David Scott Rozema ( ; born August 5, 1956) is a former
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
who played from 1977 through 1986 for the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
and
Texas Rangers. Listed at 6' 4", 185 lb., Rozema batted and threw right-handed.
Early years
Rozema was born in
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County, Michigan, Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the List of municipalities in Mi ...
, in 1956. He attended
Grand Rapids Central High School.
[ In his junior and senior seasons, he was an all-city pitcher for the baseball team, compiling records of 11-3 and 11-5.][ He was drafted by the ]San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
in the 22nd round of the 1974 June amateur draft, but he did not sign with the Giants, instead enrolling at Grand Rapids Community College
Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) is a public community college in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
History
Grand Rapids Junior College was established on September 21, 1914, after University of Michigan faculty passed a resolution encouraging the ...
.
Professional baseball
Minor leagues
In January 1975, Rozema was drafted by the Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
in the fourth round of the 1975 supplemental draft.[ He signed with the Tigers on January 22, 1975, and was assigned to the Class A ]Clinton Pilots
Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a give ...
managed by Jim Leyland
James Richard Leyland (born December 15, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player, coach and manager. He serves as a special assistant to the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Leyland led the Florida Marlins to the 19 ...
. Rozema began the 1975 season in the bullpen, but impressed Leyland, and was promoted to the starting rotation. He relied principally on his fastball, but learned to throw a slider while with Clinton.[ He appeared in 27 games for the Pilots, compiling a 14-5 record and a 2.09 ]earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA). In July 1975, he was selected by the ''Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' as the "Tiger of the Future".
In 1976, Rozema was promoted to the Tigers' Double-A Montgomery Rebels
The Montgomery Rebels was the name of several American minor league baseball franchises representing Montgomery, Alabama, playing in various leagues between and . ''Rebels'' was the predominant nickname of the Montgomery teams, but it was not the ...
. Despite missing two months with an elbow injury, he compiled a 12-4 record with a 1.57 ERA.[ Montgomery manager ]Les Moss
John Lester Moss (May 14, 1925 – August 29, 2012) was an Americans, American professional baseball player, Coach (baseball), coach, Scout (sports), scout and Manager (baseball), manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the S ...
said of Rozema: "That kid has all the tools. If he keeps pitching like that, he won’t be around here long. He’s an outstanding prospect."
1977 season
Rozema attended the Tigers' 1977 spring camp as a nonroster player, but impressed manager Ralph Houk
Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...
and made the major league roster without ever having played a game at the Triple-A level. He made his major league debut at age 20 and, 10 days later, threw a four-hit shutout against the Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
. Despite missing the last three weeks of the season with a shoulder injury, he finished his rookie season with a 15-7 record and a 3.09 ERA and led the Tigers in wins, ERA, complete games (16), and innings pitched (218), and ranked third in the league in winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
(.682), fifth in adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...
(138), sixth in strikeout-to-walk ratio
In baseball statistics, strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) is a measure of a pitcher's ability to control pitches, calculated as strikeouts divided by bases on balls.
A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, and therefore not counted ...
(2.71), and eighth in complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s.[
He won post-season honors as the American League Rookie Pitcher of the Year and the Tigers' rookie of the year. He also finished fourth in the voting for Rookie of the Year and ninth for the American League ]Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
. Rozema formed part of a distinguished group of rookies with the 1977 Tigers that included Jack Morris
John Scott Morris (born May 16, 1955) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers. Morris won 254 games throughout his career.
Armed ...
, Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell ( ; born February 21, 1958) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball ( ...
, Lou Whitaker
Louis Rodman Whitaker Jr. (born May 12, 1957), nicknamed "Sweet Lou", is an American former professional baseball second baseman.
Whitaker spent his entire career with the Detroit Tigers. From 1977 to 1995, he appeared in 2,390 games for the ...
, Lance Parrish
Lance Michael Parrish (born June 15, 1956), nicknamed "Big Wheel", is an American former baseball catcher who played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 through 1995. Born in Pennsylvania, Parrish grew up in Southern California and excelled in ...
and Steve Kemp
Steven F. Kemp (born August 7, 1954) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Texas Rangers.
Profession ...
.
Middle years: 1978-1981
After a promising rookie year, Rozema never won more than nine games in a season. In 1978, he finished with a 9-12 record, 11 complete games and an adjusted ERA+ of 124. In 1979, he again had an above-average adjusted ERA+ of 124, but he started only 16 games and had a record of 4-4. Afterwards, Rozema's ERA fell off to a rate only slightly better than the league average, as he won six games in 1980 and five in 1981.
1982 season and karate kick
Rozema got off to a tremendous start in 1982, compiling a 3-0 record and an ERA of 1.63 (adjusted ERA+ of 248) in his first eight games. In a televised game against the Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...
on May 14, a bench-clearing brawl erupted after Twins pitchers hit both Chet Lemon
Chester Earl Lemon (born February 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he grew up in Los Angeles. He was drafted in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft and played 16 seaso ...
and Enos Cabell
Enos Milton Cabell (pronounced ), (born October 8, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and third baseman from 1972 to 1986, most prominently as a member of the Hous ...
. Rozema ran from the dugout and attempted to deliver a flying karate kick to the Twins' John Castino
John Anthony Castino (born October 23, 1954) is a former Major League Baseball player. Castino played as an infielder, primarily at third base and second base, with the Minnesota Twins from 1979 through 1984.
Professional career
Castino graduat ...
, but he missed Castino and tore eight ligament
A ligament is the fibrous connective tissue that connects bones to other bones. It is also known as ''articular ligament'', ''articular larua'', ''fibrous ligament'', or ''true ligament''. Other ligaments in the body include the:
* Peritoneal li ...
s in his knee. As a result, Rozema had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. He required a knee surgery the next day and was put on the disabled list for the rest of the 1982 season.
In October 2006, ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' selected Rozema as one of the "10 Greatest Characters in Detroit Tigers History". His selection was based on (1) the "karate kick" misfire, (2) a subsequent injury the same year in which Rozema fell on a flask in his back pocket and needed 11 stitches in his hip, (3) an incident in which he shoved a bar glass into the face of teammate Alan Trammell resulting in 47 stitches near Trammell's eye, (4) missing a team bus when he overslept after judging a wet T-shirt contest, and (5) using Brillo pad
Brillo is a trade name for a scouring pad, used for cleaning dishes, and made from steel wool impregnated with soap. The concept was patented in 1913, at a time when aluminium pots and pans were replacing cast iron in the kitchen; the new coo ...
s to wash his new car.
On July 9, 2008, the minor league team in Rozema's home town, the West Michigan Whitecaps
The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and play their home games at LMCU Ballpark. ...
, gave away an unusual promotional item, "Dave Rozema Karate Kick Bobbleleg" figures.
Later years: 1983-1986
Rozema came back from the injury in 1983 with an 8-3 record and 3.43 ERA in 105 innings pitched. In addition, he played on the 1984 Tigers team that won the World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...
. During the regular season, he started 16 games, compiling a 7-6 record with a 3.74 ERA in 101 innings pitched, but did not appear in the post-season.
On December 27, 1984, Rozema signed as a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the Texas Rangers a contract for an estimated total of $500,000 to $600,000. He appeared in 34 games for the Rangers in 1985 (all but four in relief) and had a 4.19 ERA in 88 innings pitched. After compiling a 5.91 ERA at the start of the 1986 season, Rozema was released by the Rangers during the midseason. He then was signed as a free agent by the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
on May 20, 1986, but did not play for them.
In a 10-season career, Rozema posted a 60-53 record with a 3.47 ERA in 248 pitching appearances (132 starts), striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
448 batters while walking
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...
258 in 1106 innings of work.
Life after major league baseball
In the early 1990s, Rozema pitched for the St. Petersburg Pelicans
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began playing in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The team was managed by Bobby Tolan, while Dick Bosman, Ozzie Virgil, Sr. and Tom Zimmer served as c ...
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association, referred to commonly as the ''Senior League'', was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over, with a minimum age of 32 for catchers. The league began play in 1989 and had ei ...
, and with the London Majors
The London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario. They play their home games at the 5,200 seat Labatt Memorial Park.
Team history
...
of the Intercounty Baseball League
The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is a Canadian amateur baseball league, comprising teams of college players and former professionals from North America and beyond. The teams are located in Southern Ontario.
The league was formed in 1919 and ...
based in London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, Canada.
On December 22, 1985, Rozema and his former teammate Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson (born May 28, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player and manager. He is currently a color commentator for the Detroit Tigers on Bally Sports Detroit and a special assistant for the Tigers. As a player, Gibson ...
married sisters, JoAnn and Sandy Sklarski in a double ceremony at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Grosse Pointe Farms is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,479 at the 2010 census.
As part of the Grosse Pointe collection of cities, it is a northeastern city of Metro Detroit and shares a small wester ...
.
In 2003, Crain's Detroit Business reported that Rozema was working as a salesman for Disposal Management LLC of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Bloomfield Hills is a small city (5.04 sq. miles) in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is approximately northwest of Downtown Detroit. Except a small southern border with the city of Bir ...
, selling the company's services to waste generators in the Detroit area.
References
External links
, o
SABR Biography Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rozema, Dave
1956 births
Living people
American people of Dutch descent
Baseball players from Grand Rapids, Michigan
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Clinton Pilots players
Detroit Tigers players
London Majors players
Maine Guides players
Major League Baseball pitchers
St. Petersburg Pelicans players
Texas Rangers players
Grand Rapids Community College alumni