Favorite childhood non-Tiger

[dt35456884]

On the first day of my organized baseball career (t-ball, year one) my coach lined up all the kids and asked them to choose a position and number. I picked shortstop, #3. Maybe you can guess why. Well, not only did the manager's son play shortstop, but he had also apparently turned an unassisted triple play the year before, a story that coach never tired of telling. Needless to say, I wasn't going to be the team's shortstop. Anyway, the most important thing I learned that day was that I, as a lefthander, would not be playing SS. Ever. My coach told me I was going to be the team's first baseman and I should get used to playing that position for years to come. That was that.

Naturally I sought a left-handed first baseman to emulate and look up to. This yielded what I can honestly say is my absolute favorite childhood non-Tiger of all time, Will Clark. The sweetest swing in baseball.

http://www.sportsposterwarehouse.com/warehouse/wclark92cos-1.jpg

Eventually, in 1989, I had to break it to my best friend, the biggest Cubs fan alive, that I was in fact desperately rooting for the Giants, and against the Flubs. He was stunned and dismayed. Anyway, Clark ended up batting a ridiculous .650 in that series, and the Giants won 4-1. It was never really the same between us after that.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/6qywtJ9A.jpg

I'm still a San Francisco Giants (and Will Clark) fan to this day.

[Biff Mayhem]

George Howard Brett (http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/brett_george.htm)

[Triple Se7en]

In Order:

1) Sandy Koufax
2) Willie Mays
3) Stan Musial
4) Mickey Mantle
5) Roberto Clemente

[Brent]

http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/five55/.mids/70CAD166.jpg

[Charles Liston]

Lou Brock.

[tiger337]

Lou Brock.

He was my favorite too.

[Oblong]

George Brett. I also liked Schmidt but didn't get to see him play because he was in the NL. Too bad we didn't have interleague play back then.

[keglerv]

Nolan Ryan - I really enjoyed watching him throw the heat by a batter and then make his knees buckle with that 12-6 off speed pitch.

[Fool Inc.]

Since I'm only 19, I'm going with Craig Biggio.

[BigMM]

I always liked Brett Butler.

I wanted to master the drag bunt because of him.

[Microline133]

I used to love Spike Owen.....

[Zakk_Wylde]

I was a child of the 80s, and I really liked Mark McGuire during his first few years with Oakland. I was also a big fan of Bo Jackson and was sad that his career was cut short.

[tiger337]

George Brett. I also liked Schmidt but didn't get to see him play because he was in the NL. Too bad we didn't have interleague play back then.

I actually liked the idea of interleague play when it first started but now I really don't think it adds much. You would have been able to watch Mike Schmidt play three games in three years. I'd rather they get rid of those interleague games and have the Tigers play the AL East and West teams more often.

[kpking3032]

http://www.geocities.com/hack_and_duff/images/b_sandberg.jpg

[holygoat]

Willie Stargell

[OldTimey]

I loved Ozzie Smith when I was a kid because I love great defense. I also liked Johnny Bench a lot because of the Baseball Bunch.

[smr-nj]

Brooks Robinson

[Oblong]

Brooks was the nicest guy I've ever met at an autgraph show. By far.


I also liked Don Mattingly only for his swing. He made it look so easy.

[tiger337]

Mattingly was my favorite Yankee

[whitecapwendy]

I did not grow up being a baseball fan so never really learned the names of major leaguers (only a few Tigers names because my dad was a big Tigers fan and still is). I'm afraid that I am going to have to disobey the rules of this thread, because most of my life I was oblivious to baseball except for one brief time in my teens. I would start to pass by the TV where my dad was faithfully watching the game, but pause to see if Mark the bird was pitching. If he wasn't I would go on my way. If he was I would stop to watch. If Mark F had pitched for several years, I might have become a baseball fan a lot sooner than I did.

[wingedwheel]

Well, Darryl Strawberry was my favorite when I was growing up. He was awesome leading the Mets to a World Championship. I picked #18 for my church-league softball jersey, and even paid $80 for his rookie card! In hindsight, not the best of choices, but who knew he would flush his career and life down the crapper.

[Casimir]

Pete Rose (and not Charlie Hustler).

[Hongbit]

Chalk up vote #3 for George Brett

[tiger337]

In my Freshman year in college, I had a physics lab teaching assistant who looked like George Brett. We told him he looked like George Brett but he said he didn't know who George Brett was. I knew right there I wasn't going to do well in that class.

[ewsieg]

George Howard Brett (http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/hofer_bios/brett_george.htm)

Same here.

[rhino]

Jim Palmer

[potthole]

Kenneth Griffey, Jr.

[TigerPride]

Pete Rose (and not Charlie Hustler).

I was a big Pete Rose fan also.

Was watching game 7 of the 75' WS on ESPN Classic the other day and without "Charlie Hustle's" aggressive slide into 2nd that messed up Doyle's throw to 1st on a DP ball, Tony Perez doesn't get to hit the HR that provides the winning runs.

[djhutch]

Dave Concepcion

[BiggieG]

Boog Powell
Frank Howard
Harmon Killebrew

[zimm]

current tiger coach andy van slyke

also liked spike owen marty barret, and eddie murray.

oh, and lest i forget dan quizenberry, who i liked because i threw like him (well, sidearm, not underhand)

[NJ Jackal]

Mark McGwire, Jose Conseco, Cal Ripken Jr., or Ryne Sandberg. When I was beginning to gain an understanding of baseball in the late 80s/early 90s, I loved all four of those guys.

[BringBackLou]

John Kruk

[berneree]

Dwight Gooden

[tiger337]

I liked the Alou brothers. Felipe was my favorite.

[tiger337]

I loved the Big Red Machine. Joe Morgan was my favorite player on that team.

[Imminent Threat]

1 .Mike Schmidt (All Time Favorite player bar none)
2. Leon Durham (Damned WGN after school made me do it!)
3. Andy Van Slyke ( Just a good fella who always gave 100% and it showed)
4. Steve Carlton (LEFTY!)
5. Pete Rose ( I don't care about his gambling, he never gambled to get on first base or taking that inside pitch to the opposite field, he was a PLAYER!)

I grew up out by Philly and it wasn't until 1982 when I moved to Michigan that I caught the Tigers Bug. I guess that is why my list leans toward the NL.

[hueytaxi]

"Barehanded Wally" Fullerton and you've never heard of this Atkinson, Nb. minor league player..my Grandfather.

[DWPerkins]

I have always hated the Yankees, so it still surprises me that when I think about this question I come back to a Yankee. I'm not even sure why I liked this guy, but I did.

Thurman Munson

[shauntacular]

for me a big one was Michael Jack Schmidt, but I didn't get to see him play very much considering the Phillies are an NL team.

My absolute favorite non-Tiger growing up was Nolan Ryan - whom I admired so much that I named the little dude in my avatar after him.

[Charles Liston]

"Barehanded Wally" Fullerton and you've never heard of this Atkinson, Nb. minor league player..my Grandfather.
Hey that's pretty cool. Do you know which major league team or teams owned his rights?

[hitit345]

1. Rickey Henderson
2. Kevin Mitchell
3. Dave Stewart
4. Lenny Dykstra
5. Eric Davis (whoops, I think he played for the Tigers, not sure)
6. Willie McGee
7. Andre Dawson
8. Dan Quisenberry