Herbie Redmond

Who was Herbie Redmond?

Herbie Redmond, known variously as "Herbie the Hoofer," "Short Dog," and "Herbie the Love Bug," was the Detroit Tigers' dancing groundskeeper who was one of the most colorful and popular characters in Detroit baseball in the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Redmond served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and worked as a forklift operator for Ford Motor Company before joining the Tiger Stadium grounds crew in 1969.

Redmond entertained the crowd with a trademark jig he danced while sweeping the infield during the fifth inning of nearly every Detroit Tigers' home game from 1969-1989. While he and the grounds crew dragged brooms across the infield to smooth the dirt, Redmond would break into a soft shoe routine, shaking his hips, and then wave his cap to the cheering crowd as he exited. The routine was variously known as the "broom dance," "The Herbie Redmond Show," or the "Herbie Shuffle." In a 1986 interview with the Detroit Free Press, Redmond described the "Herbie Shuffle" this way: "First you strut to third ... they you wave your cap ... next you shake those hips ... and jump for joy ... then kiss that cap ... and salute the team."