The Friday Fungo: May 31

May 31, 1984: An Off Day in Detroit

The 37-9 Tigers await the defending World Series champ for a weekend series at Tiger Stadium. Baltimore comes to town with a 28-21 record.

Record: 37-9

May 31, 1979: The Underwoods Face Off

Tigers 1 – Blue Jays 0

W: Pat Underwood (1-0) – L: Tom Underwood (0-7)– Save: John Hiller (4) | Boxscore

Pat Underwood shut out the Blue Jays for eight-and-a-third innings at Exhibition Stadium, earning his first major-league win as the Tigers beat Toronto, and his brother Tom, 1-0 thanks to Jerry Morales‘ eighth-inning solo home run.

How great is this? Underwood picked off Blue Jays second baseman Danny Ainge at second base.

Mark Salas – #10 and #27

Here are five things to know about catcher Mark Salas:

1. The Tigers signed him as a free agent on April 8, 1990.
   
2. The left-handed hitting Salas made his debut on April 14 against the Orioles. He pinch hit for Mike Heath in the seventh and struck out.
   
3. He appeared in 74 games for the Tigers that season — wearing number 10 — hitting .232 with nine home runs, 24 RBI and a .737 OPS.
   
4. He appeared in just 33 games, now wearing number 27, for the 1991 Tigers. He hit .088 with a homer and seven RBI.
   
5. Salas’s final big-league game was Oct. 5, 1991, like his first, against the Orioles. In the bottom of the sixth, he replaced pinch hitter Rich Rowland, playing first and batting ninth. His career came to an end when he led off the ninth by grounding out to pitcher Mark Williamson.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whom the Tigers drafted in 1994 and traded in 1998 to Indians for Geronimo Berroa.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 425 7/9: Rarity 246

Have a great weekend. See you tomorrow.