Tigers News: Don Wert, former Detroit Tigers All-Star and 1968 World Series champion, dies at 86

Don Wert, a key player on the Detroit Tigers' 1968 World Series championship team, has passed away at the age of 86. The Tigers announced his death on social media, expressing condolences to his family and friends.

"The Tigers mourn the passing of former player Don Wert and share our condolences with his loved ones," the team said on social media.

Wert made his Major League Baseball debut with the Tigers in 1963 and played eight seasons with the team before finishing his career with a year on the roster of the Washington Senators.

In 1965, during his third season, Wert had a solid performance, hitting .261 and finishing 10th in the American League MVP voting.

He was named an All-Star in 1968, the same year the Tigers clinched the World Series title. Over his career, Wert recorded a batting average of .246, hit 77 home runs, and maintained an on-base percentage of .315.

Ernie Harwell’s radio call still sounds great today, from the evening of Sept. 17, 1968:

“He swings — a line shot, base hit! Right field! The Tigers win it! The Tigers win it! Don Wert has singled. The Tigers mob Don. The fans are streaming onto the field, and the Tigers have won their first pennant since nineteen-hundred and forty-five. Let’s listen to the bedlam here in Tiger Stadium! Oh, what a moment!"

Wert will be remembered by Tigers fans not only for his contributions on the field but also as an integral part of a historic team.