The Tigers haven’t always had a collection of young talent like they’ve assembled in recent years, but their franchise history includes plenty of memorable debuts – some from future stars, others from young players who came seemingly out of nowhere. Many of their best young players had rough introductions to the big leagues in their debut games, while others took the Majors by storm upon introduction.
Here, in reverse chronological order, are 10 of the best Major League debut games by Tigers in franchise history:
April 4, 2021: Akil Baddoo homers on first MLB pitch
Baddoo was an athletic, talented but inexperienced outfielder when the Tigers plucked him out of the Twins system in the Rule 5 Draft. His start in left field at Comerica Park on the third game of the season was his first game above Class A ball, but he came out swinging. A first-pitch fastball over the plate from Cleveland’s Aaron Civale was all Baddoo needed, sending it into the Tigers' bullpen beyond left field for an opposite-field solo shot and a spot in the history books.
Sept. 3, 2002: Andy Van Hekken shuts out Cleveland
Far from a top prospect, the Holland, Mich. native and former Mariners third-round Draft pick was a finesse lefty who joined his home-state team as a player to be named from a 1999 trade. After climbing the Tigers farm system as an innings-eating starter, Van Hekken got his shot as a September callup for a 106-loss Detroit squad. On a sparsely attended Tuesday evening game after Labor Day weekend, Van Hekken held Cleveland to six singles, two doubles and a pair of walks over nine innings and 114 pitches. His lone strikeout was a called third strike to Omar Vizquel on the second at-bat of the game. Nearly a quarter century later, Van Hekken remains the last pitcher to toss a shutout in his MLB debut.
July 19, 1991: Scott Livingstone scores four runs
Three decades before Jace Jung debuted in Detroit, the Tigers had another All-American third baseman out of the Texas prep ranks. Livingstone was an All-American at Texas A&M and a high-contact hitter in the Tigers' system before Detroit called him up at midseason for the injured Alan Trammell. Livingstone drew a walk and three singles on a Friday night in Kansas City, and the Tigers’ juggernaut offense drove him home four times in a 17-0 win. He played parts of four seasons in Detroit as part of an eight-year Major League career.
April 25, 1987: Billy Bean ties MLB record with four-hit debut
Ten months after the Tigers drafted Bean out of Loyola Marymount University, they called up the outfielder from Toledo for a Saturday afternoon game against the Royals at Tiger Stadium. Sparky Anderson put Bean at the top of the batting order, and he responded with a first-inning double off Mark Gubicza, third- and fourth-inning singles, and a seventh-inning RBI double that had fans chanting his name. With two more hits the next day, he was a sudden sensation before the bat cooled off as the weather warmed up.
Sept 2, 1970: Gene Lamont homers at Fenway
Long before Lamont became known as Jim Leyland’s best friend and top coach, he was the Tigers’ first-ever Draft pick in 1965. After five-plus seasons in the Tigers farm system, he was a September callup in 1970 and made his debut in the second game of a doubleheader in Boston. In his first at-bat, he pulled a Cal Koonce pitch down the right-field line for a solo homer. Not only did Lamont have Detroit’s lone run off Koonce, he had two of the club's three hits. Lamont hit just three more homers the rest of his big league career.
Sept. 21, 1963: Denny McLain tosses complete game and homers
Fifteen months after McLain tossed a no-hitter in his pro debut, and five months after the Tigers claimed him off first-year waivers from the White Sox, the 19-year-old jumped from Double-A to make his big league debut against his former organization. McLain made it clear to the White Sox what they missed. Not only did he allow a lone earned run (two others were unearned) on seven hits despite four walks, he struck out eight and picked off two baserunners. He even slugged a solo homer off White Sox starter Fritz Ackley to open Detroit’s scoring; it was the only homer of McLain’s career.
June 19, 1963: Gates Brown homers as pinch-hitter
The Gator forged a 13-year career in Detroit as one of the best pinch-hitters in the game, so his first appearance was perhaps a telling sign. Two days after he was called up from Triple-A Syracuse, he stepped to the plate to pinch-hit for starting pitcher Don Mossi and slugged a home run deep to right. He was the third player in American League history to hit a pinch-hit home run in his first Major League at-bat.
April 25, 1943: Stubby stands tall against Cleveland
Though Frank “Stubby” Overmire was listed at just 5-foot-7, the Moline, Mich., native and Western Michigan product was a towering presence on a Sunday afternoon at Cleveland Stadium, holding the Indians to five hits and a walk over nine innings in a 4-1 Tigers win. Cleveland’s lone run was unearned against Overmire thanks to an errant pickoff throw from catcher Paul Richards. Overmire went on to a 10-year playing career, including a start in the 1945 World Series, then a lengthy coaching career in the Tigers’ farm system.
May 21, 1937: George Coffman outpitches Hall of Famer with 11-inning gem
Coffman posted a 5.60 ERA and 1.7 WHIP over his four-year Major League career, and he finished with more walks (132) than strikeouts (89). But on a Friday afternoon at Fenway Park, he introduced himself to the big leagues by going inning for inning with the great Lefty Grove in an 11-inning battle. He allowed two runs, both on a Joe Cronin homer, on eight hits despite five walks and just two strikeouts. He also hit the single that started the Tigers’ go-ahead rally in the 11th. It’s the longest outing by innings by a Tiger in his MLB debut in history, and tied for the third-longest debut by innings in AL history.
April 15, 1933: Schoolboy Rowe blanks White Sox
Long before prospect rankings and Minor League data, Rowe was a tremendous football, baseball, basketball and boxing athlete growing up before signing with the Tigers and dominating the Texas League in 1932. At age 23, he broke camp with Detroit in 1933 and debuted at what was then Navin Field with a six-hit, four-strikeout shutout of the Sox. Injuries slowed his career at points, but he became a big part of the Tigers pitching staff for a decade, including six World Series starts.