Tigers’ Anderson Happy With Nokes’ Work Habits

The rule for rookies is “Wait ‘til their second time around.” Detroit Manager Sparky Anderson says you can waive it for Tigers’ rookie Matt Nokes.

Nokes, Anderson says, has the work habits of a businessman.

“He’s like Don Mattingly in his approach to the game,” Anderson says. “You talk to him and he’s got no hangups. I call those kind of guys ‘IBM Presidents.’ They’re all business. They go about their jobs all business. It’s not play time.”

What Anderson means is that Nokes, 23, has a professional attitude about his job of catcher, first baseman, infielder, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers.

The left-handed hitter is having the best season among the trio of new catchers in the American League this season--Oakland’s Terry Steinbach, B.J. Surhoff of Milwaukee and Nokes. Through June 17, Nokes was 57-for-183, .311, with 12 home runs and 38 runs-batted in.

Anderson says not to expect those kind of numbers the rest of the season or the rest of Nokes’ career.

“He should get a free ride until he’s 25. Don’t expect things from him until then. We don’t know what he can do yet.”

Nokes, in Anderson’s estimation, should be better than average. He is not a clubhouse goof, rather Nokes goes around to his teammates and asks questions--about what today’s pitcher throws, what to look for in the current stadium, what he should be alert for defensively . . . “He has great work habits,” Anderson said. “Not only on the field, but off the field. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he gets his rest.

“He has a very good mind. He’s an excellent chess player (with Mark Thurmond and Dick Tracewski). He’s very bright.”

The Detroit organization isn’t too stupid for insisting that Nokes and Eric King be included with Dave LaPoint in an October, 1985 trade with San Francisco that sent Bob Melvin and Juan Berenguer to the Giants.

His only weakness is his throwing arm. He threw out only three of the first 20 runners to run on him. That is not due to the strength of his arm so much as to how long he takes to get rid of the ball.

That, plus the quality of his bat, is leading Anderson toward making Nokes his first baseman next season. Anderson calls the pitches both for Nokes and his right-handed catcher, Mike Heath.

In Nokes’ case it’s because of his inexperience. Anderson did the same thing for Lance Parrish shortly after he took over as manager.

“Matt is a very sound person,” Anderson said. “If he stopped playing baseball right now, he’d go out into the community, raise his family and be a part of the community.”

It stems from Nokes’ professional attitude, his ‘IBM President’ approach to the game.

“When he leaves the house,” Anderson said, “it’s like he’s going to work. He’s going to have a successful career if he stays healthy.”