District News

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) -- He was a kid from southeast Grand Rapids who spent his childhood playing sandlot baseball on the open fields along 28th Street—then just a quiet two-lane road. A multi-sport star at Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills High School, he was named the city’s top prep athlete in 1960. Soon after graduating, he joined Sullivan’s baseball team, which went on to win the National Baseball Congress championship.

Just a few years later, he found himself hoisting a World Championship trophy as a key member of the 1968 Detroit Tigers. His name is Mickey Stanley.

In one of the most surprising moves in World Series history, Tigers manager Mayo Smith shifted Stanley from his usual outfield position to shortstop—replacing light-hitting Ray Oyler—to make room in the lineup for long-time Tigers star Al Kaline. Kaline had missed much of the season due to injury but was healthy again, and his bat was a welcome return.

The gamble paid off. Stanley played shortstop admirably and contributed at the plate, including tallying three hits off Cardinals ace Bob Gibson. Kaline, meanwhile, delivered at the plate as well, tying for the Series lead with eight RBIs.

Though never known as a power hitter, Stanley earned four Gold Gloves for his exceptional outfield defense and later proved his versatility by filling in on the infield. He served as a bridge between the Tigers' 1968 champions and the rising stars of the 1984 team, sharing the field with young talents like Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, and Jack Morris. In fact, Stanley preserved Morris’s first major league win with a dramatic, over-the-fence catch in the ninth inning.

After retiring from baseball in 1978, Stanley stayed active—working as a manufacturer’s rep, contracting with his son, playing golf, and embracing life as a proud grandfather.

Though he admitted feeling anxious throughout much of the 1968 Series, worried about letting down his team, Mickey Stanley ended it all with a smile—just like that sandlot kid from years ago.

Written by: GF Korreck

Sources: Mickey Stanley on the Series, The Grand Rapids Press, October 8, 1968, page 39; An Unforgettable Player, Even if His Feats Fade, Joe Falls, The Sporting News, March 15, 1975, page 35; Climbing The Walls With GR's Mickey Stanley, G.F. Korreck, Accent/Grand Rapids, April 1976, pages 8-13; Interview with Mickey Stanley, Jerry Nechal, SABR, June 22, 2007 

Image: The Topps Company