Detroit Tigers Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2016

7. James McCann hits a Granny

In another game against the Houston Astros on July 31, James McCann hit his very first grand slam. This big home run helped the Tigers win 11-0 and continued a 6-game winning streak. While it is clear that McCann’s strength is on defense, this grand slam did show that he does have some power in the bat. (If only he could channel it more frequently).

While the grand slam was a beautiful hit out to left field, the timing was outstanding, too. His hit came shortly after the trade deadline, where many people were discussing the potential of trading him for Jonathan Lucroy. Of course, we all know how it turned out – the Texas Rangers got him and made it to the playoffs.

It appears that McCann will continue to be the Tigers number one catcher, even with the re-signing of Alex Avila. It is well known that McCann is one of the hardest working players on the team and he is often the last player to leave Comerica Park. McCann said to MLB.com’s, Kyle Berry: “I think it’s a lot easier to be under-prepared than it is over-prepared. At the end of the day, I never want anyone to be able to say, ‘He didn’t work hard enough and wasn’t prepared enough.’ That’s never going to be an excuse.”