WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
BY MICHAEL SPATH
J
eff Kunkel found himself at a
crossroads. In six seasons in the
minor leagues, he had hit just .224.
While he still believed he could rise
through the ranks to earn a spot with a
Major League Baseball team someday,
Kunkel also realized a tremendous
opportunity when it was presented
to him — a chance to work for the
Detroit Tigers in beginning his pursuit
to enter the managerial field.
Best of all, Kunkel would spend the
next few seasons doing what he loved
— catching.
In 2012, Kunkel accepted a job to
become Detroit's bullpen catcher, a
role he currently occupies and one
that has grown considerably.
"To see things at the major league
level on a daily basis from how the
game is coached and played, and then
everything that goes on behind the
scenes … experiencing all of this for
two seasons with a coach like Jim Ley-
land and his staff, and with this year's
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Former Baseball Standout Jeff Kunkel
Has Caught On With The Detroit Tigers
Kunkel batted .335 with 28 RBI and nurtured a young pitching staff as a senior in 2006, help-
ing lead the Wolverines to their first Big Ten championship in a decade.
PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS