Mikie Mahtook story from Detroit Free Press

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LAKELAND, Fla. – Mikie Mahtook slid his wood bat above his locker in the Detroit Tigers clubhouse, into a small slot, barrel first, as if he were tucking away a family secret. On the face of the barrel, near the end, the bat is engraved with the model number "54," the same number he scribbles on his cleats. It is a treasured number for his entire family, something that appears almost daily, out of nowhere. It's a sight that prompts his twin sisters to proclaim: “Today is going to be a good day!” That number reveals everything about Mahtook. It's pride and inspiration, and a way to carry his father, Michael, with him at all times. “It was my father’s football number,” said Mahtook, who is competing with JaCoby Jones and Tyler Collins to be the Tigers starting centerfielder, the only real position battle on this team. “I want to make him proud.”

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