018 (he needs six to get there). He’s the first player to appear on more than one of our Team Top 10s (Marlins).
2. Plácido Polanco
19.2 WAR, 5 years with Detroit, 1-time All-Star, three Gold Gloves, one Silver Slugger
Dominican Republic
Known as a “glue guy” throughout his career, Polanco had career-highs with 200 hits and 105 runs in 2007 when he hit .341 and made his first All-Star Game. He accumulated a .311 batting average in 632 games with the Tigers.
3. Carlos Guillén
18.6 WAR, 8 years with Detroit, 3-time All-Star, 95 home runs, .842 OPS
Venezuela
Guillén was traded to Detroit before the 2004 season and immediately took to his new home. After hitting 29 home runs in six seasons with the Mariners, Guillén hit 20 in his first season as a Tiger. He drove in a career-high 102 in 2007. Guillén had an impressive adjusted OPS+ of 121 while playing for Detroit.
4. Darrell Evans
14.5 WAR, 5 years with Detroit, 141 home runs, 405 RBIs, .806 OPS
Mexico/USA
Evans arrived in Detroit in 1984 as a 37-year-old and still put together five solid seasons for the Tigers. He led the American League with 40 home runs in 1985 and celebrated his 40th birthday with a 34-homer, 99-RBI campaign in 1987.
5. Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez
14.2 WAR, 5 years with Detroit, 4-time All-Star, three Gold Gloves
Puerto Rico
Pudge was 32 when he arrived in Detroit but he didn’t act his age. The Hall of Famer slashed .298/.328/.449 with the Tigers over five seasons and helped Detroit reach the 2006 World Series.
6. Magglio Ordóñez
13.5 WAR, 7 years with Detroit, 2-time All-Star, one Silver Slugger
Venezuela
After eight years with the rival White Sox, Magglio made the move to Detroit. Injuries limited him to 82 games in 2005 but he came back strong with back-to-back All-Star selections. He had three 100-RBI seasons, including a career-high 139 in 2007 when he finished as runner-up to Álex Rodríguez for the American League MVP.
7. Alex Avila
12.9 WAR, 8 years with Detroit, 1-time All-Star, one Silver Slugger
Cuba
Until 2018, Avila had only played in two cities in his career: Detroit and Chicago. He spent one year with the White Sox (2016); his father, Detroit GM Al Avila, traded him to the Cubs in 2017. In his eight years with the Tigers, Avila hit 77 home runs and drove in 314 runs. His best season was 2011, when he had 82 RBIs and 19 home runs.
8. J.D. Martinez
12.7 WAR, 4 years with Detroit, 1-time All-Star, one Silver Slugger
Cuba/USA
Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery. Martinez was released by the Astros on March 22, 2014 and signed with Detroit two days later. In the three-and-a-half seasons that followed (before Detroit traded him to Arizona), Martinez hit 99 home runs and drove in 285 runs with a .912 OPS.
9. Aurelio López
9.5 WAR, 7 years with Detroit, 1-time All-Star, 53-30, 85 saves
Mexico
López is one of two relievers to make a huge impact on the 1984 team, but only one makes the top 10. He appeared in 71 games in 1984, finishing 41 and putting together a 10-1 record. Over seven seasons, he threw 713 innings almost exclusively out of the bullpen; he made four starts for the Tigers.
10. Aurelio Rodríguez
9.2 WAR, 9 years with Detroit, 1 Gold Glove
Mexico
Acquired from the Washington Senators as part of a trade for Denny McLain, Rodríguez became a Detroit fan favorite for his glove work and amazing throws from the hot corner. In an era dominated by Brooks Robinson and Graig Nettles, the Mexican native was able to snag the AL’s Gold Glove award for third basemen in 1976. Aurelio was much admired within Detroit’s Latino community, particularly for the free baseball clinics he regularly offered to kids.
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