Tom Brookens played in the Majors for 12 years, but the mark that his mustache left on professional baseball will last a lifetime.
Brookens’ mustache was thick and dark. It hooked around his mouth, teasing into the beginnings of a Fu Manchu, but then stopped there before things got too crazy.
The mustache wasn’t a showman, but was a show in itself without having to work too hard, kind of like Brookens himself. He played the majority of his games at third base, but also spent a decent amount of time at second and short, and even caught five innings once.
Now a First Base Coach for the Tigers, Brookens still has the mustache. Although the colour is now a shade of grey, the spirit remains.