The most famous Bird in Detroit Tigers history was Mark Fidrych, the 1976 American League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young runner-up, who earned his moniker for resembling the Big Bird character on "Sesame Street."
Now Tyler Collins gives us the second-most famous bird in Tigers history. Collins, playing center field, lost a routine fly ball in the lights, which started a Keystone Kops-type play on which Justin Upton dropped the ball as he attempted to pick it up, and then Collins' throw to third base bounced away. Tigers fans, frustrated after Detroit scored just five runs in three games in a weekend sweep by the Cleveland Indians, responded with a chorus of boos. Collins fired back with an extended middle digit.
Tyler Collins said he's embarrassed for himself, teammates and his family. Boos set off a fuse and he lashed out, inappropriately.
— Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) April 26, 2016
Brad Ausmus disappointed in Tyler Collins' antics: "You've got to be above that." Had a talk with him immediately after the game.
— Katie Strang (@KatieStrangESPN) April 26, 2016
Collins will undoubtedly see a nice fine and possibly a suspension. Back in 2014, Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon was suspended for seven games after lewdly grabbing his jockstrap as he looked up into the stands after being ejected from a game. Tigers fans are used to seeing this: That same season, Tigers closer Joe Nathan flicked his chin toward the fans -- a gesture similar in meaning to a middle finger -- after getting booed after a poor outing.
The difference between Collins and those two is they were established big leaguers. Collins is a backup outfielder hitting .100. This might give the Tigers a convenient excuse to send him back to Toledo. Collins started in center in place of the struggling Anthony Gose, and that explains part of the problem with the Tigers. Collins has started five games in center field after starting just nine times in center in the minors. Although his losing the ball in the lights probably has nothing to do with his ability to play center field, he's not really a center fielder. Just like last season, the Tigers' lack of depth is being exposed; we can see that with the position players coming off the bench and the back end of the pitching staff.
On a positive note, the Tigers won the game to climb back to .500, and Collins at least gets to share a spot alongside the likes of Ted Williams in the game's history.
That's right, Teddy Ballgame once flipped off the Fenway Faithful. In fact, he pulled it off in both ends of a doubleheader. In the first game of a 1950 twin bill, the Tigers were on their way to a 13-4 blowout win when Williams dropped a routine fly ball. The fans let him have it. Ben Bradlee Jr. tells the story in "The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Williams":
Piqued, the Kid extended the middle finger of each hand and gave the paying customers what for.
In the second game, with the Sox leading 2-0, Detroit had the bases loaded with two out in the eighth when Vic Wertz hit a sharp grounder into left field. Ted charged the ball, trying to keep the tying run from scoring, but it took a bad hop, skidded past him and rolled all the way to the wall. All three runners scored, and at the end of the inning, the crowd of 27,758 jeered Williams mercilessly as he ran off the field. Ted responded by again extending his finger to the fans, this time in three separate dramatic gestures to different sections of the park.
Teammate Walt Dropo said Williams even saluted his friends in the press box. As he stood on deck and the boos continued, Williams "turned around and spat contemptuously at the crowd." After the game, Williams -- unlike Collins -- didn't apologize. The fans, "they can f--- themselves, and you can quote me in all the papers," Williams said. Ted Williams, everyone!
Baseball's history with the middle finger might actually go back to 1886, when Hall of Famer Old Hoss Radbourn appeared to extend his digit in this team photograph. Billy Martin repeated the gesture on his 1972 Topps cards. Garry Templeton was traded from the Cardinals to the Padres after the 1981 season in part because he had given Cardinals fans a one-finger salute that season. The Cards fined Templeton $5,000 and ordered a psychiatric examination. In the end, it turned out OK for the Cards: They got Ozzie Smith in return. (Templeton, surprisingly, matured into a team leader in San Diego.)
One of the most famous incidents occurred when Yankees pitcher Jack McDowell thrust "his middle finger of his right hand high in the air and twirled it around as he walked off the mound" at Yankee Stadium, thus earning the nickname "The Yankee Flipper." R.E.M.'s Peter Buck later wrote a song about McDowell and said part of his frustration that evening might have been because he had been out late partying with the band the previous night.
Albert Belle did it. John Rocker did it at Shea Stadium. Others have pointed their fingers at umpires. Ivan Rodriguez did it once. Jose Paniagua, as a reliever with the White Sox, did it in 2003. The team responded by releasing him. He never pitched again the majors.
For Tyler Collins' sake, let's hope he avoids a similar fate.