Trammell: Detroit's Iconic Shortstop

by Todd Masters

For nearly two decades Alan Trammell displayed an all-around game as a fielder, hitter, and base runner that was rare for shortstops of his era. With second baseman Lou Whitaker, he formed one-half of arguably the greatest double-play combination in baseball history and was an integral piece of one of the signature teams of the 1980's. Trammell was a World Series hero and a central figure in one of the greatest pennant races in American League history. From his early days as a multi-sport prep star in the talent-rich San Diego area, through a meteoric ascension up the minor league ladder and into the big leagues, Trammell won over doubters and overcame setbacks to become one of the top players in the Detroit Tigers' history. He joined Ty Cobb and Al Kaline as the only players to spend 20 seasons in Detroit, and later served an ill-fated managerial stint with the franchise. This exhaustively researched biography provides the first book-length account of the life and career of one of the most well-known figures in Detroit sports history.

240 pages, Paperback

Published December 9, 2016

Reviews

[Tom Gase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good bio on Alan Trammell - the former Detroit Tigers baseball star that helped the team win a World Series in 1984 and the playoffs in 1987. The book focuses mostly on those two years but also discusses Trammell coming up to the show with Lou Whitaker and their time playing middle infield in Detroit. Kind of forgot that Trammell played all the way to 1996 and that he was the team's manager, so glad the book discussed those years as well. Took me back and filled me with nostalgia of watching baseball as a kid. MLB fans and especially Tiger fans will love.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright 2017. Last chapter addresses the case for and against his Hall Of Fame credentials. Fans already know the veteran's committee put him in the class of 2018. I'm jealous I didn't write this book but I'm so, so glad another Todd did! This is a well researched, well-written chronology of Tram's career and a must-own for every Tigers fan.

[Anup Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My disclaimer is simply that I am the biggest Alan Trammell fan alive! This is from having grown up a Tiger fan in the 1980s.

So I very much enjoyed the walk through memory lane provided by Mr. Masters and reading the take of another very passionate fan on not only the great events but also those long forgotten by anyone but the most passionate.

Masters does extensive historical research, through newspapers and articles, as well as sharing his memories as a fan. He also uses statistics quite a bit. It isn't so much an insider biography; it's clear that Alan Trammell himself didn't contribute much if any of his insight directly to the author nor did many of his teammates or others closest to him. It read more of a log than of a story, so to speak, which is fine for what it is.

I also enjoyed his earlier book on the 1972 Tigers and again it's his passion that shines the most and makes the book enjoyable for a fan like myself.

[Chris Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed a biography of a very deserved player. Glad that Masters is putting some light on the 84 Tigers - the greatest forgotten team of all time.

Much of Masters work is well researched, although it would have been welcomed to get Trammell's current thoughts on different points in his career.

My only (minor) complaint is that there were several spell check errors, such as Lance Mulliniks, Roger Clemons, and Mark McGuire. At one point even Trammell's last name was misspelled (one L). I wonder if mine was an early copy, but I found that none of these took away from my enjoyment of this book.