Dale Alexander
Detroit Tigers: 1929-1932
Even diehard fans may not know much about Dale Alexander. He only spent a hair over three seasons in the Motor City. Still, Alexander was excellent in his brief time with the Tigers.
He made his big league debut in 1929, at age 26. He had perhaps his finest season, slashing .343/.397/.580 with 25 home runs, 137 RBI, 43 doubles, a league-leading 215 hits and a stellar 5.1 bWAR. Had there been a Rookie of the Year award, Alexander may well have been your winner. On a team with Charlie Gehringer and Harry Heilmann, both Hall of Famers, Alexander lead the team in HR, RBI and batting average.
His 1930 season was nearly as good, with Alexander posting a .326/.372/.507 to go along with 20 home runs, 135 RBI, 33 doubles and a 3.1 bWAR. His power took a huge step backward in 1931, with just three home runs. He still managed 87 RBI however, and slashed a tidy .325/.401/.445 with a career-high 47 doubles.
1932 saw Alexander only play in 23 games with the Tigers before he was shipped, along with Roy Johnson, to the Red Sox in exchange for Earl Webb. Webb hit .287 in 88 games with the Tigers. Meanwhile, Alexander went on to hit .372 with the Red Sox, finishing the season with a batting title (.367) and an 11th place finish in MVP voting.