November 20, 2024

Number 20

Fifty-two Detroit Tigers have worn number 20, and it’s currently worn by Spencer Torkelson. But the first player I remember wearing number 20 was Mark Fidrych from 1976 to 1980.

After that, it belonged to:

Jerry Turner, 1982
Howard Johnson, 1983-1984. HoJo originally wore number 5, but it was retired during the ‘83 season (along with number 2*) to honor Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, respectively.
Doug Flynn, 1985
Jim Weaver, 1985
Jim Slaton, 1986. Slaton first pitched for the Tigers in 1977 and he wore number 21. When he returned in ‘86, he wore 20 and then changed to number 40.
Doug Strange, 1989
Urbano Lugo, 1990
Mickey Tettleton, 1991-1994

*Rich Hebner, in 1982, was the final player to wear number 2 before it was retired.

Birthdays

Tarik Skubal, Jacob Robson, Lino Urdaneta and the late Ron Cash, Lou Berberet, Augie Prudhomme and Ray Powell

See you tomorrow-ish.

Aug. 31, 1984: A’s 7 – Tigers 6 (13)

W: Keith Atherton (7-5) – L: Dave Rozema (7-5) | Boxscore

Record: 87-48 — 9.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Sparky had a short leash on Milt Wilcox, with good reason, pulling him after 3^2/3 innings in which he gave up five runs on four hits and five walks. Aurelio López and Willie Hernández pitched the next eight and a third, allowing just three hits and combining for eight strikeouts.

The Tigers let four leads slip away, including in the ninth when they took a 6-5 lead. Rozema’s wild pitch with two out in the 13th allowed Mike Davis to score from third with the winning run.

Ruppert Jones and Alan Trammell homered off A’s starter Ray Burris. Trammell, Johnny Grubb and Howard Johnson each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Umpires: HP – Rick Reed, 1B – Jerry Neudecker, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Steve Palermo
Time of Game: 4:19
Attendance: 15,836

Birthdays

John Hicks, Ramon Santiago, Shane Loux, Hideo Nomo, Morris Madden, Bill Nahorodny, former Tigers coach Boots Day, and the late Jack Burns and Norman Glaser.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 517 7/9 — Rarity: 276

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 30, 1984: Mariners 2 – Tigers 1

W: Jim Beattie (10-15) – L: Jack Morris (17-9) – S: Ed Núñez (4) | Boxscore

Record: 87-47 — 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Morris pitched a gem, eight innings, four hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts, and was the hard-luck loser. He kept the Mariners off the board until the eighth when his throwing error on a comebacker led to two runs scoring.

The Tigers offense mustered seven hits, all singles, off three Seattle pitchers and they scored in the ninth on a two-out, bases-loaded walk by Alan Trammell.

Oh, and Howard Johnson had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: The Kingdome
Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Marty Springstead
Time of Game: 2:34
Attendance: 9,583

Birthdays

Randy O’Neal, Steve Baker and the late Steve Partenheimer and Pol Perritt

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 516: 9/9 — Rarity: 62

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 14, 1984: A Doubleheader Letdown

Game 1: Angels 6 – Tigers 4

W: Don Aase (2-1) – L: Willie Hernández (6-2) – S: Luis Sánchez (11) | Boxscore

Record: 77-42

Highlights

A decent start from Juan Berenguer, six innings, five hits, six strikeouts, is wasted by the bullpen. The Tigers were up 4-3 in the seventh until Bob Boone homered off Aurelio López to tie it. Then Willie surrendered two runs on three hits and a walk.

The Tigers tagged Angels starter Mike Witt with four solo homers: Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish and Howard Johnson.

Both teams had 10 hits; Juan Beníquez had four of them for California.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Tim McClelland, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Mike Reilly
Time of Game: 2:53

Game 2: Angels 12 – Tigers 1

W: Bruce Kison (3-1) – L: Dave Rozema (7-4) | Boxscore

Record: 77-43 — 7.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A seven-run third inning put this one out of reach in a hurry, making it 8-0. Doug DeCinces drove in four, Bobby Grich plated three and the Angels got three hits each from Rob Wilfong and Reggie Jackson.

Rozema started and last two innings, giving up five runs on seven hits. Doug Bair wasn’t good either: 3^1/3 innings, five runs, five hits and three walks.

Darrell Evans drove in the Tigers lone run on an RBI single in the eighth.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Tim McClelland, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Rich Garcia
Time of Game: 2:33
Attendance: 38,597

Birthdays

Colt Keith and the late Mark Fidrych and Skinny Graham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 500: 5/9 — Rarity: 426

A clunker compared to yesterday.

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 6, 1984: Doubleheader Madness Begins

Thanks to April rainouts, the Tigers and Red Sox played back-to-back doubleheaders in Boston. These follow the schedule doubleheader against the Royals on Aug. 5.

Game 1: Tigers 9 – Red Sox 6

Rescheduled from the April 15 rainout.

W: Aurelio López – L: Bob Ojeda (9-9) – S: Willie Hernández (23) | Boxscore

Record: 73-39 — 8.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A classic 198o’s slugfest: 16 runs on 31 hits.

Five Tigers had two or more hits, and Chet Lemon had three including his 15th home run of the year. Lance Parrish and Tom Brookens also homered.

Dan Petry started and last 4^2/3 innings and gave up six runs on 11 hits and two walks.

Miscellany

Venue: Fenway Park
Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Tim Welke
Time of Game: 3:17

Game 2: Red Sox 10 – Tigers 2

W: Roger Clemens (6-4) – L: Carl Willis (0-2) | Boxscore

Record: 73-39 — 8.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Yikes. The Red Sox battered three Tigers pitchers — primarily starter Willis and relief man Doug Bair — for 15 hits.

Willis got only one batter out and it was a productive one for Jim Rice, who drove in the game’s first run. All told: 1/3 of an inning, five hits and four earned runs.

Bair pitched the next 4^2/3 innings and allowed five runs on six hits.

Wade Boggs (4 for 5) and Tony Armas (3 for 4) had almost half of Boston’s hits. Boggs had two homers, and he and Mike Easler both drove in three runs.

Howard Johnson hit a solo home run off Clemens in the seventh.

Miscellany

Venue: Fenway Park
Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Jim McKean
Time of Game: 2:55
Attendance: 31,055

See you tomorrow.

July 21, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 6

W: Sid Monge (3-1) – L: Dickie Noles (3-3) – S: Willie Hernández (19) | Boxscore

Record: 65-39 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

You could file this one under “winning ugly.” The Tigers gave Glenn Abbott a 2-0 lead but he couldn’t hold it — he was pulled with one out in the third after giving up five runs on five hits.

Thankfully, Rangers’ starter Dickie Noles was worse: 4^2/3 innings, six hits, five walks and seven runs.

Sid Monge pitched four strong innings of middle relief before handing it over to Doug Bair and Willie Hernández.

Chet Lemon, Tom Brookens, Kirk Gibson each made an error.

Ruppert Jones, Chet, Howard Johnson and Dave Bergman each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dale Ford, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Rocky Roe, 3B – Ken Kaiser
Time of Game: 2:38
Attendance: 46,219

Birthdays

Kimera Bartee and Denny Harriger

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 476 9/9: Rarity: 17

See you tomorrow.

July 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 2

W: Dave Rozema (6-1) – L: Ken Schrom (2-4) – S: Aurelio López (11) | Boxscore

Record: 60-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers had 15 hits on the night, 10 off Twins starter Schrom in 4^2/3 innings.

Of those 15 hits, eight were doubles — Chet Lemon, 2; Howard Johnson; Lou Whitaker, 2; Darrell Evans; Dave Bergman and Kirk Gibson. Evans also had a solo homer. Whitaker had four hits total.

Rozema turned in a solid start: 5^1/3, eight hits, two runs and five strikeouts.

Miscellany

Venue: The Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Vic Voltaggio
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 27,965

Birthdays

Scott Livingstone and the late Bob Miller, Joe Rogalski and Red Oldham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 470 9/9: Rarity: 172

Pete Rose is likely the least-rare guess of my Grid-playing career.

See you tomorrow.

July 14, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 5 (12)

W: Willie Hernández (6-0) – L: Mike Walters (0-3) | Boxscore

Record: 59-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

With one out in the ninth, Dave Bergman tied it at four with a pinch-hit solo homer off Ron Davis.

The Tigers scored two in the 12th to take a 6-4 lead. Hernández pitched three innings and allowed a two-out home run to Tim Teufel in the 12th, before getting Ron Washington (!) for the final out.

Milt Wilcox started and pitched 5^2/3 allowing four runs on eight hits; Doug Bair pitched a flawless 3^1/3.

Detroit had a dozen hits, two apiece for Bárbaro Garbey, Chet Lemon and Howard Johnson.

Miscellany

Venue: Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
Time of Game: 3:40
Attendance: 46,017

Birthdays

Enrique Gonzalez and the late John Peters

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 469 8/9: Rarity: 128

See you tomorrow.

July 8, 1984: Rangers 9 – Tigers 7

W: Frank Tanana (9-8) – L: Doug Bair (4-2) – S: Dave Schmidt (5) | Boxscore

Record: 57-27 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Texas led this one 7-0 in the third, ringing the bell of Doug Bair in a spot start. He lasted 2^2/3 innings, serving up six runs on eight hits.

Tanana started for the Rangers and he gave up six runs, two earned, and struck out five in his six innings of work.

The Tigers trailed 8-2 to start the sixth inning and scored four runs — three on Howard Johnson‘s homer — to draw within 8-6. Another run in the eighth made it 8-7, but the Rangers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to seal it.

Chet Lemon matched Johnson’s two-hit, three-RBI performance.

The Tigers head into the All-Star Break 30 games over .500.

Miscellany

Venue: Arlington Stadium
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Mark Johnson
Time of Game: 2:37
Attendance: 16,010

Lerrin LaGrow – RHP #30

The Tigers drafted Phoenix-native Lerrin LaGrow in the sixth round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from Arizona State University.

He made his major-league debut the following season, on June 28, 1970.

He came in the eighth inning, in relief of starter Joe Niekro. He faced one batter, Paul Schaal, and gave up a single.

Here’s a snapshot of LaGrow’s Tigers career:

1970: 0-1, 7.03 ERA in 12 innings pitched
1972: 0-1, 1.32 in 27 IP
1973: 1-5, 4.33 in 54 IP
1974: 8-19, 4.66 in 216 IP
1975: 7-14, 4.38 in 164 IP

The Cardinals purchased his contract from the Tigers on April 2, 1976, which means he didn’t even get to enjoy the Mark Fidrych Era.

But, by leaving Detroit when he did, his number 30 became available for Jason Thompson.

Birthdays

Mike Gerber, Ernie Young, Lerrin LaGrow and the late Salty Parker, Roy Crumpler and Clyde Barfoot

See you tomorrow.

July 3, 1984: White Sox 9 – Tigers

July 3, 1984: White Sox 9 – Tigers 5

W: Tom Seaver (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (12-5) – S: Ron Reed (4) | Boxscore

Record: 55-24 — 8 games up Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers lost their third-consecutive game for the first time since the Memorial Day sweep at the hands of the Mariners.

Morris fooled no one and Seaver was not much better — but good enough to win. The Cat lasted 4^1/3, giving up eight runs on nine hits. Tom Terrific allowed five earned runs on five hits — three of them homers — walked three and struck out seven.

Lance Parrish, Ruppert Jones and Howard Johnson each took Seaver deep.

Miscellany

Venue: Comiskey Park
Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
Time of Game: 2:42
Attendance: 43,094

Birthdays

Logan Kensing, Frank Tanana, Phil Meeler and the late Luke Hamlin and Jack Dalton

See you tomorrow.