The 6 worst drafts in Detroit Tigers History

Number 5 Worst Detroit Tigers Draft – 1967

The Detroit Tigers had an outstanding season in 1967, finishing just one game away from the World Series, but their draft that year was another Katalinas debacle. They did manage to send five signed players to the majors, but that quintet played a combined total of 60 MLB games.

Detroit’s top pick that year was Missouri high-school lefty Jim Foor, who pitched well in the minors, but seemed to top out in Triple-A. He did pitch in 10 games for the Tigers in the early ’70s, but he compiled a 15.43 ERA with 10 walks and just 2 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. The Tigers followed up with another prep arm in Robert Ware, Florida high-school outfielder James Tanner, and University of Michigan outfielder Leslie Tanona, but they all failed to reach the majors.

Fifth rounder Paul Jata saw the most time of any of Detroit’s picks that year, spending 32 games with the Tigers in 1972 and batting .230 with a pair of doubles. Sixth-round pick Dennis Saunders pitched eight games of relief for Detroit in 1970 but never made it back to the bigs. By WAR (0.3) he was their best pick of the draft. Ike Blessit (15th round) and Gary Isnasiak (36th round) also reached Detroit, but neither did anything of note.