Frank Tanana

At 71 years old, Frank Tanana has this physical status:

Frank Daryl Tanana (born July 3, 1953) is a retired Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.

He was the first-round draft pick for the California Angels in 1971.

He pitched for six franchises, including the Angels, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees from 1973 to 1993: from 1973 to 1993. Tanana was known for a 100-MPH fastball, which he lost when he injured his arm.

Nonetheless, he was able to produce a number of off-speed pitches (including an outstanding curveball) and continue his development.

He had 34 shutouts, 4,000 innings pitched, and nearly 2,800 strikeouts in his career.

He is one of only 23 major league pitchers to have strike out at least 2,700 batters in his career.

Early life

Tanana grew up in Detroit, Michigan, in the northwest area. His father, who was also named Frank, played professional baseball in the 1950s and was on the 1955 Eastern League championship team, the Reading Indians, before he retired baseball and joined the Detroit Police Department to help his family. After young Frank was finished with homework, he and his classmates would spend the remainder of the afternoon playing various sports. Al Kaline, Mickey Lolich, Willie Horton, and Mickey Stanley were among his favorite players as he rooted for the hometown Detroit Tigers.

Tanana attended Detroit Catholic Central High School, an all-boys school; despite being seven miles away from his house, he was attracted to it after seeing their basketball team featured on the front page of a newspaper sports section. He made all-state twice in basketball, but it was in baseball that he excelled, as he set a new high school record of 32–1. He threw his sidearm to a batter and injured his shoulder during a tumultuous moment in his senior year. He battled the sickness through the year until leaving the field after the fourth inning of the championship game, when the pain became too much for him. When the California Angels selected him as their first-round draft pick in 1971, he was worried that the injury would damage his baseball career. He had just about agreed to attend Duke University on a basketball scholarship.

Personal life

Tanana gained a reputation as a party host and drinker as soon as he first landed in the big leagues. "I'm still one of the best pitchers of all time," he told reporters. Tanana's career could be over any day after his accident in 1979. Following the assassination of his Angel colleague Lyman Bostock in 1978, he began to search for answers. Tanana became a born again Christian in 1989 while in an Arizona hotel room. Tanana said, "I knew that I was dead in my sins." "I knew I had no intention of having a relationship with my Holy God." But Jesus, God's Son, had a perfect life and paid the price for my sin. I trusted my life in Him and begged Him for forgiveness and begged him to enter my life, I'd be a completely different creature. I'd be a brand newbie. My sins will all be forgiven. I made the pledge of trusting in Jesus on November 6, 1983. "I have been walking with Him ever since."

Since then, Tanana has been a leader in the Christian faith in professional baseball. He attributes his marriage's and his career's longevity to God. When he was still playing, he joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In a variety of ways, he has ministered to professional athletes since his retirement. Pro Athletes Outreach Board of Directors members Cathy and him, as well as Cathy. Tanana was assisting Detroit Tiger chaplain Jeff Totten in 2002, and he would also attend Home Plate activities, where Tiger players will talk about their faith in Christ at Tiger Stadium before games. Tanana has shared information about his faith at various churches. Since retiring, he has been involved in Bible research and marriage counseling. "I've been lucky and blessed with the way my life has turned out," Tanana says.

When Tanana was a dance major at Long Beach State University, she met his wife, Cathy Mull, at a Newport disco in 1977. In 1978, five hundred guests attended their wedding. They have four daughters, Lauren, Jill and Kari (twins), Erin, and several grandchildren. The couple now live in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where he is an Elder at Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield. At Southfield Christian School, Frank has worked with youth athletes. Tanana was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, and in 2006, she was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

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Minor league career

In 1971, Tanana was drafted to the Idaho Falls Angels of the rookie-level Pioneer League, but a tendinitis in his shoulder barred him from pitching. Rather, he was prescribed cortisone medications. Tanana said, "I tell you, I didn't have many friends on that team." "Here were guys who were getting laid off the team, and I, who couldn't throw, was staying because of this reward." Arms were at their best when he pitched for the Single-A Quad Cities Angels in 1972, a 7–2 record. He appeared with the Double-A El Paso Sun Kings for the majority of the season in 1973. "In his first game for us," El Paso (and later Angel) manager Norm Sherry said. "I knew he could pitch right away." Before being called up in September and added to the Angels' starting rotation, Tanana played a few games for the Triple-A Salt Lake City Angels.

Major league career

Tanana, along with Nolan Ryan, anchored the California Angels' pitching staff from 1973 to 1979. "Tanana and Ryan, and two days of weeping," the two men expressed, implying just how much they were involved in the rotation. (This was a twist on "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain) refering to the Boston Braves pitchers of the late 1940s. The pair were regarded as two of the toughest pitching rivals in history, comparing Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers to Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale. "He was just an amazing player, and you know we both wanted to be the best pitcher on the team," Tanana said, and that good, healthy competition was beneficial for both of us. We had a wonderful team."

In September 1973, Tanana made four appearances with the Angels. In the second game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals, his major league debut was September 9. Tanana was only four innings, giving up four runs and taking the loss. His next game was against Kansas City on September 14, but Tanana threw a complete game this time, only allowing two runs (one earned) to win his first major league victory. In the Angels' last game of the year on September 30, he threw a complete game shutout, losing just two hits in a 3–0 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Tanana was voted the Angels' number two starter in his first full season. Tanana lost seven games in a row at one point; Tanana could not remember losing more than two games in a row before; he had an elbow injury. "My confidence was battered, but I knew it wouldn't be long," he said. Tanana was in danger of losing 20 games in his rookie season after losing his 19th game on September 22, but there were still seven games to play. He gave up two runs and was losing until pinch-hitter Doug Howard drove in two runs in the seventh innings to give him and the Angels a 3–2 win over the Minnesota Twins. In a 2–0 win over the Oakland Athletics in his last game of the year, he threw a shutout. Tanana had a 14-19 record, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), 12 complete games (four shutouts), and 180 strikeouts in 268+261 innings pitched in his rookie year. The 180 strikeouts were seventh in the American League (AL) (teammate Ryan led the league with 367), the four shutouts tied for sixth (with five other pitchers), and Tanana did not lead the league in losses, as four other pitchers tied him for third behind Lolich (21) and Clyde Wright (20).

Tanana defeated the Texas Rangers 4–2 in their first game of a doubleheader on June 21, 1975, becoming the first left-hander in AL history to have so many strikeouts in a game. "Everybody erupted and applauded for me in the ninth inning," he said. "I felt triumphant." On September 22, he threw 13 shutout innings against the Chicago White Sox but left with no decision because neither Jim Kaat nor Rich Gossage had allowed a run so far—the Angels then won 3–0. Tanana was kicked out on 13. Tanana's 269 strikeouts led the American League during season; it would be the first time since 1972 to 1979 that anyone other than teammate Ryan, who was hospitalized, led the AL in strikeouts. Tanana finished fourth in ERA (2.62), tied for third with three others with five shutouts, and had a 16-9 record on the season. Since the season, he and Kaat tied for fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Tanana was selected the Angels' Opening Day starter for 1976, despite Ryan's absence due to a year in which he had missed time due to injury. 1976 would be the first of four straight Opening Days for Tanana, as it turned out. In 1976, he was named an All-Star for the first time. The Angels' offense did not always have a lot of money for him; on August 27, 1976, he and Catfish Hunter of the New York Yankees each pitched 13 scoreless innings in a game in which both men were declared not to have been ruled out of the playoffs. It was Tanana's second year in a row, but the Angels would not get a decision until 15, 5–0. He was among the league leaders once more in victories (19, tied for fourth with Mark Fidrych and Ed Figueroa), and complete games (261, second to a healthy Ryan's 24, tied for second behind Fidrych's 24). With a 19-10 record and also a September 22 outing against the Yankees, he came close to winning twenty games but then lost five runs and was suspended, ending in a no decision. 19 wins would be his career high, as it turned out. He came in third third in Cy Young voting behind Palmer and Fidrych, as well as the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Tanana appeared in the All-Star Game for the second year in a row. Sports Illustrated predicted in July that he would reach 25 wins on the season. He played 14 complete games from April 29 to July 3. He had an inflammatory tendon in his left arm and had to be shut down for nearly two weeks, but not long after the streak began. His arm was already worn, and the Angels had to shut him down the remainder of the year after September 5. Despite this, United Press International called the 1977 season his best year ever. Before a 15-9 record, he led the AL in earned run average (ERA) (2.54) and shutouts (7). His 205 strikeouts were good for third place in the league, behind Ryan's 341 and Dennis Leonard's 244. He came in ninth in Cy Young polling after the season.

Tanana started the 1978 season off with a 1–0 shutout of Oakland on Opening Day. For the third year in a row, he was accepted to the All-Star Game. He had a 14–6 record and a 2.99 ERA by the end of July. However, his numbers in his final 11 starts were not as good as they had been, though his record was 4–6, his ERA increased to 5.22. Despite that, Tanana ended the year with an 18-12 record, tying for ninth in the AL in victories with Lary Sorensen and Fergie Jenkins. He threw ten complete games and tied for fifth in the league in shutouts, with four others tied for fifth place. However, his 3.4 ERA was the best of his career, but his strikeout total dropped to 137, despite throwing 239 innings.

Tanana had stopped throwing as fast by 1978, instead of a fastball that would have swayed. Despite recovering from the tendinitis that had plagued him in 1977, the agony of the pain caused him to change his delivery and go with a slower route. Tanana was hospitalized for a few months due to shoulder tendinitis after giving up six runs in two innings against the Detroit Tigers on June 10, 1979. He was forced to miss two months of the 1979 season due to a shoulder injury, but he was able to pitch in September after intensive rehabilitation. He was limited to 18 games (17 starts), with a 3.89 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 90+13 innings.

The Angels made the playoffs for the first time in Tanana's career, as well as California's history, winning the AL West, with Tanana allowing one run against the Royals on September 25 to clinch the division for the team. Tanana started Game 3 of the AL Championship Series (ALCS) against the Baltimore Orioles, restricting them to one run through five innings. He was disqualified in the sixth round after giving up two straight singles and a walk to open the picture. Don Aase came out and got three straight outs, but Doug DeCinces's sacrifice fly was the first, tying the game for the Orioles and rendering Tanana ineligible for the victory. The Angels eventually won 4–3, but this will be their first victory of the season as Baltimore defeated them in four games.

Tanana was ranked fifth in the Angels' starting rotation in 1980. He missed his turn in the rotation at the start of June after going 2–6 through May. He had a 7.93 ERA from June 4 to June 4. With his ERA falling to 3.33 in his last 23 starts, he pitched better for the remainder of the year. Tanana had an 11–12 record, a 4.15 ERA, and 113 strikeouts in 204 innings pitched in 32 games (31 starts).

Tanana and the Boston Red Sox were traded to the Boston Red Sox with Jim Dorsey and Joe Rudi on January 23, 1981 (the Red Sox feared they would lose to the free team due to paperwork mistakes). Tanana summed up his Boston debut, "I stunk." He played for the Red Sox for a single season, winning only four games against ten losses (the 10 losses were tied with five others for 8th in the AL in a strike-shortened season). Although his 4.01 ERA was higher than the previous year, he was still struggling to pitch at Fenway Park, where he had a 5.36 ERA. "Anything will happen in this ballpark, like in a pinball game," he later referred to Fenway. In his last game of the season (at Cleveland Stadium, not Fenway), he would have been 3-10, but he threw a shutout against the Cleveland Indians on October 3 on his last start of the season (not Fenway). Despite the close, he was offered a free agency by the Red Sox on November 13, 1981.

On January 6, 1982, Tanana became a free agent with Texas Rangers. He was working for $375,000 a year for two years, with more than $70,000 in savings. His first season with the Rangers saw his ERA rise to 4.21, just 0.20 higher than his previous season with the Red Sox. However, the Rangers lost 98 games, and Tanana was responsible for 18 of them, tying for first place in losses while only winning seven games out of the AL top, with Matt Keough tying for the AL lead in losses.

Tanana was not a member of his team's starting rotation when he first appeared in 1983, beginning the season as a long reliever for the Rangers. He had a 1.57 ERA in eight games before returning to the rotation on June 10, allowing one run and three hits in six innings in a 4–2 victory over the Twins. He had a 7-0 record through August 22, but he lost 5–9 games in the year's season. He played in 29 games (22 starts), had a 3.16 ERA, and was out 108 in 159+13 innings.

Tanana had his best season since 1978 for a Rangers team that finished last place in its division, and he was back in the rotation for good in 1984. In a 1–0 victory over the Yankees on April 21, he threw eight shutout innings, then threw his first shutout since 1981 in a 3–0 win over the Twins on June 13. He had a 15-15 record, a 3.25 ERA, and 141 strikeouts in 246+13 innings pitched.

Tanana's first 13 starts were off to a rocky start in 1985, with a 5.91 ERA. "He hasn't pitched the way he's capable of pitching," coworkers said, "We haven't played as well as we're capable of playing behind him." Tanana himself was more critical of his results: "Awful." It's absolutely horrible." Duane James, a minor-league pitcher for the Rangers, was traded by the Rangers to the Detroit Tigers on June 20, 1985.

Tanana served as the team's player representative while with the Rangers.

"It was a wonderful gift from the Lord," Tanana said of his chance to train with the Tigers. "I was born here, and to have the opportunity to play for the Tigers was a dream come true."

In his debut with the Tigers on June 23, 1985, Tanana threw seven shutout innings, helping Detroit beat the Yankees 3–1. His ERA with Detroit dropped, and he won each of his last five starts. Tanana had a 10–7 record, a 3.34 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 130+13 innings pitched in 20 starts for Detroit. He made a 12–14 record, a 4.27 ERA, and 159 strikeouts in 215 innings in a combined 33 starts between Texas and Detroit.

Tanana allowed one run against the Twins on May 29, 1986, just shy of a complete game before being disqualified in favor of Willie Hernández after allowing a double and a walk with two outs in the ninth. He had ten-strike out games this year, the first in a 14-0 shutout of the Seattle Mariners on August 23, and the second in only seven innings on September 25, but Tanana allowed four runs and lost the game to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. He had a 12–9 record, a 4.16 ERA, and 119 strikeouts in 188+1,3 innings in 32 games (31 starts).

Tanana made $662,500 in the first year of his employment in 1987. He struck out for his 2,000th strike against the Angels on July 12, but lost 5–4, with the Angels' 5–4 loss. He had a 3.40 ERA through August 6, but after that, he struggled, posting a 9.00 ERA in his next eight starts and causing boss Sparky Anderson to pull him out of the rotation in September. However, Tanana only made one start before returning to the Tigers in the midst of a pennant fight. Tanana pitched a 1–0 complete shutout over second-place Toronto to clinch the American League East Championship for the Tigers on the last day of the 1987 season. A jubilant Anderson rushed to the field, greeting and kissing his pitcher as the final were announced. "That game was definitely the highlight of my career," Tanana said. He started the Tigers win the division by being 15-7 in 34 starts, with a 3.2 ERA and striking out 146 in 218+2nd3 innings pitched.

In Game 4, the Tigers met the Twins in the ALCS; in Game 4, Tanana was matched up against Frank Viola. In a 4–3 loss, he allowed six hits over 5+13 innings, walking four batters, and giving up four runs (three earned). In five games, the Twins won the series.

Tanana went to arbitration with the Tigers after the 1987 season. Tanana, who had a two-year contract at the time, was eventually granted a one-year, $1.1 million contract, more than the Tigers had wanted to pay him. Tanana won eight of his first ten votes in 1988, offsetting his best start in his career (he also won eight of his first ten decisions in 1977 and 1978). His only two complete games of the year came off a back-to-back victories against Texas on July 29 and a loss to Kansas City on August 3 due to the fact that it was a road game. Tanana had a 14-11 record, a 4.21 ERA, and 127 strikeouts in 203 innings in 32 starts.

Tanana's first complete game of the year came out on June 9, 1989, but the two runs he allowed were the only runs of the game, defeating Toronto. Anderson praised Tanana after the White Sox beat the White Sox on August 6, 1989: "Tananana should have at least 15 wins this year." Since he came over here last year, he is still pitching the best for me this year. He's a natural pitcher. Even when he makes a mistake, he knows what he's doing." On August 16, he struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout of the Orioles. Tanana's 3.58 ERA would be his lowest for the Tigers ever, save for the 1995 20 starts he made for them. He had a 10-14 record, taking out 147 batters in 223+293 innings. He started as a free agent early in the season but re-signed with the club a week later.

Tanana had won 198 games during his 18th major league season in 1990. On April 28, he gave up five runs in seven innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, but he still won, his first appearance in his career. He had a 6.47 ERA through July 28, prompting the Tigers to re-sign Walt Terrell to replace him in the rotation. In the 14th innings of a 6–5 win over the Yankees, it was during this period that Tanana got his first save of his career, causing Oscar Azócar to pop up and stranding a runner on second. He returned to the rotation on August 25 and posted a 2.44 ERA for the remainder of the year. He had a 9-08 record, a 5.31 ERA, and 114 strikeouts in 176+13 innings pitched in 34 games (29 starts).

Tanana was the first pitcher outside of Jack Morris' departure through a free agency in 1991, and it was also the first pitcher for the Tigers to make an Opening Day appearance since 1979, which was also the first year Tanana had a Opening Day appearance. He gave up four runs in five innings against the Yankees, leaving the game tied, but the Tigers defeated New York 6–4. He threw a shutout against the White Sox on April 18, then threw another shutout against the Angels on June 7. Also on June 18, Mike Henneman came within one out of throwing another shutout but instead left after giving up two straight singles in the ninth; Oakland lost 2–0. He became the first player to throw a pitch in Memorial Stadium's history on September 27, giving the Orioles a 7–1 victory over the Orioles. In 1991, he made 33 starts for the Tigers, a 3.77 ERA, and 107 strikeouts in 217+13 innings pitched.

In his first six starts of the 1992 season, Tanana had a 7.07 ERA before starting in May 7. He won over California in May 12 after being used in relief, throwing two scoreless innings. After that, he rejoined the rotation and recorded a 3.96 ERA the remainder of the way. Tanana did not have shutouts in 1992, but the victory over Texas on August 16 was decided by a scoreless innings. He had a 13-11 record, a 4.39 ERA, and 91 strikeouts in 186+2/3 innings pitched in 31 starts, with 31 runs. He became a free agent after the 1992 season.

For the 1993 season, Tanana signed as a free agent with the New York Mets. Pete Schourek, a left-handed player, was interested in him partially as a mentor. Jeff Torborg, Tanana's team's manager, was his catcher in his MLB debut in 1973. He played seven games for the last-place team but lost 15 (tied for 6th in the National League (NL)) before being traded to the New York Yankees for Kenny Greer on September 17, as the Yankees looked to get some pitching assistance in their quest for the AL East pennant. Tanana's three starts for the Yankees were cut short of the postseason, and they did not make it to the playoffs. He held the Tigers to four runs (three earned) over 6+13 innings, leaving the Yankees leading 5–4 in his last major league appearance on October 1, 2013. Bobby Muoz blew the lead, costing Tanana the chance to win, but the Yankees came out 9–6. Tanana's season-high totals included a 7-17 record, a 4.35 ERA, and 116 strikeouts in 202+223 innings pitched. He became a free agent again following the year.

Tanana signed a minor league deal with the Angels on February 15, 1994, with the intention of pitching another year. He tried for a starting position in their rotation, but was dismissed in favor of Mark Leiter after going 0–3 in spring training, marking the end of his career. Tanana had a 3.66 lifetime ERA in 21 seasons in the major leagues.

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