The Weekend Fungo: Nov. 2-3

The World Series Parade: Oct. 16, 1984

I asked my Dad if I could skip the afternoon portion of that junior-year school day. It was a hard no.

I was on the yearbook staff and we decided it the 1984-85 edition of Spectus would not be complete without some on-the-ground photos and coverage of the Tigers World Series Parade.

So, yeah, I went.

My Dad seemed to be — at best — okay with my going downtown during a school day in the service of my, ahem, studies.

It was a blast for me and about a half dozen of my friends, some of whom were on the school newspaper staff and, yes, they needed fresh copy too.

The only person I think that did not enjoy themselves was the poor soul who parked their brown Chevy Nova-like car on Michigan Avenue. So many people — maybe us too? — stood or sat on it that the roof was caved in.

Birthdays

Nov. 2: Parker Meadows, Melvin Mercedes, Wilson Betemit and the late Elon Hogsett

Nov: 3: Alex Wilson, Mike Christopher, Larry Herndon and the late Red Phillips and Jim Walkup

See you tomorrow.

Oct. 10, 1984: World Series Game 2

Padres 5 – Tigers 3

W: Andy Hawkins – L: Dan Petry – S: Craig Lefferts | Boxscore

Series tied at 1

Highlights

I call this one The Kurt Bevacqua Revenge Game. The Tigers looked to be on the road to taking Game 2 with a five-hit, three-run first inning that dispatched Padres started Ed Whitson after he retired only two outs.

Petry started and lasted just 4^1/3 innings and gave up five earned runs on eight hits and three walks. The big blow was Bevacqua’s three-run homer in the fifth which sent Peaches to the showers.

Padres reliever Andy Hawkins was pretty much untouchable over his 51/3 innings, allowing just one hit, and Craig Lefferts was just as good in his three innings.

Alan Trammell and Kirk Gibson each had two hits. Detroit made three errors, one each by Larry Herndon, Tram and Gibby.

Bevacqua, Alan Wiggins and Garry Templeton each had three hits for San Diego.

Miscellany

Venue: Jack Murphy Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Bruce Froemming, 2B – Rich Garcia, 3B – Paul Runge, LF – Mike Reilly, RF – Doug Harvey
Time of Game: 2:44
Attendance: 57,911

Birthdays

Shelby Miller, Plácido Polanco, Ramón Martínez, Jim Weaver and the late Brian Powell, Saul Rogovin, Harry Eisenstat and John Stone

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 557: 9/9 – Rarity: 39

See you tomorrow.

Oct. 9, 1984: World Series Game 1

Tigers 3 – Padres 2

W: Jack Morris – L: Mark Thurmond | Boxscore

Tigers lead series 1-0

Highlights

The Tigers jumped on Thurmond and got half of their eight hits in the first inning. A Lou Whitaker leadoff double followed by an Alan Trammell single brought home the game’s first run. Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon also singled in the inning but were stranded.

San Diego followed suit and tagged The Cat for a pair of runs in the home half of the first. After quickly dispatching Alan Wiggins and Tony Gwynn, the Padres strung together three hits, singles by Graig Nettles and Steve Garvey, and an RBI double from Terry Kennedy, to take a 2-1 lead.

The difference in the game was Herndon’s fifth-inning two-run homer off Thurmond.

In the bottom of the seventh, we witnessed a dazzling defensive play by Kirk Gibson, who fielded Kurt Bevacqua‘s liner to the right field corner and threw a perfect relay to Whitaker who nailed Bevacqua at third.

Morris cruised the rest of the way, scattering eight hits, walking three and striking out nine.

Miscellany

Venue: Jack Murphy Stadium
Umpires: HP – Doug Harvey, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Bruce Froemming, 3B – Rich Garcia, LF – Paul Runge, RF – Mike Reilly
Time of Game: 3:18
Attendance: 57,908

Birthdays

Derek Holland

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 556: 9/9 — Rarity 29

See you tomorrow.

Oct. 2, 1984: ALCS Game 1

Tigers 8 – Royals 1

W: Jack Morris (1-0) – L: Bud Black (0-1) – | Boxscore

Tigers lead series, 1-0.

Highlights

Alan Trammell had a night. He went 3 for 3 — with a triple and a homer — three RBI, two walks and two runs scored.

Morris was terrific: seven innings, one run on five hits, a walk and four strikeouts. Willie Hernández pitched two flawless innings.

Kirk Gibson, Bárbaro Garbey, Darrell Evans and Marty Castillo each had two hits. Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon homered.

How in the world did the Royals, with 20 fewer wins than the Tigers, get to host the first two games of this series? Baseball’s ridiculous alternate-year home-field advantage nonsense, that’s how.

Miscellany

Venue: Royals Stadium
Replacement Umpires: HP – Bill Deegan, 1B – Jon Bible, 2B – Randy Christal, 3B – Larry Zirbel, LF – Harold Jordan, RF – Mike O’Dell
Time of Game: 2:42
Attendance: 41,973

Birthdays

Alex Lange, Chad Smith, Victor Santos, Matt Walbeck, Dave Beard and the late Earl Wilson

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 549 8/9 — Rarity: 207

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 29, 1984: Tigers 11 – Yankees 3

W: Juan Berenguer (11-10) – L: Ron Guidry (10-11) – S: Roger Mason (1) | Boxscore

Record: 104-57 — 15 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Larry Herndon went three for five, including a solo homer, as the Tigers piled 11 hits on Guidry and 16 overall.

Berenguer pitched six innings allowing just two-hits … but six walks. Mason earned the three-inning save.

Lance Parrish and Dwight Lowry each hit two-run homers.

Miscellany

Venue: Yankee Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 2:53
Attendance: 35,685

Birthdays

Jermaine Clark, Rob Deer, Jim Crawford, Rich Reese and the late Bob Anderson and Tony Rensa

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 546 9/9 — Rarity: 22

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 16, 1984: Tigers 8 – Blue Jays 3

W: Juan Berenguer (9-10) – L: Bryan Clark (1-2) | Boxscore

Record: 95-54 — 12 games up on Toronto

Magic Number: 2

Highlights

The Tigers were up 7-0 in third inning and banged out 12 hits off five Blue Jays pitchers. Berenguer eked out a five-inning win, allowing three hits, two runs and striking out four.

Lou Whitaker, Larry Herndon, Marty Castillo and Tom Brookens each had two hits, and Castillo, Brookens and Herndon each homered.

And that was all she wrote for the Blue Jays. The Tigers’ Magic Number was shrinking and the Jays were out of time.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Richard Shulock, 1B – Terry Cooney, 2B – Larry Young, 3B – Derryl Cousins
Time of Game: 3:01
Attendance: 45,488

Birthdays

Matt Vierling, Robbie Grossman, Mark Parent, Chris Pittaro, Mickey Tettleton and the late Vito Valentinetti

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 533: 9/9 – Rarity: 63

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 11, 1984: Tigers 9 – Orioles 2

W: Dan Petry (17-8) – L: Bill Swaggerty (3-2) | Boxscore

Record: 93-52 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Magic Number: 7

Highlights

The game was scoreless until a five-run fifth inning, part of a 16-hit Tigers attack. Petry went 6^2/3, allowing two runs on five hits before handing it over to Doug Bair and Willie Hernández.

Larry Herndon pinch hit for Ruppert Jones in the fifth and proceeded to have a three-for-three night, including a homer and three RBI.

Darrell Evans homered and went four for four, and Kirk Gibson had three hits in five at bats.

Miscellany

Venue: Memorial Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Tim McClelland, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 3:07
Attendance: 25,193

Birthdays

Shannon Penn and the late Dave Roberts, Clay Smith and Frank Kitson

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 528 9/9 — Rarity: 22

Comment

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 21, 1984: Tigers 12 – A’s 6

W: Milt Wilcox (14-7) – L: Lary Sorensen (5-12) | Boxscore

Record: 83-44 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Alan Trammell (3 for 4) and Darrell Evans (4 for 5 and a three-run homer) accounted for half the Tigers’ hits and Lance Parrish drove in four with a first-inning grand slam. Larry Herndon also homered.

Another hometown kid, Macomb County’s Lary Sorensen, was ambushed in two innings of work: six hits, seven runs and five walks.

Wilcox worked six innings, allowed two runs on four hits and struck out seven.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Tim Welke, 2B – Marty Springstead, 3B – Durwood Merrill
Time of Game: 3:04
Attendance: 34,065

Birthdays

Dustin Molleken, J.D. Martinez, Dean Crow, and the late Andujar Cedeño and Gerry Staley

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 507 9/9 — Rarity: 4

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: 4^1/3 innings, 10 hits and eight runs.

All told, the Tigers amassed 20 hits. Larry Herndon, Darrell Evans and Doug Baker each had three hits, and Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson and Chet Lemon contributed two each. Lemon, Gibby and Lance Parrish had homers.

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. 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.