Category: 1984 Game Log

April 14, 1984: Off Day in Boston

April 14, 1984 — Off Day in Boston

Rained out. It was a scheduled off day in Boston, odd for a Saturday, but it was there in case of a Fenway Park rainout on the Red Sox’s Opening Day.

But, the next two games were washed out and added to a brutal August return to Boston.

The Tigers won’t play again until April 18. The final two games in Boston were washed out, and the first game of the next series, against the Royals in Detroit, was postponed.

On WJR: Tigers vs. Rangers, April 22, 1978

Enjoy this classic broadcast of a young Jack Morris and a less-young Doyle Alexander. If you’re into spoilers, here’s the boxscore.

Birthdays

Brad Ausmus, Kyle Farnsworth, Gregg Zaun, Steve Avery and the late … wait for it … Ben Tincup

See you tomorrow.

April 13, 1984: Tigers 13 – Red Sox 9

Tigers 13 – Red Sox 9

W: Doug Bair (0-1) L: Bruce Hurst (1-2) | Boxscore

Highlights

Talk about the tale of two games. The Tigers ambushed Bruce Hurst for seven runs in an eight-run first. Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell walked, Barbaro Garbey reached on an error.

Lance Parrish struck out and then the next eight batters reached:

  • Rusty Kuntz: single (5-0), and that was it for Hurst.
  • Whitaker reached on an error by Jerry Remy, scoring Kuntz and Brookens. (8-0)
  • Trammell doubled.
  • Dave Bergman, pinch-hit for Garbey — how often does that happen in the first inning? — and walks.
  • Parrish grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
  • Milt Wilcox takes the mound with an 8-0 lead … and allows the first seven hitters to reach. He gets one more out than Hurst, but after yielding five runs, gives way to Doug Bair.
  • Boston scores again in the second, to make it 8-6, and the Tigers in the fourth, on a Parrish solo shot.
  • Instead, the Red Sox tag him with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
  • Mercifully, the ninth is scoreless, but not exactly clean, and Tigers hold on.
  • Record: 8-0

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 3:11
  • Attendance: 35,179

Birthdays

Doug Strange, Mark Leiter and the late Ike Brown, Jake Mooty, Roxie Lawson, Ken Jones, Rufe Clarke, Al Platte, Red Killefer, Kid Elberfeld, Herman Long

Have a great weekend. See you tomorrow.

April 12, 1984: Tigers 9 – Rangers 4

Tigers 9 – Rangers 4

W: Jack Morris (3-0) – L: Frank Tanana (0-1) | Boxscore

Highlights

  • Record: 7-0

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Tim McClelland, 3B – Marty Springstead
  • Time of Game: 2:48
  • Attendance: 19,154

Birthdays

Brennan Boesch and the late Woodie Fryman, Charley Lau, Bill Wight, Jack Wilson, Eric McNair and Lew Post

See you tomorrow.

April 11, 1984: Off Day in Detroit

April 11, 1984: Off Day in Detroit

Note: I had mistakenly posted today a game recap for April 12 — forgetting that the Tigers had an off day on April 11 for the usual Opening Day rainout makeup date. Check back tomorrow for that recap.

5 Things to Know About Sid Monge #42

The Tigers purchased his contract from the Padres on June 10, 1984.

He debuted with the Tigers on June 11 against the Blue Jays. He faced one batter, Willie Upshaw, who singled to center.

Monge’s longest outing with the Tigers came on Aug. 7 against the Red Sox, in the first game of a doubleheader. Boston chased Jack Morris after an inning and a third, surrendering nine runs. Sid came in for four and two thirds, allowing six hits and three earned runs.

His final appearance with the Tigers came on the last day of the season: a one-inning stint against the Yankees: one inning, two hits, two earned runs.

Sid wasn’t on the Tigers postseason roster. His final line: 19 appearances, 1-0 and a 4.25 ERA.

Birthdays

Pete Kozma, Charlie Furbush, Sean Bergman, John Martin, Sid Monge and Mike Kilkenny and the late Barney McCosky

See you tomorrow.

April 10, 1984: Tigers 5 – Rangers 1

Tigers 5 – Rangers 1

W: Dan Petry (2-0) L: Dave Stewart (0-2) | Boxscore

Highlights

The Rangers got off to a fast start in the first, greeting Petry with a couple of singles — one by Buddy Bell and, after a groundout, another by Larry Parrish — and jumping out to a 1-0 lead.

It didn’t last.

  • In the bottom half, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell walked, leading to Darrell Evans‘ first Tiger Stadium at bat. Evans blasted Dave Stewart‘s 1-0 pitch deep into the upper deck in right and, I think I can speak for most of us, we could hardly contain ourselves.
  • Petry threw a four-hit complete game, walking three and striking out seven.
  • With one out in the third, Herndon doubled and the next man up, Dave Bergman, drove him in for the Tigers’ final run.
  • Record: 6-0

*Somehow, Howard Johnson did not make it on my Top-5 Tigers list Honorable Mentions. I’m correcting that now. I was not happy when he was traded to the Mets after the ’84 season.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Jim McKean, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Tim McClelland
  • Time of Game: 2:32
  • Attendance: 51,238
  • Start Time Weather: 62° F, Sunny, No Precipitation

Birthdays

Eric King and the late Frank Lary, Cliff Bolton and Rudy Kneisch 

See you tomorrow.

April 9, 1984: An Off Day

April 9, 1984: An Off Day

After sweeps of the Twins and White Sox, the Tigers enjoy an off day before the home opener.

Nate Colbert #9

In the depths of the mid-1970s rebuild, the Tigers acquired 29-year-old first baseman Nate Colbert from Padres for Ed Brinkman, Dick Sharon and Bob Strampe.

In six seasons with the Padres, Colbert hit .253 with 163 homers, 481 RBI and a .800 OPS, so hopes were high.

He made his Tigers debut on April 10, 1975, a home opener loss to Jim Palmer and the Orioles, 10-0 — but he did get one of the Tigers’ three hits.

The next day, at Shea Stadium, he hit his first Tigers homer — a three-run shot — off Catfish Hunter, who was making his Yankees debut. The Tigers won, 5-3.

The next day, Colbert hit a grand slam off former Tiger Pat Dobson in a 7-2 Tigers win.

Twenty-four hours later, Colbert’s average dropped below .200 and never rose above it. Two homers and two months later, the Expos purchased his contract from the Tigers.

His final game with the Tigers was June 13, against the A’s. He went hitless in three at bats with a walk.

Colbert, who died Jan. 25, 2023, finished his brief time in Detroit with a .147 average, four homers, and 18 RBI.

Birthdays

Hal Morris, Mike Brumley and the late Nate Colbert, Guy Cantrell and Vic Sorrell 

See you tomorrow.

April 8, 1984: Tigers 7 – White Sox 3

Tigers 7 – White Sox 3

W: Aurelio López (1-0) – L: Tom Seaver (0-1) | Boxscore

Highlights

  • The Tigers chase Tom Seaver, tagging him for five runs on seven hits in four and a third.
  • Kirk Gibson hits his first homer of the year, off Seaver.
  • Bárbaro Garbey, who pinch hits for Dave Bergman in the fifth, still gets three at bats with two doubles and three RBI.
  • Record: 5-0

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Tim McClelland, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
  • Time of Game: 3:17
  • Attendance: 20,478

Birthdays

Artie Lewicki, Bobby Wilson, Dane Sardinha, Timo Pérez, John Hiller, Western Michigan University alum Charlie “Paw Paw” Maxwell (97!) and the late Bob Mavis