Month: April 2024

The Tuesday Fungo: April 30

April 30, 1984: An Off Day in Detroit

The Tigers have the day off before starting a three-game series against the Red Sox. So let’s look at a game on April 30 from another year.

April 30, 1978: Mariners 4 – Tigers 3 (11)

W: Enrique Romo (2-0) – L: Steve Foucault (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 13-5

Highlights

  • Jack Billingham started, pitch seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
  • Foucault allowed six hits in two-and-a-third innings, including four in the 11th, and gave up the winning run.
  • Both teams had 12 hits.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Rich Garcia, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Nestor Chylak, 3B – Ron Luciano
  • Time of Game: 3:20
  • Attendance: 7,474

Steve Kemp #33

When the Tigers traded left fielder Steve Kemp to the White Sox for Chet Lemon, it was the quintessential Jim Campbell Winter Meetings Trade™.

Kemp made too much money and former GM Campbell didn’t like players who held out (Rusty Staub) or won in arbitration (Kemp, again).

Campbell also liked to trade players who, like Kemp and Ron LeFlore in 1979, were entering their walk year.

Steve Kemp was terrific during his five years patrolling left field at Tiger Stadium. He produced a .284 average, 89 home runs (lowered a bit with his nine homers in the strike-shortened 1981 season), and averaged 84 RBI and 23 doubles. He also displayed a keen eye at the plate averaging 75 walks — including 97 in 1978.

On Nov. 27, 1981, the Tigers and White Sox swapped outfielders — both who were former top selections in the amateur draft — Lemon by Oakland in 1972, Kemp number-one overall by Detroit in 1976. They were roughly the same age and had put together similar careers to that point.

In his only season in Chicago, Kemp had a career year batting .286 with 19 HR and 98 RBI in 160 games. After the ’82 season Kemp cashed in on a free-agent contract with the Yankees.

In 1983, Kemp hit .241 with just 12 home runs in 109 games. After the ’84 season he was traded with Tim Foli and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Dale Berra, Alfonso Pulido and Jay Buhner.

An eye injury, suffered when Kemp was hit by a batted ball in batting practice, shortened his career in the mid-1980s. He last played in the majors in 1988 when he played in 16 games for the Texas Rangers, hitting just .222 in 36 at bats. His career batting average in 11 seasons was .278 — five points higher than Lemon’s.

When Campbell pulled the trigger on the Kemp-for-Lemon deal he probably had no idea that Kemp would flame out and that Chet the Jet would play more than 1,100 games in the outfield for Detroit.

Still, he had to like the odds that the trade would work out better than LeFlore for Dan Schatzeder.

Birthdays

Phil Garner and the late Chet Laabs

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 394 9/9: Rarity: 34

Two former Tigers …

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: April 29

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

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 393 9/9 – Rarity 24

Challenged by my friend Doug to slot all former Tigers — and I did! But still was not enough to best his 16 Rarity.

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: April 28

April 28, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 2

W: Jack Morris (5-0) – L: Rick Behenna (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 17-2

Two of these guys pitched for the Tigers.

Highlights

  • Another complete game for Morris. This time a three-hitter.
  • The Tigers hung six runs on Indians starter Behenna in three-and-a-third innings. Fourth-inning homers by Chet Lemon and Lou Whitaker ultimately chased him.
  • Detroit had 10 hits, Lemon and Whitaker with two each.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Dale Ford, 2B – Ken Kaiser, 3B – Rocky Roe
  • Time of Game: 2:25
  • Attendance: 28,253

John Cerutti #55

The late John Cerutti would have turned 64 today. The long-time Blue Jays lefty pitched his final major-league season in Detroit.

  • After spending his first six seasons in Toronto, he signed with the Tigers as a free agent on Jan. 14, 1991.
  • Cerutti appeared in 38 games for the Tigers, including eight starts. His final line: 3-6, 4.57 ERA and two saves. As a Blue Jay from 1985-90, he appeared in 15 games against the Tigers: 2-1, 4.63 ERA
  • He passed away in 2004 at 44.

Birthdays

Sean Douglass, Jim Poole and the late John Cerutti, Tom Sturdivant and Charlie Metro 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 392 9/9 – Rarity: 35

Another Willie Horton appearance.

See you tomorrow.

The Saturday Fungo: April 27

April 27, 1984: Indians 8 – Tigers 4 (19)

W: Luis Aponte (1-0) – L: Glenn Abbott (1-1) | Boxscore

Record: 16-2

Highlights

  • Both teams scored in the 10th — which Sutcliffe started and quickly departed after allowing a leadoff double to Lou Whitaker, who went 3 for 7 on the night. (Poor Cleveland DH Andre Thornton went 0 for 9.)
  • After eight scoreless extra innings, the Indians broke through in the 19th, dropping four runs on Abbott — who was in his fifth inning of relief.
  • The Tigers made four errors in the game.
  • Had the game remained tied after the 19th, under American League rules, it would have been suspended.
  • This was also the night of the epic Pistons/Knicks Game 5 playoff game held at Joe Louis Arena due to the Silverdome’s collapsed roof. Isiah scored 16 points in 94 seconds in the fourth quarter to force OT … but the Pistons lost 127-123.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Rocky Roe, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Dale Ford, 3B – Ken Kaiser
  • Time of Game: 5:44
  • Attendance: 34,112

Birthdays

Frank Catalanotto, Bob MacDonald and the late George Archie and George Winter 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 391 9/9 – Rarity: 4

My best Grid ever.

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo: April 26

April 26, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 5

W: Doug Bair (2-0) – L: Frank Tanana (2-2) – Save: Aurelio López (2) | Boxscore

Record: 16-1

Highlights

  • No pitching duel in this one. The Tigers ambushed Frank Tanana with five hits and four runs in the first inning. He lasted
  • ‘Twas also a rough start for Dave Rozema: 4.1 IP, 5 runs, 7 hits and 3 home runs.
  • Doug Bair and Señor Smoke carried the load the rest of the way, blanking the Rangers on just four hits.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Al Clark
  • Time of Game: 2:50
  • Attendance: 13,559

Rick Schu #35

Rick Schu was tasked with replacing Mike Schmidt when he retired from the Phillies. That could not have been fun, nor could it have been fun coming to the 1989 Tigers, who were 14-24 when the club purchased his contract from the Orioles on May 19.

He made his debut on May 21 against the Royals. He started at third and batted ninth, going 1 for 2.

Schu’s final game with the Tigers came on Oct. 1, a 5-3 Tigers win against Yankees to close out a 59-103 season. He went 1 for 4.

His Tigers career ended after 98 games, with a .214 average, seven home runs and 21 RBI. The Tigers released him on Dec. 8, 1989.

Birthdays

Felipe Lira and the late Virgil Trucks and Dale Alexander

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 390 8/9 – Rarity: 189

Ken Griffey Jr. did not win the Rookie of the Year?

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo: April 25

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

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 389 7/9 – Rarity: 219

My misses: Bruce Bochy in the middle square, and Tommy Henrich bottom left.

See you tomorrow.

The Wednesday Fungo: April 24

April 24, 1984: A ☃️ Doubleheader

It was Easter vacation, so I went to this one with my friend Steve and, after much guilt-heaping and nagging, my sister and her then-boyfriend, now husband.

Man, was it cold in the upper deck bleachers.

Game 14: Tigers 6 – Twins 5

W: Jack Morris (4-0) – L: Ron Davis (2-2) | Boxscore

Record: 13-1

Highlights

  • The Twins jumped out to a 4-1 and then 5-1 lead, before the Tigers started chipping away.
  • The Tigers scored two in the fifth and then won it with three in the ninth off Ron Davis.
  • A typical Morris start: nine innings, seven hits, five earned runs, five walks and one strikeout.
  • Lou Whitaker drove home the tying and winning runs with a single to right.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
  • Time of Game: 2:16
  • Weather: COLD

Game 15: Tigers 4 – Twins 3

W: Glenn Abbott (1-0) – L: Frank Viola (0-3) – Save: Aurelio López (1) | Boxscore

Record: 14-1

Highlights

  • If this game had been played today, it would’ve been called a bullpen game. Petry, Abbott and Lopez each pitched three innings.
  • The Tigers turned three double plays, including a pivotal one in the ninth with the potential tying run on first.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:29
  • Attendance: 20,315
  • Start Time Weather: COLDER

Birthdays

Todd Jones, Bill Krueger and the late Howard Ehmke

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 388 9/9 — Rarity: 25

See you tomorrow.