Month: August 2024

Aug. 31, 1984: A’s 7 – Tigers 6 (13)

W: Keith Atherton (7-5) – L: Dave Rozema (7-5) | Boxscore

Record: 87-48 — 9.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Sparky had a short leash on Milt Wilcox, with good reason, pulling him after 32/3 innings in which he gave up five runs on four hits and five walks. Aurelio López  and Willie Hernández pitched the next eight and a third, allowing just three hits and combining for eight strikeouts.
  • The Tigers let four leads slip away, including in the ninth when they took a 6-5 lead. Rozema’s wild pitch with two out in the 13th allowed Mike Davis to score from third with the winning run.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
  • Umpires: HP – Rick Reed, 1B – Jerry Neudecker, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Steve Palermo
  • Time of Game: 4:19
  • Attendance: 15,836

Birthdays

John Hicks, Ramon Santiago, Shane Loux, Hideo Nomo, Morris Madden, Bill Nahorodny, former Tigers coach Boots Day, and the late Jack Burns and Norman Glaser.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 517 7/9 — Rarity: 276

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 30, 1984: Mariners 2 – Tigers 1

W: Jim Beattie (10-15) – L: Jack Morris (17-9) – S: Ed Núñez (4) | Boxscore

Record: 87-47 — 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Morris pitched a gem, eight innings, four hits, one earned run and eight strikeouts, and was the hard-luck loser. He kept the Mariners off the board until the eighth when his throwing error on a comebacker led to two runs scoring.
  • The Tigers offense mustered seven hits, all singles, off three Seattle pitchers and they scored in the ninth on a two-out, bases-loaded walk by Alan Trammell.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Marty Springstead
  • Time of Game: 2:34
  • Attendance: 9,583

Birthdays

Randy O’Neal, Steve Baker and the late Steve Partenheimer and Pol Perritt

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 516: 9/9 — Rarity: 62

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 29, 1984: Mariners 5 – Tigers 1

W: Mark Langston (13-9) – L: Dan Petry (15-8) | Boxscore

Record: 87-46 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Surprise, surprise: Langston shut down the Tigers again. The rookie allowed just two hits, four walks and struck out 12.
  • The Tigers had to feel good about themselves, taking a 1-0 lead in the second. Seattle tied it in the bottom half and then scored four more runs of Petry in the fifth.
  • Peaches’ final line: 41/3, 10 hits, five earned, one strikeout. He allowed a three-run homer to Ken Phelps in that fifth inning before giving way to Dave Rozema and Aurelio López. They gave up just one hit combined, and each struck out one.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Tim Welke
  • Time of Game: 2:11
  • Attendance: 10,863

Birthdays

Wayne McLeland, Buck Marrow and Jack Warner; and Frank Cox of the Detroit Wolverines

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 515: 9/9 — Rarity: 28

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 28, 1984: Tigers 5 – Mariners 4

W: Willie Hernández (8-2) – L: Mike Stanton (4-4) | Boxscore

Record: 87-45 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Mariners took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, but the Tigers tied it in the eighth, thanks to an Alan Trammell two-run homer.
  • Juan Berenguer started, going 62/3 and allowing four runs (only one earned.) Bill Scherrer made his Tigers debut, relieving Berenguer and getting the final out of the seventh.

Miscellany

  • Venue: The Kingdome
  • Umpires: HP – Tim Welke, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Durwood Merrill, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:51
  • Attendance: 8,353

Birthdays

Joe Yeager, he hit .260 with the Tigers from 1901-03.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 514 9/9 — Rarity: 19

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 27, 1984: Heading to Seattle

After taking two of three from the Angels, the Tigers hit the road for three games in Seattle, looking to settle a score from May’s sweep at the hands of the Mariners.

Al Greene – OF #21

Detroit Cooley High grad Altar Alfonse “Al” Greene had one of the more brief Tigers careers: 29 games in 1979, which was a surprise given the power numbers he posted in the minors.

Here are a few things to know about the left-handed hitting outfielder:

  • Greene is the first player from Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) to appear in the majors. He signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent on Nov. 10, 1976.
  • In 1978, he hit .263 with 32 homers, 84 RBI and an .885 OPS with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Evansville.
  • In 70 plate appearances, he had eight hits — three of them solo homers — six RBI and a .136 average. His final appearance came on Sept. 30, 1979 at Tiger Stadium against the Red Sox. He batted seventh as the Tigers’ DH and went 0 for 4.
  • On June 2, 1980, the Tigers traded him and John Martin to the Cardinals for Jim Lentine. He passed away in Detroit on Feb. 18, 2014 at 59.

Birthdays

Jordy Mercer, Buddy Bell and the late Em Lindbeck, Bob “Bun” Troy and William “Baldy” Louden

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 513 9/9 — Rarity: 14

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 26, 1984: Tigers 12 – Angels 6

W: Milt Wilcox (15-7) – L: Tommy John (7-12) | Boxscore

Record: 86-45 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers dropped five runs on Tommy John in the third inning — he allowed only two hits but walked five — and then they scored another run, on reliever Curt Kaufman.
  • Over the next 32/3 innings, Kaufman gave up six runs on seven hits, three of them solo homers by Chet Lemon and Marty Castillo and Kirk Gibson. When the Angels came to bat in the bottom of the sixth, they were down 11-0. Gibby cranked another in the ninth off Angels lefty John Curtis.
  • Milt pitched six innings, giving up five hits, three unearned runs, and striking out five.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Joe Brinkman
  • Time of Game: 3:01
  • Attendance: 33,008

Birthdays

Spencer Torkelson, Luis Marte, David Price, Alex Sanchez and Chad Kreuter

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 512 9/9 — Rarity: 7

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 25, 1984: Tigers 5 – Angels 1

W: Jack Morris (17-8) – L: Bruce Kison (3-3) | Boxscore

Record: 85-45 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Morris pitched eight innings and allowed nine hits and five walks. He allowed to singles in the ninth and Sparky brought in Willie Hernández.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Vic Voltaggio, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 2:40
  • Attendance: 51,203

Birthdays

Justin Upton, and Detroit Wolverines outfielder and shortstop Frank Jones

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 512 9/9 – Rarity: 7

See you tomorrow.