Hi, My Name is Zac and I’m a Tigerholic

I want to thank John and director of MLB blogs Wally Fish for bringing me on board. I am really looking forward to interacting with Tigers fans here on Motor City Bengals. The only reason blogs like this work is because of the people that read them; please know that your readership is not taken for granted. My hope is that we as writers don’t feel distant from the readers so my goal with this post is to help you get to know me a little better.

A friend of mine and I like to keep our Tiger minds sharp by taking turns naming Detroit Tigers, generally from 1984 to the present. As each name gets more and more obscure (who could forget former greats like Javier Cardona and Clint Sodowsky?) the pressure builds to come up with another gem. A participant is eliminated when they draw a blank or repeat a name and the game keeps going until only one participant remains. That person is obviously a huge Tigers nerd but what could prove one’s fanship more than rescuing a few names from obscurity?

In that spirit, here is a list of some of my favorite Tigers:

Favorite ace of the future: Justin Thompson
Favorite closer of the future: Matt Anderson
Favorite “future star”: Gabe Alvarez
Favorite token All-Star: Robert Fick
Favorite former Tiger named in the Mitchell Report: Exavier “Nook” Logan
Favorite player to win the Rookie of the Year with another team: Bob Hamelin
Favorite player of which I have no on-field recollection yet have his baseball card: Mike Brumley
Favorite Reliever that gave a baseball to my sister: Buddy Groom
Favorite player for which I successfully called a home run shot: Ron Tingley
Favorite player that I wouldn’t remember if it wasn’t for an autograph: Greg Keagle
Favorite mullet and mustache: Rob Deer
Favorite batting stance: Tony Phillips (Come on, Mickey Tettleton is too obvious!)
Favorite player traded away in the Juan Gonzalez deal: Frank Catalanotto
Favorite player obtained in the Juan Gonzalez deal: Danny Patterson
Favorite first round draft pick that never appear in the Majors: Mike Drumright
Favorite first round draft pick that never should have appeared in the Majors: Nate Cornejo

Whew, some interesting names on that list that come along with a variety of emotions and memories. I have found the best way to move on from nearly two decades of bad baseball is to turn it into a form of entertainment.

The good news is that the Tigers play an entertaining brand of baseball these days and I will be here to offer my thoughts throughout the season. I pride myself on calling it as I see it but keeping reason in mind when analyzing various situations. If you agree, let me know; if you think I’m way off base, let me know. That’s all part of the fun!

See my about page for more information. I can be contacted at zsnyder.mcb@gmail.com