There were no games in either the AL or NL on June 11th, 1934, so we offer another "Tiger of the Week" profile
Tiger of the Week - Goose Goslin
Outfielder Leon "Goose" (so-called beacause of his large nose) Goslin (HA 16) spent most of his 18 year professional baseball career with the Washington Nationals, who traded him to Detroit after the 1933 season after reacquiring him from the St. Louis Browns. Goslin would play 4 seasons for the Tigers before returning to Washington for one final season in 1938.
Along with Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, Goslin was known as one of the "G-Men" on Detroit's two pennant winners in 1934 and 1935. Goslin was known for his unusually close batting stance, and only accepted a bat from the batboy when already in the batter's box out of superstition. Goslin was also a superior fielder with a strong arm, but never recovered from a seperated shoulder in 1927. He generally played left, which required more mobility in Griffith Park, and also because Washington had another star outfielder in Sam Rice during Goslin's tenure there. According to Bill James, Goslin "lost about as many home runs to playing in poor home run parks as any player in history." James also notes that Goslin had a bad repuation as a team player with teammates, but argues that his history of playing for World Series winners belies it.
You Can Take that Monkey Suit Off
Goslin's biggest contribution to Detroit came in the final game of the 1935 World Series when he drove in Mickey Cochrane with a walk off single to give Detroit its very first World Series Championship. Goslin was frustrated, having failed to get a hit all day. Before his at bat, he turned to the umpire and said "If they pitch that ball over the plate, you can take that monket suit off." Goslin had also come up big for another World Series winner, the 1924 Washington Senators. His record of six straight hits in that series would stand until Thurman Munson tied it in 1976.
Goslin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968.
