Month: March 2024

The Sunday Fungo

40 Years Ago: The Trade

Forty years ago today, March 24, 1984, the Tigers acquired relief pitcher Willie Hernandez and first baseman Dave Bergman from the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher John Wockenfuss and outfielder Glenn Wilson. 

And the insanity that was the Summer of ’84 began.

As if you need a refresher:

  • Hernandez won the American League MVP and Cy Young awards after saving 32 games with an 1.92 ERA and 140.1 innings in 80 appearances.

Here’s a longer piece from the Archives.

3 Things to Know About Bill Fahey – #17

  1. The Detroit native played high school ball at Redford Union, and college ball at St. Clair County Community College and University of Detroit.
  2. On March 24, 1981 — 43 years ago today! — the Tigers purchased his contract from the Padres.
  3. In parts of three Tigers seasons, Fahey appeared in 74 games and hit .212 with one home run and 15 RBI.

Today’s Birthdays

Jose Valverde, former Tigers LHP and scout, Dick Egan, and the late Dick Kryhoski.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 357 9/9 – Rarity: 48

See you tomorrow.

The Saturday Fungo

My Top-5 Tigers

Lately I’ve been giving a lot of thought to who my all-time favorite Tigers are and who would make a tidy list.

Putting together my top 10 would be easy. Narrowing it to just five would be tough but I wanted to give it a shot.

What’s the criteria for this list?

I decided that this was my purely subjective list based on players I enjoyed watching play for the Tigers.

For example, Mark Fidrych doesn’t make the list simply because I never saw him play live — and I decided ESPN Classic and MLB Network reruns don’t count.

The legend of The Bird and his place in Tigers lore is secure for me.

Here’s my list* — not in order of favorite-ness, but in order of how they came to mind — which has been revised right up to the moment I clicked “Publish” on this post.

Honorable Mentions

*Always subject to revision.

Birthdays

None!

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 356 9/9 – Rarity: 11

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo

Rich Monteleone – #36

Before the names of Kyle Sleeth, Kenny Baugh, Justin Thompson and even Scott Aldred and Steve Searcy evoked images of a star-studded starting rotation for the Tigers, there was one name* that personified unfulfilled promise for Tiger fans: Rich Monteleone.

Anyone who has followed the Tigers at least since the late 1970s likely remembers the name. Detroit’s first-round pick in the 1982 amateur draft, 20th overall.

Monteleone, we were told, would slide into the rotation behind Dan Petry and someday become the Tigers’ ace.

So we waited. And waited.

And each Spring Training we’d follow his progress and wonder if this was the year Monteleone would break through. But that year never came. After the 1985 season the Tigers traded him to the Mariners for Darnell Coles.

Though Monteleone failed to live up to the expectations of a number-one draft choice in Detroit, he managed to carve out a nice 10-year career in the majors with the Mariners, Angels, Yankees and Giants.

He retired after the 1996 season with a record of 24-17 and 3.87 ERA.

*1981 first-rounder Ricky Barlow was another early ’80s star in the making. He made it only as far as Triple-A Toledo, in 1987.

3 Things to Know About Matt Sinatro – #52

  1. The catcher appeared in 13 games for the 1989 Tigers, all in July.
  2. He went 3 for 25 as a Tiger; his best game at the plate was on July 8, when he went 2 for 3 against the Blue Jays.
  3. On Aug. 5, 1989 the Mariners purchased his contract from the Tigers.

Birthdays

Rich Monteleone, Matt Sinatro and the late Marv Owen

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 355 9/9 – Rarity: 137

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo

Fernando Arroyo – #36

Righty Fernando Arroyo began the 1975 season in Triple-A Evansville, and made his major-league debut on June 28, 1975 against the Orioles, and in relief of Joe Coleman. He appeared in 14 games for the ’75 Tigers, finishing with a 2-1 record and 4.56 ERA.

Evansville was his home for the 1976 season, but he came to Detroit in ’77 and, considering his workload, he appeared to be there to stay.

  • 38 appearances
  • 28 starts
  • 209.1 innings pitched
  • 8-18 record
  • 4.17 ERA
  • 2 complete games

But … Arroyo was back in Evansville for most of 1978, appearing in just two games (4.1 IP) for the Tigers — yet he still appeared in the 1978 Tigers Yearbook. Here’s part of his profile:

Maybe there isn’t such a thing as luck in baseball — but don’t try to tell Fernando Arroyo that.

A veteran of seven minor league seasons, the good-looking right-hander got his first real chance with the Tigers in 1977, when he became a regular starter in mid-May. At the close, Fernando had lost 18 games — but six were by one run and 12 came when the Tigers failed to score, scored once or scored twice. That is not the kind of support to enhance a pitcher’s record.

In Arroyo’s case, it meant one losing streak of six straight, and another period of one victory in 11 decisions.

On Dec. 5, 1979, the Tigers traded him to the Twins for lefty Jeff Holly. (Holly never appeared in a game for Detroit.)

His final line in Detroit: 11-20, 4.48 ERA.

Today’s Random Game: Sept. 19, 1977

Yankees 9 – Tigers 4

W: Dick Tidrow (11-4) – L: Jim Crawford (7-7) | Boxscore

Highlights

  • The Yankees pounded three Tigers pitchers, Crawford, Vern Ruhle and Ed Glynn, for 17 hits. Crawford and Ruhle each allowed four runs.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Jim Evans.
  • Time of Game: 2:30
  • Attendance: 17,656

Birthdays

Fernando Arroyo and the late Owen Friend, Boyd Perry, Joe Samuels and Frank Sigafoos.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 354 9/9 — Rarity: 61

See you tomorrow.

The Wednesday Fungo

Tito Fuentes – #3 and #44

From the 1977 Tigers Yearbook

When the Tigers sought a player to oversee second base until Lou Whitaker was ready, they could have done a lot worse than Rigoberto “Tito” Fuentes.

Offensively, that is.

The switch-hitting 33-year-old trailed only Ron LeFlore‘s team-leading .325 average that season but was brutal in the field. He led all American League second baseman with 26 errors, and posted a .970 fielding percentage.

Fans that remember Fuentes’ brief stop in Detroit are more likely to recall his signature bat flip when he approached the plate, tapping the bat handle on the plate, flipping it up and catching it at the handle. This was a move widely imitated during Wiffle Ball games in my neighborhood, and probably others around Detroit, too.

After his one season with the Tigers, his contract was purchased by the Expos, who promptly released him in Spring Training in 1978.

The Tigers were ready to hand second base to Whitaker but picked up infielder Steve Dillard just in case.

Upon Fuentes’ departure, Jim Campbell had some interesting things to say in the Associated Press story:

“I’m not going to knock Tito,” said Tigers General Manager Jim Campbell. “He did a good job for us, especially offensively.

“Dillard does some things better than Tito,” Campbell said. “He’s a better fielding second baseman than Tito, he covers more ground. And he runs better than Tito did.”

Good thing he didn’t want to knock Tito.

Of course, the truth about Fuentes’ brief tenure in Detroit is probably somewhere in this paragraph from the AP story:

There also had been reports that he was haggling with Campbell over a new contract. Fuentes’ salary demands were reported to be in the $200,000 range.

Just ask Rusty Staub or Steve Kemp how receptive Campbell was to salary “demands.”

Fuentes spent the 1978 season, his last in the majors, with the A’s.

Oh, and if you were curious whether Dillard’s range and fielding were better: they weren’t. His fielding percentage of .958 was 12 points worse. But at least he was a better runner.

Birthdays

Will Brunson, Steve McCatty, Chuck Seelbach and the late Vern Kennedy and Paddy Greene

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 353 9/9 – Rarity: 40

A trio of former Tigers today.

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo

Tim Corcoran – #25

Fifty years ago this June, the Tigers signed Tim Corcoran as an amateur free agent, and he started hitting as soon as he got to Lakeland (.270) and Bristol (.370).

In 1975, Corcoran was promoted to Double-A Montgomery and hit .245 with a .666 OPS, but in ’76 he hit 64 points higher with a solid OPS: .309 / .811.

  • Corcoran made his Tigers debut on May 18, 1977, against Gaylord Perry and the Rangers. As Ralph Houk’s DH, he walked in his first big-league at bat and scored, but went 0 for 3 in a 6-3 loss.
  • The left-handed hitter played parts of four seasons with the Tigers as an outfielder/DH/first baseman combo.
  • From 1977-80, Corcoran appeared in 273 games for Detroit, with a final line of:
AverageHitsHome RunsRBIOPS
.272164766.690
  • He spent most of the 1981 season in Evansville where all he did was hit: .298 average, an .826 OPS and 100 hits in 106 games. Still, it wasn’t enough to last in Detroit.
  • On Sept. 4, 1981, the Tigers sent him to the Twins as the player to be named later in the Aug. 23 trade for Ron Jackson.
  • After spending time with the Twins and getting decent playing time with the Phillies from 1983-85, Corcoran’s final major-league appearance came on June 6, 1986 with the Mets. In ’87 and ’88, he played for the Triple-A Maine Phillies.

Birthdays

Tim Corcoran, the late Gee Walker, Tex Covington and Billy Maharg*

*Check out Maharg’s career

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 352 9/9 — Rarity: 121

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo

Dwayne Murphy – #18

For more than 10 seasons, Dwyane Murphy was a mainstay in the Oakland lineup, roaming centerfield (a six-time Gold Glove winner), for seven managers: Bobby Winkles, Jack McKeon, Billy Martin, Steve Boros, Jackie Moore, Jeff Newman and Tony La Russa.

The Tigers picked him up on June 5, 1988 after the A’s, released him. His time in Detroit was brief, but long enough to get a Topps card. Here the gist:

  • 49 games, .250 average, 4 HR, 19 RBI, .729 OPS
  • He made a splash in is first Tigers game, July 31, 1988, in a 5-1 win over the Rangers: Batting seventh, he went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored. He played in center with Chet Lemon shifting to right.
  • Sparky slotted him mostly in center but Murphy made appearances in left and right, too.
  • In his last game with Detroit, Oct. 2, 1988, he batted second and went 0 for 4.
  • The Tigers released him at the end of Spring Training in 1989. In early April he signed with the Phillies and played 98 games in his final big league season.

Birthdays

Fernando Rodney, Geronimo Berroa, Dwayne Murphy and the late Dick Littlefield, Fred Hatfield, Hal White, Eddie Lake, Al Benton, Wiley Taylor

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 351 9/9 — Rarity: 42

See you tomorrow.