Expert: Geoff - 8/2/2007

Question
My dad and I were watching the Tigs and W. Sox last week and there was an Aflac trivia question and we missed the answer, hope you can help.

Curtis Granderson hit a first pitch of the game HR last week against the sox. The question was who was the Last Tiger lead off hitter to do it before Granderson?

I said Tony Phillips
My dad said Sweet Lou Whitaker

If you have any chance at getting me the correct answer I will be forever grateful. Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Noel,

Thanks for writing.

Although your answer is a better answer than your dad's, neither answer is correct.

Pitch by pitch records get a little fuzzy as you go back through the years.  Lou Whitaker may have hit a first pitch, first inning lead-off home run at some point in his long career with the Tigers.  If he did so though, it happened pre-1989.

Tony Phillips on the other hand hit 2 first pitch, first inning lead off home runs for Detroit: one on 7/17/92 against Oakland, and one on 6/27/94 against Seattle.

The answer to the question though is Brandon Inge.  On 7/18/05 against the Chicago White Sox, Inge was batting lead-off for Detroit and he hit the first pitch of the game for a home run.

Best Wishes,

Geoff