Sparky Keeping the Tigers on Top

The Detroit Tigers, raising anonymity to new heights, are the surprise of the American League East -- again.

Last year the Tigers overcame the loss of Lance Parrish and nipped the Toronto Blue Jays in the final 10 days of the season.

In 1988, they’ve overcome the loss of Kirk Gibson.

Tiger manager Sparky Anderson, who dearly loves to tinker, has taken a collection comprised mostly of castoffs and retreads and battled the powerful New York Yankees to a standstill at the All-Star break.

The Tigers only bona fide star is shortstop Alan Trammell. He missed nearly two weeks with an injury, and still the Tigers kept winning.

“It’s been a tribute to a bunch of guys,” Anderson said. “We don’t have one guy who don’t have 50 at-bats, and that’s unheard of at this stage of the season.

“Nobody’s carrying this team. Not Tram, not nobody. They’re a bunch of guys all pulling together.”

Those guys include Dave Bergman, Tom Brookens, Luis Salazar, Pat Sheridan and Jim Walewander. Not one of them appeared on the All-Star ballot.

Bergman, who had only 13 at-bats in April, is hitting over .300 and supplied a game-winning home run in a recent win over California.

Brookens and Salazar each had game-winning hits in a home sweep of the Yankees. A week later Detroit won two in Yankee Stadium and currently are 5-1 against the Bronx Bombers.

Sheridan, given up for dead by the Kansas City Royals in the spring of 1986, went on a tear July 1 during which he hit three home runs in four games. The Tigers won those three games.

Sheridan, who plays mostly against right-handers, has been elevated to third in the batting order -- Gibson’s old spot.

“Batting third, you feel more important,” Sheridan said. “Success breeds success. When things are going good for you, this game’s easy to play. It’s amazing how it happens.”

Walewander was an early hit with the media because of his free-spirit lifestyle. His love of Dead Milkmen record albums and Salvation Army used furniture earned him a feature in Sports Illustrated.

But you don’t get in Anderson’s lineup because you’re cute.

“The thing people fail to see is that this kid can play,” Anderson said. As a result, Walewander is spending almost as much time at second base as Lou Whitaker, whom Anderson has begun “resting” against left-handers.

“Using everybody makes it easier on a manager because you keep everybody involved and happy,” Anderson said. “Well, you keep everybody semi-involved and semi-happy. This is fun.

“You’re not locked in where if you go to one guy and he fails you you’re out of luck. We’re all just a part of this. We don’t have no arrogant people.”

Naturally, when you lose the firepower of Parrish and Gibson, you have to make adjustments. Those two combined for 50 home runs in 1986, the last year they wore Tiger uniforms together.

But the changes were gradual. Last year the Tigers got unexpected power from Matt Nokes and Trammell, who moved to cleanup, and hit a club-record 225 home runs.

This year the Tigers won’t have 90 homers by the All-Star break, but players like Salazar, Walewander and Trammell have raised the bunt almost to an artform.

“There’s no team that can out-bunt us,” Anderson said. “I’ve never seen a team that can bunt as well as this team. We’re not just good, we bunt extremely well.”

The Tigers have always had good pitching and this year is no exception. What is different, however, is Jack Morris with a losing record, mired with a 5.24 ERA overall and 9.97 at home.

But as Morris has faltered, Jeff Robinson stepped forward to post an early 9-3 record. It’s been that kind of season for the surprising Tigers.

“Up to this point, this is even more satisfying than last year’s club,” Anderson said. “This club just seemed to take off from the feelings of that club and made it better.

“On paper, it’s not as good a team. But they have made it a more conducive place to be.”

Anderson also won’t let anyone, especially the Yankees, forget that Las Vegas made New York the overwhelming favorite to win the AL East.

“When they picked us fifth last year, I told my wife they gave me a license to steal,” Anderson said. “This year, they did the same thing and gave me a free ride.

“But they made them the odds-on favorite. The Yankees have to win. They monkey’s on their backs. You’re not going to escape when Vegas makes you the odds-on favorite.”