Tigers honor former greats Colavito, Maxwell before finale

DETROIT -- Rocky Colavito knew both sides of the Detroit-Cleveland rivalry in baseball, having been an All-Star with both clubs. Charlie Maxwell was a lifelong Michigander who spent eight of his 14 Major League seasons with the Tigers, including three years as Colavito’s teammate.

Each passed away in December, 17 days apart. The Tigers honored both on Sunday, bringing members of both families to Comerica Park and hosting them for the series finale between the Tigers and Guardians, where they held a moment of silence before the first pitch.

“It really touches us,” Colavito’s son Steve said. “My dad met some beautiful people in Detroit, and he cherished that. He was fortunate to play in several cities, but two for the most in Cleveland and Detroit, and had some really good memories.”

Traditionally, the Tigers take a moment before their home opener to honor former players who passed away during the offseason. This was an exception for a couple of key reasons.

For Colavito, the first Tigers-Guardians series of the season made sense as a way to honor his contributions to both franchises. Sunday made sense for Maxwell, whose nicknames included “Sunday Punch” for his knack of big hits on that day. His career-best 31-homer season in 1959 included 12 home runs on Sundays. That included a four-homer Sunday in a doubleheader against the Yankees at what was then known as Briggs Stadium.

“He came up after he hit his fourth,” Maxwell’s son, Rich, said, “and [Yankees catcher] Yogi [Berra] says, ‘Well, Paw Paw, you might as well walk down to first base, because Casey [Stengel] says we’re not supposed to pitch to you anymore.’

“The umpire says, ‘You can’t walk down there. You have to throw four balls.’”

The “Paw Paw” nickname was for Maxwell’s Michigan hometown, where he was born and raised and lived until he passed away at age 97. He lived in the same house until he went into assisted living in his later years, and he still drove around town until last year.

Maxwell’s Michigan roots made him a favorite among Tiger fans. Though he came up with the Red Sox and spent parts of four seasons in Boston, his acquisition by the Tigers off waivers from Baltimore during the 1955 season was a key point in his career. Not only was it a homecoming, it was his first chance at regular playing time in the big leagues. He became an All-Star in 1956 and ‘57, then posted 95 RBIs in '59.

The Tigers acquired Colavito after that 1959 season in a blockbuster trade for Harvey Kuenn. Colavito had just set a career high with 42 homers for Cleveland, including a four-homer game, but a change of direction brought Colavito to Detroit just before Opening Day in 1960. After a transition season, Colavito had a career-best 45-homer, 140-RBI season in 1961, teaming with Maxwell, Al Kaline and Norm Cash to form a formidable lineup that gave the Maris-and-Mantle Yankees a challenge for the American League pennant.