Making An Impact in Detroit
DeWitt then served as assistant general manager of the New York Yankees from 1954–1958 and as president and general manager of the Detroit Tigers in 1959–1960. As Tigers' GM, DeWitt participated in three significant trades with swap-happy Cleveland Indians GM Frank Lane during the 1960 season.
- On April 12, he swung one of the most successful deals in Tiger history, obtaining future star first baseman Norm Cash for little-used infielder Steve Demeter. Cash would win the 1961 AL batting title and play 15 years in Detroit.
- Then, five days later on April 17, DeWitt traded reigning AL batting champion Harvey Kuenn (who hit .353 in 1959) to the Indians for '59 AL home run king (with 42 homers) Rocky Colavito. Colavito played four seasons in Detroit, and continued to hit home runs, smashing 139 round-trippers (an average of almost 35 home runs per season). Kuenn, meanwhile, spent only one year in Cleveland and never again hit above .308.
- Finally, on August 3, DeWitt and Lane completed the only trade of managers in MLB annals, when the Tigers' Jimmy Dykes was dealt for Cleveland's Joe Gordon. But Gordon only lasted the final weeks of the 1960 campaign, going 26-31 with the Tigers before his resignation.
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