Detroit Tigers' Dillon Dingler loses bragging rights to lifelong buddy

Cincinnati — There was no head nod or hat-tip, no smile or grin. There was no acknowledgment whatsoever when Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler stepped into the batters’ box in the fifth inning Friday against Reds reliever Kyle Nicolas.

“We’ve never done that,” Dingler said.

It was like they were complete strangers.

Dillon Dingler

Truth is, Dingler and Nicolas grew up together in Massillon, Ohio. They won championships together at Jackson High School.

“He’s been my best friend forever,” Dingler said. “We played basketball together since we were eight. We were on different teams in baseball until we were like 12.”

Dingler was Nicolas’ catcher in high school and they were a formidable battery.

“He was really good,” Dingler said. “He was one of those kids, he committed early to Ball State. I was taller than him my entire life and then he grew like four or five inches between freshman and junior year. In our senior year he topped out at 94 mph.”

They went their separate ways after high school. Nicolas went to Ball State, Dingler to Ohio State. Both ended up being drafted in the second round in 2020 — Nicolas by the Marlins, Dingler by the Tigers.

Nicolas was traded twice, to the Pirates before the 2022 season and to the Reds before this season. He debuted with the Pirates in 2023 and toggled between Triple-A Indianapolis and Pittsburgh for three seasons.

Dingler faced him a couple of times at the Double-A level.

But on Friday night, finally, they squared off in the big leagues.

“So cool,” Dingler said.

They went at it, too, like you’d expect brothers to. It was a nine-pitch at-bat. Dingler fouled off three-straight 3-2 pitches, including a wheelhouse four-seamer (though it was 97 mph). Nicolas followed that with a sinker that was down and out of the zone.