Detroit Tigers: What Fans Should Know About Mike Aviles

With all the hype around the bullpen, pitching rotation, and the new outfielder, not much has been said about the Detroit Tigers new utility player, Mike Aviles. He is coming to the team from the Cleveland Indians, where he was a highly respected teammate and a fan favorite. Now that he is a member of the Tigers, what should fans know about him?

The Family Man 

In 2015, Aviles’s daughter, Adriana, was diagnosed with leukemia. Her diagnosis occurred in May when she was only four years old. Fortunately, she was able to be treated at the nearby Cleveland Clinic so her father could not only support her, but continue to play with the team.

The front office gave him the freedom to schedule his playing time around her treatments. His teammates and the front office staff all shaved their heads to show support for Adriana and her chemotherapy treatments. The team also wore orange wristbands as a sign of support. The Indians also promised not to trade him at the summer deadline so he could stay in Cleveland with his family – they followed through on their promise, which was the ultimate show of support for the Aviles family.

Just today, Jason Beck with MLB News shared the good news that young Adriana Aviles is now cancer-free. Father Mike is in Lakeland with the team. When his family comes to visit in the near future, his wife and all three of his daughters will be there. Adriana has a twin sister and an older sister who all enjoy attending their father’s games and interacting with the players. Fans should expect to see them hanging around Comerica Park where the Aviles daughters will have a great time with Jose Iglesias‘s son, as well as Miguel Cabrera‘s son Chris and Victor Martinez‘s son, little Victor.

The Golden Calves

On a lighter note, Mike Aviles has seriously developed calf muscles. Aviles’ prefers to keep the calves covered with baseball pants; but, he has been known to occasionally show them off in shorts in the Florida heat of spring training. According to Aviles, he does not work on them at all in the weight room; instead, he attributes their size and shape to genetics. His calves are so large that he has difficulty finding jeans that fit. With all of the jokesters on the Tigers, fans should get to see some clever pranks from players like Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, and Cabrera in the name of those calves.

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The Handsome Teammate

Teammates and fans will quickly come to appreciate what the 34-year-old Aviles brings to a team. He is a sociable guy who loves baseball. In 2015, he played every position except pitcher and catcher. He most commonly plays in the outfield and in the middle infield. His lifetime batting stats are respectable for a utility player: .265/.297/.385. He hit 5 home runs and knocked in 17 RBIs in 2015 in 317 plate appearances. He will share the utility role with Andrew Romine.