The Tigers under Jim Campbell built teams through the farm system. It was a method that worked that resulted in a World Series championship in 1968 and was working with a young nucleus of talent that was getting better each season under manager Sparky Anderson with successful drafts from 1974 till about 1977.
Still, the Tigers need another bat in the lineup that could provide the power. In 1983, the Tigers at home, right-handed batters hit .273/.336/.443 with 64 home runs but left-handed batters only hit .255 with 19 home runs. While Kirk Gibson and Lou Whitaker as left-handed bats were fine, the Tigers number one pick from 1980 first baseman Mike Laga was not living up to the hype.