Friday, December 26

BALTIMORE -- Kerry Carpenter remembers pestering his parents as a kid around Father’s Day and Mother’s Day when it would be his turn.

“We used to ask, ‘When is it Kids’ Day,’” Carpenter recalled with a laugh. “And my mom would say, ‘Every day is Kids’ Day.’ We would joke about it.”

Now that Carpenter is a dad, having welcomed daughter, Colbie, into the world with his wife, Lauren, last offseason, he has a new appreciation for what his parents meant by that. And as he gets further and further into fatherhood, he gains more appreciation for what his dad meant for him growing up.

Ken Carpenter passed away from a rare form of liver cancer in May 2020, less than a year after Kerry was drafted by the Tigers in the 19th round. He was dealing with the cancelled Minor League season in 2020, and he turned to his faith to help him through.

He had big league aspirations, but he couldn’t have imagined being where he is now, not just a slugging star in the big leagues, but a husband and a dad.

“I definitely never thought that I would be where I am now,” Carpenter said. “I remember times in my life when I wasn’t sure what my future was going to hold, or what I even wanted. And so, the fact that God has given me this at this age, it’s such a blessing, just short of five years after my dad passed away. It’s a blessing, and something I couldn’t have drawn up for myself.”

Much like baseball, Carpenter has found fatherhood to be a learning experience as a first-time parent. He calls his wife a superhero for being able to juggle everything while he goes to the ballpark and on road trips.

“Definitely a learning experience,” he said. “Just realizing how to do life now with a newborn is something that we both had to learn how to do, but we both have taken it kind of as a learning experience. We’ve both taken it for what it is, and we know that we don’t know everything and that humility is going to help us learn right now.”

For all the challenges fatherhood can present, there’s nothing for Carpenter like coming home and seeing Colbie, whether he has homered during the game or gone hitless.

“It’s like my favorite thing in the world,” he said. “Unfortunately, my daughter goes to sleep before the night games end, but on day games, walking out there and being able to see my wife with her and being able to give her a hug and a kiss, it makes you forget about the game. That’s been one of the most amazing things about this season so far, being able to just go be a dad and be a husband right after the game, it gives me the most joy in the world.”

It also gives him an even greater appreciation for what his dad meant to him.

“Our relationship was awesome,” he said. “He was super selfless with the way that he treated us, and he just had joy watching us be kids. And so, that’s kind of what I’ve realized, is I have that same kind of spirit watching my daughter learning how to crawl. Just her being a kid is just giving me so much joy. And looking back, I realize that’s exactly what he was doing.”

Lefty reliever Matt Gage became the first Tigers player to wear jersey number 99 when he was called up Thursday. In so doing, he set the record for the highest jersey number in Tigers history. Who had the previous record?

A) Joe Boever

B) Tyler Holton

C) José Mesa

D) Fernando Rodney

• Triple-A Toledo: The Mud Hens entered Friday at 35-31 after dropping the first three games of their six-game homestand against Royals-affiliated Omaha. Gage Workman went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and a double in last Sunday’s 11-9 win at Columbus. Lefty relief prospect Drew Sommers has 10 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings since his promotion from Erie on May 27.

• Double-A Erie: The SeaWolves entered Friday atop the Eastern League’s Southwest Division at 40-20 after winning two of the first three on the road at Pirates-affiliated Altoona. Knuckleballer Kenny Serwa allowed one earned run on four hits over six innings Wednesday for his second consecutive win since his promotion from West Michigan last week. No. 5 prospect Thayron Liranzo walked and scored three times each to go with a single last Sunday in an 11-9 loss to Richmond.

• High-A West Michigan: The Whitecaps entered Friday closing in on clinching the Midwest League East Division’s first-half title with a 40-20 record and a road series at second-place Lansing. No. 2 prospect Kevin McGonigle has a 1.098 OPS this season.

• Single-A Lakeland: The Flying Tigers entered Friday tied for the Florida State League’s West Division’s lead with a 33-26 record despite dropping three straight at Palm Beach to the Cardinals. Outfield prospect Jackson Strong doubled twice in a three-RBI performance Wednesday in a 7-6 loss. Shortstop prospect Woody Hadeen hit a two-run home run, his sixth homer of the year, last Sunday in a 9-1 win over Daytona. 

C. Mesa

Better known as a Tigers nemesis over seven years in Cleveland, Mesa wore number 94 during a brief stint for the Tigers in 2007, his final MLB season.

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