I’m calling my shot.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce you to Joe Miller, who I predict will one day be the Detroit Tigers‘ president and general manager. If my crystal ball is right — and it’s never wrong, except for game predictions and season predictions and other assorted matters — Miller will take over the Tigers in, oh, let’s say … 2042. That should give him enough time to finish his baseball career and prepare.
The Tigers drafted Miller in the 11th round out of the University of Pennsylvania — one of the most prestigious universities in the world. He attended the Wharton School of Business — arguably the best business school in the world. So clearly, he’s smart as heck. And he starred in the Ivy League.
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Basically, he’s a brainiac with a nasty slider.
What does he want to do after baseball?
“The front office,” he said.
Bingo.
You’re hired.
On the layaway plan.
This kid is Bananas
First, though, Miller has a baseball dream that he’s chasing.
“We’ve known about him for a long time,” said Scott Pleis, the Tigers’ director of amateur scouting. “Fastball up to 93, slider, curveball.”
That slider is the key. A 22-year-old lefty, Miller had a 3.63 ERA with 36 walks and 91 strikeouts over 74⅓ innings (in 13 games) in 2022 at Penn. In his career, he struck out 26.6% of all batters he faced, becoming the 17th Quaker drafted since 1991.
“I think the two biggest things for me of why I have been successful lately have been my off-speed, especially my slider,” he said. “Over the summer season and over the college season this year, that was my thing — just kind of throwing a lot of off-speed, spinning the ball well, and just making that kind of play off my fastball.”
Miller had an interesting career. He was lightly recruited out of high school and went to Penn. “I grew up 45 minutes from Penn, so I’m not too far, and it just kind of made sense,” he said. “I had pretty good grades in high school, and it was a really good program. I was able to get into business school, so that’s kind of how I ended up there.”
As a freshman, he pitched in 13 games, recording 41 strikeouts in 34 innings with 26 walks.
Then, COVID-19. The Ivy League canceled the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Penn played 14 nonconference games in 2021 and Miller got four starts, but everything about that season was messed up. They couldn’t even practice with a full team.
“I’ve pretty much gone two years without throwing any competitive innings,” he said.
So he went to Plan B.
As in Bananas.
Partying (and pitching) in Savannah
In 2021, Miller’s game went to the next level while pitching for the Savannah Bananas — the most interesting, entertaining team in baseball.
This is how a USA TODAY Network story recently described the Bananas:
“Attending your first Bananas game is like seeing Times Square for the first time. You don’t know where to look, and you’re sure to miss something. Players dance and participate in promotions before, during and after the game. The Bananas have a pep band, their cheerleaders are either women over 65 — the Banana-Nanas — or a heavyset guy who is in worse shape than the “Dad Bod” printed on his shirt suggests.
“Part of the pre-game entertainment includes players leading the sold-out crowd — all games are sold out — in singing “Hey Baby.” Like the girl in the song, everyone wants to give the Bananas a whirl these days, or to be whirled by the Bananas.”
“Today, the Bananas have 2.8 million followers on TikTok, more than any Major League Baseball team, 594,000 on Instagram and 96,000 on Twitter. They’ve been featured on several national television networks, and owner Jesse Cole, who always wears a yellow tuxedo in public, is in high demand for podcasts and as a speaker.”
So basically, it’s about as different from Ivy baseball as you can get.
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“I think going from anywhere to pitching for the Bananas is different,” Miller said with a laugh. “My time in Savannah was awesome. I really enjoyed it and it was a ton of fun. Savannah is super fun. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I had a great time, and I think it was a it was a big part in getting me to where I am now.”
The Bananas are known for hilarious TikTok videos and zany stunts.
“I wouldn’t ever have to do too much dancing or anything on the days that I pitched,” Miller said. “I’m pitching in front of 4,000 or 5,000 people. There’s music playing between pitches, people are singing, it’s super loud. So I think it makes it fun and enjoyable. I enjoyed pitching in that environment, just because it made me appreciate the game and appreciate being there. I think that helped me have a little more success as well.”
“What was the craziest promotion you were part of?” he was asked.
“There’s definitely one that sticks out,” he said. “I had to do one where we went — there’s a TikTok that’s like everywhere, I get sent in all the time, people making fun of me. But there was an old lady came and danced or whatever and I was sitting on a chair on the first base line. She had a sash on and was dancing. It wasn’t too PG, honestly.”
Hmm. Moving right along, then.
Miller became the best pitcher in the Coastal Plain League in 2021 — that was his baseball education.
At the same time, he learned the importance of creativity and how to manage people from the Bananas’ owner, Jesse Cole — his GM-in-training education.
“Jesse Cole is the man,” Miller said. “… he’s a genius in how he runs it.”
This will be important for Miller in the long term — to understand how to draw in fans and manage people.
When he’s running the Tigers.
“I would definitely really be interested in working in baseball if that’s possibility when I’m done,” Miller said. “But my focus is on on baseball now.”
Yeah, sure.
Keep playing ball.
But there’s a big job waiting for you.
In about 20 years or so.
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Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.