Tag: Willie Hernández

May 20, 1984: Tigers 4 – A’s 3

May 20, 1984: Tigers 4 – A’s 3

W: Milt Wilcox (6-0) – L: Lary Sorensen (1-6) – Save: Willie Hernández (6)  | Boxscore

Record: 32-5

Highlights

  • Milt scattered just three hits and allowed two runs.
  • Willie notched a three-inning save.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Jim McKean, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:22
  • Attendance: 27,073

Birthdays

Luis Garcia, David Wells, the late Tom Morgan, Earl Rapp – whose Tigers career spanned one plate appearance in 1949 – and Hal Newhouser

See you tomorrow.

May 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Mariners 4

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

  • At one point, the Tigers led 6-1.
  • Morris and Hernandez combined for a five hitter.

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.

May 13, 1984: Rained Out in Detroit

May 13, 1984: Rained Out in Detroit

The Tigers are rained out yet again in the first six weeks. Seattle comes to town for three starting tomorrow.

Record: 26-5, 7.5 games up

Glenn Wilson #12

A torrid start in Evansville led to Glenn Wilson‘s promotion to the Tigers in time for the Tigers on Opening Day in Detroit, April 15, 1982, against the Blue Jays.

Just two years earlier Wilson was a Tigers first-round pick, 18th overall, out of Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Wilson entered the ’82 home opener in the bottom of the eighth pinch-hitting for DH Jerry Turner. Facing Jays’ reliever Jerry Garvin, he stuck out looking.

The next day, Wilson collected his first major-league hit the next day against Ron Guidry, leading off the ninth with a double to left center.

Wilson made the most of his opportunity, hitting .467 in his first six games, and playing excellent defense in the outfield. Thanks to his hot start, he stuck with the Tigers until early May when he was sent back to Evansville only to return in July.

Wilson ended up playing in 84 big-league games that season, 80 of them in centerfield, and finished at .292 with 12 home runs.

In 1983 the Tigers were depending on Wilson to maintain the pace he began in his rookie season. He shifted from centerfield to right, allowing Chet Lemon to take over his natural position. Wilson appeared in 144 games that year and hit .268 with 11 HR and 64 RBI.

The Tigers saw him as a key piece of the puzzle heading into 1984. But the Tigers were determined to make Kirk Gibson their regular right fielder in ’84 which complicated the outfield picture and likely meant Wilson was a man without a position.

On March 24, the Tigers sent Wilson and John Wockenfuss to the Phillies for Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman. Wilson spent four seasons with the Phillies and was named to the National League All-Star team in 1985. He finished the season with a .275 average, 14 home runs and 102 RBI.

With stops in Seattle, Pittsburgh and his hometown Astros, Wilson had a solid 10-year major-league career. His place in Tigers lore is set, if only as a player traded away on the eve of a magical season.

I for one enjoyed watching him play in Detroit — he was one of my favorite players — and wish he’d hung around a bit longer.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the late, old-time Tigers: Alex Main (1914 Tigers), Jimmy Archer (1907 Tigers) and Jack Burns (1903-04 Tigers)

See you tomorrow.

May 11, 1984: Tigers 8 – Angels 2

May 11, 1984: Tigers 8 – Angels 2

W: Milt Wilcox (4-0) – L: Mike Witt (4-2) – S: Willie Hernández (4) | Boxscore

Record: 26-4

Highlights

  • Six solid, scoreless innings from Wilcox and a less-than-pristine three-inning save from Willie: 5 hits allowed, 2 runs.
  • A lot of traffic on the base paths during this one: 25 combined hits (14 for Detroit) and seven combined walks (6 for the Tigers.)

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 2:55
  • Attendance: 44,187

Birthdays

Francisco Cordero, Bill Bean, Mark Huismann, Walt Terrell, the late Rip Sewell and Charlie Gehringer 

See you tomorrow.

May 6, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 5 (12)

May 6, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 5 (12)

W: Aurelio López (3-0) – L: Ernie Camacho (0-2) | Boxscore

Record: 22-4

Highlights

  • For the second straight day, the Tigers edge the Indians 6-5, but this one was a 12-inning affair.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Jim McKean, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Marty Springstead
  • Time of Game: 4:20
  • Attendance: 16,125

Dave Gumpert #43

The Tigers signed 6′ 1″ righty Dave Gumpert on Nov. 4, 1980 as an amateur free agent out of Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.

He quickly moved up the ladder in 1981, starting in Single-A Lakeland, Double-A Birmingham and the Triple-A Evansville. In 1982, he appeared in 42 games for Birmingham and two for Evansville before getting the call to Detroit.

Gumpert made his debut on July 25, 1982 against the Rangers, securing the final two outs to close out the Tigers’ 7-2 win.

He pitched in five games for the ’82 Tigers, including one brief start on Aug. 8: getting just one out and giving up three runs on four hits, including a homer to Ernie Whitt.

His final line for 1982: Five appearances, two innings pitched, 13 batters faced, one start, one save, and a 27.00 ERA.

In 1983, he began the season in Evansville and was promoted in time to again face the Blue Jays, on May 30. Gumpert relieved starter Dan Petry with one out in the ninth and the Tigers trailing 4-0. He escaped the inning and the Tigers scored four in the bottom half to push it to extras. Gumpert was charged with two runs in the 10th and the Tigers lost, 6-4.

Gumpert appeared in 26 games for the ’83 Tigers, finishing with a record of 0-2, an ERA of 2.94 and a pair of saves.

He spent all of 1984 in Evansville, posting a 7-4 record with a 4.96 ERA. The Tigers released him at the end of Spring Training in 1985 and he signed with the Cubs a week later. His final numbers with Detroit: 0-2, 3.69 ERA, two saves.

Gumpert spent the ’85 and ’86 seasons in Chicago, before being traded to the Royals for his final big-league season in 1987.

Birthdays

Phil Clark and Tom Bolton 

See you tomorrow.

May 4, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 2

May 4, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 2

W: Dan Petry (4-1) – L: Dan Spillner (0-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (3) | Boxscore

Record: 20-4

Highlights

  • Petry: 5 innings,  6 hits, 2 runs 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
  • A four-inning save for Willie.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
  • Time of Game: 3:06
  • Attendance: 8,497

Rick Leach #7

Here are seven things to know about Rick Leach, who went from start Michigan quarterback to Tigers first baseman.

  • He was drafted by the Tigers in the first round (13th) of the 1979 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Michigan. He was previously drafted by the Phillies twice: in the 11th round of the 1975 draft from Flint Southwestern High, and in the 24th round of the 1978 draft from Michigan.
  • On May 6 in Oakland, Leach got his first big-league start: batting seventh and place first. He finished 0 for 1 that night, but with three walks. The following day, he got his first major-league hit, a single to left off Matt Keough that drove in Champ Summers.
  • Leach saw his playing time increase between 1981 and 1983, appearing 54, 82 and 99 games respectively. His best year was 1983: .248, three home runs and 28 RBI.
  • With Dave Bergman, Bárbaro Garbey and Darrell Evans all slated for playing time at first, the Tigers released Leach on March 24, 1984 — the same day of The Trade that brought Bergman and Willie Hernandez to Detroit. And he signed, with of all teams, the Blue Jays. (He appeared in only two games against the Tigers.)
  • Leach had his best years in Toronto. In five seasons, he batted .283, eight home runs and 95 RBI.

Birthdays

Rick Leach, Brian Maxcy and the late Howie Koplitz, John Tsitouris and Charlie Hickman 

See you tomorrow.

April 29, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 1

April 29, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 1

W: Dan Petry (3-1) – L: Dan Spillner (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 18-2

Highlights

  • Dan Petry took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before allowing a two-out double to George Vukovich. He retired the next batter.
  • Petry: 8 IP, 1 hit, 2 walks, 7 strikeouts.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Dale Ford, 1B – Ken Kaiser, 2B – Rocky Roe, 3B – Larry Barnett
  • Time of Game: 2:20
  • Attendance: 24,853

Bruce Robbins #48 and #44

The Tigers drafted Bruce Robbins in the 14th round of the 1977 amateur draft, and it was a rapid rise for the lefty out of Blackford High School in Hartford City, Ind.

Robbins spent 1978 in the low minors, Lakeland and Bristol. In 1979, he started in Lakeland, and then after going 7-1 with a 2.97 ERA with Double-A Montgomery, he got the call to Detroit.

He made his major-league debut, at age 19, on July 28, 1979 against the Blue Jays. He took the loss, but what a terrific debut: six innings, two runs, four hits, no walks, three strikeouts.

He made his final appearance in the majors on Sept. 23, 1980 also against the Blue Jays. Robbins pitched a third of an inning in relief of Milt Wilcox. The Tigers lost 9-7.

In between, he finished his career with a 7-5 record and a 5.34 ERA in 25 games.

I remember hearing that Robbins had decided to retire at age 21-ish and trying, at my own young age, to comprehend why someone so new to the big leagues would retire. I don’t know that we ever found out.

The Tigers seemed to have so much young pitching on the farm — Robbins, Mike Chris, Pat Underwood, Kip Young — that it bummed out this young Tigers fan that one was calling it quits.

Birthdays

Omir Santos and the late Mickey McDermott

See you tomorrow.

April 25, 1984: Tigers 9 – Rangers 4

1984 Game 16: Tigers 9 – Rangers 4

W: Milt Wilcox (2-0) – L: Dave Stewart (0-5) – Save: Willie Hernández (2) | Boxscore

Record: 15-1

Highlights

  • Wilcox went six innings, allowing six hits and two runs.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Mike Reilly
  • Time of Game: 2:38
  • Attendance: 25,883

Bill Krueger #30

Here are a few things to know about lefty Bill Krueger:

Bill Krueger, not displaying his tremendous high leg kick.
  • The Tigers signed Krueger on Dec. 11, 1992. He spent the ’92 season with the Twins and Expos.
  • He made his Tigers debut on April 7, 1993 against his original club, the A’s, in a 12-7 Tigers loss. His line: 3.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.
  • The 1994 Tigers were not good and Krueger’s year aligned with his team’s. He had appeared in 16 games — his last a June 2 start against the Orioles in Baltimore — before the Tigers released him on June 4, with an 0-2 record and a 9.61 ERA.
  • Bill Krueger’s final line in Detroit: 6-6 with a 4.60 ERA.

Birthdays

Daniel Norris, Jacque Jones, Larry Pashnick and the late Tony Phillips, Woody Davis and Fred Haney

See you tomorrow.

April 18, 1984: Tiger 4 – Royals 3 (10)

April 18, 1984: Tiger 4 – Royals 3, 10 innings

W: Willie Hernandez (1-0) L: Joe Beckwith (0-1) | Boxscore

Highlights

  • The Tigers took a 3-0 lead into the top of the eighth. With two out, Jorge Orta hit a three-run homer of Jack Morris to tie it.
  • Morris and Royals starter Bud Black both scattered nine hits, allowed three runs and struck out three. Morris did it in nine innings, Black in seven.
  • Parrish homered, part of a three for five night. Chet Lemon hit two doubles.
  • Record: 9-0

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 3:02
  • Attendance: 12,310

6 Things to Know about Rico Brogna – #13

A left-handed hitting first baseman, Rico Brogna was, like Travis Fryman and Steve Searcy and Rich Rowland, a highly anticipated Tigers prospect in the early 1990s. 

Here are a few things to know about him:

  • He was the Tigers’ first-round pick in the 1988 draft.
  • Brogna made his Tigers debut against the Blue Jays, doubling in his first at bat, off Dave Stieb.
  • He finished the night one for four. On Aug. 11, he hit his first major-league homer, off Melido Perez, at Tiger Stadium.
  • He appeared in just nine games before being sent back to Toledo, where he’d spend the rest of the ’92 season and all of 1993.
  • On March 31, 1994, the Tigers dealt him to the Mets for catcher Alan Zinter.
  • Brogna went on to have a nice career with the Mets and even more so with the Phillies.

Birthday

Jake Rogers, Miguel Cabrera, Rico Brogna, Doug Flynn and the late Brian Dubois and Wahoo Sam Crawford

See you tomorrow.

April 13, 1984: Tigers 13 – Red Sox 9

Tigers 13 – Red Sox 9

W: Doug Bair (0-1) L: Bruce Hurst (1-2) | Boxscore

Highlights

Talk about the tale of two games. The Tigers ambushed Bruce Hurst for seven runs in an eight-run first. Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell walked, Barbaro Garbey reached on an error.

Lance Parrish struck out and then the next eight batters reached:

  • Rusty Kuntz: single (5-0), and that was it for Hurst.
  • Whitaker reached on an error by Jerry Remy, scoring Kuntz and Brookens. (8-0)
  • Trammell doubled.
  • Dave Bergman, pinch-hit for Garbey — how often does that happen in the first inning? — and walks.
  • Parrish grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning.
  • Milt Wilcox takes the mound with an 8-0 lead … and allows the first seven hitters to reach. He gets one more out than Hurst, but after yielding five runs, gives way to Doug Bair.
  • Boston scores again in the second, to make it 8-6, and the Tigers in the fourth, on a Parrish solo shot.
  • Instead, the Red Sox tag him with three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
  • Mercifully, the ninth is scoreless, but not exactly clean, and Tigers hold on.
  • Record: 8-0

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 3:11
  • Attendance: 35,179

Birthdays

Doug Strange, Mark Leiter and the late Ike Brown, Jake Mooty, Roxie Lawson, Ken Jones, Rufe Clarke, Al Platte, Red Killefer, Kid Elberfeld, Herman Long

Have a great weekend. See you tomorrow.