Tag: Jack Morris

Aug. 25, 1984: Tigers 5 – Angels 1

W: Jack Morris (17-8) – L: Bruce Kison (3-3) | Boxscore

Record: 85-45 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Morris pitched eight innings and allowed nine hits and five walks. He allowed to singles in the ninth and Sparky brought in Willie Hernández.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Vic Voltaggio, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 2:40
  • Attendance: 51,203

Birthdays

Justin Upton, and Detroit Wolverines outfielder and shortstop Frank Jones

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 512 9/9 – Rarity: 7

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 20, 1984: Tigers 14 – A’s 1

W: Jack Morris (16-8) – L: Curt Young (6-2) | Boxscore

Record: 82-44 — 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers blasted Oakland starter, Saginaw native and Central Michigan product, Young in his two innings: eight hits, six earned runs and two homers. He was replaced by Chuck Rainey who fared worse: 41/3 innings, 10 hits and eight runs.
  • The most-notable part of this game? Former Tigers infielder Mark Wagner pitched the final inning and two-thirds, allowing just two hits, a walk and striking out one (Johnny Grubb.)

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Marty Springstead
  • Time of Game: 2:45
  • Attendance: 38,431

Birthdays

Gene Kingsale, Jose Paniagua and the late George Zuverink, Beau Bell and Ross Reynolds

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 506 8/9 — Rarity: 123

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 16, 1984: Tigers 8 – Angels 7 (12)

W: Willie Hernández (7-2) – L: John Curtis (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 79-43 — 10 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • At the end of the second inning it was 5-0 Tigers. At the end of the fourth inning, it was 7-5 Angels.
  • Jack Morris has another miserable outing: 32/3 innings, nine hits, four walks, and seven earned runs. A trio of Tigers relievers held the Angels in check for the next eight innings — Doug Bair, 31/3 scoreless; Aurelio López, 11/3 scoreless; and Willie Hernández 32/3 scoreless. I still can’t get over Sparky using his closer for nearly four innings.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Rich Garcia, 2B – Tim McClelland, 3B – Don Denkinger
  • Time of Game: 4:02
  • Attendance: 37,779

Birthdays

Akil Baddoo, Roger Cedeño and Damian Jackson

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 502 9/9 — Rarity: 27

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 11, 1984: Tigers 9 – Royals 5

W: Jack Morris (15-8) – L: Charlie Leibrandt (6-5) – S: Aurelio López (12) | Boxscore

Record: 76-41 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Cat was this close to a complete game win, but he allowed three ninth-inning runs and Sparky pulled him with two outs. Lopez came in and struck out Willie Wilson to end the game.
  • Former Tiger Lynn Jones had three hits off Morris.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Royals Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Ken Kaiser, 1B – Dale Ford, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Rocky Roe
  • Time of Game: 2:42
  • Attendance: 40,501

Birthdays

Al Pedrique, and the late Bill Monbouquette and Bobo Newsom

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 497 8/9 — Rarity: 184

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 2, 1984: Tigers 2 – Indians 1

W: Jack Morris (14-7) – L: Bert Blyleven (10-5) – S: Willie Hernández (22) | Boxscore

Record: 72-34 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • This is a special game for me. My Dad treated me, my brother and my friend Gordie to this one to celebrate my 16th birthday. We ate at the greasiest of greasy spoons on Trumbull, in the Checker (?) Cab building. Then we made our way to our box seats — an absolute rarity — down the left field line, above the Tigers’ bullpen.
  • Morris and Blyleven were evenly matched and homers supplied all the runs: Andre Thornton hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth, and Lou Whitaker hit a two-run shot in the fifth to cap the scoring.
  • Blyleven threw six innings and allowed seven hits and struck out two. Morris tossed eight innings and also allowed seven hits with one strikeout.
  • Willie allowed a leadoff single in the ninth and then retired the next three batters to earn the save.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
  • Time of Game: 2:39
  • Attendance: 28,700

Birthdays

Colby Lewis, Matt Miller, the pride of Macomb Community College, Art “Spider” James, and the late William “Kid” Nance.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 488 9/9 — Rarity: 63

See you tomorrow.

July 30, 1984: An Off Day in Detroit

The Tigers had a Monday off day at home before the Indians came to town for a three-game set. Let’s look back on a game played on this date 45 years ago …

July 30, 1979: Tigers 6 – Rangers 4

W: John Hiller (4-7) – L: Danny Darwin (2-2) – S: Aurelio López (9) | Boxscore

Record: 53-49 — 5th place, 16 games behind Baltimore

Highlights

  • Jack Morris started and went six innings, allowing eight hits and two runs. He departed with a 4-0 lead.
  • John Hiller blew a save opportunity but the Tigers scored a run in the eighth and again in the ninth to secure the win.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Bill Deegan, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – George Maloney, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:40
  • Attendance: 14,297

Birthdays

Scott Fletcher, Mickey Mahler, and the late Gus Triandos and Joe Coleman, Sr.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 485 9/9 — Rarity: 58

See you tomorrow.

July 28, 1984: Red Sox 3 – Tigers 2

W: Bob Stanley (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (13-7) – S: Mark Clear (3) | Boxscore

Record: 69-32 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Morris had one of his better starts of late, seven innings pitched, three runs, eight hits and seven strikeouts, but the Boston trio of John Henry Johnson, Bob Stanley and Mark Clear held the Tigers’s offense in check.
  • The Tigers had bases loaded with two out in the ninth, but Ruppert Jones grounded out.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Tim McClelland
  • Time of Game: 2:58
  • Attendance: 49,372

Birthdays

Brendon Davis the late Ted Lepcio, Ben Steiner, John Glaiser, Hank Perry and Bob Wood

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 483 — Rarity:25

See you tomorrow.

July 23, 1984: Tigers 4 – Indians 1

W: Jack Morris (13-6) – L: Bert Blyleven (9-4) – S: Doug Bair (4) | Boxscore

Record: 67-29: 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Morris more or less cruised over his six scoreless innings, though the five walks to go with the five hits were suboptimal.
  • Gibby had a single and his two-run homer.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Cleveland Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Greg Kosc, 1B – Ted Hendry, 2B – Drew Coble, 3B – Jim Evans
  • Time of Game: 3:09
  • Attendance: 16,576

Birthdays

The late Johnny Groth, Ray Scarborough and Frank Croucher 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 478: 9/9 — Rarity: 44

See you tomorrow.

July 18, 1984: White Sox 10 – Tigers 6

W: Floyd Bannister (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (12-6) – S: Juan Agosto (3) | Boxscore

Record: 62-29 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Yikes. Another forgettable game by Morris: Four innings (he faced three batters in the fifth), seven earned runs, 10 hits, and two walks.
  • Roger Craig’s 1984 season journal, “Inside Pitch,” is in many ways superior to Sparky’s “Bless You Boys” because of the focus on the pitchers. Here’s part of what Craig wrote about this game:

Our five-game winning streak died in a Morris tantrum. He flew into a fit over a borderline ball-strike call by home plate umpire Mark Johnson and proceeded to lose 3-1 and 4-3 leads in a 10-6 loss …

… Jack seems unable to comprehend the serious nature of his frustrations. He ranted and raved. He embarrassed me, himself, Sparky, and the front office. He incensed his teammates. Quite obviously, Jack has a lot of growing up to do. He’s not having fun pitching and he’s not a happy person.

I did not talk to Jack following the game, but he’s going to hear from me tomorrow.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Mark Johnson, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
  • Time of Game: 2:59
  • Attendance: 39,051

Birthdays

Eugenio Suarez, Torii Hunter, Harry Spilman and the late Johnny Hopp

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 473 8/9: Rarity: 182

See you tomorrow.

July 13, 1984: Tigers 5 – Twins 3 (11)

July 13, 1984: Tigers 5 – Twins 3 (11)

W: Willie Hernández (5-0) – L: Rick Lysander (0-1) – S: Aurelio López (10) | Boxscore

Record: 58-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Jack Morris and Twins starter John Butcher matched up more or less evenly through seven. The Tigers gave Morris a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth — thanks to a Johnny Grubb solo homer — only to see The Cat allow the tying run in the bottom half.
  • Lou Whitaker‘s 11th-inning two-run homer off Lysander gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. Aurelio López earned the save by pitching a quintessential Señor Smoke inning: one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
  • Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Tom Brookens each had two hits. In fact, the Tigers got four hits in five at bats out of the number-nine spot: One from Doug Baker, Grubb’s homer and Brookens’ double and triple.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Metrodome
  • Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 3:11
  • Attendance: 30,050

Birthdays

Clint Sodowsky and the late George Cunningham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 468 9/9: Rarity: 20

See you tomorrow.