The Sunday Fungo: June 9

June 9, 1984: Orioles 4 – Tigers 0

W: Mike Flanagan (5-4) – L: Juan Berenguer (3-4)| Boxscore

Record: 41-14 — 5^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

• The second time in a week that the Tigers were shutdown by the masterful Flanagan: a complete game, allowing seven hits, no walks and two strikeouts.

• This was just the Tigers’ third shutout of the year.

• Bárbaro Garbey had two singles, and Chet Lemon doubled.

• Carl Willis made his major-league debut, pitching the final 2^1/3, giving up just one hit and a walk.

Miscellany

• Venue: Memorial Stadium
• Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  Time of Game: 2:41
  Attendance: 44,404

John Pacella #27 and #43

Here are a few things to know about John Pacella, who spent part of the year with the 1986 Tigers:

The Brooklyn-born right-hander made his major-league debut on Sept. 15, 1977, his 21st birthday, for the Mets against the Phillies.

Fast forward to Dec. 28, 1984 when the Tigers signed Pacella. He spent the ’85 season with the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville posting a 7-7 mark with a 3.23 ERA. In 1986, he started the year with the Sounds notching a 7-6 record and 2.90 ERA before getting called up to Detroit.

His first Tigers appearance came on June 16 at Baltimore. He pitched 1^1/3 scoreless innings and earned the save. Pacella pitched four more times for the Tigers that year; his longest outing was 5^2/3 innings against the Yankees in which he allowed seven walks.

His final major-league appearance was on July 12, 1986, at Kansas City. He faced Greg Pryor in the bottom of the seventh and gave up an RBI single. The Tigers lost, 7-4.

Pacella started the 1987 season with Detroit’s new Triple-A club, the Toledo Mud Hens. On June 30, 1987, the Yokohama Bay Stars purchased his contract from Detroit. In 1988 he was back in the States pitching at the Triple-A level for the Brewers, Orioles and then, hey now, the Tigers.

After 19 professional seasons, six major league, 13 minor league, Pacella finished with a mark of 4-10, 5.73 ERA in the majors, 71-86, 3.94 in the minors.

Birthdays

The late Billy Baldwin

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 434 7/9: Rarity: 228

See you tomorrow.