The Spot Starters

Covering the ups and downs of the Detroit Tigers.

Archives for the ‘Bobby Higginson’ Category

Team 88: The 2005 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Nov 20th, 2009 • Category: Alan Trammell, Bobby Higginson, Carlos Guillen, Curtis Granderson, Fernando Rodney, Jason Johnson, Justin Verlander, Kyle Farnsworth, Magglio Ordonez, Mike Maroth, Placido Polanco, Rondell White, Top 109 Teams, Troy Percival

Year: 2005
Record: 71-91
Win %: .438
Win % Change: -6
Run Differential: -64
Pythagorean Record: 75-87
AL Finish: 11th of 14
Manager: Alan Trammell
Best Transaction: Signing Magglio Ordonez as a free agent.  The Tigers made their second major free agent splash in two seasons with the signing of Magglio.  I’m ignoring his semi-bad contract here and focusing solely on the Tigers [...]


Team 92: The 1999 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Nov 13th, 2009 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Dave Mlicki, Dean Palmer, Jeff Weaver, Karim Garcia, Luis Gonzalez, Rob Fick, Todd Jones, Top 109 Tigers

Year: 1999
Record: 69-92
Win %: .429
Win % Change: +28
Run Differential: -135
Pythagorean Record: 68-93
AL Finish: 11th of 14
Manager: Larry Parrish
Best Transaction: Traded Bryce Florie to the Boston Red Sox for Mike Maroth.  Florie was a fringe big-leaguer at best and was a mop-up guy in the bullpen.  Maroth is best known for losing 21 games in 2003, [...]


Team 99: The 1998 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Nov 6th, 2009 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Brian Hunter, Brian Moehler, Buddy Bell, Damion Easley, Joe Randa, Justin Thompson, Larry Parrish, Luis Gonzalez, Scott Sanders, Tony Clark, Top 109 Teams, Travis Fryman

Year: 1998
Record: 65-97
Win %: .401
Win % Change: -87
Run Differential: -141
Pythagorean Record: 68-94
AL Finish: 13th of 14
Manager: Buddy Bell and Larry Parrish
Best Transaction:  In December, the Tigers signed Luis Gonzalez as a free agent to fill a hole in the corner outfield spots.  This worked out just fine…for one season.  Gonzalez slugged over 20 homers but [...]


Team 107: The 1996 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Oct 29th, 2009 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Buddy Bell, Cecil Fiedler, Curtis Pride, Damion Easley, Justin Thompson, Omar Olivares, Sparky Anderson, Top 109 Teams

Year: 1996
Record: 53-109 (2nd most losses in franchise history)
Win %: .327
Win % Change: -90 from the year before
Run Differential: -320
Pythagorean Record: 56-106
AL Finish: 14th of 14 teams
Manager: Buddy Bell
Best Transaction: This one is arguably Randy Smith’s best move as GM of the Tigers, he sent pitcher Greg Gohr to the Angels for Damion Easley.  Gohr [...]


Happy Birthday, Buddy Bell

By Blake VandeBunte • Aug 27th, 2009 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Buddy Bell, Omar Olivares, Randy Smith, Tony Clark, Travis Fryman

Today is Buddy Bell’s 58th birthday.  Bell spent 18 years as a big league player, making his debut at the age of 20 and making his first All-Star game the next season.  Bell won six Gold Gloves and made five All-Star appearances in his career.  While Bell never played for the Tigers, he did manage [...]


Top Tigers #46: Bobby Higginson

By Blake VandeBunte • Jan 30th, 2009 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Top 100 Tigers

Rank: 46
Name: Robert Leigh Higginson
Position: Outfield
Tigers Tenure: 1995-2005
Awards: Tiger of the Year (1997, 2000)
Best Season: 2000.  Higginson put up a season for the books in 2000.  That season he became the eighth player in MLB history to hit .300, score 100 runs, hit 30 homers, hit 44 doubles, drive in 100 runs and steal at [...]


Remembering Bobby Higginson

By Blake VandeBunte • Sep 9th, 2008 • Category: Bobby Higginson

On Sunday I went to Grand Rapids with my friend Kenny.  We were meeting up with a mutual friend to watch the Lions opener (ugh) at some sports bar.  Any way, on the way there we talked more about the Tigers than the Lions.  We fondly recalled players from ten years ago.  The player we [...]


Randy Smith: 1999 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Jan 10th, 2008 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Brad Ausmus, Brian Moehler, Dean Palmer, Jeff Weaver, Justin Thompson

1998 was a disappointment for the Tigers and they certainly were looking to bounce back in 1999. I’m guessing that GM Smith thought that getting Brad Aumus would cure whatever was wrong with the Tigers, Ausmus was again acquired in the offseason. Along with Ausmus this was the winter where Smith traded Luis Gonzalez for [...]


Randy Smith: 1998 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Jan 9th, 2008 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Brian Moehler, Damion Easley, Justin Thompson, Randy Smith, Todd Jones

After a relatively strong 1997 season (79-83) things were looking good for 1998. Many of the key players from the 1997 team were returning including Bobby Higginson, Tony Clark, and Justin Thompson. In the offseason the team picked up Luis Gonzalez to help make the lineup even better. Too bad it didn’t [...]


Randy Smith: 1997 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Jan 5th, 2008 • Category: Bobby Higginson, Justin Thompson, Randy Smith, Todd Jones, Travis Fryman

1997 things looked like they were turning around for Smith and the Tigers.  The team won only 53 games the year before so there was nowhere to go but up in the standings and they did.  The team would finish 79-83 in 1997, tied for the best record of the Smith Era.  The team still [...]


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