Fister's gem brings Tigers back into series with Rangers

Doug Fister breezed through the Rangers lineup, helping the Tigers to victory in a must-win Game 3. (Photo: Reuters/Mike Segar)

Doug Fister wasn’t seen as a game-changing pitcher as the July 31st trade deadline approached, flying under the radar while Ubaldo Jimenez and Erik Bedard’s availability made more noise. He had a 3-12 record with the Seattle Mariners, but the Detroit Tigers didn’t judge his book by his cover.

The front office knew Fister had the worst run support in the major leagues, and therefore knew his record was very misleading. He had a 3.33 ERA in 21 starts, only allowing seven homers and 32 walks in 146 innings pitched. These statistics, his young age of 27, his assortment of pitches, and his imposing 6’8″ frame caught their eye. The team needed a capable starter behind ace Justin Verlander, and he proved to be that guy.

In 10 starts with Detroit over the final two months of the season the third-year right-hander relinquished just 14 earned runs, 54 hits, and five walks in 70 1/3 innings pitched. He went 8-1 with a sparkling 1.79 ERA, giving the Tigers more than they expected but just what he did. That ERA was the best in the American League among pitchers with at least 45 innings pitched after July 31st. His win-total was second in the American League, behind only Verlander, who had 10.

Cruising into the playoffs the Tigers had the American League’s top one-two punch. And General Manager Dave Dombrowski made it all possible.

“Our scouts were out there watching him, we saw him a couple times at the big league level, and he’s a good pitcher,” Dombrowski recently said of Fister. “He’s got quality stuff. He’s not a real hard thrower, but he’s not a real soft-tosser, either. We just felt he could go out there and give us a bunch of innings, quality innings, and put us in a position to win a ballgame.”

That he did to the help the Tigers comfortable win the AL Central crown. The team won his final seven starts. In his last five, he only allowed two earned runs and three walks. He was dominating.

“In my eyes, it doesn’t matter who I am facing,” Fister told The Detroit Free-Press in September. “I’m going to make the same pitch. Whether it’s a sinker, curve or change-up, it’s still going to be the same pitch, no matter who’s in the box.

“A lot of times, I don’t look at the hitter, and I don’t look at the name on the back. I just focus on what I do and stay with what works for me.

“I never look at a scouting report. I don’t want to get beat with my second- or third-best pitch. I want to challenge them giving my best.”

Rick Adair, who was the Fister’s pitching coach in 2009 with Seattle, had nothing but good to say about his progression. “He can make really good hitters look bad,” the current Baltimore Orioles pitching coach said. “I would pay to watch him play. I love watching him pitch. He makes it look easy sometimes.”

Fister was crushed by Adair’s Orioles on August 14th, tagged for eight runs on 12 hits for his record’s only blemish, and was hit hard in his Game 1 start of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, but he sent the Tigers into the ALCS with a Game 5 victory and kept the Tigers alive in befuddling the Rangers Tuesday night.

Needing a win or otherwise be sent to the brink, he shrugged off an early hiccup to put together a performance the Mariners must miss. The Tigers traded for him under the impression he could thrive in pressure-packed situations. He did against New York in hostile Yankees Stadium and did again in front of a raucous Comerica Park crowd. He just applied what he learned from his father.

“He was always stressing, what you do during practice is what you do under pressure situations,” Fister said. “If you’re in stressful situations, you have to stay calm and rely on what you’re trained. That’s what you revert back to. That’s something that has always stuck in my mind. I tried to apply it no matter what situation I’m in.”

As documented by The Washington Post, firefighters in Fister’s small hometown of Merced, California were “glued to the playoffs.” They were huddled around a television just before the first pitch, hoping to see the pride of their city deliver. They would have plenty to cheer about, as the tall right-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings, giving up just two runs on seven hits while walking none. Backed by three home-runs, he left with the lead and to a standing ovation from more than just the crowd in Detroit.

He doffed his cap, and a win was in the cards unless Detroit did something they hadn’t done all season long. They entered Game 3 a remarkable 81-0 this season when leading after seven innings, trying to become the first team to go undefeated since the 1950 New York Giants went 69-0. They will continue to have that chance, as Joaquin Benoit and Jose Valverde shut down the Rangers to preserve a 5-2 win.

Miguel Cabrera, who was responsible for two of those five runs, said “This is going to be a long series” after the victory. If it is, Fister’s performance will be a big reason why.

Not long ago, he went unnoticed. Now, he’s excelling on baseball’s biggest stage, doing all he can for Detroit. And if Cabrera’s prediction proves to be correct, Fister will get another shot against Texas–a chance to further prove just how tremendous his underrated acquisition was.