Akil Baddoo and the Best Debuts in Detroit Tigers History
By Chris Brown
![Mar 29, 2021; Detroit Tigers center fielder Akil Baddoo hits a home run. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Mar 29, 2021; Detroit Tigers center fielder Akil Baddoo hits a home run. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fmotorcitybengals-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F15816195-850x560-56e2c7edfc28985263a806caf192f46b.jpg)
Best Detroit Tigers Debut Number 3 – Dave Rozema
Dave Rozema never made an All-Star game, and he never won any awards. He was a key part of the late ’70s Tigers squads, but by the 1984 season injuries had rendered him a secondary member of the team. He remains a beloved figure among Detroit Tigers fans of a certain vintage, in part because he’s a fixture at Tigers fantasy camps, but his contributions aren’t remembered as fondly as those of Kirk Gibson, Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, and Lou Whitaker.
That wasn’t always the case, though. A 4th-round pick in 1975, Rozema was still only 20 when he made his big-league debut in 1977. He didn’t have much of a fastball, but Rozema had a plus changeup and excellent command, which he used to keep opponents off balance all season. His final numbers for the season: 15-7, 3.08 ERA, 218.1 IP, 92 K, 34 BB. He pitched 16 complete games, and he accumulated 5.7 WAR, which is the 3rd most by a rookie pitcher in Detroit Tigers history.