ADRIAN — It took Roger Yoder 12 years to put together his new book, and in the end, he compiled a 900-plus page volume of statistics about the Detroit Tigers baseball team that date back to the early days of the team.
Yoder spoke about his new book, “Detroit Tigers: Michigan’s Favorite Sports Team,” on Sept. 5 at the main branch of the Lenawee District Library. Yoder spent the evening discussing his new book, which, in part, focused on connections from the Lenawee County area that are part of the history of the Detroit Tigers.
The earliest of those connections was Francis Joseph “Frank” Navin, who was born in Adrian on April 18, 1871. Navin attended the Detroit College of Law, and worked as accountant for an insurance agency owned by Sam Angus, who bought the Detroit Tigers in 1901, Yoder said.
Angus named Navin to the Tigers staff, where he held a variety of positions including bookkeeper, secretary, treasurer, business manager, farm director, chief ticket agent and advertising manager, according to Yoder. Navin purchased $5,000 worth of stock in the Tigers in 1903 and went on to buy almost half the club in 1908. He was principal owner of the Tigers for 27 years, from 1908 to 1935.
During his time with the Detroit Tigers, Yoder said, Navin signed outfielder Ty Cobb and manager Hughie Jennings to the team, which led to three straight trips to the World Series, from 1907 to 1909. Navin also acquired Mickey Cochrane, who led the Tigers to back-to-back pennants in 1934 and 1935.
Navin went on to serve as vice president and then acting president of the American League. He died in Detroit on November 13, 1935, at the age of 64, according to Yoder.
Mike Marshall was born in Adrian on Jan. 15, 1943. He graduated from Adrian High School before moving on to Michigan State University, Yoder said. Marshall, a right-handed pitcher, was signed as an amateur free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies on Sept. 13, 1960.
Marshall signed with the Detroit Tigers in 1967, when he pitched one inning against the Cleveland Indians. Marshall made 37 relief appearance for the Tigers during his first season, Yoder said. Marshall was sent to the minor leagues for 1968, where he was drafted by the Seattle Pilots during the 1968 expansion draft, according to Yoder’s information.
Duane Below was born in Britton in 1985. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers during the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft from Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, according to Yoder. Below, a left-handed pitcher, threw his first game with the Tigers on July 20, 2011, and played with the team until May 27, 2013, Yoder said.
Yoder himself graduated from North Adams-Jerome High School in 1978. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and MLB Press box.
Included in the book are statistics on the five all-time teams, the top-10 players by position, the top-50 starting pitchers, the top-50 relief pitchers, the player and pitcher of the decade, all-decade teams and pitching staff.
