10/21/2006

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump
"They will not get far from my eyesight," said Sam Flamont on the World Series tickets he bought to see the Detroit Tigers, a team who's farm system he played in in 2002 and 2003.

Flamont cheers for his ex-teammates

BY JEFF PEEK

jpeek@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Sam Flamont used to dream of playing for the Detroit Tigers in the World Series, and he came closer to realizing that dream than most.

Flamont, 26, played two seasons in the Tigers farm system and another two seasons in independent league baseball before retiring in 2005.

So while Flamont will be a lot like other fans at Comerica Park tonight, cheering on his favorite team in Game 1 of the World Series, he'll also be watching with a different perspective.

Some of his former teammates will be in uniform.

"Joel Zumaya, Curtis Granderson, Jeremy Bonderman, Brent Clevlen — I played with those guys at Lakeland," Flamont said, referring to the Tigers' rookie ball and Class A teams in Florida. "Curtis was my neighbor at Tigertown. I hung out with those guys a lot.

"It'll be fun for me to go down there before the game and give them a shout," Flamont said. "I kept in touch with a couple of them for awhile, but we haven't talked in about a year and half.

"I can't wait to see them."

Flamont scored tickets through the Tigers' Website, which sold 10,000 seats in 30 minutes on Monday morning. He'll be sitting in left field near the Tigers' bullpen and will be joined by his father, Mike, and his former Kalamazoo Kings teammate Tim Frankhouse.

Flamont and Frankhouse are co-owners of the Premiere Indoor Baseball/Softball facility on Garfield Avenue.

Flamont, who starred for TC Central and Western Michigan University, played behind Bonderman in the first game the right-hander pitched for Lakeland after being acquired in a trade with Oakland.

"He got shelled," Flamont said. "He was throwing 95, 96 (mph) warming up, and we were thinking, 'Wow, this guy can pitch.' Then it was home run, home run, double... He gave up six runs in three innings.

"We were like, 'This guy was a No. 1 pick?' "

It wasn't long before Bonderman erased those initial worries.

"That trade turned out pretty good," Flamont said.

Flamont said he had a feeling the Tigers would have a break-through season this year. He even made friendly bet with two members of his gym that the Tigers would win 95 games, which they did.

"True story," Flamont said. "Believe it or not."

Flamont said he has no regrets that he's on the other side of the fence these days.

"People have asked me, don't you feel bad you didn't keep playing?" Flamont said, assuming that others believe he's feeling a little jealous these days. "I tell them, 'No, I'm just so proud of these guys. They're great guys. I'm happy for them.' "