July 9, 1984: The All-Star Break

The Tigers had six players on the 1984 American League All-Star team, three in the starting lineup …

… and three reserves:

Tram was on the disabled list, as I recall, with an elbow issue and wouldn’t play in the game, played at Candlestick Park.

I had held out hope that Morris would start the game. Alas, that assignment went to the Blue Jays’ Dave Stieb.

The Standings

A seven-game lead at the All-Star Break, even knowing how it all ends, is still remarkable. What I did not realize, until I started writing this post, was the Padres entered the break with the best record in the National League.

Birthdays

Orville Inman “Coot” Veal and the late Bud Black, Jimmy Shevlin, Glenn Myatt and Carl Holling

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 464 8/9 —Rarity: 159

See you tomorrow.

June 29, 1984: Doubleheader in Detroit

Game 1: Twins 5 – Tigers 3

W: Albert Williams (3-3) – L: Jack Morris (12-4) – S: Ron Davis (15) | Boxscore

Record: 53-21

Highlights

Morris began — or maybe he was already mired in? — his mid-season slump. He allowed 10 hits, three walks and five earned runs over 5^2/3 innings.

Doug Bair pitched the final 3^1/3 giving up just two hits in a scoreless outing.

Lou Whitaker had three hits and Lance Parrish drove in two.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Mark Johnson, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: Not Given

Game 2: Tigers 7 – Twins 5

W: Willie Hernández (4-0) – L: Pete Filson (4-2) | Boxscore

Record: 54-21 — 10 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers chased Twins starter Mike Smithson after 1^1/3 with five hits — three of them homers — and four earned runs.

Kirk Gibson‘s two-run shot in the first, and solo homers by Chet Lemon and Ruppert Jones in the second sent Smithson to the showers.

That 4-0 Tigers lead turned into a 5-4 deficit thanks to the Twins’ tagging Milt Wilcox for five runs on five hits in five innings.

Detroit tied it in the seventh and the Gibby hit his second two-run homer of the game to walk it off.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Mark Johnson, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 44,619

Birthdays

Eddie Miller, Bruce Kimm, the late Bob Shaw, Dizzy Trout and Bobby Veach

See you tomorrow.

June 28, 1984: Off Day at Home

The Tigers have an off day after losing the series to the Yankees in New York. Up next: a doubleheader against the Twins in Detroit. Let’s look back on a game played on June 28 in another year.

June 28, 1980: Tigers 8 – Blue Jays 3

W: Dave Rozema (4-4) – L: Jack Kucek (1-1) | Boxscore

Record: 37-30 — 3rd place, 6.5 games behind the Yankees

Highlights

Rozema pitched seven innings, scattered seven hits and allowed just two earned runs. Dan Schatzeder and Aurelio López covered the final two innings.

Lou Whitaker, batting ninth, went 3 for 4 with three RBI.

Al Cowens hit his second of the year, a solo shot, in the seventh; he, Rick Peters, and John Wockenfuss each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Fred Spenn, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 2:53
Attendance: 20,059

Birthdays

Chris Spurling, Greg Keagle, Tom Fletcher, Orlando McFarlane, Frank Scheibeck and the late Fred Gladding

See you tomorrow.

June 12, 1984: Blue Jays 12 – Tigers 3

W: Jim Clancy (5-6) – L: Jack Morris (11-3) | Boxscore

Record: 44-15 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

All the highlights in this one belonged to the Blue Jays. They took it to all three Tigers pitchers.

Morris: Three innings, eight hits, six runs.

Sid Monge: Four innings, six hits, three runs.

Aurelio López: One inning, two hits (one homer), three runs.

Oh, here’s one Tigers highlight: Lou Whitaker went three for four with a single, double and triple

Miscellany

Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jerry Neudecker, 1B – John Hirschbeck, 2B – Steve Palermo, 3B – Dave Phillips
Time of Game: 2:43
Attendance: 40,437

Elias Sosa #36

Here are five things to know about right-hander Elias Sosa, who spent one year in Detroit:

Sosa was sent to the Tigers by the Expos on March 30, 1982 as part of a conditional deal. I have no idea what that means.
He made his Tigers debut on April 12, 1982, pitching the ninth inning in a 9-5 Tigers loss.
Of his 38 appearances, 23 were multiple innings, and he averaged 1^2/3 innings of work.
Sosa’s longest outing was a five-inning stint on July 12 against the White Sox.
His final line: 3-3 record, 4.43 ERA and four saves. The Padres purchased his contract from the Tigers on Oct. 7, 1982.

Birthdays

Avisaíl García, Scott Aldred and the late Matty McIntyre

See you tomorrow.

June 10, 1984: Doubleheader in Baltimore

June 10, 1984: Game 1 Tigers 10 – Orioles 4

W: Doug Bair (3-0) – L: Mike Boddicker (7-5) – Save: Willie Hernández (9) | Boxscore

Record: 42-14

Highlights

The Tigers got to Boddicker early, five runs on seven hits in 4^1/3 innings. Glenn Abbott faired slightly less bad: three runs, seven hits in 2^2/3.

Bair threw 3^1/3 scoreless, one-hit innings.

Lou and Gibby both had three hits and four RBI. Tram and Howard Johnson had a pair of hits each.

The game featured 24 hits — 13 by Detroit — and the Orioles made four errors.

Miscellany

Venue: Memorial Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:48

Game 2 Tigers 8 – Orioles 0

W: Dan Petry (9-3) – L: Dennis Martínez (1-3) | Boxscore

Record: 43-14 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson and Howard Johnson each had three hits, including a homer, part of a 13-hit attack on El Presidente.

Petry was stellar: a complete-game three-hitter.

All told: Gibby had six hits and six RBI in the two games‚ while Tram and Johnson each had five hits. Lou scored five runs in the first game.

Miscellany

Venue: Memorial Stadium
Umpires: HP – Greg Kosc, 1B – Ted Hendry, 2B – Drew Coble, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 2:44
Attendance: 51,764

Then, After the Doubleheader …

George Kell informed us that “the Tigers just announced they have acquired the rights to left-handed pitcher … (and it seemed like an eternity before revealing it was …) Sid Monge.”

Birthdays

Al Alburquerque, Elias Sosa and Hank Foiles

See you tomorrow.

June 6, 1984: Blue Jays 6 – Tigers 3

W: Luis Leal (6-0) – L: Dan Petry (8-3) | Boxscore

Record: 39-13

Highlights

Peaches got pummeled: Four innings, 10 hits, five earned runs. Aurelio López pitched four innings of relief.

Lou Whitaker had three hits, Howard Johnson two.

Ruppert Jones doubled and walked in his Tigers debut.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Derryl Cousins, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Richard Shulock
Time of Game: 2:36
Attendance: 38,167

Ed Glynn #48

Here are a few things to know about lefty Ed Glynn.

The Tigers signed him as an amateur free agent on Sept. 25, 1971.

Glynn debuted on Sept. 19, 1975 against the Red Sox. Tigers starter Ray Bare didn’t record an out, so Glynn and Lerrin LaGrow picked up the slack. He entered in the fourth, and pitched two and two thirds, allowing three hits and two runs.

In parts of four seasons with Detroit, he appeared in 26 games — 10 being the high-water mark, in 1978 — and had a final record of 3-6 and a 4.93 ERA.

Along the way, he made eight starts and on Sept. 12, 1976, he pitched a complete game against the Yankees but took the loss in the 3-1 New York win.

On March 13, 1979, the Tigers traded him to his hometown Mets for Mardie Cornejo — Nate Cornejo‘s dad!

Birthdays

Will Vest, Tyler Collins, Collin Balester, Eddie Bonine and the late Dave Bergman, Chet Morgan and Izzy Goldstein

See you tomorrow.

May 28, 1984: Tigers 6 – A’s 2

W: Jack Morris (10-1) – L: Chris Codiroli (1-2) | Boxscore

Highlights

Another complete game win for Morris: 7 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 8 strikeouts.

On the other side, Codirolio faced the first seven batters, got only one out and surrendered four Tigers runs before being pulled.

Alan Trammell went 3 for 4, Lou Whitaker had three walks, and Lance Parrish hit his eighth homer of the year.

Miscellany

Venue: Oakland Coliseum
Umpires: HP – Jerry Neudecker, 1B – Steve Palermo, 2B – Rick Reed, 3B – Dave Phillips
Time of Game: 2:57
Attendance: 46,238

Birthdays

Lester Oliveros, Jhonny Peralta, Mike Difelice, Kirk Gibson and the late Jim Middleton

See you tomorrow.

May 22, 1984: Tigers 3 – Angels 1

W: Juan Berenguer (3-2) – L: Mike Witt (4-4) – Save: Aurelio López (6) | Boxscore

Record: 33-5

Highlights

The Tigers opened the scoring thanks to a Kirk Gibson first-inning single followed by a stolen base, and then an RBI single by Lance Parrish.

Berenguer gave up a solo homer to Rod Carew in the home half of the first and then settled down to allow just two more hits in six innings, striking out nine.

Lou Whitaker had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Anaheim Stadium
Umpires: HP – Derryl Cousins, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Richard Shulock
Time of Game: 2:53
Attendance: 41,253

Bob Adams #40

Here are a few things to know about the right-handed hitting first baseman and catcher, Bob Adams.

The Tigers drafted him in the third round of the 1973 amateur draft.

Adams debuted on July 10, 1977 against the White Sox. In the bottom of the ninth in a 5-5 game, he pinch hit for Phil Mankowski and, facing Dave Hamilton, struck out.

On Aug. 9 against the Brewers, Adams got his first big-league hit: a solo home run off Bill Travers. He started the game and batted seventh.

He appeared in 15 games for the Tigers that year, 12 as a pinch hitter. On Aug. 26, he pinch hit for Tom Veryzer in the eighth-inning, a solo homer off the Angels’ Frank Tanana.

Adams’ final game was Sept. 29 against the Orioles. Pinch hitting for Alan Trammell, he doubled off Rudy May.

His major-league numbers: .250 average, two home runs, two RBI.

Birthdays

Andre Lipcius, Al Levine, Jose Mesa, the late Al Simmons and Al Shaw

See you tomorrow.

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

Darrell Evans went 3 for 4 with two RBI, and Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon each had two hits.

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.

He appeared in four of the five games in the 1984 World Series, hitting one for three. After that year, he was sent to the White Sox in a blockbuster. He, Ozzie Guillén, Tim Lollar and Bill Long went to Chicago for LaMarr Hoyt and minor leaguers Kevin Kristan, Todd Simmons.

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 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Mariners 4

W: Jack Morris (7-1) – L: Roy Thomas (3-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (5) | Boxscore

Record: 28-5

Highlights

Kind of an ugly game featuring five errors; three by the Tigers – Whitaker, Tram, and Howard Johnson.

At one point, the Tigers led 6-1.

Morris and Hernandez combined for a five hitter.

Kirk Gibson and Johnson each had two RBI.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Terry Cooney, 1B – Richard Shulock, 2B – Derryl Cousins, 3B – Bill Kunkel
Time of Game: 3:32
Attendance: 21,782

Birthdays

Kody Clemens, Jim Adduci, A.J. Hinch and Jason Karnuth

See you tomorrow.