The Tigers mourn the passing of former player Don Wert and share our condolences with his loved ones.
Don Wert, who passed away at the age of 86, was known for his role as a third baseman with the Tigers from 1963 to 1970 before concluding his career with the Washington Senators in 1971. Over his career, Wert posted a .242/.314/.343 batting line, with 77 home runs and 365 RBIs. In 1968, he had a challenging season with a .200/.258/.299 line, 12 home runs, and 37 RBIs across 150 games. Despite these numbers, he was recognized as one of the era’s top fielding third basemen, though he never won a Gold Glove due to the presence of Brooks Robinson. Wert was selected to the American League All-Star team in 1968 despite a .220 average at the All-Star break and was also considered for the AL Most Valuable Player Award in 1965, finishing 10th in the voting after hitting .261/.341/.363 and playing all 162 games.
Pitcher Denny McLain, who won 31 games for the 1968 Tigers, was among those who appreciated Wert. During road trips, Wert and other infielders would often go out to lunch, and McLain would frequently join them, only to discreetly pay the bill before leaving.
On September 17, Tiger Stadium was packed with 46,512 fans eager to see their team secure the AL pennant against the New York Yankees. With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth inning and the bases loaded with two outs, Don Wert stepped up to bat. Despite the Associated Press labeling him as “the third baseman having the poorest season of his career,” Wert faced the Yankees’ left-handed reliever Lindy McDaniel. After working the count to 2-2, Wert hit a single to the opposite field, clinching the pennant for the Tigers. This victory marked Detroit’s first pennant in 23 years.
As the World Series approached, Tigers manager Mayo Smith faced a tough decision. Al Kaline, a future Hall of Famer, had played only 102 games in 1968, spending 70 of those in his usual right field position. Jim Northrup, who filled in for Kaline, had a stellar season, hitting .264/.324/.447 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs, including five grand slams. With Kaline back to full health, Smith needed to find a way to fit both players into the lineup, given the lack of a designated hitter at the time. One option Smith seriously considered was moving Kaline to third base to replace Don Wert. Ultimately, Smith decided to shift center fielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop, a position he had never played before.
Wert, who had struggled with just 2 hits in 17 at-bats during the Series, justified Smith’s decision by delivering a crucial two-out RBI single in the ninth inning of the Tigers’ 4-1 win in Game 7. This hit drove in the final run of the Series, and Wert’s contributions, with two RBIs and a run scored, helped secure the 1968 championship for the Tigers.
Shortly after the 1970 season, Don Wert, along with Denny McLain, Elliott Maddox, and Norm McRae, was traded to the Washington Senators in exchange for Joe Coleman, Ed Brinkman, Aurelio Rodriguez, and Jim Hannan. This trade is considered one of the worst in Senators history. Manager Ted Williams was immediately displeased with the deal, expressing his frustration in his book, *My Turn at Bat*. Williams criticized the trade for sending away his top starting pitcher (Coleman) and the left side of his infield (Brinkman and Rodriguez) in exchange for a “washed-up” McLain.
During spring training, Wert injured his back in a game against the Montreal Expos. This injury significantly impacted his performance, and he managed only 2 hits in 40 at-bats for the Senators before being released in June. One of his hits was a key single in the 10th inning of a 3-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25, which led to him scoring the winning run on a single by Tommy McCraw.
The reasons for Wert’s limited at-bats and subsequent struggles remain unclear, but it’s possible his situation was affected by Williams’ dissatisfaction with McLain.
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