Detroit — The Royals quality control coach Pedro Grifol might've known better. He's seen this before, though it was seven years ago.
Back in 2012, Grifol was coaching the High Desert Mavericks in the California League (High-A), and he had a catcher named John Hicks. All Hicks did that year was throw out 54 percent of runners trying to steal bases against him.
Among those he threw out were Delino DeShields Jr. and Billy Hamilton, who both swiped more than 100 bags that year.
So on Sunday, watching Hicks in a Tigers uniform gun down Hamilton at second in the third inning and then throwing out Whit Merrified representing the tying run in the eighth inning — it had to be a bittersweet experience for Grifol.