Aug. 3, 1984: Royals 9 – Tigers 6

W: Bret Saberhagen (5-8) – L: Milt Wilcox (11-7) – S: Dan Quisenberry (28) | Boxscore

Record: 72-35 — 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Milt gave up six runs on six hits, one of them a Frank White grand slam, in three innings of work — though he pitched to five hitters in the fourth inning. At that point, the Royals handed their starter Bud Black an 8-2 lead.

The Tigers chipped away, thanks to home runs by Alan Trammell and Tom Brookens and a two-run triple from Lance Parrish, to cut the lead to 8-5.

Saberhagen relieved Black and pitched an inning and two-thirds to earn the win. Quisenberry allowed only two hits in his 2^2/3 innings.

Lou Whitaker had four hits in five at bats.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Bill Kunkel, 1B – Terry Cooney, 2B – Derryl Cousins, 3B – Richard Shulock
Time of Game: 2:37
Attendance: 39,480

Birthdays

Pat McCoy, Matt Joyce, Wendell Magee, Dan Meyer and the late Jim Hegan and Harry Heilmann, who hit .342 in 15 years with the Tigers. He hit over .390 four times, including .403 in 1923. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1952.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 489 9/9 — Rarity: 32

See you tomorrow.

July 19, 1984: Tigers 9 – Rangers 2

W: Milt Wilcox (9-6) – L: Dave Stewart (4-11) | Boxscore

Record: 63-29 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A terrific start for Wilcox: 7^1/3 innings, eight hits, two runs, seven strikeouts and no walks.

Ruppert Jones had quite a day: 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles — but just one RBI? — and Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish homered. Lou Whitaker had three hits.

A juxtaposition of Tigers relievers in this one: Willie Hernández got the final two outs of the eighth, and Aurelio López took over in the ninth.

The Tigers are in the middle of a 15-game stretch where they go 12-3. 🔥

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rocky Roe, 1B – Ken Kaiser, 2B – Dale Ford, 3B – Larry Barnett
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 26,908

Mark Carreon OF — #15

Mark Carreon played just one season in Detroit, 1992, but what the hay, let’s look back on it:

Jan. 22, 1992: The Mets sent him along with Tony Castillo to the Tigers for minor leaguer Randy Marshall and Paul Gibson.

Carreon made his Tigers debut on April 9, 1992, and homered in his first at bat off the Blue Jays’ Juan Guzmán.

His final game also came against Toronto, on Oct. 4, but no highlights to speak of in this one: 0 for 5 with an error.

In between he had a few notable games: May 13 against the Angels in which he went 3 for 5 with a homer, and June 3, a four-hit game. On Sept. 11 and Sept. 13 he had 3 for 5 games.

All told, he hit .232 with 10 homers in 101 games. After the ’92 season he became a free agent and signed with the Giants.

Birthdays

Phil Coke, Mark Carreon, the late Mark Koenig, Earl Hamilton and Erve Beck

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 474 9/9: Rarity: 59

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 4, 1984: White Sox 8 – Tigers 2 🇺🇲

July 4, 1984: White Sox 8 – Tigers 2

W: Richard Dotson (11-4) – L: Milt Wilcox (8-6) | Boxscore

Record: 55-25 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Detroit’s skid hits four games in a pitcher’s duel-turned-blowout.

Wilcox and Dotson matched zeroes through five innings, and in the sixth the wheels came off of Milt and the Sox took an 8-0 lead.

Aurelio López relieved Wilcox, who’d given up six runs, but he managed to get just one out before handing it over to Sid Monge. Poor Isidro gave up two runs and a homer in his two innings of work.

Dotson allowed just three of the Tigers five hits.

Darrell Evans and Johnny Grubb hit homers.

Miscellany

Venue: Comiskey Park
Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:34
Attendance: 37,665

Birthdays

Francisco Cruceta and the late Bill Tuttle, Babe Birrer and George Mullin

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 23, 1984: Tigers 5 – Brewers 1

W: Milt Wilcox (8-5) – L: Chuck Porter (5-3) | Boxscore

Record: 51-18 — Up 7.5 on Toronto

Highlights

Milt tossed a beaut: Eight innings, four hits, one run.

The Tigers raced out to a 5-0 lead by the third inning, fueled by homers from Kirk Gibson, a solo shot in the first, and Howard Johnson a three-run job in the second.

Lance Parrish had a pair a doubles and Gibby went three for four.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Marty Springstead
Time of Game: 2:33
Attendance: 44,680

Bill Nahorodny – C #18

He didn’t play very long for his hometown Tigers, but catcher Bill Nahorodny can, at the very least, say he appeared in a game, for the home team, at Tiger Stadium. Here are a few things to know about him:

The Hamtramck native was drafted by the Phillies in the sixth round of the 1972 MLB June Amateur Draft from St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron.

After several seasons with the White Sox and Braves and one each with the Phillies and Indians, he signed with the Tigers on March 1, 1983.

At Evansville, he ran roughshod over International League pitching in 1983 — 127 games, a .335 average, 21 home runs, 94 RBI and a .945 OPS — and it earned him a September call up.

Nahordony’s Tigers debut came on Sept. 24 at Tiger Stadium. In the bottom of the eighth he pinch for Marty Castillo and, facing John Tudor, grounded out to shortstop Ed Jurak.

Four days later, facing the Orioles, he pinch hit for Mike Laga and drew a walk off Tippy Martinez.

And that would be it for Nahorodny’s Tigers career. The Tigers released him on Oct. 21, 1983. He spent the ’84 season with the Mariners

Birthdays

The late Tom Haller, Bubba Floyd, Aaron Robinson and Al Clauss

See you tomorrow.

June 18, 1984: Yankees 2 – Tigers 1

W: Phil Niekro (10-3) – L: Milt Wilcox (7-5) – S: José Rijo (2) | Boxscore

Record: 47-17 — 5^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A genuine pitchers’ duel in this one as the ageless Phil Niekro shut down the Tigers on three hits and six strikeouts in 8^2/3 innings.

Milt was almost as good; he went seven allowed seven hits and struck out seven.

Gibby had two of Detroit’s hits, including a solo homer in the first.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – John Hirschbeck, 1B – Steve Palermo, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
Time of Game: 2:54
Attendance: 40,315

Julio Gonzalez – IF #10

Shortstop Julio Gonzalez appeared in 12 games for the 1983 Tigers, who signed him as a free agent on March 15 that year.

After hitting .299 at Evansville, he debuted with the Tigers, at age 30, on May 13 against the Yankees. He came in as a defensive replacement at third. His first start came a week later against the Rangers. Gonzalez was hitless in three at bats with three strikeouts.

On June 19 the veteran played in his final major-league game. He started and batted ninth against the Indians. He went one for two.

All told, he had three hits in 21 at bats and two RBI, and finished with a .143 average.

Defensively, he played six games at short, five at second and one at third. He had 27 chances at short and made three errors, and made one in 13 chances at second.

Birthdays

Matt Moore

See you tomorrow.

June 8, 1984: Tigers 3 – Orioles 2

W: Milt Wilcox (7-3) – L: Storm Davis (6-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (8) | Boxscore

Record: 41-13; 5^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A solid start for Milt: six-and-a-third innings, four hits and two runs.

Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon each had two hits.

Doug Bair and Willie Hernández blanked the O’s the rest of the way.

Miscellany

Venue: Memorial Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
Time of Game: 3:18
Attendance: 50,361

Birthdays

Matt Perisho, Dave Mlicki, Kevin Ritz and Joe Grzenda

See you tomorrow.

June 3, 1984: Orioles 2 – Tigers 1

W: Mike Flanagan (4-4) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-3) | Boxscore

Record: 38-11

Highlights

Wilcox gave up just two runs (one earned) but did not have command: four hits and six walks in five and two-thirds.

Flanagan, on the other hand, was terrific, scattering seven hits in a complete-game win, striking out six and walking only one.

Tom Brookens homered in the seventh to cut the Orioles’ lead in half. Lance Parrish had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
Time of Game: 2:42
Attendance: 34,228

Video Clips: Darrell Evans and Chet Lemon

Darrell and Chet talk about the Tigers’ torrid start to the 1984 season.

Birthdays

Ed Glynn and the late John Bassler and Bill McTigue

See you tomorrow.

May 29, 1984: A’s 8 – Tigers 5

W: Bill Krueger (3-1) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-2) – Save: Bill Caudill (10) | Boxscore

Record: 36-9

Highlights

The A’s knocked Wilcox around early: seven runs on seven hits and three walks, in three-and-a-third innings.

Oakland built up an 8-1 lead in the fourth.

Chet Lemon‘s seventh-inning two-run homer, one of his two hits, was the Tigers highlight. All told, they had six hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Rick Reed, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
Time of Game: 2:42
Attendance: 22,499

Duffy Dyer #15

The Tigers picked up Don Robert “Duffy” Dyer in a March 15, 1980 trade with the Expos for Jerry Manuel. The 34-year-old was, throughout his career a backup catcher and on some decent teams — including the 1969 Miracle Mets.

By the time Dyer came to Detroit, his career was drawing to a close. But before we get to that, let’s look at his brief time as a Tiger:

He made his Tigers debut on April 12, 1980 against the Royals. Dyer started at catcher, batting eighth, and went 0 for 4.

On May 8, he got his first Tigers hit: a double off the Mariners’ Rick Honeycutt, part of a two-for-three game.

In all he appeared in 48 games in 1980, mostly as a catcher and a few games at DH.

In 1981, Dyer appeared in two games, but had no at bats. His last big league hit came on Oct. 4, 1980, a single off the Yankees’ Rudy May.

And, his final at bat came on the next day, against the Yankees’ Doug Bird, a fly out to right.

His final appearance came a year and three days after his debut — both against the Royals. On April 15, he was a defensive replacement for Lance Parrish in the bottom of the ninth. The Tigers won, 4-0. On May 18, 1981, he was released.

His final line: .185 average, four home runs and 11 RBI.

Check out this full bio on Dyer on the SABR Bio Project website.

Birthdays

Trevor Miller, Eric Davis, Billy Beane, Fred Holdsworth, John Baumgartner, Denny McLain and the late Ferris Fain and Jack Lively

See you tomorrow.