Frank Tanana

Frank Daryl Tanana (born July 3, 1953) is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.  From 1973 to 1993, he pitched for six teams: the Angels, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees.

In his prime, Tanana was known for a 100+ MPH fastball, which he abruptly lost when he injured his arm.  However, he was able to develop an assortment of off-speed pitches (including an excellent curveball) and continue his career. He and others quipped that he was "the guy who threw 90 in the 70s and 70 in the 90s." Throughout his career, he accumulated 34 shutouts, 4,000 innings pitched, and nearly 2,800 strikeouts. He is one of only 23 major league pitchers to have struck out at least 2,700 batters in his career.

Early life
Tanana grew up in the northwest part of Detroit, Michigan. His father, also named Frank, had played professional baseball in the 1950s and was on the 1955 Eastern League championship team, the Reading Indians, before he left baseball and joined the Detroit Police Department to support his family. After young Frank got done with homework, he and his friends would spend the rest of the afternoon playing various sports. He attended Detroit Catholic Central High School, an all-boys school; though it was seven miles from his home, he was attracted to it after seeing their basketball team featured on the front page of a newspaper sports section. He made all-state twice in basketball, but it was in baseball he excelled, as he had a 32-1 record in his high school career. In a cocky moment his senior year, he threw sidearm to a hitter and injured his shoulder. He pitched through the injury for the rest of the year until leaving the mound after the fourth inning of the championship game, when the pain got to be too much for him. Thinking the injury would hurt his baseball chances, he had just about decided to attend Duke University on a basketball scholarship when the California Angels made him their first-round draft pick in 1971.

Minor league career
Tanana was assigned to the Rookie Idaho Falls Angels in 1971, but tendinitis in his shoulder prevented him from pitching. Instead, he received cortisone treatments. "I tell you, I didn't have many friends on that team," Tanana said. "Here were guys being cut off the team, and I, who couldn't throw, was staying because I had this bonus." Arm feeling better in 1972, he pitched for the Single-A Quad Cities Angels, posting a 7-2 record. In 1973, he spent most of the season with the Double-A El Paso Sun Kings. "He struck out 14 in his first game for us," El Paso (and later Angel) manager Norm Sherry said. "Right then, I knew he could pitch." Tanana also pitched a couple games for the Triple-A Salt Lake City Angels before getting called up in September and added to the Angels starting rotation.

Major league career

California Angels
Along with Nolan Ryan, Tanana anchored the pitching staff of the California Angels from 1973 to 1979. This led to the saying, "Tanana and Ryan and two days of cryin'", an indication of just how much the two meant to the rotation. (This was a variation on "Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain," referring to the pitchers of the Boston Braves of the late 1940s.) The duo were considered two of the toughest pitching teammates in history, drawing comparisons to Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Tanana made four starts with the Angels in September of 1973. His major league debut was September 9, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals. Tanana only lasted four innings, giving up four runs and taking the loss. His next start, on September 14, also was against Kansas City—Tanana threw a complete game this time, only allowing two runs (one earned) to earn his first major league victory. He threw a complete game shutout in the Angels' last game of the year on September 30, allowing just two hits in a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.

In his first full season, Tanana was named the Angels' number two starter, behind Ryan. An elbow injury during the season caused Tanana to lose seven games in a row at one point; Tanana could not remember losing more than two games in a row before in his career. "My confidence was taking a beating, but I knew it wouldn't last forever," he said.  After losing his 19th game September 22, 1974, Tanana was in danger of losing 20 games his rookie season, as there were still seven games to go. In his next start, September 27, he gave up two runs and was losing until pinch-hitter Doug Howard drove in two runs in the seventh inning to give him and the Angels a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Then, in the last game of the year against the Oakland Athletics, he threw a shutout in a 2-0 victory. In 39 games (35 starts) his rookie year, Tanana had a 14-19 record, a 3.12 earned run average (ERA), 12 complete games (four shutouts), and 180 strikeouts in  innings pitched. The 180 strikeouts were seventh in the American League (AL) (teammate Ryan led the league with 367), the four shutouts were tied for sixth (with five other pitchers), and Tanana did not lead the league in losses, as four other pitches tied him for third behind Mickey Lolich (21) and Clyde Wright (20).

In the first game of a doubleheader on June 21, 1975, Tanana struck out 17 batters in a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers, becoming the first left-hander in AL history to have that many strikeouts in a game. "Everybody stood up and applauded for me in the ninth inning," he remembered. "I felt invincible." He threw 13 shutout innings on September 22 against the Chicago White Sox, yet left with a no decision because neither Jim Kaat nor Rich Gossage had allowed a run thus far—the game would go to 16 innings before the Angels eventually won 3-0. Tanana struck out 13. At season's end, Tanana's 269 strikeouts led the American League; teammate Ryan, who'd led the AL in strikeouts the last three years, was injured and only finished sixth. Tanana placed fourth in ERA (2.62), tied for third with three others with five shutouts, and had a 16-9 record on the season.

With Ryan coming off a year in which he had missed time with injury, Tanana was named the Angels' Opening Day starter for 1976.  As it turned out, '76 would be the first of four straight Opening Day starts for Tanana. He was named an All-Star for the first time in 1976. The Angels' offense did not always score a lot for him; on August 27, 1976, he and Catfish Hunter of the New York Yankees each pitched 13 scoreless innings in a game where both men received a no-decision. It was the second year in a row Tanana had thrown 13 scoreless innings without getting a decision, but the Angels would lose this one in 15, 5-0. At season's end, he was among the league leaders once again in wins (19, tied with Mark Fidrych and Ed Figueroa for fourth), ERA (2.43, behind Fidrych's 2.34 and Vida Blue's 2.35), strikeouts (261, second to a healthy Ryan's 327), and complete games (23, tied with Jim Palmer for second behind Fidrych's 24). With a 19-10 record, he came close to winning twenty games, missing the mark because of a midseason injury and also an August 22 outing against the Yankees where, having allowed only two hits going into the ninth, he started taking it easy, gave up six runs and was removed, and received a no decision, though the Angels eventually won 11-8 in eleven. As it turned out, 19 wins would be his career high. 

For the second year in a row, Tanana made the All-Star Game in 1977. Sports Illustrated forecast in July that he might reach 25 wins on the season. From April 29 through July 3, he threw 14 straight complete games. Shortly after the streak, though, he got an inflamed tendon in his left arm and had to be shut down for almost two weeks. After he returned, his arm was still tired, and the Angels had to shut him down for the rest of the year after September 5.  Still, United Press International called the 1977 season his best year. He led the AL in earned run average (ERA) (2.54) and shutouts (7) while posting a 15-9 record. His 205 strikeouts were good for third in the league, behind Ryan's 341 and Dennis Leonard's 244.

Tanana started the 1978 season strong, with a 1-0 shutout of the Oakland Athletics on Opening Day. He was named to the All-Star Game for the third year in a row. Through the end of July, he had a 14-6 record and a 2.99 ERA. However, his numbers were not as good in his final 11 starts; though his record was 4-6, his ERA hopped up to 5.22. Still, Tanana finished the year with an 18-12 record, tying with Lary Sorensen and Fergie Jenkins for ninth in the AL in wins. He threw ten complete games and tied with four others for fifth in the league in shutouts, with four. His 3.65 ERA was the highest of his career, though, and his strikeout total dropped to 137, even though he threw 239 innings.

Tanana missed two months of the 1979 season with a shoulder injury but was able to pitch in September and during the post-season.

Boston Red Sox
On January 23, 1981, the Angels traded Tanana to the Boston Red Sox along with Jim Dorsey and Joe Rudi for Steve Renko and Fred Lynn (who the Red Sox worried they would lose to free agency because of paperwork errors). Tanana pitched for the Red Sox for a single season, earning only 4 victories against 10 losses before being granted free agency on November 13, 1981.

Texas Rangers
Tanana signed as a free agent with Texas Rangers on January 6, 1982. Tanana rebounded in 1984, having his best season since 1978 for a Ranger team that finished in last place in their division. He threw eight shutout innings April 21 in a 1-0 victory over the Yankees, then threw his first shutout since 1981 on June 13 in a 3-0 victory over the Twins. He finished the season with a 15–15 record, a 3.25 earned run average (ERA), and 141 strikeouts in  innings pitched.

1985 did not start well for Tanana, as he posted a 2-7 record with a 5.91 ERA through his first thirteen starts. Teammates were sympathetic—"He hasn’t pitched the way he’s capable of pitching, and we haven’t played as well as we’re capable of playing behind him," assessed fellow starter Charlie Hough. Tanana himself was more critical of his performance: "Awful. Absolutely awful." He was traded by the Rangers to the Detroit Tigers for minor-league pitcher Duane James on June 20, 1985.

While with the Rangers, Tanana served as the team's player representative.

Detroit Tigers
Tanana signed free agent contracts with the team in 1988 and 1989 to stay with the team until 1992. On the final day of the 1987 season, Tanana pitched a 1–0 complete-game shutout over the second-place Toronto Blue Jays to clinch the American League East title for the Tigers. He was referred to as "the great tantalizer" because of his wide array of slow off-speed pitches. He mixed his repertoire of off-speed pitches very effectively, frustrating opposing batters and making an 88 mph fastball surprising and effective when slipped in after a steady diet of breaking balls. After Tanana beat the Chicago White Sox August 6, 1989, manager Sparky Anderson praised his pitcher: "Tanana should have at least 15 wins this year. He is pitching the best for me this year since he came over here. He's a real pitcher. He knows what he's doing even when he makes a mistake."

New York Mets and New York Yankees
Tanana signed as a free agent with the Mets for the 1993 season, winning 7 games for the last-place team before being traded to the New York Yankees for Kenny Greer in an attempt to capture the pennant with the September 17, 1993 trade. He lost two of his three starts for the Yankees, and they did not reach the post-season. In 1993, Tanana became one of only two pitchers in MLB history to give up a home run to both Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.

On February 15, 1994, Tanana signed a minor league contract with the Angels, hoping to pitch another year. He competed for a starting spot in their rotation but was released in favor of Mark Leiter after going 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in spring training, marking the end of his professional career.

Life outside baseball
When Tanana first reached the major leagues, he quickly earned a reputation as a partier and drinker. He told reporters his idol was himself, that he was already one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, and that "Nothing I do awes me." After his injury in 1979, though, Tanana realized his career could be over any day. He also found himself struggling for answers following the 1978 murder of his Angel teammate Lyman Bostock. On November 6, 1983, while at an Arizona hotel room, Tanana became a born again Christian. "I understood that I was dead in my sins," Tanana said. "I realized I had no chance of having a relationship with my Holy God. But His Son, Jesus, had lived a perfect life and paid the penalty for my sin. If I trusted my life in Him and asked Him for forgiveness and asked Him to come into my life, that I would be a brand new creature. I would be a brand new person. My sins would all be forgiven. On November 6, 1983, I made that commitment of trusting in Jesus. I have walked with Him ever since."

Since then, Tanana has been a leader in the Christian community within professional baseball. He credits God for the success of his marriage and the longevity of his career. While he was still playing, he joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Since retiring, he has ministered to professional athletes in a number of ways. He and his wife, Cathy, serve on the Pro Athletes Outreach Board of Directors. As of 2002, Tanana was assisting Detroit Tiger chaplain Jeff Totten, and he would also participate in Home Plate events, where Tiger players would speak about their faith in Christ at Tiger Stadium before games. Tanana has spoken about his faith at different churches. He has participated in Bible studies and performed marriage counselling since retiring. Says Tanana, "I've been fortunate and blessed the way my life has turned out."

Tanana has been married to Cathy Mull since 1978. They have four children and four sons-in-law and now reside in Farmington Hills, Michigan. In 1996, Tanana was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2006, Tanana was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1999, Tanana appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time but received no votes and thus, he was removed from future Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) consideration for election. Tanana is one of five Hall of Fame-eligible pitchers who rank in the top 25 all-time in career strikeouts and who have not been elected to the Hall. Tanana's 2,773 strikeouts rank him at number 23 all-time. Also not in the Hall of Fame are Roger Clemens (#3 with 4,672 strikeouts), Curt Schilling (#15 with 3,116), Mickey Lolich (#20 with 2,832), and David Cone (#25 with 2,668).

See also
 List of Major League Baseball career wins leaders
 List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
 List of Major League Baseball annual strikeout leaders
 List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
 Home runs allowed
 List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders
List of Los Angeles Angels Opening Day starting pitchers
List of Detroit Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers

References

Notes

External links

Information on Tanana at Baseball Library.com

Category:1953 births
Category:Living people
Category:American League All-Stars
Category:Boston Red Sox players
Category:California Angels players
Category:Converts to Protestantism
Category:Detroit Tigers players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
Category:Baseball players from Michigan
Category:New York Mets players
Category:New York Yankees players
Category:Texas Rangers players
Category:American League ERA champions
Category:American League strikeout champions
Category:Sportspeople from Detroit
Category:Quad Cities Angels players
Category:El Paso Sun Kings players
Category:Salt Lake City Angels players
Category:Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball players
Category:American people of Polish descent