| Tom Brookens | |
|---|---|
| Third baseman | |
| Born: August 10, 1953 Chambersburg, Pennsylvania |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| July 10, 1979 for the Detroit Tigers | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 1990 for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .246 |
| Home runs | 71 |
| Runs batted in | 431 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Thomas Dale Brookens (born August 10, 1953, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers (1979–1988), New York Yankees (1989), and Cleveland Indians (1990). Brookens is currently the first base coach for the Tigers.
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On January 9, 1975, Brookens was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st round (4th pick overall) of the 1975 amateur draft. In 12 major league seasons, Brookens played 1,065 games at third base, 162 games at 2nd base, and 119 games at shortstop. Tigers radio announcer Ernie Harwell nicknamed Brookens "the Pennsylvania Poker", a play on the song "Pennsylvania Polka".
Brookens batted .246 in his 12-year career, with 71 home runs and 431 RBIs in 1,336 games. His range factor (putouts and assists per game) was well above league average. He did lead AL third basemen in errors twice, in 1980 and 1985, but that was largely because he was getting to so many more grounders than other fielders; his range factor, which measures the number of plays a fielder makes, was consistently above league average. Brookens also has the dubious honor of sharing (with 21 others) the AL record for the most errors in a game by a third baseman, four, on September 6, 1980.[1]
Traditionally an infielder, Brookens found himself behind the plate in a game against the Texas Rangers on July 20, 1985. With regular catcher Lance Parrish hurt and Bob Melvin and Marty Castillo removed from the game in favor of pinch-hitters, Brookens (who had never caught a pro game before, even in the minors) filled the role and wound up catching five innings (11th through the 15th) before Detroit finally won the game.
On August 20, 1980, Brookens went 5-for-5 with a triple and a home run, and also started a triple play in an 8–6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
He won a World Series ring with the Tigers in 1984.
Brookens in 2005 and 2006 was the manager of the Class A New York - Penn League Oneonta Tigers in the Detroit Tigers minor league system. In 2007, Brookens was hired to lead the West Michigan Whitecaps which won the championship of the Class A - Midwest League that year. After winning a championship with the Whitecaps, the Tigers promoted Brookens again in 2008, this time to the Erie SeaWolves, their Class AA - Eastern League affiliate.[2]
On November 9, 2009 the Detroit Tigers hired him as their new first base coach.[3] The move reunites Brookens with Tigers manager Jim Leyland, whom had managed Brookens in the minor leagues in the 1970s; many believe Brookens is being groomed as Leyland's eventual replacement as Detroit's skipper.
Tom's twin brother Tim was also drafted in 1975, by the Texas Rangers; he was later traded to the Tigers organization, but never made the majors. (In spring training, Tim and Tom would sometimes switch identities, even suiting up in other's uniforms; Tim is believed to have played at least one exhibition game disguised as Tom.) Their cousin, Ike Brookens, pitched for the Tigers in 1975, while Ike's son Casey Brookens also played in the minors in the 1990s before retiring to become a successful high school coach in Pennsylvania.[4]
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