Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker were two Bristol Tigers who became Detroit Tigers. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
In the spirit of Motor City Bengals’ first annual Prospect Week, this is a story about the farm system from a bygone era. Before becoming Detroit Tigers, some key prospects used to play for a rookie league team called the Bristol Tigers.
Minor league baseball will be played again in 2021, but the landscape won’t be the same as it was before a COVID-induced shutdown wiped out the 2020 season. The Appalachian League, which had existed as a short-season rookie league since 1957, didn’t survive the recent gutting and restructuring of the minor leagues that was orchestrated by Major League Baseball.