A member of the 1968 Detroit Tigers has died.
Dennis Ribant, a right-handed pitcher who was born in Detroit and grew up starring on the city's sandlots against the likes of Willie Horton and Bill Freehan, died Monday in California. He was 81.
Ribant pitched sparingly for the 1968 Detroit Tigers, exclusively out of the bullpen, before he was traded away to the Chicago White Sox at midseason. He didn't get to pitch for his hometown team in the 1968 World Series. Ribant pitched 14 games in relief and had a 2.22 ERA in 24.1 innings, before he was dealt for White Sox right-handed reliever Don McMahon, who pitched two innings in the 1968 World Series.