May 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Mariners 4

W: Jack Morris (7-1) – L: Roy Thomas (3-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (5) | Boxscore

Record: 28-5

Highlights

Kind of an ugly game featuring five errors; three by the Tigers – Whitaker, Tram, and Howard Johnson.

At one point, the Tigers led 6-1.

Morris and Hernandez combined for a five hitter.

Kirk Gibson and Johnson each had two RBI.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Terry Cooney, 1B – Richard Shulock, 2B – Derryl Cousins, 3B – Bill Kunkel
Time of Game: 3:32
Attendance: 21,782

Birthdays

Kody Clemens, Jim Adduci, A.J. Hinch and Jason Karnuth

See you tomorrow.

May 14, 1984: Tigers 7 – Mariners 5

W: Aurelio López (4-0) – L: Ed Vande Berg (2-2) | Boxscore

Record: 27-5

Highlights

15 hits for the Tigers: Three each for Alan Trammell and Rusty Kuntz; two each for Bárbaro Garbey, Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon.

Homers for Tram, his fourth, off Ed Vande Berg, in the first inning; and Rusty, his first, also off Vande Berg, in the fourth.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Bill Kunkel, 1B – Terry Cooney, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Derryl Cousins
Time of Game: 3:05
Attendance: 18,830

Les Moss #28

In 1979, John Lester Moss took over for the retired Ralph Houk as Tigers manager. The Tigers finished Houk’s final season at 86-76, and the club seemed ready to make a move in an albeit stacked* American League East.

*Six of the seven teams finished over .500, and three had 90+ wins.

Moss had been in the Tigers farm system managing the Triple-A Evansville Triplets in the American Association and presumably his familiarity with the Tigers’ young core made him a logical choice.

Moss managed the Tigers for just 53 games in ’79. Detroit sat at a 27-26, on the morning of June 14 and before the day over, he was out of a job and Sparky Anderson was the Tigers’ new manager.

As a player, Moss had a 13-year career as a catcher, making his debut in 1946 as a 21-year-old with the St. Louis Browns. He played in just a dozen games that year but finished a .371 average.

Though he didn’t hang around Detroit for very long, Les Moss is another player in the Tigers’ rich history.

Birthdays

Efren Navarro and the late Les Moss

See you tomorrow.

May 9, 1984: Tigers 3 – Royals 1

W: Dan Petry (5-1) – L: Danny Jackson (0-4) – Save: Aurelio López (4) | Boxscore

Record: 25-4

Highlights

The Tigers banged out 12 hits, nine of them off K.C. starter Danny Jackson. Darrell Evans and Alan Trammell, three apiece, accounted for half of them.

Rusty Kuntz and Lou Whitaker each had two hits.

Petry pitched six and two-thirds, allowing seven hits and just one run. Aurelio López pitched the rest of the way, giving up just a walk and striking out four.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Vic Voltaggio, 3B – Joe Brinkman
Time of Game: 2:48
Attendance: 15,709

Birthdays

Ian Krol, Daniel Schlereth, Prince Fielder, Ron Jackson, and the late Tom Yewcic and Lew Drill

See you tomorrow.

May 8, 1984: Tigers 5 – Royals 2

W: Jack Morris (6-1) – L: Bud Black (3-2) | Boxscore

Record: 24-4

Highlights

After seemingly years of being stymied by Dan Quisenberry, the Tigers got to him in the seventh inning — with an exclamation mark.

The Tigers trailed 2-0 and, with Quisenberry on the mound, the road winning streak again looked in peril … until a two-out grand slam by Alan Trammell as part of a five-run rally.

Larry Herndon, Darrell Evans and Chet Lemon had two hits apiece.

Morris turned in a seven-hit, five-strikeout complete game.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Vic Voltaggio
Time of Game: 2:35
Attendance: 14,304

Birthdays

Wily Peralta, Alfredo Simón and the late Norman “Turkey” Stearnes and John Skopec

Today’s Grid

See you tomorrow.

May 7, 1984: Tigers 10 – Royals 3

W: Juan Berenguer (2-1) – L: Mark Gubicza (0-3) – Save: Doug Bair (2) | Boxscore

Record: 23-4

Highlights

Alan Trammell (3 for 4), Johnny Grubb (2 for 3) and Chet Lemon (3 for 3) led the offense and Berenguer pitch a solid if not erratic six and two thirds. He gave up six hits and four walks. Bair pitched a scoreless two and a third.

The Tigers’ road winning streak marches on: 12 straight.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
Time of Game: 3:02
Attendance: 19,474

A Bad Tigers TV Commercial from 1993

Fr. Allan Travers

Read about Fr. Allan Travers who gave up 24 runs on 26 hits in eight innings against the Philadelphia Athletics on May 18, 1912. It was his only appearance — anywhere.

Birthdays

Fr. Allan Travers

See you tomorrow.

May 6, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 5 (12)

W: Aurelio López (3-0) – L: Ernie Camacho (0-2) | Boxscore

Record: 22-4

Highlights

For the second straight day, the Tigers edge the Indians 6-5, but this one was a 12-inning affair.

Milt Wilcox started opposite Bert Blyleven. Milt went five innings, giving up eight hits and five runs.

The bullpen, Dave Rozema, Willie Hernández and Aurelio López, held the Tribe scoreless over the next seven. Blyleven pitched seven and a third yielding seven hits, five walks and struck out seven.

Dave Bergman led off the 12th with a double and Tom Brookens sacrificed him to third. Lou Whitaker singled to score Bergman with the go-ahead and eventual winning run.

Bergman and Alan Trammell each had three hits, and Johnny Grubb had two singles to go with three walks.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Marty Springstead
Time of Game: 4:20
Attendance: 16,125

Dave Gumpert #43

The Tigers signed 6′ 1″ righty Dave Gumpert on Nov. 4, 1980 as an amateur free agent out of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.

He quickly moved up the ladder in 1981, starting in Single-A Lakeland, Double-A Birmingham and the Triple-A Evansville. In 1982, he appeared in 42 games for Birmingham and two for Evansville before getting the call to Detroit.

Gumpert made his debut on July 25, 1982 against the Rangers, securing the final two outs to close out the Tigers’ 7-2 win.

He pitched in five games for the ’82 Tigers, including one brief start on Aug. 8: getting just one out and giving up three runs on four hits, including a homer to Ernie Whitt.

His final line for 1982: Five appearances, two innings pitched, 13 batters faced, one start, one save, and a 27.00 ERA.

In 1983, he began the season in Evansville and was promoted in time to again face the Blue Jays, on May 30. Gumpert relieved starter Dan Petry with one out in the ninth and the Tigers trailing 4-0. He escaped the inning and the Tigers scored four in the bottom half to push it to extras. Gumpert was charged with two runs in the 10th and the Tigers lost, 6-4.

Gumpert appeared in 26 games for the ’83 Tigers, finishing with a record of 0-2, an ERA of 2.94 and a pair of saves.

He spent all of 1984 in Evansville, posting a 7-4 record with a 4.96 ERA. The Tigers released him at the end of Spring Training in 1985 and he signed with the Cubs a week later. His final numbers with Detroit: 0-2, 3.69 ERA, two saves.

Gumpert spent the ’85 and ’86 seasons in Chicago, before being traded to the Royals for his final big-league season in 1987.

Birthdays

Phil Clark and Tom Bolton

See you tomorrow.

April 26, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 5

W: Doug Bair (2-0) – L: Frank Tanana (2-2) – Save: Aurelio López (2) | Boxscore

Record: 16-1

Highlights

No pitching duel in this one. The Tigers ambushed Frank Tanana with five hits and four runs in the first inning. He lasted

‘Twas also a rough start for Dave Rozema: 4.1 IP, 5 runs, 7 hits and 3 home runs.

Doug Bair and Señor Smoke carried the load the rest of the way, blanking the Rangers on just four hits.

Alan Trammell went 3 for 4, Larry Herndon hit two doubles and Lance Parrish homered.

Miscellany

Venue: Arlington Stadium
Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Al Clark
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: 13,559

Rick Schu #35

Rick Schu was tasked with replacing Mike Schmidt when he retired from the Phillies. That could not have been fun, nor could it have been fun coming to the 1989 Tigers, who were 14-24 when the club purchased his contract from the Orioles on May 19.

He made his debut on May 21 against the Royals. He started at third and batted ninth, going 1 for 2.

Schu’s final game with the Tigers came on Oct. 1, a 5-3 Tigers win against Yankees to close out a 59-103 season. He went 1 for 4.

His Tigers career ended after 98 games, with a .214 average, seven home runs and 21 RBI. The Tigers released him on Dec. 8, 1989.

Birthdays

Felipe Lira and the late Virgil Trucks and Dale Alexander

See you tomorrow.

April 24, 1984: A ☃️ Doubleheader

It was Easter vacation, so I went to this one with my friend Steve and, after much guilt-heaping and nagging, my sister and her then-boyfriend, now husband.

Man, was it cold in the upper deck bleachers.

Game 14: Tigers 6 – Twins 5

W: Jack Morris (4-0) – L: Ron Davis (2-2) | Boxscore

Record: 13-1

Highlights

The Twins jumped out to a 4-1 and then 5-1 lead, before the Tigers started chipping away.

The Tigers scored two in the fifth and then won it with three in the ninth off Ron Davis.

A typical Morris start: nine innings, seven hits, five earned runs, five walks and one strikeout.

Lou Whitaker drove home the tying and winning runs with a single to right.

Chet Lemon homered, his third of the year, off Twins starter Albert Williams.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 2:16
Weather: COLD

Game 15: Tigers 4 – Twins 3

W: Glenn Abbott (1-0) – L: Frank Viola (0-3) – Save: Aurelio López (1) | Boxscore

Record: 14-1

Highlights

If this game had been played today, it would’ve been called a bullpen game. Petry, Abbott and Lopez each pitched three innings.

A third-inning double by Bárbaro Garbey scored Alan Trammell to open the scoring for Detroit. Then, Lance Parrish‘s three-run homer off Viola in the fifth capped it.

The Tigers turned three double plays, including a pivotal one in the ninth with the potential tying run on first.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Dan Morrison
Time of Game: 2:29
Attendance: 20,315
Start Time Weather: COLDER

Birthdays

Todd Jones, Bill Krueger and the late Howard Ehmke

See you tomorrow.

🌎 April 22, 1984: Tigers 9 – White Sox 1

1984 Game 13: Tigers 9 – White Sox 1

W: Juan Berenguer (1-0) – L: Tom Brennan (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 12-1

On a cold and wet Easter Sunday, Juan Berenguer delivered one of his best Tigers starts, at least that I can remember. He gave up just two hits — and didn’t allow one until the fifth — with one walk. He struck out seven.

The Tigers had 18 hits, paced by:

Kirk Gibson‘s two-run homer in the first
Chet Lemon‘s 4 for 4
Darrell Evans‘ 3 for 5 with two doubles
Two hits apiece by Alan Trammell, Larry Herndon and Bárbaro Garbey

Michigan native and fellow WMU alum first baseman Mike Squires was pressed into pitching duty, with two gone in the five-run eighth, for the final out.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
Time of Game: 2:58
Attendance: 10,603

Jim Crawford – #28

Lefty Jim Crawford was acquired by the Tigers in a Randy Smith-style trade with the Astros on Dec. 6, 1975. He came to Detroit with Milt May and Dave Roberts for Terry Humphrey, Mark Lemongello, Gene Pentz and Leon Roberts.

He appeared in parts of three seasons, 1976-78, as a reliever and spot starter.

Crawford made his Tigers debut on April 20, 1976 against the A’s in Oakland. He came into the game in the ninth, relieving starter Joe Coleman, with the Tigers clinging to a 5-3 lead. Crawford got Bill North to line out but the next batter, Joe Rudi, singled to tie the game. Crawford was lifted for rookie Mark Fidrych who gave up a single to Don Baylor and the A’s won, 6-5.

His final game came on July 27, 1978 against the Orioles. Starter Jim Slaton gave up five runs on nine hits in three innings and Crawford came in to pitch the fourth — and gave up two runs of his own on three hits. Jack Morris relieved him with four scoreless.

Crawford’s final line in Detroit: 10-19, 4.62 ERA and 3 saves.