TIGERS' HIRING OF TRAMMELL CAUSES THIS FAN ANXIETY

Say it isn’t so, Tram.

The “Tram” I speak of is Alan Trammell, one of the greatest players to ever don the Old English "D" of the Detroit Tigers. An all-star-quality shortstop from the moment he first took the field for Detroit in 1977, Alan Trammell guided the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984, capturing the hearts of pretty much every Detroiter -- this one included.

I remember with great fondness dancing in the streets surrounding Tiger Stadium after the World Series victory over the San Diego Padres. As a recent college grad, I couldn’t afford the ticket prices charged by scalpers (more than the price of a good, used car), but it didn’t matter once the final out had been secured. Thousands of us screamed and hugged, and I believe some even cried.

For one brief moment in time, we were the City of Champions, and Tram was our Mayor.

He was my favorite player for a variety of reasons. His laid-back demeanor, unwavering professionalism, sweet hitting stroke, magnetic glove -- just to name four. As a young man of similar age, I admired Alan, maybe even idolized him a little bit. Of course, I wasn’t alone.

What man hasn’t dreamed of playing for his favorite baseball team at one time or another? As a child, I recall listening to every Ernie Harwell broadcast during the Tigers’ victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1968 World Series. When Mickey Lolich took the mound for one particular afternoon game, I followed suit. Positioning a transistor radio on my driveway, I pitched against our brick chimney right along with the Mick. When he won, so did I.

Alan Trammell meant even more to me. It was almost as if we became men together, only he did it under the glare of the public eye and I did it seated in the bleacher seats behind center field. When Tram finally called it quits in 1996 after a wonderful twenty-year career, a part of me was put away as well.

And now, the unthinkable has happened. Alan Trammell has agreed to manage the worst franchise in professional baseball. The Detroit Tigers.

Say it isn’t so, Tram.

Why am I up in arms? Well, we’re talking about the Detroit Tigers here. A team that changes managers more often than a rock star changes girlfriends. A team that has endured more losing campaigns in the last ten years than the Libertarian Party. A team that gives new meaning to the term, ineptitude.

Even though Tram is blessed with incredible baseball smarts, unmatched professionalism and loads of determination, I fear he will not succeed as manager of the Tigers. Heck, the great General Douglas MacArthur couldn’t lead these misfits to victory, even if they were holding all the weapons.

The most likely result here is failure. The deck is stacked against Tram, and surrounding himself with a coaching staff made up of former Tiger greats won’t change that any more than a great pit crew can help a stock car that runs out of gas on the last lap of a race.

Though I will root for Tram to succeed, my enthusiasm will be tempered with a healthy dose of anxiety. You see, the last thing I want to witness is Alan Trammell’s demise. Not only would his firing serve to unfairly tarnish his image, it would be an unsettling experience for his fans. Sort of like watching Dustin Hoffman in the movie "Ishtar."

It might be a different story if there were even a dim light flickering at the end of this team’s tunnel. But sadly, that does not appear to be the case.

That is why, when I first heard the news that Alan Trammell had accepted the Tigers’ offer to be their next skipper, I could only manage but one thought: Say it isn’t so, Tram.

(c) Marc L. Prey 2002
All rights reserved.