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Tigers’ Andrew Romine will play all nine positions this weekend

Who said there was nothing left to look forward to?

MLB: Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Update: September 29 - With weather threatening a likely rain-out on Sunday, the ambitious feat will now likely take place during Saturday’s game.

This Sunday Saturday, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Andrew Romine will join a fine company of men in accomplishing a very rare and interesting feat against the Minnesota Twins.

The Tigers’ super-utility player is going to play every single position in one game. During Romine’s tenure with Tigers he has played almost every position at some point — with the exception of catching — but never all nine positions in the same game.

In fact, he will be only the fifth player to be able to claim this achievement:

  • Bert Campaneris (Sept 8, 1965) - Kansas City Athletics
  • Cesar Tovar (Sept 22, 1968) - Minnesota Twins
  • Scott Sheldon (Sept 6, 2000) - Texas Rangers
  • Shane Halter (Oct 1, 2000) - Detroit Tigers

Technically, actor Will Ferrell has also accomplished the feat, by playing each position in a single day for ten teams over the 2015 spring training season in Arizona. Likewise Buster Posey did it while at Florida State in 2008, and A’s prospect Melvin Mercedes did it with the Single-A Stockton Ports in 2016 as part of a promotion.

The last active MLB player to achieve it was another Tigers’ player, Shane Halter, and Halter made the most of it. It was the final game of the season, and he collected four hits, three RBIs, and the game-winning walk-off run.

Romine’s turn has come, fifteen years later. The idea has been rumored for the latter half of the season, and it’s giving Tigers fans something exciting to rally around for the final game of the year. Romine has long been a popular utility player for fans, much like Don Kelly who came before him, and to be able to see him achieve a cool career milestone like this will make for some incredible baseball for the last game the season.

2017 has been an emotional roller coaster for fans, so it will be nice to see the season go out on a high note.