Tigers hire Trammell as manager

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Posted 6:55AM on Thursday, October 10, 2002

DETROIT - Sparky Anderson didn't think Alan Trammell, his former star shortstop in Detroit, was ready to be a major league manager a few years ago. ``He said I was too nice,'' Trammell recalled Wednesday. ``I've grown. It's just the right time for me to come back to this organization and get it turned around.'' Trammell became the Tigers' fifth manager since Anderson's 17-season tenure ended in 1995, signing a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth season. Former Tigers outfielder Al Kaline said hiring Trammell was the best move the Tigers have made - other than hiring Anderson - since he retired in 1974. ``He's got a quality that people want to follow him,'' Kaline said. ``Not only can he talk the talk, but he's walked the walk. Certainly, we need that around here.'' With veterans that didn't perform as well as they were paid to, and prospects rushed to the major leagues, the Tigers tied Tampa Bay for the worst mark in the majors with a 55-106 record and their ninth straight losing season. Team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski fired manager Phil Garner and general manager Randy Smith after an 0-6 start and then fired interim manager Luis Pujols the day after he lost his 100th game. Dombrowski knew Trammell was the popular choice to be their next manager. More importantly, Dombrowski also is convinced Trammell was the right choice. ``People don't come to your games to see your manager,'' Dombrowski said. ``But if your manager makes your team perform better and conduct itself better on and off the field, then people will show their support. ``I can understand why some people will feel that this was based on Alan's popularity here. But really, we could not afford to make this decision based on that because we need to right this ship.'' The Tigers have struggled for the most part since Trammell helped them win the 1984 World Series - Detroit's fourth - and the AL East title in 1987. Detroit's last winning season was in 1993. ``Is it going to change overnight? No,'' Trammell said. ``But what I'm going to guarantee you is our professionalism and our effort.'' Trammell said words such as tradition, history and respect used to be associated with the Tigers. ``Right now, I don't know if I can say that,'' Trammell said. ``That's going to be one of my jobs, to get that back. ``This is where my heart is. I care about this place. It would make my life very satisfying to say we helped turn this thing around.'' Trammell will be a manager for the first time - at any level - when the Tigers begin next season on March 31 at home against Minnesota. ``I'm not worried about that because he's such a student of the game that he's managed in his head every game he's been a part of,'' Dombrowski said. ``He's ready for this.'' Trammell, 44, was San Diego's first-base coach the past three seasons and was the Padres' outfield and baserunning coach. When Trammell's 20-season career in Detroit ended in 1996 he spent the next two seasons as an assistant in the franchise's baseball operations department and one season as the Tigers' hitting coach. He was fired when Garner was hired following the 1999 season. ``When I look back, it was good for me to go away and gain more experiences,'' Trammell said. Trammell hit .285 with 185 homers and 1,003 RBIs as Detroit's shortstop from 1977-96. The six-time All-Star won four Gold Gloves and was the World Series MVP in 1984 when the Tigers won their fourth and last championship. Trammell, Kaline and Ty Cobb are the only players to be with the Tigers for at least 20 seasons. ``What Alan brings to this organization, I didn't think anybody else can match,'' Dombrowski said.