Tony Giarratano #39

Resides in Marlboro, NJ during the off-season...Selected to *Baseball America's* Freshman All-American squad, *Collegiate Baseball Magazine's* Honorable Mention Freshman All-American team and Conference USA's All-Freshman squad after batting .352 (93x264) with 72 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 47 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .438 on-base percentage for Tulane University in 2001...tied for fifth in the conference in hits, tied for sixth in runs scored and finished 10th in batting average...Batted .250 (5x20) with an RBI for Team USA during the summer of 2001 before dislocating his left shoulder seven games into the season...Hit .238 (40x168) with 24 runs scored, eight doubles, two home runs and 22 RBI as a sophomore at Tulane University in 2002...was a NCAA Baton Rouge Regional All-Tournament selection after hitting .385 (5x13) with three runs scored and an RBI...Played for Cotuit in the Cape Cod League during the summer of 2002, batting .187 (28x150) with 10 RBI...An All-Conference USA selection as a junior at Tulane University in 2003, he hit .336 (92x274) with 66 runs scored, 17 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 42 RBI, 22 stolen bases and a .394 on-base percentage... totaled 204 assists that season, second-most in a single season in school history -- finished his career with 459 assists, fifth-most in school history...Played for Italy during the World Baseball Classic in 2006 -- batted .300 (3x10) with three runs scored and a double in three games...Recommended/signed by Steve Taylor for the Tigers.

2007

Missed the entire season after undergoing surgery to correct right shoulder instability on March 1, a procedure performed by Dr. Peter Millett in Vail, CO.

2006

Saw action in 67 games with Double A Erie before having his season cut short by a right knee injury...Named the best defensive shortstop in the Eastern League by Baseball America...Managed a .226 batting average (49x217) during his first 53 games of the season, before hitting .519 (27x52) over his final 14 games...Posted a 10-game hitting streak June 2-29, batting .588 (20x34)...Sidelined June 12-29 with a right wrist sprain...Injured his right knee on July 3 at Reading and landed on the disabled list the following day with a right knee sprain...Underwent surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on July 24, a procedure performed by Dr. Richard Steadman in Vail, CO...Recalled from Erie by the Tigers on August 29 and placed on the disabled list for the remainder of the season as he recovered from arthroscopic surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee...Named the 14th-best prospect and tabbed the best defensive infielder in the Tigers organization following the season by Baseball America.

2005

Played the majority of the season at Double A Erie, while seeing his first major league action with the Tigers during June...Managed a .211 batting average (12x57) in 16 games during April for the SeaWolves...Registered a 16-game hitting streak May 8-24, batting .348 (24x69) with 13 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and nine RBI...Had his contracted purchased by Detroit from Erie on June 1...Made his major league debut June 1 versus Texas, starting at shortstop -- legged out an infield single in the fifth inning against Ryan Drese for his first major league hit...finished with two hits in the game to become the first Tigers player to collect two hits in his major league debut since Robert Fick did so on September 19, 1998 versus Minnesota...Belted his first major league home run on June 7 at Los Angeles, a solo shot off Duaner Sanchez...Optioned to Erie by the Tigers on June 26...Collected a season-best four hits for the SeaWolves on July 25 at Trenton...Sidelined for the remainder of the season after landing on the disabled list on September 1 with a right hamate fracture...Fared better against righthanded pitchers in the Eastern League, batting .280 (65x232)...hit .237 (27x114) with lefties on the mound...Named the eighth-best prospect in the Tigers organization following the season by Baseball America.