Fernando Valenzuela?
Yes. Briefly.
This blog could not exist without Baseball Reference, and the $80 a year for the ad-free subscription is a steal given how much time I spend on the site. I always seem to uncover some delightful tidbit and lately it seems to be the result of post-Immaculate Grid curiosity.
Today’s discovery might be atop the list, if I kept a list.
Did we know Fernando Valenzuela was, for 75 days, in the Tigers system?
This development leads to a less-intriguing but worthy follow-up question: Did we know Rick Renteria was too?
My answer, at least, is: no!
Random Game: Aug. 13, 1983
Tigers 6 – Yankees 3
W: Jack Morris (14-8) – L: Ron Guidry (13-8) | Boxscore
- I sat in the upper-deck bleachers, dead center, for this game with my brother, future brother in law, and my friends (to this day!) Rob and Jeff.
- It could not have been a better stage: A warm August Saturday night, a packed house to see Jack Morris face Ron Guidry in a classic 1980s A.L. East showdown with the teams tied for the division lead.
- This was the first time in my Tigers fandom that the Tigers were this good, this close to first place, this late in the season — not counting 1981.
- The game took place a few days after Yankees right fielder Dave Winfield had dispatched a seagull with a warmup toss at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium. Those of us in the bleachers tormented him with bird-like arm waving. Top-notch hijinks for a 15 year old.
- We went crazy after the game when the scoreboard showed the standings with the Tigers on top by a game. Insanity.
Highlights
- The Yankees led 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh when John Wockenfuss launched a homer to left, scoring Larry Herndon, to take a 4-2 lead. (I can still it in my mind, the ball arching in slow motion to left … but now I can’t remember if it was upper or lower deck.)
- Glenn Wilson hit a two-run double in the eighth to widen the lead to 6-2.
- Alan Trammell went 4 for 4.
- Morris went the distance, scattering six hits and striking out 12.
- According to The New York Times game story by Murray Chass, the loss snapped Guidry’s seven-game Tiger Stadium winning streak. The Tigers had last beaten him in Detroit May 21, 1979, 3-1.
Miscellany
- Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Richard Shulock, 3B – Derryl Cousins.
- Time of Game: 2:27
- Attendance: 50,016
- Start Time Weather: 76° F
Birthdays
José Valdez, Joe Mantiply, Jimmy Hurst, Doug Creek, Kris Keller and the late Tim Thompson.
Today’s Grid
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 334 7/9 — Rarity: 212
Swings and misses include: Jerry Morales and Scott Rolen. But a couple of former Tigers*.
Have a great weekend. We’ll see you tomorrow.
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