Halter returns - as an Angel
April 28, 2004
Tom Gage
Detroit News
DETROIT — He didn’t turn left, but he was tempted.
When Shane Halter arrived at Comerica Park on Tuesday, it was out of habit that he almost headed to the Tigers’ clubhouse instead of to the visitors. After all, he turned left from the elevator for four years before becoming a free agent over the winter and signing with the Anaheim Angels.
“It’s good to be back,” Halter said. “I had some good friends over there and a lot of good memories. This is where I got going. I got a lot of playing time here. But I knew they were going to make some changes. The writing was kind of on the wall.”
Halter got the Tigers’ attention when he signed with Anaheim, though. At the time, he said it was like a “get out of jail free card” to go from the Tigers to a probable contender. Halter’s friend, Bobby Higginson, countered by saying that Halter “made a lot of money while he was in jail” — which was true.
The only two-year contract Halter ever signed was with the Tigers.
But about referring to the Tigers’ situation as “jail,” Halter was quick to explain on Tuesday that he meant all the losing the Tigers did the last two years, not to the organization itself.
“You knew that coming out of spring training last year, it was going to be tough,” Halter said. “We just didn’t know it was going to be that bad. I wasn’t bashing the team with that comment. It was just a bad situation for everybody who was in it.
“Losing was the jail part of it. We couldn’t keep from losing. It had nothing to do with the players who were in that locker room, or the coaching staff, or the front office.”
The Tigers understood.
“I think it’s just one of those things that players say,” Manager Alan Trammell said. “I don’t hold it against him. I like Halt. He did everything we asked him to do.”
Halter didn’t start against the Tigers but went 1-for-3 with an RBI as David Eckstein’s replacement at short after Eckstein left because of a groin injury.
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