Notes: Tigers promote EganLongtime scout will be special assistant to GM Dombrowski
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
While the Tigers await a decision from Kenny Rogers on whether he'll retire, the man Rogers credits for his career is getting a promotion.
Tigers scout Dick Egan, who just completed his 47th season in professional baseball, has been named a special assistant to the general manager.
The change in title doesn't mean a vast change in his job. He'll continue to work on the scouting side, but he'll be dedicated for various projects rather than making the rounds across the Majors to primarily scout potential opponents. His projects will be decided by president/general manager Dave Dombrowski.
"The difference is, I don't have a set schedule," Egan said Thursday. "Wherever Dave says go, I go."
The title is slightly different from those held by Tigers legends Al Kaline and Willie Horton, who work as special assistants to the team president.
The 70-year-old Egan has a long history with the Tigers organization.
Egan first broke into professional baseball with Detroit, which signed him to his first pro contract nearly 50 years ago. The left-handed pitcher made his Major League debut at Tiger Stadium on April 9, 1963, and ended up making 43 appearances with the club, all in relief, before being dealt to the Cardinals.
A generation later, Egan was coaching in the Rangers farm system when he came across a young lefty whom Texas drafted as a pitcher but who didn't pitch in high school. That was Rogers, who considers Egan a mentor to this day.
"I can't overstate the importance they had on my career, can't do it," Rogers said last year of Egan and former pitching coach Tom House. "But it was mainly for the confidence and the faith they put in me early on. I mean, they even saw talent when I didn't really see it or know what I was going to be capable of doing."
To take Egan's place on the Major League scouting staff, the Tigers promoted Jim Olander from national crosschecker to big league scout. He spent the last 10 years in amateur scouting, including five seasons with the Tigers over two different stints. Detroit hired Scott Pleis to take Olander's place as national crosschecker, following up on reports from area scouts.
AFL update: - Spoiler:
Tigers top prospect Cameron Maybin hit his first two home runs of the Arizona Fall League on Monday in what ended up being a standout performance for the 20-year-old outfielder.
Maybin scored all three runs for the Peoria Saguaros in a 3-2 win over Phoenix. In addition to his two solo homers, he walked, stole second and scored on a double earlier in the game. The runs were his first of the fall campaign after going 2-for-11 in three games leading up to that point.
Those remain his only runs of the fall. Maybin entered play Friday batting .222 (6-for-27) with his two home runs, two RBIs, a double, five walks and two stolen bases in as many attempts. His work on Monday earned a victory for following Tigers prospect Burke Badenhop, who pitched an inning of relief in the contest.
Second baseman Mike Hollimon, meanwhile, also has two home runs this fall after hitting a solo shot on Thursday. He entered Friday batting 5-for-16 with four runs scored and four RBIs.
Happy Willie Horton Day: - Spoiler:
For the fourth straight year, Oct. 18 was a state holiday in Michigan to honor Tigers legend Willie Horton on his birthday. The honor, passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2004, recognizes Horton for his accomplishments for Detroit both on and off the field over his 14 seasons in a Tiger uniform as well as the years of work for the community beyond his playing days.
Horton has another honor coming next weekend. He'll be part of the festivities in Venezuela when the nation celebrates the 90th year of the Magallanes Baseball Club, which won the Caribbean Series title in 1979 with Horton as manager.
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Subject: Tigers promote Egan 
Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:35 pm
