Detroit Tigers: The greatest African-Americans in team history

The Detroit Tigers have a great history of African-Americans who have worn the Old English D with pride. In honor of Black History Month, here are the five greatest.

The Detroit Tigers have a rich history of successful African-American baseball players. Since 1947 when Jackie Robinson bravely broke the color barrier in professional sports, Detroit’s baseball history has been forever altered.

Three of the greatest outfielders in team history, one each representing the 1968, 1984 and 2006 World Series teams, are all African-American. A future Hall of Famer and one of the most underrated infielders of all-time is as well.

While the current roster is lacking an African-American, it likely won’t be for long. Christin Stewart has been one of Detroit’s top prospects for the last couple of years. Stewart blasted 30 home runs in 2016 and another 28 last season at Double-A. While he lacks a position in the big leagues due to poor defense, his raw power should give him an opportunity in the big leagues. With Victor Martinez nearing retirement, it’s possible Stewart forces his way into Detroit’s lineup sooner rather than later.

Likewise Daz Cameron, son of Mike Cameron, will be a big league center fielder with the Tigers in time. Acquired in the Justin Verlander trade, Cameron has blazing speed and is developing his power. While it won’t be next season, expect Cameron to be a big part of Detroit’s future.

While there was a lot of options to choose from, we have narrowed our list down to the five greatest African-American players to ever suit up for the Tigers. The list included two infielders and three outfielders, with the top pitcher (Earl Wilson) just missing the cut.

If there is anyone that you think we missed or anyone you think is out of order, please leave a comment below!

Without further ado, here is our list:

Tony Phillips

Tony Phillips is certainly more known for his time on the A’s, where he spent nine of his 18 big league seasons. However, he had nearly as many at-bats in his five years in Detroit – and he was much better.

Phillips made his big league debut with the A’s in 1982. He remained with them until 1989, even hitting a World Series home run against the Giants.

He signed as a free agent with the Tigers before the 1990 season and spent five years in the Motor City. In that time he slashed .281/.395/.405 with 502 runs scored, 61 home runs, 70 stolen bases and more walks (519) than strikeouts (480).

He led the league in runs scored in 1992 with 114. His finest season in Detroit, and maybe altogether, was in 1993. The 34-year-old switch hitter slashed .313/.443/.398 with a 130 OPS+ and a 5.6 bWAR. He did not make the All-Star game, but nevertheless finished 16th in MVP voting.

Phillips led the league in at-bats in the strike-shortened 1994 season while posting a .409 OBP. He was traded at the start of the 1995 season to the California Angels in exchange for outfielder Chad Curtis.

Phillips went on to play for six different teams until finishing his big league career in 1999.

All told, Phillips accrued 2,023 hits, 1300 runs scored, 160 home runs and 177 stolen bases. His 50.8 bWAR ranks just behind Kirby Puckett and ahead of Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda, Nellie Fox and Ralph Kiner.

He was extremely versatile, finishing his career with 831 games in the outfield, 782 games at second base, 429 at third base, 294 games at shortstop and even five games at first base.

Phillips passed away in 2016 from an apparent heart attack. He was 56.

Next up is another center fielder who was a big part of a World Series team:

Chet Lemon

Much like Curtis Granderson, Chet Lemon was the starting center fielder and an integral piece of the 1984 World Series team. Originally drafted by the White Sox, Lemon came to the Tigers in a 1981 trade for outfielder Steve Kemp.

Lemon spent the next nine seasons in the Motor City. All told he finished his Tigers career slashing .263/.349/.437 with 142 home runs, a 117 OPS+ and a 30.6 bWAR, 16th in Tigers history.

Lemon led the league in HBP his first two seasons in Detroit. He made his third career All-Star game in 1984, his only with the Tigers. He finished that season slashing .287/.357/.495 with 20 home runs and a 130 OPS+ and a 6.2 bWAR.

Lemon chipped in during the World Series as well, going 5-for-17 with a run scored and two stolen bases against the Padres.

Lemon’s value came from both his bat and his glove, where he was an elite fielding center fielder. Although he never won a Gold Glove he was a positive fielder his entire career, posting a 2.3 dWAR in 1984.

Lemon retired in 1990 after a 16-year big league career. He finished with 1,875 hits, 215 home runs and a 121 OPS+. His 55.5 bWAR is 144th all time among position players, ahead of numerous Hall of Famers including Tony Perez and Willie Keeler.

Lemon was one of the greatest outfielders in Tigers history, and has a firm place among the teams all-time greats.

Next is a franchise icon who was an integral member of Detroit’s 1968 World Series winning team.

Willie Horton

Willie Horton is without a doubt one of the most iconic players in Tigers history. His number 23 is retired by the Tigers, and a big statue of Horton resides outside Comerica Park.

Horton made his debut with the Tigers in 1963, just two years removed from his days at local Northwestern High School in Detroit. He played sparingly in 1963 and 1964 before bursting onto the scene in 1965.

Horton blasted 29 home runs and drove in 104. He was an All-Star and even finished eighth in MVP voting. He followed that up with a second straight 100 RBI season in 1966, posting a 125 OPS+.

1967 may not have been Horton’s best year (19 home runs) but it is the year that cemented him in Detroit’s history. 1967 was the year of the infamous 12th street riot, where riots between African-Americans and Detroit police escalated. It resulted in 43 dead and nearly 1,200 injured. Horton famously drove to the site of the riots directly after a ball game. Still in his uniform, he stood on top of a car in the middle of 12th street and begged the crowd to calm down. While his efforts were ultimately futile, it helped cement Horton as more than just a baseball player in Detroit.

1968 was Horton’s best year yet. The slugger blasted 36 home runs and a 165 OPS+, both career highs. He was an All-Star and finished fourth in MVP voting. His 5.4 bWAR was the highest mark of his career.

Horton was even more of a monster in the World Series, hitting .304 with a .448 OBP. He had a double a triple and a home run along with three RBI in the Tigers seven game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Horton continued to rake throughout the 1970’s. He was an All-Star again in 1970 and 1973, and hit 149 more home runs in a Tigers uniform.

He was ultimately traded at the start of the 1977 season to the Rangers in exchange for right-hander Steve Foucault. Foucault only made 68 appearances with the Tigers before his career ended at age 28.

Horton played four more seasons with six different teams. He finished 24th in MVP voting in 1977 with the Seattle Mariners, hitting 29 home runs and driving in 106.

Horton is a local kid who became an icon in the city of Detroit, and who is immortalized outside of Comerica Park.

Next up is an honorable mention. He is a very famous figure in Detroit baseball history, although he never actually played for the Tigers:

Turkey Stearnes

We will get to number one next, but we wanted to take the time to give an honorable mention to a Negro League legend, center fielder Turkey Stearnes.

Although not talked about as often as Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson or Cool Papa Bell, Stearnes was one of the greatest players in Negro League history. He had a rare combination of power and speed, and was known as an excellent defender.

Statistics were harder to come by in this era, but anecdotally Stearnes was one of the great ones. According to the legendary Satchel Paige, Stearnes was “one of the greatest hitters we ever had. He was as good as Josh [Gibson]. He was as good as anybody who ever played ball.”

Another center fielder, Cool Papa Bell, had this to say:

That man could hit the ball as far as anybody. But they don’t say too much about him. And he was one of our best all-around players. He could field, he could hit, he could run. He had plenty of power.

Stearnes played for the Negro League Detroit Stars during the 1920’s.

He ended up playing for many different teams during his 20-year career, but spent the majority of it in Detroit. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, over 20 years after his death.

Here is an excerpt from his Hall of Fame plaque:

One of the Negro Leagues’ most feared hitters, he hit better than .300 in 14 of 19 seasons, collected six home run titles and led the league in triples four times. A graceful center fielder as well, he played in four East West All-Star games and played 11 seasons with the Detroit Stars.

The Detroit Stars were one of the most well-known Negro League teams, and Stearnes was their superstar. While his name may not carry the same weight as Paige or Gibson, Stearnes deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest African-American ballplayers in baseball history.

Next is the greatest African-American in Detroit Tiger history, and one of the best to ever wear the Old English D.

Lou Whitaker

Born in Brooklyn, Lou Whitaker became a Detroit legend after a spectacular 19 year career, all spent in the Motor City.

Paired with Alan Trammell, Whitaker was a part of the greatest and longest tenured double-play combo in baseball history. The duo played in 1,918 games up the middle together, by far the most ever.

While Trammell finally got his Hall of Fame call, Whitaker will have to wait at least two more years for another chance at induction.

The statistics speak for themselves:

The left-handed hitter compiled 2,369 hits, smacked 244 home runs, stole 143 bases, hit .276, and walked more times than he struck out. He made five All-Star games, won three Gold Glove awards, four Silver Slugger awards, was the 1978 Rookie of the Year and compiled a ridiculously high 74.9 WAR.

There are six second baseman with a higher career WAR than Whitaker: Rogers Hornsby, Eddie Collins, Nap Lajoie, Joe Morgan, Rod Carew and former Tiger Charlie Gehringer.

What do those six players have in common? A pretty plaque in Cooperstown with their name on it.

More importantly than the six names in front of Whitaker are the 15(!) Hall of Fame second baseman behind him.

Pick any metric and Whitaker measures up to his HOF counterparts. His JAWS score of 56.4 is 13th among second baseman. That ranks in front of Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Jackie Robinson, Joe Gordon, Bobby Doerr and Nellie Fox, among others.

Regardless of Whitaker’s Hall of Fame chances, there is no doubt that he is the greatest African-American ballplayer in Tigers history.

Next: Who will be the next Tigers Hall of Famer?

The Tigers have a rich baseball history. African-American ballplayers like Granderson, Horton and Whitaker are a huge part of that success. Guys like Stewart will help that trend continue for the foreseeable future.