Month: July 2024

The Wednesday Fungo: July 17

July 17, 1984: Tigers 3 – White Sox 2

W: Dan Petry (12-4) – L: Gene Nelson (1-2) – S: Willie Hernández (17) | Boxscore

Record: 62-28 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers scored three in the first and let it ride the rest of the way, thanks to a strong 72/3 innings from Dan Petry. He allowed just five hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts.
  • Nelson was equally solid, allowing just the three runs in eight innings.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Mark Johnson, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 2:03
  • Attendance: 34,579

Mike Muñoz LHP – #43

Here are six things to know about lefty reliever Mike Munoz:

  1. The Tigers acquired him on Sept. 30, 1990 from the Dodgers for minor leaguer Mike Wilkins.
  2. Muñoz made his Tigers debut on June 19, 1991 against the A’s tossing one inning of relief.
  3. He spent most of the ’91 season in Toledo, apart from the six games for the Tigers that amounted to a 0-0 record with a 9.64 ERA in 91/3 innings.
  4. In 1992, Muñoz was a fixture in Sparky’s bullpen, appearing in 65 games and notching a 1-2 record, two saves and a 4.71 ERA.
  5. He appeared in eight games for the ’93 Tigers — 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA — before being released. Muñoz’s last game as a Tiger came on April 28 against the Rangers, in which he took the loss. His final Tigers line: 1-3, two saves and a 4.18 ERA in 79 games.
  6. Muñoz eventually signed with the Rockies where he carved out a nice career, pitching six seasons in Denver.

Birthdays

Hal Erickson and Guy Tutwiler

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 472 9/9: Rarity: 25

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo: July 16

July 16, 1984: Tigers 7 – White Sox 1

W: Glenn Abbott (3-2) – L: LaMarr Hoyt (8-10) | Boxscore

Record: 61-28 — 8 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • A complete-game gem for Glenn Abbott: nine innings, five hits, one walk. The only blemish was Ron Kittle‘s two-out, ninth-inning solo homer.
  • Kirk Gibson went two for three with a first-inning homer and a fifth-inning triple, both off Hoyt.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Mark Johnson, 3B – Greg Kosc
  • Time of Game: 2:29
  • Attendance: 41,935

Jim Lentine OF – #27

The Tigers picked up the right-handed hitting outfielder Jim Lentine on June 2, 1980, from the Cardinals for Al Greene and John Martin.

Lentine made his Tigers debut the following day against the Mariners in Detroit. Sparky slotted him seventh in the lineup, playing left field; he went 0 for 3.

On June 6, he had one of his best days at the plate, going 3 for 4 against the Brewers. On June 8, he hit his only Tigers home run: a leadoff shot to left off Milwaukee’s Bill Travers.

He appeared in 67 games for the 1980 Tigers, and finished with a .261 average, with one home run, 17 RBI and a .719 OPS.

Lentine’s final big-league appearance came on Oct. 5, 198o, the last game of the season, against the Yankees. He started the game at DH, batting eighth, and finished 0 for 1 with a walk. In his final plate appearance he flied out to left off Tim Lollar.

The Tigers released him at the end of Spring Training 1981.

Birthdays

Jim Lentine and the late Don Ross, Marv Peasley and Johnnie Williams

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 471 9/9: Rarity: 21

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: July 15

July 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 2

W: Dave Rozema (6-1) – L: Ken Schrom (2-4) – S: Aurelio López (11) | Boxscore

Record: 60-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers had 15 hits on the night, 10 off Twins starter Schrom in 42/3 innings.
  • Rozema turned in a solid start: 51/3, eight hits, two runs and five strikeouts.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Metrodome
  • Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Vic Voltaggio
  • Time of Game: 3:00
  • Attendance: 27,965

Birthdays

Scott Livingstone and the late Bob Miller, Joe Rogalski and Red Oldham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 470 9/9: Rarity: 172

Pete Rose is likely the least-rare guess of my Grid-playing career.

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: July 14

July 14, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 5 (12)

W: Willie Hernández (6-0) – L: Mike Walters (0-3) | Boxscore

Record: 59-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers scored two in the 12th to take a 6-4 lead. Hernández pitched three innings and allowed a two-out home run to Tim Teufel in the 12th, before getting Ron Washington (!) for the final out.
  • Milt Wilcox started and pitched 52/3 allowing four runs on eight hits; Doug Bair pitched a flawless 31/3.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Metrodome
  • Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
  • Time of Game: 3:40
  • Attendance: 46,017

Birthdays

Enrique Gonzalez and the late John Peters

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 469 8/9: Rarity: 128

See you tomorrow.

The Saturday Fungo: July 13

July 13, 1984: Tigers 5 – Twins 3 (11)

W: Willie Hernández (5-0) – L: Rick Lysander (0-1) – S: Aurelio López (10) | Boxscore

Record: 58-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Jack Morris and Twins starter John Butcher matched up more or less evenly through seven. The Tigers gave Morris a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth — thanks to a Johnny Grubb solo homer — only to see The Cat allow the tying run in the bottom half.
  • Lou Whitaker‘s 11th-inning two-run homer off Lysander gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. Aurelio López earned the save by pitching a quintessential Señor Smoke inning: one hit, one walk and one strikeout.
  • Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Tom Brookens each had two hits. In fact, the Tigers got four hits in five at bats out of the number-nine spot: One from Doug Baker, Grubb’s homer and Brookens’ double and triple.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Metrodome
  • Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 3:11
  • Attendance: 30,050

Birthdays

Clint Sodowsky and the late George Cunningham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 468 9/9: Rarity: 20

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo: July 12

July 12, 1984: Twins 4 – Tigers 2

W: Frank Viola (10-7) – L: Dan Petry (11-4) – S: Ron Davis (17) | Boxscore

Record: 57-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh before the Twins scored three off Dan Petry with two outs.
  • Frank Viola was in control of this one, pitching eight innings, allowing just five hits, and striking out five.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Metrodome
  • Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Vic Voltaggio, 3B – Joe Brinkman
  • Time of Game: 2:18
  • Attendance: 29,729

Birthdays

Tom Gorzelanny, Brad Eldred, Mike Munoz, Mike Schwabe and the late Bill Coughlin

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 467 9/9: Rarity: 18

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo: July 11

July 11, 1984: The All-Star Break Continues

‘Twas the final day of the 1984 All-Star Break and the Tigers prepared to start the second half with a four-game series against the Twins at the Metrodome.

So, let’s look at a game from this date in another season: 1977.

July 11, 1977: Tigers 9 – Blue Jays 7

W: Steve Grilli (1-0) – L: Dennis DeBarr (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 38-46 — 6th place, 10.5 games behind Boston

Highlights

  • The Blue Jays tagged Tigers starter Dave Roberts with five runs in the top of the first. Detroit answered with a run of their own in the first, and another four in the second to make it 5-5 heading to the third.
  • Rusty Staub led the Tigers’s 10-hit attack, with a two-for-three night — including a second-inning three-run homer — and four RBI.
  • Roberts pitched 62/3, allowing seven runs on nine hits, and gave way to Steve Grilli who pitched 21/3 hitless innings to secure the win.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Jim Evans
  • Time of Game: 2:30
  • Attendance: 9,057

Dickie Noles – RHP #27

The first, and perhaps last, thing to know about Dickie Noles‘ Tigers career is that he was the player to be named later in the trade that brought him to Detroit. On Sept. 21, 1987, he was traded by the Cubs to the Tigers for a player to be named later.

He appeared in four games:

Sept. 22: He entered the game against Boston with bases load and two out in the bottom of the ninth, and got Dwight Evans to hit into a 1-3 ground out. Noles earned the save.

Sept. 25: Facing the Blue Jays, he pitched 11/3 innings, allowing a hit, a walk and a run. The Tigers lost 3-2.

Sept. 26: This one still hurts. The Tigers took a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Mike Henneman allowed a leadoff double to Jesse Barfield, an infield single to Willie Upshaw and then hit former Tiger Rick Leach. The next batter, Juan Beníquez, laced a triple to left off Noles and the Jays won, 10-9. We sobbed.

Sept. 27: Noles’ final Tigers appearance came in a huge, season-saving Tigers win. Doyle Alexander pitched the first 102/3 innings, and four relievers covered the final 21/3. Noles was the fourth; he entered with two out in the bottom of the 13th and they tying run on first. He got Barfield to hit it to shortstop for a force out at second. Tigers won 3-2 and that was it for Noles in Detroit.

On Oct. 23, 1987, he was returned to the Cubs. That’s a 32-day Tigers career. But given the mayhem of those final 10 days of the 1987 season, those were pretty good days to be with Detroit.

Birthdays

Johnny Barbato, Yorman Bazardo and the late Al Federoff

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 466 7/9: Rarity: 285

Ugly.

See you tomorrow.