Category: The Daily

May 29, 1984: A’s 8 – Tigers 5

May 29, 1984: A’s 8 – Tigers 5

W: Bill Krueger (3-1) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-2) – Save: Bill Caudill (10) | Boxscore

Record: 36-9

Highlights

  • The A’s knocked Wilcox around early: seven runs on seven hits and three walks, in three-and-a-third innings.
  • Oakland built up an 8-1 lead in the fourth.
  • Chet Lemon‘s seventh-inning two-run homer, one of his two hits, was the Tigers highlight. All told, they had six hits.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
  • Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Rick Reed, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
  • Time of Game: 2:42
  • Attendance: 22,499

Duffy Dyer #15

The Tigers picked up Don Robert “Duffy” Dyer in a March 15, 1980 trade with the Expos for Jerry Manuel. The 34-year-old was, throughout his career a backup catcher and on some decent teams — including the 1969 Miracle Mets.

By the time Dyer came to Detroit, his career was drawing to a close. But before we get to that, let’s look at his brief time as a Tiger:

  • He made his Tigers debut on April 12, 1980 against the Royals. Dyer started at catcher, batting eighth, and went 0 for 4.
  • In all he appeared in 48 games in 1980, mostly as a catcher and a few games at DH.
  • In 1981, Dyer appeared in two games, but had no at bats. His last big league hit came on Oct. 4, 1980, a single off the Yankees’ Rudy May.
  • His final appearance came a year and three days after his debut — both against the Royals. On April 15, he was a defensive replacement for Lance Parrish in the bottom of the ninth. The Tigers won, 4-0. On May 18, 1981, he was released.

His final line: .185 average, four home runs and 11 RBI.

Check out this full bio on Dyer on the SABR Bio Project website.

Birthdays

Trevor Miller, Eric Davis, Billy Beane, Fred Holdsworth, John Baumgartner, Denny McLain and the late Ferris Fain and Jack Lively 

See you tomorrow.

May 28, 1984: Tigers 6 – A’s 2

May 28, 1984: Tigers 6 – A’s 2

W: Jack Morris (10-1) – L: Chris Codiroli (1-2) | Boxscore

Highlights

  • Another complete game win for Morris: 7 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts.
  • On the other side, Codirolio faced the first seven batters, got only one out and surrendered four Tigers runs before being pulled.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Oakland Coliseum
  • Umpires: HP – Jerry Neudecker, 1B – Steve Palermo, 2B – Rick Reed, 3B – Dave Phillips
  • Time of Game: 2:57
  • Attendance: 46,238

Birthdays

Lester Oliveros, Jhonny Peralta, Mike Difelice, Kirk Gibson and the late Jim Middleton

See you tomorrow.

🇺🇲 May 27, 1984: Mariners 6 – Tigers 1

May 27, 1984: Mariners 6 – Tigers 1

W: Matt Young (4-3) – L: Dan Petry (7-2) | Boxscore

Record: 35-8

Highlights

  • Despite 10 hits, the Tigers eked out a single run off three Mariners pitchers. Alan Trammell went 3 for 4
  • Petry three four innings and gave up nine hits; Aurelio López pitched the other four and gave up five.
  • The Tigers got the hell out of Seattle and headed for Oakland on a three-game losing streak.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Seattle Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Rich Garcia, 3B – Mike Reilly
  • Time of Game: 2:50
  • Attendance: 12,755

Edwin Núñez #41

Reliever Edwin Núñez signed with the Tigers on April 1, 1989. He was a mainstay with the Mariners from 1982 through July ’88, when he was dealt to the Mets.

After signing a free-agent deal in April, the 6′ 5″, 235 lb. righty made his Tigers debut on June 29, 1989, against the Yankees, pitching four-and-a-third innings in relief of Frank Tanana. Núñez took the loss.

He appeared in 27 games for 1989 Tigers, with 3-4 record, a save and a 4.17 ERA. In 1990, Núñez appeared in 42 games, posting a 3-1 record with six saves and a 2.24 ERA.

On Oct. 2, 1990, his Tigers career came to close as it had opened: taking the loss in a game against the Yankees — one inning, three runs, two hits and a walk. Núñez signed with the Brewers in the offseason.

Birthdays

Edwin Núñez, Ron Tingley and the late Pinky Higgins

See you tomorrow.

May 26, 1984: Mariners 9 – Tigers 5

May 26, 1984: Mariners 9 – Tigers 5

W: Mike Moore – L: Juan Berenguer | Boxscore

Record: 35-7

Highlights

  • Kirk Gibson hit a first-inning homer to put the Tigers up 1-0 … and then the Mariners took control, scoring four off Berenguer in the home half.
  • Berenguer retired only one batter: Seattle’s leadoff hitter, Jack Perconte. The following hitters walked, singled, singled, singled, then a wild pitch, and two more singles. Mariners 4, Tigers 1.
  • The Tigers scored three in the ninth and out-hit the Mariners, 13 to 11.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Seattle Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Rich Garcia
  • Time of Game: 2:51
  • Attendance: 41,342

Bob Sykes #27

The Tigers drafted lefty Bob Sykes in the 19th round of the 1974 MLB June Amateur Draft from Miami Dade College.

  • After three seasons in the minors, he made his debut on April 9, 1977, at age 22, pitching four-and-two-thirds in a Royals 16-2 rout — but he managed to blank K.C., allowing just two hits and a walk.
  • Sykes appeared in 32 games that season, 20 of them starts, and finished with a record of 5-7 and a 4.41 ERA.
  • In 1978, appeared in 22 games, starting 10 and throwing a pair of shutouts. His record was 6-6 with a 3.94 ERA; he also earned two saves.
  • That offseason, Dec. 4, 1978, he was traded to the Cardinals, with minor leaguer John Murphy, in a deal that worked out well for the Tigers, who received Aurelio López and Jerry Morales in return.
  • Sykes’ final numbers in Detroit: 11-13, 4.22 ERA and two saves. He pitched three seasons in St. Louis before being traded to the Yankees for a young outfielder named Willie McGee.

Birthdays

Darrell Evans and the late Jack Cronin

See you tomorrow.

May 25, 1984: Mariners 7 – Tigers 3

May 25, 1984: Mariners 7 – Tigers 3

W: Ed Vande Berg (4-2) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-1) – Save: Paul Mirabella (2) | Boxscore

Record: 35-6

Highlights

  • The loss snaps the Tigers’ A.L. record road winning streak at 17
  • Seattle jumped on Wilcox for six runs in four and a third, and lefty Vande Berg kept the Tigers off balance in his seven innings.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Seattle Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
    Time of Game: 2:54
    Attendance: 15,722

Danny Bautista #29

Danny Bautista was a promising young outfield for the early-’90s Tigers. Here are few things to know about him:

  • He made his debut on Sept. 15, 1993 against the Blue Jays, as a pinch runner for Rich Rowland.
  • Bautista’s first major-league start — and hit — came two days later, batting leadoff against the Indians. He singled off Jason Grimsley.
  • On Oct. 1, he hit his first career homer, at Yankee Stadium off Frank Tanana. He finished the ’93 season with a .311 average in 17 games.
  • Bautista played parts of four seasons in Detroit, mostly as a part-timer, appearing in 162 games. He hit .228 with 14 homers.

Birthdays

Randall Simon, Joey Eischen and Bill Haselman 

Today’s Grid

See you tomorrow.

May 24, 1984: Tigers 5 – Angels 1

May 24, 1984: Tigers 5 – Angels 1

W: Jack Morris (9-1) – L: Jim Slaton (1-2) | Boxscore

Record: 35-5

Highlights

  • A complete-game four-hitter for The Cat — with 10 strikeouts.
  • The win puts the Tigers at the still-mind blowing 35 and 5 mark. Certainly, with the mediocre Mariners next on the schedule, 38 and 5 is assured. Right?

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Terry Cooney, 1B – Richard Shulock, 2B – Derryl Cousins, 3B – Bill Kunkel
  • Time of Game: 2:14
  • Attendance: 43,580

Birthdays

Brad Penny, Danny Bautista, Dave Machemer and the late Milt Jordan

See you tomorrow.

May 23, 1984: Tigers 4 – Angels 2

May 23, 1984: Tigers 4 – Angels 2

W: Dan Petry (7-1) – L: Frank LaCorte (0-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (7) | Boxscore

Record: 34-5

Highlights

  • Petry pitched a seven-inning gem in his hometown, allowing five hits and striking out five, surrendering only a Doug DeCinces two-run homer in the fourth.
  • Hernandez pitched two flawless innings of relief.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Bill Kunkel, 1B – Terry Cooney, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Derryl Cousins
  • Time of Game: 2:39
  • Attendance: 41,205

Birthdays

Jordan Zimmermann and the late Charlie Sullivan and Frosty Thomas 

See you tomorrow.

May 22, 1984: Tigers 3 – Angels 1

May 22, 1984: Tigers 3 – Angels 1

W: Juan Berenguer (3-2) – L: Mike Witt (4-4) – Save: Aurelio López (6) | Boxscore

Record: 33-5

Highlights

  • The Tigers opened the scoring thanks to a Kirk Gibson first-inning single followed by a stolen base, and then an RBI single by Lance Parrish.
  • Berenguer gave up a solo homer to Rod Carew in the home half of the first and then settled down to allow just two more hits in six innings, striking out nine.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Derryl Cousins, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Richard Shulock
  • Time of Game: 2:53
  • Attendance: 41,253

Bob Adams #40

Here are a few things to know about the right-handed hitting first baseman and catcher, Bob Adams.

  • The Tigers drafted him in the third round of the 1973 amateur draft.
  • He appeared in 15 games for the Tigers that year, 12 as a pinch hitter. On Aug. 26, he pinch hit for Tom Veryzer in the eighth-inning, a solo homer off the Angels’ Frank Tanana.
  • His major-league numbers: .250 average, two home runs, two RBI.

Birthdays

Andre Lipcius, Al Levine, Jose Mesa, the late Al Simmons and Al Shaw

See you tomorrow.

May 21, 1984: Travel Day to the West Coast

May 21, 1984: Travel Day to the West Coast

After sweeping the A’s over the weekend, the Tigers head West to face the Angels, Mariners and A’s once again.

Record: 32-5, 8.5 games up

On the Air: May 21, 1978 – Red Sox @ Tigers

Here’s your boxscore.

Bob Molinaro #34, #37

The Tigers drafted outfielder Bob Molinaro in the second round of the 1968 June Amateur Draft from Essex Catholic High School in Newark, N.J.

He played in parts of seven minor-league seasons before making his debut on Sept. 18, 1975 against the Indians. He batted fifth, played right field and went hitless in two at bats, facing Jim Bibby — but he walked in his first plate appearance.

In his second game, on Sept. 20 against the Red Sox, he went 3 for 4 and got his first major-league hit — a triple — off Luis Tiant. He appeared in six games in ’75.

Molinaro spent the 1976 season in Evansville and was a September call up in 1977, appearing in four games before being selected off waivers on Sept. 22 by the White Sox.

He had two tours with White Sox, and short stints with Baltimore, the Cubs and the Phillies before wrapping his career how it started: September games with the Tigers.

After being released by the Phillies, Detroit signed him as a free agent on Sept. 1, 1983 and he appeared in eight games, five as a pinch runner, three as pinch hitter. He was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Molinaro’s final big-league game was Oct. 2, 1983 against the Brewers. He was a pinch runner for John Wockenfuss in the eighth inning. The Tigers released him on Oct. 21.

Birthdays

Jacob Turner, Andrew Miller, Bryce Florie, Bob Molinaro, and the late Earl Averill and Doc Ayers 

See you tomorrow.

May 20, 1984: Tigers 4 – A’s 3

May 20, 1984: Tigers 4 – A’s 3

W: Milt Wilcox (6-0) – L: Lary Sorensen (1-6) – Save: Willie Hernández (6)  | Boxscore

Record: 32-5

Highlights

  • Milt scattered just three hits and allowed two runs.
  • Willie notched a three-inning save.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Jim McKean, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:22
  • Attendance: 27,073

Birthdays

Luis Garcia, David Wells, the late Tom Morgan, Earl Rapp – whose Tigers career spanned one plate appearance in 1949 – and Hal Newhouser

See you tomorrow.