Tag: Chet Lemon

June 3, 1984: Orioles 2 – Tigers 1

June 3, 1984: Orioles 2 – Tigers 1

W: Mike Flanagan (4-4) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-3) | Boxscore

Record: 38-11

Highlights

  • Wilcox gave up just two runs (one earned) but did not have command: four hits and six walks in five and two-thirds.
  • Flanagan, on the other hand, was terrific, scattering seven hits in a complete-game win, striking out six and walking only one.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
  • Time of Game: 2:42
  • Attendance: 34,228

Video Clips: Darrell Evans and Chet Lemon

Darrell and Chet talk about the Tigers’ torrid start to the 1984 season.

Birthdays

Ed Glynn and the late John Bassler and Bill McTigue

See you tomorrow.

June 1, 1984: Tigers 14 – Orioles 2

June 1, 1984: Tigers 14 – Orioles 2

W: Dan Petry (8-2) – L: Scott McGregor (6-4) – Save: Doug Bair (3) | Boxscore

Record: 38-9

Highlights

  • This was a blast from the get-go. My friends and I sat in the upper-deck bleachers, taunting Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey during batting practice with a “Dempsey sucks” chant. He was a good sport, egging us on and even turning to face the bleachers and act as a conductor while we rained vitriol upon him. 
  • As for the game, it was nothing short of bedlam. The Tiger scored six in the second highlighted by an Alan Trammell homer, and then three in the third and again in the fourth.
  • Tram had a three-hit game, and Lance, Chet and Larry Herndon each had two hits.
  • Petry threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Rich Garcia, 3B – Mike Reilly
  • Time of Game: 2:28
  • Attendance: 47,252

Game Highlights

Birthdays

The late Dean Chance, Jo-Jo White and Herm Malloy

See you tomorrow.

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 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 19, 1984: Tigers 5 – A’s 4

May 19, 1984: Tigers 5 – A’s 4

W: Jack Morris (8-1) L: Steve McCatty (3-3) – Save: Aurelio López (5) | Boxscore

Record: 31-5

Highlights

  • One of Whitaker’s hits was his fourth homer of the year.
  • Morris 7.1 IP, eight hits, six walks and six strikeouts.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
  • Time of Game: 3:00
  • Attendance: 42,906

Luis Salazar #12

The Tigers signed veteran utility man Luis Salazar as a free agent on Feb, 20, 1988. He has spent the previous season with the Padres, where he began his career in 1980.

  • Salazar spent the 1985 and ’86 season in Chicago and went back to San Diego as a free agent in 1989.
  • He had one year in Detroit and he was solid: appearing in 130 games and batting .270 with 12 homers.
  • Sparky plugged him in everywhere: all three outfield slots and all four infield positions.
  • At the end of spring training 1989, the Tigers sent him back to the Padres for Mike Brumley. He played his final four seasons with the Cubs.

Birthdays

Tim Corcoran, Brandon Inge, Alan Zinter and Luis Salazar

See you tomorrow.

May 13, 1984: Rained Out in Detroit

May 13, 1984: Rained Out in Detroit

The Tigers are rained out yet again in the first six weeks. Seattle comes to town for three starting tomorrow.

Record: 26-5, 7.5 games up

Glenn Wilson #12

A torrid start in Evansville led to Glenn Wilson‘s promotion to the Tigers in time for the Tigers on Opening Day in Detroit, April 15, 1982, against the Blue Jays.

Just two years earlier Wilson was a Tigers first-round pick, 18th overall, out of Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Wilson entered the ’82 home opener in the bottom of the eighth pinch-hitting for DH Jerry Turner. Facing Jays’ reliever Jerry Garvin, he stuck out looking.

The next day, Wilson collected his first major-league hit the next day against Ron Guidry, leading off the ninth with a double to left center.

Wilson made the most of his opportunity, hitting .467 in his first six games, and playing excellent defense in the outfield. Thanks to his hot start, he stuck with the Tigers until early May when he was sent back to Evansville only to return in July.

Wilson ended up playing in 84 big-league games that season, 80 of them in centerfield, and finished at .292 with 12 home runs.

In 1983 the Tigers were depending on Wilson to maintain the pace he began in his rookie season. He shifted from centerfield to right, allowing Chet Lemon to take over his natural position. Wilson appeared in 144 games that year and hit .268 with 11 HR and 64 RBI.

The Tigers saw him as a key piece of the puzzle heading into 1984. But the Tigers were determined to make Kirk Gibson their regular right fielder in ’84 which complicated the outfield picture and likely meant Wilson was a man without a position.

On March 24, the Tigers sent Wilson and John Wockenfuss to the Phillies for Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman. Wilson spent four seasons with the Phillies and was named to the National League All-Star team in 1985. He finished the season with a .275 average, 14 home runs and 102 RBI.

With stops in Seattle, Pittsburgh and his hometown Astros, Wilson had a solid 10-year major-league career. His place in Tigers lore is set, if only as a player traded away on the eve of a magical season.

I for one enjoyed watching him play in Detroit — he was one of my favorite players — and wish he’d hung around a bit longer.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the late, old-time Tigers: Alex Main (1914 Tigers), Jimmy Archer (1907 Tigers) and Jack Burns (1903-04 Tigers)

See you tomorrow.

May 8, 1984: Tigers 5 – Royals 2

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.
  • 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

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 5, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 5

May 5, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 5

W: Glenn Abbott (2-1) – L: Neal Heaton (2-3) – Save: Aurelio López (3) | Boxscore

Record: 21-4

Highlights

  • I started to write today’s installment but stopped once I received this text from my friend John, who did the heavy lifting for me:
  • 40 years ago today the Tigers almost lost their first road game of the 1984 regular season. At Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the bottom of the 9th inning with George Vukovich on 1st, Mike Fischlin on 2nd, and Broderick Perkins pinch hitting for Kevin Rhomberg, Perkins hit a long drive to right field off Aurelio López that went into the seats but was just foul by a couple of feet. Perkins went on to take a called third strike to end the game and give the Tigers a 6-5 win.
  • Chet Lemon went 4 for 4 with three RBI and a homer.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Jim McKean, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:57
  • Attendance: 9,282

Birthdays

The pride of South Haven, Mich., Dave Gumpert; Juan Acevedo, Ramon Pena, Don Buddin and Henri Rondeau 

See you tomorrow.

May 1, 1984: Tigers 12 – Red Sox 2

May 1, 1984: Tigers 12 – Red Sox 2

W: Milt Wilcox (3-0) – L: Bruce Hurst (3-3) | Boxscore

Record: 19-2

Highlights

  • The Red Sox scored once in the bottom of the first but it was all Tigers after that: dropping a dozen runs on 16 hits on Hurst and Oil Can Boyd.
  • Wilcox tossed eight solid innings, giving up seven hits and just one earned run with five strikeouts.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Ken Kaiser, 1B – Rocky Roe, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Dale Ford
  • Time of Game: 2:31
  • Attendance: 17,495

Dan Gakeler #32

Here are a few things to know about right hander Dan Gakeler:

A former 31st-round draft pick of the Brewers (1983) and a year later a number-one pick of the Red Sox (secondary phase), Gakeler made it to the majors in 1991 with the Tigers, appearing in 31 games, seven of them starts.

He made his major-league debut on June 9, 1991 against the Angels. He started opposite Chuck Finley and lasted three innings: seven hits, five runs and two walks.

Gakeler made his final appearance on Oct. 5, 1991 against the Orioles. He pitched one-third of an inning and struck out the only batter he faced: Cal Ripken.

His MLB career line: 1-4 with two saves and a 5.74 ERA.

Birthdays

Casey Mize, Fausto Cruz, Phil Hiatt, Dan Gakeler and the late Bob Harris

See you tomorrow.