Oklahoma State University Athletics
Mickey "Froot Loops" Tettleton
December 01, 2014 | Cowboy Baseball
Note: A version of this story originally ran in Vol. 7, No. 2 of POSSE Magazine in December 2013.
If you were to look only at career stats from over a century of Oklahoma State baseball, you might not predict that Mickey Tettleton would be one of the most successful professional players spawned by one of college baseball's most storied programs.
But that's exactly what happened for the boy from Oklahoma City who was named after one of the greatest New York Yankees of them all.
Tettleton was a three-year letterwinner for coach Gary Ward's Cowboys from 1979-81, where he compiled a career .269 batting average to go along with 15 home runs, 90 RBIs and 20 doubles. Statistically, his best season in Stillwater came as a sophomore, when he hit .320 with five homers and 39 RBIs in 51 games.
His name won't be found among OSU's long list of All-Americans or all-conference performers. His most impressive individual accolade: being named to the 1981 College World Series All-Tournament Team.
But following his three seasons in Stillwater, Tettleton embarked on what became one of the biggest success stories of any OSU baseball alumnus.
"I was not a standout collegiate player by any means -- my career really blossomed after I left (OSU)," Tettleton said. "I don't know whether it was age and growing up or what, but my career didn't really take off until I got to probably Double A, which was three years after college. From there, things just started to click."
Did they ever. Tettleton played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball, the second most of any OSU player, and his 1,485 games in the big leagues trails only Robin Ventura and Jeromy Burnitz among former Cowboys.
But let's go back to Stillwater, where Tettleton joined a program in its second year under Ward in 1979.
"(Ward) taught us not only about baseball but life lessons as well," Tettleton said. "I don't think I appreciated how good of a coach he was at the time, but looking back on it now, your really appreciate what he was all about and what he meant to Oklahoma State.
"I still look back on it as one of the most fun times I've ever had. The winning tradition that we had was great to be a part of and getting to Omaha and playing in the national final was a thrill."
A right fielder for the Cowboys, Tettleton was on the first of Ward's 10 College World Series teams in 1981, a team that lost in the NCAA title game to Arizona State.
"Playing on TV for the first time was quite a thrill -- that was when ESPN first started airing games," said Tettleton, who was 1-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored in OSU's 7-4 loss. "Being able to experience the atmosphere and the crowd was just a huge thrill.
"I still watch bits and pieces of (the CWS) when I have a chance. It's getting bigger every year and what they've done up there has been amazing. Hopefully one of these days in the no-too-distant future, Josh (Holliday) and his staff will get the guys back up there."
Following the experience in Omaha, Tettleton joined the professional ranks after being selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics in June.
That's when Tettleton's baseball journey took a significant detour. After playing in the outfield for most of his life, the A's moved Tettleton behind the plate as a catcher.
"It was obviously a lot of hard work but looking back on it, it was the best thing to ever happen to me," Tettleton said.
The move certainly paid off as three years later, on June 30, 1984, Tettleton made his Major League Baseball debut with Oakland.
Tettleton spent four seasons with the A's, and much like his OSU career, he didn't produce eye-catching numbers.
But in 1988, he signed with Baltimore, and one year later, his career took yet another detour -- this time one that skyrocketed him upwards.
As the Orioles' every day catcher in 1989, Tettleton hit .258 with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs and was named to the American League All-Star Team. He also earned the Silver Slugger Award as the AL's top hitting catcher.
"It was wonderful -- great pride -- then I agreed to be in the home run hitting contest, and I was a nervous wreck," said Tettleton of being selected as an All-Star. "But it's just something special to be out on the field there with your peers, and you look around and see the greatest players in the game and you're kind of wondering where you fit in. It's such an awesome feeling to be a part of the All-Star Team."
Tettleton, who recalls hitting two balls over the wall in that home run derby (players only got five swings in the event), said that 1989 season relaunched his career. It also launched a nickname that sticks with him to this day.
"I was eating Froot Loops every day at the time and having some success, and like a lot of baseball players I was very superstitious," Tettleton said. "It was one of those things that if it's not broke, don't fix it.
"I started getting Froot Loops boxes in the mail to sign, and I'd sign them and send them back. That went on for quite a while, and people still remind me of it today."
The man they called "Froot Loops" spent three years with the Orioles before making his next stop in Detroit.
He continued his productive ways with the Tigers, averaging 28 homers and 83 RBIs in four seasons. He won the Silver Slugger Award in 1991 and 1992 -- he's one of only 10 catchers to win the award multiple times -- and was named an All- Star for the second time in 1994.
Along with his production, Tettleton was well recognized for his unique batting stance in which he abandoned crouching in favor of standing soldier-straight with his bat horizontal and waist-high.
"It just kind of evolved over time, and I'm not sure how it did," said Tettleton of his trademark stance. "It was comfortable to me. It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you are at the point of contact. Everyone is unique in their own starting position, but you're all basically in the same position when you go to hit."
That stance continued to produce in the big leagues until 1997, when Tettleton retired as a member of the Texas Rangers at the age of 36.
In nearly 1,500 career games, Tettleton recorded a .241 batting average while racking up 245 home runs, 732 RBIs, 210 doubles and a .449 slugging percentage.
"Every day in the big leagues was a dream come true," Tettleton said. "It took a lot of hard work, and that's the thing that I'm most proud of -- not the numbers of home runs or All-Star games or anything like that, but just the length of time I spent in the big leagues. It's hard to do."
Life is a little easier for Tettleton these days, but no less busy. He and his wife, Shannon, reside in Norman, Okla., and have four children -- Tyler, Jessica, Shannee and Tate.
Tettleton's game of choice now takes him to the links, where he enjoys playing with fellow OSU alumni Bob Tway, Willie Wood and Scott Verplank at Oak Tree National Golf Club in Edmond, Okla. He's played in numerous celebrity events over the years and in 2008 won the San Diego Classic.
"Golf is something that I've always enjoyed," Tettleton said. "I love being outside, and it's just a challenge every day. One of the things I enjoy about it is that it's different every day."
Tettleton, who was selected as an inaugural member of the Cowboy Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, hasn't abandoned his baseball roots, however, as he gives hitting lessons in Oklahoma City several nights a week.
"I really enjoy working with kids and watching them develop and hopefully getting them on their path to Major League Baseball," Tettleton said.
Cowboy baseball maintains a spot in his heart as well, and he finds time to attend OSU practices and games whenever possible.
"I talk to Josh (Holliday) and Rob (Walton) and Marty (Lees) a little bit, and I'm thoroughly impressed with the way they do about their business," Tettleton said.
