Detroit Tigers: Top Ten First Basemen in Franchise History

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 02: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates the last out of the game against the New York Yankees on August 2, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 02: Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers celebrates the last out of the game against the New York Yankees on August 2, 2017 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Detroit Tigers
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 28: A Detroit Tigers hat, glasses and glove sit on the dugout stairs during a MLB game against the Chicago White Sox at Comerica Park on June 28, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers win on a walk off home run 5-4. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) /

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.