PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Peter Carry

September 07, 1964

Detroit Outfielder Don Demeter is a nice guy's nice guy. He never drinks or smokes and is a devoutly religious man. So when Don, who came to Detroit from Philadelphia for perfect-game pitcher Jim Banning, says, "I don't think the Phillies would be where they are today if I was still with the club," you know he is not putting you on. What Demeter neglects to mention is that the Tigers would not be where they are now—in fourth place—if it were not for him. Demeter is not an exciting player. He fields well (holding the record for errorless games by a center fielder), but not in the electrifying style of a Willie Mays: he hits well, but not well enough to win batting titles; he has power, but hardly enough to be called a slugger. Still, Demeter has done enough of each to spark the Tigers out of the second division. Demeter has driven in only 69 runs, but 26 of them have provided the Tigers with important go-ahead runs and eight of his RBIs produced tying runs in games Detroit has gone on to win. Last week, as the Tigers took six of eight, Don's hitting accounted for the decisive runs in four of the wins, and three of those times he came through in clutch, late-inning situations. He hit a sixth-inning homer that broke a 0-0 tie, an eighth-inning two-run double to win a 5-4 squeaker and, on the following night, a sacrifice fly in the seventh to bring home an 8-7 win. With this type of clutch play, all Detroit agrees Demeter is a nice guy to have around.