he hit .282 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs in 36 games. Detroit's first baseman Nate Colbert struggled early in the 1975 season, and Pierce was called up at the end of May. Pierce said at the time: "I think I'm as good a first baseman as most anyone. But I've never had a chance to prove it." On June 15, 1975, the Tigers sold Colbert to the Montreal Expos, and Pierce became the team's starting first baseman. He appeared in 53 games for the 1975 Tigers, 47 of them as the Tigers' starting first baseman. In his short time with the Tigers, he committed 13 errors at first base, ranking third among American League first basemen for the entire 1975 season. At the plate, he hit .235 with eight home runs in 170 at bats. In early August 1975, Pierce lost the job as Detroit's starting first baseman to Danny Meyer. Pierce appeared in his last major league game on September 12. In late September, Pierce acknowledge that his fielding had been subpar: "I know I made some mistakes in the field . . . Dumb mistakes . . . mistakes that I never made before in my life. I messed up -- I know that." Minor leagues, Mexico and Japan Pierce returned to Mexico, where he homered 36 times, winning the first of three homer crowns. He hit .331/~.410/.599 for Puebla in 1976 and also topped the Liga with 109 RBI. The next season, Pierce once again found himself in another country, this time Japan, where he signed with the Nankai Hawks for the 1977 season. He hit .227/.302/.399 with 13 homers in 291 at-bats. Right before opening day the next year, the Hawks let Pierce go. Pierce returned to America in 1978, signing a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. In 1978, he played for the San Jose Missions, and in 1979 for the Spokane Indians, both Triple-A farm clubs of the Mariners, without getting to the majors. Pierce returned to his old haunts in Mexico, but struggled in his third trip to the Liga, hitting just .198 in 32 games. Jack returned to form somewhat in 1980; while his average was low and he slugged under .500, he did hit a league-best 17 homers in the strike-shortened season, taking his second home run crown. In 1984 the Mexican League began using the lively Commando