 In , he served as manager of the class-D Gastonia Cardinals of the Tar Heel League, guiding them to the league championship.In , Unser joined the Tigers' farm system, spending that season with the Beaumont Exporters of the Texas League.He spent most of the season as a player-manager with the Winston-Salem Twins of the Piedmont League, and at the end of the season he joined the major league club.