There are many players that get that call up to the majors and become stars overnight. Some, however, do not stay superstars and decline after that high impact that they made early on. The Detroit Tigers have had a fair share of their own one-shot wonders. Although they only made a short term impact, many of these guys haven’t been forgotten in the minds of Tigers fans. Here are the top 5 one-shot wonders in Detroit Tigers history.
No. 5 Robert Fick
Robert Fick was a young and upcoming infielder out of the Tigers minor league system that the team had high expectations for. Fick batted .272 in 2001 with 19 home runs and 61 RBIs and was the Tiger’s only all-star in 2002 when he batted .270 with 17 home runs and 63 RBI’s. The Tigers had thought they found a solid player but couldn’t keep him in Detroit when he left for Atlanta via free agency. He did have a decent season with the braves in 2003 but after that his numbers fell off, only batting over .250 once in the last five season of his career.
No. 4 Quintin Berry
This guy was a lot of fun to watch running the bases. Quintin Berry was called up from Toledo and played 94 games in 2012 for the Tigers. Berry hit .258 in 2012 but also stole 21 bases in 21 attempts, which helped the Tigers who were lacking in the speed department. Berry actually made the Tigers postseason team, even playing in the 2012 World Series, but the Tigers must not have liked something about Berry before the 2013 season. Berry was cut by the Tigers in 2013 Spring Training, was signed by the Boston Red Sox, and would go on to win the World Series with them.
No. 3 Justin Thompson
Another case of a young hot prospect that didn’t live up to the hype. Justin Thompson was a starting pitcher that the Tigers thought they had locked up as a solidified starter for years to come after his 1997 season. Thompson’s 97 campaign was solid when he went 15-11 with a 3.02 ERA. After that, it just got plain ugly. He lasted another two seasons in Detroit with an ERA over 4 in both. After that, he only appeared in two other career games as a relief pitcher in 2005. This guy went downhill fast.
No. 2 Brennan Boesch
Brennan Boesch had a solid first two years in the old English D. However, it didn’t last very long. Boesch hit .256 with 14 homers and 67 RBIs in 2010 and .283 with 16 dingers and 54 RBIs in 2011. However, in 2012 his production dropped, batting only .240 and hitting only 12 home runs. The Tigers released him prior to the 2013 season.
No. 1 Mark Fidrych
Calling this great man a one-hit-wonder is kind of misleading because of the way he captured the hearts of fans in such a short amount of time which is unheard of nowadays. Mark “The Bird” Fidrych was named Rookie of the Year in 1976 going 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games. He was well known for his antics of talking to the ball which made fans go crazy over him. Unfortunately, his career was shaken by many injuries, and he was out of the league by 1981. Fidrych is no longer with us, however, it is very hard for anyone to ever forget Mark. He was a gamer on and off the field, he loved the game even in the short time he did get to play it.
