Tom Matchick

McLain recorded his 27th win of the season in the game.

At the time, the UPI referred to Matchick as the Tigers' most unlikely hero since Floyd Giebell (who pitched the pennant-clinching game for the 1940 Tigers in just his third major league start), and wrote that Tommy's walk-off home run "looms as the biggest blow so far in the 1968 pennant races and could be the blow the Tigers look back on as the one that put them 'home free'."

John Thomas Matchick (September 7, 1943 – January 4, 2022) was an American professional baseball infielder who played six seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB).

Matchick was born on September 7, 1943, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

His father, John Wesley Matchick, was a crane operator for Bethlehem Steel Corporation.

He attended Hazleton-Freeland High School where he played football.

Matchick did not play baseball in high school but was discovered playing Junior American Legion baseball.

In 1962, Matchick was signed by scout Ollie Vanek to a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals and received a $17,000 signing bonus.

He began his professional career with the Brunswick Cardinals in Brunswick, Georgia.

He appeared in 71 games for Brunswick and compiled a .311 batting average and a .372 on-base percentage.

He finished the 1962 season with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the Northern League.

In November 1962, Matchick was drafted by the Detroit Tigers from the Cardinals in the 1962 first-year draft.

He spent five years in the Tigers' farm system before making his debut with the Tigers.

In the spring of 1963, his first with the Tigers organization, Matchick was assigned to the Lakeland Tigers where he was described as a "flashy fielder" who had good range and a powerful throwing arm.

Matchick next played for the Knoxville Smokies in 1963 and 1964.

By the end of the 1964 season, Matchick had been promoted to the Syracuse Chiefs, the Tigers' Triple-A team in the International League.

He spent the 1965 and 1966 seasons in Syracuse, appearing in 277 games and accumulating 41 doubles, 10 triples, 19 home runs, and 115 RBIs.

The play was the Tigers' first triple play since 1965.

He played for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles from 1967 to 1972.

He compiled a .215 batting average with four home runs and 64 runs batted in 292 major league games.

He was also named the top all-star in the International League on four occasions.

Prior to the 1967 season, the Tigers swapped Triple-A farm teams with the New York Yankees, resulting in Matchick's move to the Toledo Mud Hens.

During the 1967 season, Matchick appeared in 120 games for the Mud Hens, compiling a .289 batting average and a .329 on-base percentage with 38 extra base hits, 11 home runs, and 55 RBIs.

Matchick was a Triple A all-star and won a Rawlings Silver Glove Award (the minor league equivalent to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award) for his fielding during the 1967 season.

Matchick was called up by the Tigers late in the 1967 season.

He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Tigers on September 2, 1967.

He appeared in eight games at the end of the 1967 season, tallying one hit and one run in six at bats.

Matchick appeared in 80 games for the Detroit Tigers team that won the World Series in 1968.

The UPI wrote in July 1968 that his two-run walk-off home run against the Baltimore Orioles "looms as the biggest blow so far in the 1968 pennant races" and called him the Tigers' most unlikely hero since Floyd Giebell in 1940.

In 1968, Matchick appeared in 80 games for the Detroit Tigers team that won the 1968 World Series.

While Matchick hit only four home runs in his entire major league career, three of them were hit in 1968.

He compiled a .203 batting average with 14 RBIs in 227 at bats.

On July 19, 1968, Matchick hit a walk-off home run against the Baltimore Orioles to give the Tigers a 5–4 victory.

The home run came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, a full count, Bill Freehan on first base, Moe Drabowsky pitching, and the Tigers trailing, 4–3.

Matchick was greeted at home plate by the entire Tigers team as a capacity crowd of 53,208 "roared its approval."

Matchick also participated in a triple play for the Tigers on September 1, 1968.

Detroit pitcher Denny McLain caught a line drive off the bat of Baltimore slugger Boog Powell, threw to Matchick who forced out Curt Blefary at second, and Matchick completed the play by throwing to Norm Cash who forced out Frank Robinson at first base.

During the 1969 MLB season, Matchick played at all four infield positions for the Tigers, appearing in 94 games, and compiling a .242 batting average with 32 RBIs.

In 16 pinch hit appearances in 1969, he had eight hits for a .500 batting average as a pinch hitter.

In December 1969, the Tigers traded Matchick to the Boston Red Sox for infielder Dalton Jones.