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No one will replace the late Al Kaline as Mr. Tiger, but fellow Hall of Famer Alan Trammell has forged his own place as a franchise icon on and off the field. Watch Trammell work with Tigers prospects in Spring Training, and it’s hard to believe he turned 65 years old last week. We already chronicled his amazing work with the team, but he also sat down for a longer interview:
MLB.com: So, how are you feeling this spring?
Trammell: Physically, I feel great, other than [points to his cap, which has a neck guard sewn into the back]. Obviously as someone that’s older, I go to the dermatologist twice a year. And so, a few months ago in the offseason, I didn’t get a bad report, but they said I need to do more. And so, as I came down here, I talked to [assistant clubhouse manager] Mark Cave about seeing if we can improvise. And we did.
MLB.com: But other than that, watching you out there, you’re moving around well.
Trammell: Yeah. I mean, physically, you know what my age is. But age is just a number, and I still feel good. And I know it’s going to start to go this way [motions hand downward] and wane a little bit. I’ve had multiple knee surgeries, and that’s really the thing that bothers me the most. I feel it sometimes, and it’s not going to get better. But other than that, for years, my motto is, "Something’s better than nothing." I still have energy, which I think is a blessing. It works for me. I’ve always had probably a little more than most, and I still have [it]. And so, I enjoy it.
I’ve said this before, and I mean it with all sincerity: Where am I most comfortable? On a baseball field. It’s just who I am. I’m not ready to really retire, so here we are. I feel like I’m similar to what I’ve been in the past. I’m going to continue, hopefully do the same role.
MLB.com: How much does working with guys like Colt Keith and Justyn-Henry Malloy, who are 40-some years younger than you, help keep you feeling young?
Trammell: Well, it does. Let’s not kid ourselves; they keep me young. So it kind of works both ways, at least I hope. I can give them some wisdom, but they keep me young. I’m looking at them, watching them, and sometimes I just think back. Once upon a time, I was that guy at that age.
MLB.com: How long is a typical day for you down here?
Trammell: Well, today was my workout day. I don’t work out every day like I used to. I can’t. That’s just another sign of getting older. But today was my workout, so I was here roughly 6 [a.m.], 6:15. And we’ll probably be here until 4 [p.m.].
MLB.com: There are a lot of young infielders you worked with now up in Detroit. How closely will you follow them?
Trammell: Oh, I’ll be following them daily. I’ll let [first-base coach] Alfredo [Amezaga] and [third-base coach] Gary Jones, they’ll be the ones [to coach]. I’ll watch, and I’m sure they’ll ask me at some point a couple of things, and I’ll give my thoughts. But I’m not going to overstep my boundaries on them. They’ve graduated to a certain degree.
MLB.com: With so many infielders playing multiple positions, even in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, how does that affect the way you teach?
Trammell: Good question. So the way I teach, when they’re doing something at that position, you’re going to give them what you think and what you see. It’s not easy. But I think like anything, the more you do it, the better you get. I didn’t get to do it until the very end of my career. I played second, and it was different. But if guys are doing it on a regular basis, that novelty will decrease and make it somewhat easier.
MLB.com: Any birthday gifts?
Trammell: [Clubhouse manager] Dan Ross, I don’t know where he got it, but he got [me] an old bat. I don’t know how long ago it was [from], but it’s not a normal bat company. They have a lot more bat companies nowadays, but we were dabbling. Some companies would come by and they probably didn’t last very long, but they’d also give you a couple of trial ones. I don’t think it was a game-used bat, but he found a bat that he put into a case and gave to me. So I’ll take it home and put it with my collection. It’s one that I don’t have, that brand.
MLB.com: With Miguel Cabrera getting ready for a retirement tour, what kind of gifts did you get when you retired?
Trammell: You know what I remember? Ozzie Guillen. I hadn’t really announced anything yet, but I think it might have been leading up for a little bit. We went to Chicago, it was in September at some point, but he brought over a bottle of Dom Perignon. That was special. We weren’t really friends. We competed. But it tells me that he respected me, [and] that’s kind of all we’re looking for.