Most Detroit Tigers fans didn’t take much notice when Brock Deatherage’s name was called on draft day. A 10th round college senior who strikes out too often doesn’t raise the same excitement generated by picks like Casey Mize or Parker Meadows.
That relative anonymity didn’t last long for Deatherage, though. He captivated fans after clobbering three home runs during his first game as a pro. He held their attention with that spectacular surname. A promotion to West Michigan put him in the heart of Tigers nation and turned him into a cult icon (among Tigers Twitter, at least).