LOU WHITAKER

Yes, it really has been five years since Sweet Lou retired. The second baseman of the longest-lived double play combo in baseball history with Tiger teammate Alan Trammell, Whitaker put up some good offensive numbers as well. He hit .276, with 244 homers and 2,369 hits. He is a member of the 1000/1000 club, with 1386 runs scored and 1084 runs driven in. He broke Charlie Gehringer's record of games played at second by a Tiger, and he and Joe Morgan are the only second sackers to play in more than 2,000 games, hit over 200 homers and log more than 2,000 hits.

He started off on the good foot, batting .285 to win the 1978 Rookie of the Year Award. His first few years he impressed the baseball world with his fielding ability and good hitting, but the power didn't start to show until 1983, when he hit popped 15 homers. His fielding ability caused him to win a Gold Glove in 1984, the magical year for Detroit, when they won 104 games, were in first place from Opening Day till season's end, then took the Padres in the World Series in just five games. It was a team of Whitaker and Trammell, Kirk Gibson, Guillermo Hernandez and Jack Morris. He hit a career high .320, with 206 hits. Batting at the top of the order with his partner, they became the first A.L. double play combo to bat .300 since 1950. In 1985 he had his first 20 home run year and won the second of three consecutive Gold Gloves. In 1986, the entire Tiger infield (with Darrell Evans at first and Darnell Coles at third) hit 20 homers and in 1987 Lou was one of six Tigers with over twenty homers. 1987 found the Tigers in a close race with Toronto and they came from behind to take the AL East on the final weekend of the season. Whitaker scored 110 runs and smacked 38 doubles, both career highs.

Lou was a seasoned veteran, 32 years old in 1989 when he set some other career bests: 28 homers, 85 RBIs, 89 walks. But his range began slowing down and some wondered if it was time to replace him. Not a chance: Whitaker hit .290 or better in each of his final three seasons and still was an above average second baseman, making up in guile what he had lost in speed. He retired after the 1995 season.