(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Tigers by the Numbers is my weekly(ish) feature where I will profile a current or former Tiger who wore each uniform number. This project was inspired by my quest to find jerseys for each of my sons corresponding to their age. This being the third installment, today we present No. 3.
To recap, in case you have missed the first two, Lou Whitaker opened my list, followed by Charlie Gehringer. Though I did consider throwing you all a curve and using Gary Sutherland (2B 1974-1976) here, I will instead offer perhaps the most predictable entry to this list, Alan Trammell.
No. 3 Alan Trammell played shortstop for 20 seasons for the Detroit Tigers. He teamed with second baseman Lou Whitaker to form the longest running double-play combination in major league history.
Drafted in the second round of the 1976 amateur draft, Trammell made a quick rise through the minors, playing only 196 games prior to his debut. He was named the MVP of the Southern League in 1977.
On Sept. 9, 1977 Detroit fans got their first glimpse of what they would watch for the next 19 seasons. In the second game of a doubleheader against Boston, Trammell played shortstop, alongside Whitaker, who also made his debut in that game. Trammell batted ninth and went 2-for-3 while scoring a run.
In 1978, Trammell took over as the everyday shortstop for the Tigers and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, ironically, behind Whitaker, who won the award. Two seasons later, Trammell was selected to his first All-Star game; he hit .300 for the first time and won his first gold glove.
As the young Tigers continued to improve in the early 80s, so did Trammell. Following a disappointing 1982 season, he was named the Comeback Player of the Year in 1983, when he hit .319 with an .856 OPS.
The 1984 season came in with a bang as the Tigers raced out to a 35-5 record to start the year. By the time the dust had settled in October, the Tigers had won the World Series over the San Diego Padres. Although most will recall Kirk Gibson's home runs, it was Trammell who took home the series MVP, as he posted a .450 average with two home runs and six RBI.
The next time Trammell played in the postseason would be his last. In 1987, the Tigers battled the Toronto Blue Jays to the final day of the season before earning the divisional crown. Trammell had his best season that year, finishing second to Toronto's George Bell for the league MVP, he batted .343 with a career high 28 home runs and 105 RBI on the season.
Unfortunately, Trammell's successes did not carry over to the playoffs, as he had just a .488 OPS as the Tigers were bounced by the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS.
Injuries began to take their toll on Trammell in the early 1990s, costing him much of the 1991 and almost all of the 1992 seasons. During that time, a young infielder named Travis Fryman took over at short. When Trammell finally returned to full-time duty, his job was in jeopardy.
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