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.

Sept. 24, 1984: Tigers 7 – Brewers 3

W: Juan Berenguer (10-10) – L: Paul Hartzell (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 101-55 — 14^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Berenguer evened his record by going five innings, giving up just five hits. Dave Rozema, Doug Bair, Bill Scherrer and Aurelio López each pitched one inning to close it out.

Chet Lemon, number 20, and Lou Whitaker, his 12th, both homered off Milwaukee reliever Rick Waits.

Dave Bergman had three hits, and Lou, Ruppert Jones, Nelson Simmons and Doug Baker all had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: County Stadium
Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Jim McKean
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 9,506

Birthdays

Nate Cornejo, John McDonald and the late Dixie Walker, Tom Seats, Joe Sargent and John Kane

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid #541: 9/9 — Rarity 14

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 22, 1984: Tigers 6 – Yankees 0

W: Dan Petry (18-8) – L: Clay Christiansen (2-4) | Boxscore

Record: 99-55 — 13^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Sparky certainly wasn’t thinking about saving Peaches’ arm for the postseason. Petry dazzled with a complete-game four hitter. He struck out nine and walked just two.

Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell both had two hits and Chet Lemon had a three-run homer.

Dave Bergman batted ninth; he batted leadoff in the previous game.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Rich Garcia
Time of Game: 2:31
Attendance: 38,897

Birthdays

Danny Klassen, Vince Coleman and the late Anse Moore, Chuck Hostetler, Frank Walker, Ira Flagstead and Hooks Dauss

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid #539: 9/9 — Rarity: 18

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 17, 1984: Tigers 7 – Brewers 3

W: Roger Mason (1-1) – L: Rick Waits (2-4) – S: Aurelio López (14) | Boxscore

Record: 96-54 — 12 games up on Toronto

Magic Number: 1

Highlights

A six-run sixth inning turned a 2-1 deficit into a 7-2 lead and put the Tigers on the brink of clinching the American League East. The Blue Jays beat the Red Sox to keep the Magic Number at one.

In that sixth inning, Lance Parrish hit a solo homer off Brewers starter Rick Waits, and Lou Whitaker hit a grand slam.

Bellaire, Mich.,-native Roger Mason started and went six with Señor Smoke pitching the final three innings.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rick Reed, 1B – Tim McClelland, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Steve Palermo
Time of Game: 2:40
Attendance: 34,091

Birthdays

Dillon Dingler, Casey Crosby, Wayne Krenchicki and the late Chuck Daniel, Bob Uhl and Earl Webb

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid #534: 9/9 — Rarity: 40

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. 14, 1984: Blue Jays 7 – Tigers 2

W: Jim Clancy (12-14) L: Jack Morris (17-11) S: Jimmy Key (9) | Boxscore

Record: 93-54 — 10 games up on Toronto

Magic Number: 6

Highlights

Morris appeared to be limping toward the postseason. In this one he made it through six innings and allowed seven hits, three of them homers: two by Willie Aikens and one from Roseville’s own Ernie Whitt.

Clancy kept the Tigers in check, giving up four hits. Jimmy Key got the quintessential 1980s four-inning save.

Lou Whitaker had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry Young, 1B – Derryl Cousins, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Terry Cooney
Time of Game: 2:51
Attendance: 46,040

Birthdays

Andrew Vasquez, Derek Law, Delmon Young, George Lombard, Jerry Don Gleaton and the late Icehouse Wilson.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 531: 6/9 — Rarity: 321

😬

See you tomorrow.

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. 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.

Willie got Juan Beníquez to ground into a double play, then struck out Gary Pettis to end the game.

Ruppert Jones drove hit a three-run homer, Darrell Evans had a solo shot and Lou Whitaker had three hits.

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. 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. 9, 1984: Travel Day to K. C.

The Tigers likely savored the off day after all the doubleheaders. Let’s look ahead 10 years to a markedly different brand of Tigers baseball played in 1994. 😬

Aug. 9, 1994: Tigers 10 – Brewers 4

W: Sean Bergman (2-1) – L: Cal Eldred (11-11) | Boxscore

Record: 52-61 — Fifth place; 19 games behind the Yankees

Highlights

As seems appropriate for this team, Cecil Fielder provided 60% of the Tigers’ runs despite one for three night: a grand slam and two sac-fly RBI.

Alan Trammell and Mickey Tettleton also homered, and Lou Whitaker had four hits — all singles.

Plus, doubles from Junior Félix (!) and Kirk Gibson.

After this game, the last-place Tigers had two more before the player’s strike.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – John Hirschbeck, 1B – Ted Barrett, 2B – Rich Garcia, 3B – Larry Young
Time of Game: 3:05
Attendance: 15,874
Field Condition: Dry
Start Time Weather: 61° F, Wind 5 mph from Left to Right, Night, No Precipitation.

Birthdays

Steven Moya, Dusty Allen, Troy Percival, Bob Scanlan, John Moses, Kevin Saucier, and the late Bill Campbell, Jerry Moses, Milt Bolling, Ralph Houk and Sam Vico.

See you tomorrow.