He played only three seasons with the Tigers, but one of those years was 1968.
And that was long enough, and opportunity enough, for a part-time player like Tom Matchick to earn a high-profile place in Tigers history.
Matchick, 78, died Tuesday in his native Ohio, it was announced by the Tigers.
His grand moment for the Tigers came during Detroit’s merry, season-long romp to a world championship in 1968 — on a Friday evening at Tiger Stadium, July 19.
There were 53,208 tickets sold, the most in seven years at Tiger Stadium, as the then-regal Orioles came to Detroit with ideas of putting heat on the first-place Tigers.