Remember 2003? That was the year the Detroit Tigers narrowly avoided setting a new record for losses in a season. Luckily, they managed to win their final game and finish the season 43-119. Those were dark times for Tigers fans, and the attendance reflected it. Crowds such as yesterday’s record CoPa standing room only bunch were unseen — average attendance was just over 17,000 a game, nearly half of the 32,000 that showed up on an average night last season. For those who stayed home, games were telecast on UPN 50, and the team consisted of a collection of players worthy of the Minor Leagues. Really, that was my first full year of watching Tigers baseball, and my bar for entertainment was set low. I recall being excited for three game winning streaks, and thinking that if the Tigers could just get everybody to bat at least .250, things would be ever so much better; however, those blue skies would not be seen in Motown for several years, and 2003 would go down as one of the most miserable seasons in all of professional sports. Unfortunately, there was really only one player on that 2003 team that could hit to save his life, and that is former Tiger Dmitri Young, who batted .297 with 85 RBI and 29 HR, a major feat on a club that rarely had runners on base to drive home.
In our first look in the rearview mirror, let’s take a look at the players who made up the Opening Day roster on that fateful 2003 team. Opening Day saw a win by the Minnesota Twins, kicking off a rising total in the loss column for the Tigers. Dustin Mohr hit a two-run homer in the second inning, and that was all she wrote. AJ Pierzynski hit a solo blast off Jamie Walker later in the game to seal the deal. 40,427 fans showed up to see a Tigers offense struggle to get on the scoreboard at all — the Tigers posted just four hits, and Dean Palmer tallied the team’s only RBI of the day.
Opening Day Lineup — Twins 3, Tigers 1:
- Gene Kingsale, CF
In 39 games and 120 AB’s, the opening day center fielder put up an astonishing average of .208, and put 8-RBI on the board. His first Major League season was 1996, and 2003 was his last. He is still listed as “active,” though we presume he has locked himself in his house to avoid the shame. - Omar Infante, SS
One of the few current Tigers who were on that dreadful 2003 team, Omar made appearances in 18 games in 2002 before batting .222 with 8 RBI in 69 games in 2003. This is a common occurence of the 2003 team: A player who really could have used a few extra years in the Minors for seasoning, but was called up prematurely due to a lack of talent at CoPa. Omar may currently be on the Tigers, but after the acquisitions of Placido Polanco last season and Neifi Perez just weeks ago, his future as a Tiger is in jeopardy. - Dmitri Young, LF/DH/3B
When D.Y. is playing left field, you know you could use a few more outfielders. Dmitri may have had more production in Cincinatti, but the fact that he was able to put up 85 RBI while batting .297 on a team as horrid as the 2003 squad was nothing short of a minor miracle. Since 2003, Dmitri had to be treated for alcoholism and ended up being released from the team. He was recently sentenced to probation for assaulting his girlfriend in April of this year. Dmitri is currently the starting first baseman for the Washington Nationals, with another former Tiger, Robert Fick, backing him up. - Bobby Higginson, RF
Before 2003, Bobby Higginson had been putting up big numbers as a Tiger for several years since making his MLB debut in 1995 with Detroit. However, 2003 started a significant decline in production which later led to the end of his career in Detroit after playing just 10 games in 2005. Higgi batted .235 with 52 RBI in 2003, and has been out of work since his contract with the Tigers expired. - Dean Palmer, DH
Palmer was a third baseman by trade, but his 2003 comeback attempt limited him to the designated hitter’s spot. He batted .140 with 6 RBI through 86 at-bats in 26 games in 2003, ending his Major League career. - Carlos Pena, 1B
After being acquired in 2002 along with Franklyn German in exchange for staff ace Jeff Weaver, Pena had a lot to live up to. As a left-handed bat, he was expected to bring a much needed dose of power to the lineup, but his .248 average, 50 RBI, and 18 HR numbers in 2003 were less than overwhelming. After releasing Carlos Pena due to a lack of production prior to this season, he signed on to play for the Yankees’ farm system. Currently, Carlos Pena is a member of the Boston Red Sox. - Eric Munson, 3B
A converted catcher, Munson was supposed to bring a power bat to the hot corner, and with a .240 average and 50 RBI in 2003, Munson was presumably one of the more productive Tigers in 2003. His 18 homers in 2003 made him appear promising, though success is relative only to his horrible teammates. The following season, Munson hit 19 dingers, but lowered his average to .212. Needless to say, the Tigers had no use for Munson, moving Inge to third base. Munson played in just 11 Big League games in 2005 (with Tampa Bay), and then was signed by the Houston Astros as a catcher prior to 2006. With the ‘Stros, Munson hit .199 in 141 at-bats, and is still with the Houston franchise — 2003 remains his best professional season. - Brandon Inge, C
One of the few remaining players from that fateful season, Brandon Inge was a key member of the 2006 AL Champion Detroit Tigers. In 2003, however, he played catcher, which is one of the reasons why he has such a cannon arm for a third baseman today. Inge bat just over the .200 mark with 30 RBI in 2003. The next season, he saw the majority of his action at third base, and his average rose up to .287. The number of runs he has driven home has increased each season since entering the Majors, however 2004 remains his best season as far as batting average goes. Most importantly, his fielding percentage while playing third base has been on the rise, and he is know a somewhat frequent sight in daily web gems. - Ramon Santiago, 2B
The young tandem of Santiago-Infante was meant to be the young double play combination for the future. While I loved Santiago in 2003, it’s simply difficult to find a player with good numbers from this team. Ramon batted .225 through 144 games, which is not exactly stellar. He did steal 10 bases in 14 attempts, which sounds like something that may have been impressive on a team with just 43 wins. He was traded to Seattle as a part of the Carlos Guillen deal a few season back, and returned to Detroit in 2006. Ironically, this boils down to Santiago being traded for himself in the long run, which is high ranking on the awesome factor. In 80 MLB at-bats this past season, Santiago hit .225 and stole two bases in two attempts. - Mike Maroth, SP
The left-handed starter for the Tigers pitched seven innings, allowing just two runs in that home opener, a very respectable line. Unfortunately, a lack of run support doomed Maroth from the start, and he went on to post a 9-21 record with a 5.73 ERA. Statistically, 2003 was his worst season, and he appeared to be on track to be an ace in 2006 before an injury cut his season short. Maroth went 5-2 in his 13 games during this past season (nine of them starts). He is the fourth member of Detroit’s rotation, and is all the more important with the loss of established veteran Kenny Rogers.
