Jack Tighe enjoyed a lengthy baseball career as a player, coach, scout and successful manager at all minor league levels, plus a brief stint in the majors as pilot of the Detroit Tigers in the late 1950s. His long association with baseball spanned 46 years – from 1936 to his retirement in 1982.
Tighe was a promising catching prospect in the Detroit organization in the late 1930s. But Tiger management also recognized his leadership potential and assigned him to be catcher/manager of their class C Muskegon Reds of the newly formed Michigan State League in 1940. Tighe proved to be a crafty, aggressive manager admired by his players and by Muskegon fans alike. His young Reds of 1940-41 failed to win pennants but were an exciting and talented club. Several of his players went on to major league careers, notably Johnny Lipon and Stubby Overmire. During his tour as Reds’ manager, Jack met and married a local girl, Beverly Yeager, and the couple decided to make Spring Lake their permanent home.
World War II put the Michigan State League out of business, but the parent Tigers retained Tighe as a bullpen catcher and coach. He resumed his managerial career with the Cleveland organization, managing their Batavia, NY club from 1944-47. He returned to the Detroit system in 1948 to manage the Flint Arrows, a member of the newly formed Class A Central League. After two winning seasons in Flint, he moved on to Williamsport, PA, Toledo, and Buffalo, the latter being Detroit’s Top AAA farm club. He became the Tigers’ minor league field director in 1954 and then joined the Detroit coaching staff under Bucky Harris. For 1957, Jack was appointed Tigers’ manager to replace Harris. He led the Bengals to a somewhat disappointing 78-76 record, and the following year, after another dismal start, he was replaced by Bill Norman.
Tighe remained active as a scout with several clubs, including Detroit. He resumed his managing career in 1967 and led the AAA Toledo Mud Hens to a championship in 1968, he was honored by The Sporting News as minor league manager of the year for his efforts. He retired from baseball in 1982 and relocated to Florida.