RIP Don Demeter

Fairly obscure major leaguer died at 86, with perhaps his best seasons in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. But memorable to me for three things:

1. Traded from the Phillies to the Tigers for Jim Bunning.
2. Traded from the Tigers to the Red Sox for Earl Wilson.
3. Was the starting centerfielder for the Tigers in my first game at Tiger Stadium in 1965.

Don Demeter Stats | Baseball-Reference.com

RIP, Don.

 

I interviewed Bunning at a Phillies function
I was a big Bunning fan as a kid, and when I met him I said, “When the Tigers traded you it was the worst day of my life.”
He laughed and said: “Funny. It was one of the best days of my life.”
Actually, it broke the ice and a guy who could be cantankerous was a good interview