Author: Mike McClary

Upbeat guy.

The Tuesday Fungo: July 9

July 9, 1984: The All-Star Break

The Tigers had six players on the 1984 American League All-Star team, three in the starting lineup …

… and three reserves:

Tram was on the disabled list, as I recall, with an elbow issue and wouldn’t play in the game, played at Candlestick Park.

I had held out hope that Morris would start the game. Alas, that assignment went to the Blue Jays’ Dave Stieb.

The Standings

A seven-game lead at the All-Star Break, even knowing how it all ends, is still remarkable. What I did not realize, until I started writing this post, was the Padres entered the break with the best record in the National League.

Birthdays

Orville Inman “Coot” Veal and the late Bud Black, Jimmy Shevlin, Glenn Myatt and Carl Holling

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 464 8/9 —Rarity: 159

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: July 8

July 8, 1984: Rangers 9 – Tigers 7

W: Frank Tanana (9-8) – L: Doug Bair (4-2) – S: Dave Schmidt (5) | Boxscore

Record: 57-27 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Texas led this one 7-0 in the third, ringing the bell of Doug Bair in a spot start. He lasted 22/3 innings, serving up six runs on eight hits.
  • Tanana started for the Rangers and he gave up six runs, two earned, and struck out five in his six innings of work.
  • The Tigers trailed 8-2 to start the sixth inning and scored four runs — three on Howard Johnson‘s homer — to draw within 8-6. Another run in the eighth made it 8-7, but the Rangers tacked on an insurance run in the eighth to seal it.
  • Chet Lemon matched Johnson’s two-hit, three-RBI performance.
  • The Tigers head into the All-Star Break 30 games over .500.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Mark Johnson
  • Time of Game: 2:37
  • Attendance: 16,010

Lerrin LaGrow – RHP #30

The Tigers drafted Phoenix-native Lerrin LaGrow in the sixth round of the 1969 MLB June Amateur Draft from Arizona State University.

He made his major-league debut the following season, on June 28, 1970.

He came in the eighth inning, in relief of starter Joe Niekro. He faced one batter, Paul Schaal, and gave up a single.

Here’s a snapshot of LaGrow’s Tigers career:

  • 1970: 0-1, 7.03 ERA in 12 innings pitched
  • 1972: 0-1, 1.32 in 27 IP
  • 1973: 1-5, 4.33 in 54 IP
  • 1974: 8-19, 4.66 in 216 IP
  • 1975: 7-14, 4.38 in 164 IP

The Cardinals purchased his contract from the Tigers on April 2, 1976, which means he didn’t even get to enjoy the Mark Fidrych Era.

But, by leaving Detroit when he did, his number 30 became available for Jason Thompson.

Birthdays

Mike Gerber, Ernie Young, Lerrin LaGrow and the late Salty Parker, Roy Crumpler and Clyde Barfoot

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: July 7

July 7, 1984: Tigers 5 – Rangers 2

W: Dave Rozema (5-1) – L: Danny Darwin (5-5) – S: Willie Hernández (16) | Boxscore

Record: 57-26 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • A solid start for Rozema: six innings, nine hits and one earned run.
  • Hernández with another multi-inning save — three! — albeit a bit wild. Three walks and a hit.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Mark Johnson, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
  • Time of Game: 2:41
  • Attendance: 29,262

Birthdays

Alfredo Figaro, Dan Gladden and the late Mel Clark and the Georges: Smith, Spencer, Moriarty and Suggs.

See you tomorrow.

The Saturday Fungo: July 6

July 6, 1984: Rangers 5 – Tigers 3

W: Mike Mason (6-6) – L: Juan Berenguer (4-7) – S: Dave Schmidt (4) | Boxscore

Record: 56-26 — 6 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Detroit trailed 5-0 in the eighth when Darrell Evans hit a two-out, three-run homer off future Tiger Dickie Noles, but it wasn’t enough.
  • Juan Berenguer started and didn’t make it out of the third, giving up five hits, two walks and three runs — along with a wild pitch and a balk.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Mark Johnson, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
  • Time of Game: 2:42
  • Attendance: 22,378

Birthdays

Greg Norton, Omar Olivares, Jason Thompson and the late Karl Olson

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo: July 5

July 5, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 4

W: Aurelio López (7-0) – L: Charlie Hough (8-7) – S: Willie Hernández (15) | Boxscore

Record: 56-25 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Down 4-1 heading to the top of the ninth, the Tigers scored six runs off of Rangers’ starter Charlie Hough.
  • Kirk Gibson‘s two-out, three-run homer turned a tie game into a 7-4 lead.
  • Dan Petry went 52/3, allowing four runs and striking out six.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Mark Johnson, 3B – Joe Brinkman
  • Time of Game: 2:26
  • Attendance: 15,151

Birthdays

Doug Bochtler and Tim Worrell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 459 9/9: Rarity 28

See you tomorrow.

🇺🇲 The Thursday Fungo: July 4 🇺🇲

July 4, 1984: White Sox 8 – Tigers 2

W: Richard Dotson (11-4) – L: Milt Wilcox (8-6) | Boxscore

Record: 55-25 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Detroit’s skid hits four games in a pitcher’s duel-turned-blowout.
  • Wilcox and Dotson matched zeroes through five innings, and in the sixth the wheels came off of Milt and the Sox took an 8-0 lead.
  • Aurelio López relieved Wilcox, who’d given up six runs, but he managed to get just one out before handing it over to Sid Monge. Poor Isidro gave up two runs and a homer in his two innings of work.
  • Dotson allowed just three of the Tigers five hits.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Comiskey Park
  • Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
  • Time of Game: 2:34
  • Attendance: 37,665

Birthdays

Francisco Cruceta and the late Bill Tuttle, Babe Birrer and George Mullin

See you tomorrow.

The Wednesday Fungo: July 3

July 3, 1984: White Sox 9 – Tigers 5

W: Tom Seaver (7-6) – L: Jack Morris (12-5) – S: Ron Reed (4) | Boxscore

Record: 55-24 — 8 games up Toronto

Highlights

  • The Tigers lost their third-consecutive game for the first time since the Memorial Day sweep at the hands of the Mariners.
  • Morris fooled no one and Seaver was not much better — but good enough to win. The Cat lasted 41/3, giving up eight runs on nine hits. Tom Terrific allowed five earned runs on five hits — three of them homers — walked three and struck out seven.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Comiskey Park
  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 2:42
  • Attendance: 43,094

Birthdays

Logan Kensing, Frank Tanana, Phil Meeler and the late Luke Hamlin and Jack Dalton

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo: July 2

July 2, 1984: White Sox 7 – Tigers 1

W: Floyd Bannister (5-6) – L: Dave Rozema (4-1) | Boxscore

Record: 55-23 — 9 games ahead of Toronto

Highlights

  • This was an ugly one all around: Rozema allowed four runs on five hits and two homers in four innings; Aurelio López coughed up three runs in two.
  • Bannister pitched a complete game, striking out six.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Comiskey Park
  • Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
  • Time of Game: 2:29
  • Attendance: 32,768

Birthdays

Sean Casey, Steve Sparks, Pete Burnside and Gil English

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: July 1

July 1, 1984: Twins 9 – Tigers 0

W: Frank Viola (8-7) – L: Juan Berenguer (4-6) | Boxscore

Record: 55-22 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Not much good in this one. Juan Berenguer with a quintessential Juan Berenguer start: five innings, seven hits, six earned runs.
  • Only four hits for the Tigers, who were silenced by Viola’s complete game. He walked one and struck out three.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Mark Johnson, 3B – Joe Brinkman
  • Time of Game: 2:21
  • Attendance: 43,484

Birthdays

Jamie Walker, Ron Nischwitz and the late Boots Poffenberger, Louis Brower and Bert Cole

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 456 9/9: Rarity: 22

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: June 30

June 30, 1984: Tigers 4 – Twins 3

W: Dan Petry (11-3) – L: Ken Schrom (1-3) – S: Willie Hernández (14) | Boxscore

Record: 55-21 — 10 games up on Toronto

Highlights

  • Petry struck out 10 over 81/3 and scattered seven hits. Willie shut down the Twins to close it out.
  • Minnesota took a 3-2 lead in the sixth, and the Tigers scored a run in the seventh and eighth to pull ahead.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Mark Johnson.
  • Time of Game: 2:43.
  • Attendance: 48,095

Birthdays

The late Davy Jones

See you tomorrow.