Rod Poissant felt anxious going into his second pro season in 1984, pressure to live up to his status from the previous year as the Tigers' second round pick, he told The Bristol Herald Courier.
He knew he needed to get healthy after an injury, and then show why the Tigers selected him so high out of high school, The Herald Courier wrote.
"I know that being a second round pick I'm going to be around regardless of how I pitch," Poissant told The Herald Courier then. "But, I just want to show Detroit that they didn't blow their money when they signed me."
The Tigers ultimately stuck with Poissant over five seasons. Poissant topped out at AA. He then extended his career over three more seasons with the Mariners. He didn't make it higher.
Poissant's career began in 1983, taken by the Tigers in the second round out of Irvine High School in California.
Poissant started with the Tigers at rookie Bristol. He went 1-7, with a 6.04 ERA over 11 outings, nine starts. He then returned to Bristol for 1984. He went 4-4, with a 5.76 ERA in 11 outings, 10 starts.
He made single-A Lakeland for 1985, then saw AA Glens Falls for five outings in 1986. He returned to Glens Falls for all of 1987 and went 4-5 over 30 outings, 10 starts, with a 6.17 ERA.
In one May 1987 outing, Poissant went three relief innings for a save during a rough stretch for himself and his fellow relievers, The Glens Falls Post-Star wrote.
"I needed it," Poissant told The Post-Star. "I was happy to get those three innings in and finish up strong in the ninth."
The next spring, the Tigers released him. He later signed with the Mariners and saw 14 relief outings with single-A San Bernardino and in the rookie Arizona League, but an arm injury led to Tommy John surgery, The San Bernardino County Sun wrote. He then returned to the field by August 1989.
"I was happy and nervous and had a grin on my face that I couldn't wipe off," Poissant told The Sun of his first outing back. "It probably didn't look good to the other team because we were beating them."
Poissant saw just four outings that year. He then returned for 26 more at high-A Peninsula in 1990. He went 1-2, with a 1.47 ERA and even made the league all-star team. But he injured his arm at the mid-season contest. That season marked the end of his career.
- Bristol Herald Courier, July 17, 1984: Rod Poissant
- Glens Falls Post-Star, May 21, 1987: Tigers' hot bats down Yankees, 6-1
- San Bernardino County Sun, Aug. 9, 1989: Poissant ahead of Schedule in comeback from surgery
Made the Majors:1,378-32.8%
Never Made Majors:2,820-67.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:560
10+ Seasons in the Minors:344
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