July 24, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 5

W: Milt Wilcox (10-6) – L: Steve Farr (1-7) | Boxscore

Record: 68-29 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Doug Baker had a career day, going 4 for 5 with two runs scored, and Milt allowed six hits across 6^2/3 innings — plus four unearned runs.

The Tigers, who had an 8-1 lead in the seventh, had 15 hits, three by Lou Whitaker, and two apiece by Larry Herndon and Kirk Gibson.

Lou, Gibby and Dave Bergman all homered.

Detroit won their sixth straight and 11^th of their last 12.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
Time of Game: 3:21
Attendance: 15,578

Birthdays

Jason Smith, Joe Oliver and Jeff Kaiser

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 479 9/9 — Rarity: 23

See you tomorrow.

July 23, 1984: Tigers 4 – Indians 1

W: Jack Morris (13-6) – L: Bert Blyleven (9-4) – S: Doug Bair (4) | Boxscore

Record: 67-29: 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers ambushed Bert Blyleven with back-to-back first-inning homers from Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish to take a 3-0 lead.

Morris more or less cruised over his six scoreless innings, though the five walks to go with the five hits were suboptimal.

Gibby had a single and his two-run homer.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Greg Kosc, 1B – Ted Hendry, 2B – Drew Coble, 3B – Jim Evans
Time of Game: 3:09
Attendance: 16,576

Birthdays

The late Johnny Groth, Ray Scarborough and Frank Croucher

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 478: 9/9 — Rarity: 44

See you tomorrow.

July 22, 1984: Tigers 2 – Rangers 0

W: Dan Petry (13-4) – L: Charlie Hough (10-8) – S: Willie Hernández (20) | Boxscore

Record: 66-29 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Another pitchers duel, this one between Dan Petry and Charlie Hough. I remember watching this one on Channel 4: Peaches threw 8^2/3 innings, allowing a mere four hits, walking one and striking out eight.

The one walk was to Wayne Tolleson to lead off the ninth. He got the next two hitters to pop out to short. With left-handed hitting Pete O’Brien coming up Sparky summoned Willie — to a chorus of boos.

Hernandez threw one pitch, and O’Brien popped out to short.

Dave Bergman batted leadoff and led off the first with a solo homer. The Tigers’ other run scored on a bases-load wild pitch.

The crowd booed me. All 38,000 of them, because they wanted Danny to get that shutout. I don’t blame them. They’re great fans and Danny is such a great guy.
But the object is to win, not make friends.
Sparky, “Bless You Boys”

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Rocky Roe, 2B – Ken Kaiser, 3B – Dale Ford
Time of Game: 2:11
Attendance: 37,846

Birthdays

Redford High graduate Bill Zepp and the late Doc Cramer

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 477 7/9: Rarity: 226

See you tomorrow.

July 21, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 6

W: Sid Monge (3-1) – L: Dickie Noles (3-3) – S: Willie Hernández (19) | Boxscore

Record: 65-39 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

You could file this one under “winning ugly.” The Tigers gave Glenn Abbott a 2-0 lead but he couldn’t hold it — he was pulled with one out in the third after giving up five runs on five hits.

Thankfully, Rangers’ starter Dickie Noles was worse: 4^2/3 innings, six hits, five walks and seven runs.

Sid Monge pitched four strong innings of middle relief before handing it over to Doug Bair and Willie Hernández.

Chet Lemon, Tom Brookens, Kirk Gibson each made an error.

Ruppert Jones, Chet, Howard Johnson and Dave Bergman each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dale Ford, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Rocky Roe, 3B – Ken Kaiser
Time of Game: 2:38
Attendance: 46,219

Birthdays

Kimera Bartee and Denny Harriger

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 476 9/9: Rarity: 17

See you tomorrow.

July 20, 1984: Tigers 3 – Rangers 1

W: Dave Rozema (7-1) – L: Frank Tanana (9-9) – S: Willie Hernández (18) | Boxscore

Record: 64-29

Highlights

Another pitchers duel in this series, with Rozema and Tanana nearly matching each other.

Both starters went eight innings, Rozema allowed six hits to Tanana’s eight. Rozey fanned four; Tanana, five.

The difference in the game was Bárbaro Garbey third-inning, two-run homer; Chet Lemon, who had three hits, also homered.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ken Kaiser, 1B – Dale Ford, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Rocky Roe
Time of Game: 2:16
Attendance: 39,484

Birthdays

Mickey Stanley, Heinie Manush, Mutt Wilson and Red McKee

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 475 8/9: Rarity: 122

See you tomorrow.

July 19, 1984: Tigers 9 – Rangers 2

W: Milt Wilcox (9-6) – L: Dave Stewart (4-11) | Boxscore

Record: 63-29 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

A terrific start for Wilcox: 7^1/3 innings, eight hits, two runs, seven strikeouts and no walks.

Ruppert Jones had quite a day: 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles — but just one RBI? — and Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish homered. Lou Whitaker had three hits.

A juxtaposition of Tigers relievers in this one: Willie Hernández got the final two outs of the eighth, and Aurelio López took over in the ninth.

The Tigers are in the middle of a 15-game stretch where they go 12-3. 🔥

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Rocky Roe, 1B – Ken Kaiser, 2B – Dale Ford, 3B – Larry Barnett
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 26,908

Mark Carreon OF — #15

Mark Carreon played just one season in Detroit, 1992, but what the hay, let’s look back on it:

Jan. 22, 1992: The Mets sent him along with Tony Castillo to the Tigers for minor leaguer Randy Marshall and Paul Gibson.

Carreon made his Tigers debut on April 9, 1992, and homered in his first at bat off the Blue Jays’ Juan Guzmán.

His final game also came against Toronto, on Oct. 4, but no highlights to speak of in this one: 0 for 5 with an error.

In between he had a few notable games: May 13 against the Angels in which he went 3 for 5 with a homer, and June 3, a four-hit game. On Sept. 11 and Sept. 13 he had 3 for 5 games.

All told, he hit .232 with 10 homers in 101 games. After the ’92 season he became a free agent and signed with the Giants.

Birthdays

Phil Coke, Mark Carreon, the late Mark Koenig, Earl Hamilton and Erve Beck

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 474 9/9: Rarity: 59

See you tomorrow.

July 18, 1984: White Sox 10 – Tigers 6

W: Floyd Bannister (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (12-6) – S: Juan Agosto (3) | Boxscore

Record: 62-29 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Yikes. Another forgettable game by Morris: Four innings (he faced three batters in the fifth), seven earned runs, 10 hits, and two walks.

Roger Craig’s 1984 season journal, “Inside Pitch,” is in many ways superior to Sparky’s “Bless You Boys” because of the focus on the pitchers. Here’s part of what Craig wrote about this game:

Our five-game winning streak died in a Morris tantrum. He flew into a fit over a borderline ball-strike call by home plate umpire Mark Johnson and proceeded to lose 3-1 and 4-3 leads in a 10-6 loss …

… Jack seems unable to comprehend the serious nature of his frustrations. He ranted and raved. He embarrassed me, himself, Sparky, and the front office. He incensed his teammates. Quite obviously, Jack has a lot of growing up to do. He’s not having fun pitching and he’s not a happy person.

I did not talk to Jack following the game, but he’s going to hear from me tomorrow.

Lance Parrish homered and Larry Herndon had three RBI.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Mark Johnson, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:59
Attendance: 39,051

Birthdays

Eugenio Suarez, Torii Hunter, Harry Spilman and the late Johnny Hopp

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 473 8/9: Rarity: 182

See you tomorrow.