A young Wayne Gretzky wanted nothing more than to play shortstop for the Tigers

Wayne Gretzky is by most accounts the greatest hockey player in history. He's even got the nickname to prove it. But as a kid in Canada, Gretzky didn't dream of rewriting the NHL record books: He wanted to play shortstop for the Detroit Tigers.

The Great One sat down with the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, where he was asked about the other sports he played growing up. His answer was a bit surprising: "My favorite sport, believe it or not, was baseball."

Gretzky didn't stop there, though. Asked whether, talent notwithstanding, he would've chosen to be a baseball player or a hockey player, he didn't hesitate:

I would've taken baseball all day long. I would've loved to have been the shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. I grew up such a big Tiger fan, Ernie Harwell and listening to Tiger games.

Of course, with four Stanley Cup titles and the NHL's all-time scoring record under his belt, Gretzky probably doesn't have too many regrets. Still, the Tigers want him to know that they're available: