On Halloween 1979, the Detroit Tigers traded for baseball's most unusual gravedigger

Halloween and baseball don't necessarily go together, but on Oct. 31, 1979, the Detroit Tigers made a trade that couldn't have been more appropriate for the holiday. Detroit acquired veteran infielder Richie Hebner from the New York Mets in exchange for Phil Mankowski and Jerry Morales, bringing aboard a player whose off-season occupation was considerably different from that of his major league teammates.

Hebner was a professional baseball player during the spring and summer, but he also worked as a gravedigger during the offseason.

The Massachusetts native had spent years working at a cemetery, digging graves during the winter months when he wasn't playing baseball. It was an unusual occupation for a major league player, particularly one who had already established himself as a productive hitter with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies.

Hebner's background became part of his identity throughout his playing career, and the Tigers acquiring him on Halloween made the transaction an especially unusual footnote in franchise history.

By the time Detroit acquired Hebner, he was an established veteran with 11 full major league seasons behind him. He had made his debut with Pittsburgh in 1968 and helped the Pirates win the 1971 World Series. During the early 1970s, Hebner developed into a productive offensive player, combining a solid batting average with respectable power.

His best power season came in 1973, when he hit 25 home runs and drove in 74 runs for Pittsburgh. He also hit .300 in 1972, demonstrating the offensive consistency that helped him remain a regular in the National League for more than a decade.

After spending two seasons with Philadelphia, Hebner joined the Mets in 1979. He hit .268 with 10 home runs, 79 RBIs and a .747 OPS in 136 games before the Tigers acquired him that Halloween.Detroit was entering an important period in its organizational development.

Sparky Anderson had taken over as manager during the 1979 season, and the Tigers were beginning to assemble the roster that would eventually develop into a championship contender. Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker were already established in the middle infield, while Lance Parrish, Kirk Gibson and several other young players were beginning to emerge.

Hebner offered the organization an experienced left-handed hitter who could handle multiple corner-infield positions and provide additional run production. His first season with Detroit proved to be his most productive.

In 1980, Hebner appeared in 104 games and hit .290 with 12 home runs, 82 RBIs and an .826 OPS. His RBI total was a career high, and his production was particularly impressive considering he accumulated only 388 plate appearances.

Hebner also recorded seven triples that season, an unusual number for a corner infielder who was better known for his hitting ability than his speed.

His season was interrupted by a foot injury that limited his availability during September. Without the injury, he might have approached 100 RBIs, particularly given how frequently he had driven in runs before getting hurt. Unfortunately, Hebner couldn't duplicate that success the following year.

He hit .226 with five home runs and 28 RBIs in 78 games during the strike-shortened 1981 season, struggling to regain the offensive consistency he had demonstrated throughout much of his career.

He returned to Detroit in 1982 but eventually found himself back with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the organization where his professional career had begun.

Hebner later finished his playing career with the Chicago Cubs in 1985, retiring with 203 home runs, 890 RBIs and a .276 batting average across 1,908 major league games.

His career included a World Series championship with Pittsburgh, several postseason appearances and more than 15 years in the majors. Yet for many longtime baseball fans, his unusual offseason employment remains one of the first things associated with his name.

The Tigers have made countless offseason transactions throughout their history, including several that eventually helped shape their championship clubs. The acquisition of Hebner wasn't necessarily among the most consequential, but it certainly ranks among the most unusual.

Forty-seven years ago, Detroit acquired a veteran left-handed hitter who would provide immediate offensive production during his first season with the club.

The fact that the Tigers happened to trade for baseball's famous gravedigger on Halloween makes the story even better.