1979

The Thursday Fungo: June 13

June 13, 1984: Blue Jays 7 – Tigers 3

W: Dave Stieb (8-2) – L: Milt Wilcox (7-4) | Boxscore

Record: 44-16 — 6 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers were down 7-0 heading to the eighth. Wilcox, five innings, four runs, and Doug Bair, two innings, three runs, took the brunt of the damage.

Stieb shut down Detroit over seven innings, allowing just three hits.

Classic Darrell Evans: one for one with three walks.

Miscellany

Venue: Exhibition Stadium
Umpires: HP – John Hirschbeck, 1B – Steve Palermo, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
Time of Game: 2:28
Attendance: 34,122

Steve Baker – RHP #31

Steve Baker‘s major-league debut was a good one. On May 25, 1978, he started against the Orioles and went 6^1/3 and allowed just one run on eight hits and six strikeouts. Baltimore scored off of John Hiller in the eighth to take a 2-1 lead, and that was the final score.

According to his profile in the 1979 Tigers Yearbook, managers in the American Association, to which Triple-A Evansville belonged, in 1978 picked Baker as “the best prospect and pitcher with the best curve.”

He pitched in 15 games for the ’78 Tigers, 10 of them starts, finishing with a 2-4 record and a 4.55 ERA.

In 1979, Baker’s career with the Tigers nosedived in a hurry.

On April 26, he started against the Brewers and in his 5^2/3 innings gave up four runs on seven hits and five walks. He won his next start, 5-2 against the White Sox.

May wasn’t kind to Baker, June and July were worse — and, well, August just piled on.

June: Three starts, 12^1/3 innings, 13 earned runs.
July: Four starts, 27^1/3 innings, 16 earned runs
August: One appearance, 4 innings, six hits, four earned runs

When the dust settled, Baker had just one scoreless appearance all year, and finished 1-7 with a 6.64 ERA and one save.

He began the 1980 season in Evansville before the Blue Jays purchased his contract on June 6. Baker’s final Tigers line: 3-11, 5.74 ERA and that one save.

Birthdays

James McCann, Drew Smyly, Justin Miller, Bob Strampe, the late Gene Desautels and Marty Kavanagh

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 438 9/9: Rarity: 14

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo: June 6

June 6, 1984: Blue Jays 6 – Tigers 3

W: Luis Leal (6-0) – L: Dan Petry (8-3) | Boxscore

Record: 39-13

Highlights

Peaches got pummeled: Four innings, 10 hits, five earned runs. Aurelio López pitched four innings of relief.

Lou Whitaker had three hits, Howard Johnson two.

Ruppert Jones doubled and walked in his Tigers debut.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Derryl Cousins, 1B – Bill Kunkel, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Richard Shulock
Time of Game: 2:36
Attendance: 38,167

Ed Glynn #48

Here are a few things to know about lefty Ed Glynn.

The Tigers signed him as an amateur free agent on Sept. 25, 1971.

Glynn debuted on Sept. 19, 1975 against the Red Sox. Tigers starter Ray Bare didn’t record an out, so Glynn and Lerrin LaGrow picked up the slack. He entered in the fourth, and pitched two and two thirds, allowing three hits and two runs.

In parts of four seasons with Detroit, he appeared in 26 games — 10 being the high-water mark, in 1978 — and had a final record of 3-6 and a 4.93 ERA.

Along the way, he made eight starts and on Sept. 12, 1976, he pitched a complete game against the Yankees but took the loss in the 3-1 New York win.

On March 13, 1979, the Tigers traded him to his hometown Mets for Mardie Cornejo — Nate Cornejo‘s dad!

Birthdays

Will Vest, Tyler Collins, Collin Balester, Eddie Bonine and the late Dave Bergman, Chet Morgan and Izzy Goldstein

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 431 9/9: Rarity: 80

See you tomorrow.

The Friday Fungo: May 31

May 31, 1984: An Off Day in Detroit

The 37-9 Tigers await the defending World Series champ for a weekend series at Tiger Stadium. Baltimore comes to town with a 28-21 record.

Record: 37-9

May 31, 1979: The Underwoods Face Off

Tigers 1 – Blue Jays 0

W: Pat Underwood (1-0) – L: Tom Underwood (0-7)– Save: John Hiller (4) | Boxscore

Pat Underwood shut out the Blue Jays for eight-and-a-third innings at Exhibition Stadium, earning his first major-league win as the Tigers beat Toronto, and his brother Tom, 1-0 thanks to Jerry Morales‘ eighth-inning solo home run.

How great is this? Underwood picked off Blue Jays second baseman Danny Ainge at second base.

Mark Salas – #10 and #27

Here are five things to know about catcher Mark Salas:

The Tigers signed him as a free agent on April 8, 1990.
The left-handed hitting Salas made his debut on April 14 against the Orioles. He pinch hit for Mike Heath in the seventh and struck out.
He appeared in 74 games for the Tigers that season — wearing number 10 — hitting .232 with nine home runs, 24 RBI and a .737 OPS.
He appeared in just 33 games, now wearing number 27, for the 1991 Tigers. He hit .088 with a homer and seven RBI.
Salas’s final big-league game was Oct. 5, 1991, like his first, against the Orioles. In the bottom of the sixth, he replaced pinch hitter Rich Rowland, playing first and batting ninth. His career came to an end when he led off the ninth by grounding out to pitcher Mark Williamson.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whom the Tigers drafted in 1994 and traded in 1998 to Indians for Geronimo Berroa.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 425 7/9: Rarity 246

Have a great weekend. See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo: May 16

May 16, 1984: Tigers 10 – Mariners 1

W: Milt Wilcox (5-0) – L: Matt Young (2-3) | Boxscore

Record: 29-5

Highlights

The Tigers ambushed Matt Young for five first-inning runs, and then tacked on another five off the Mariners bullpen.

Every starter and pinch hitter got at least one hit — except for Dave Bergman. He was plunked by Dave Beard after Johnny Grubb homered.

Wilcox cruised through six innings, allowing just four hits. Doug Bair, Willie Hernández and Aurelio López each threw a scoreless inning.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Richard Shulock, 1B – Derryl Cousins, 2B – Bill Kunkel, 3B – Terry Cooney
Time of Game: 2:52
Attendance: 22,001

Dave Machemer #9

Here are a few things to know about infielder Dave Machemer. But first, a nugget from his profile in the 1979 Tigers Yearbook:

Born in St. Joseph, on the west side of Michigan, Dave and his wife still live in neighboring Benton Harbor. The 27-year-old infielder has another Michigan tie, being a 1973 graduate of Central Michigan University at Mt. Pleasant.

Machemer homered in his first major league at bat, on June 21, 1978, when he debuted with the California Angels. He led off the game by homering off Twins starter Geoff Zahn. Spoiler: It would be his only career homer.

After a 10-game stint with the ’78 Angels, the Tigers drafted Machemer in the Rule 5 pick that December.

He made his Tigers debut on April 21, 1979, against the Blue Jays, entering the game in the bottom of the ninth as a pinch runner for Jason Thompson.

His finest game was on June 29 against the Orioles. Starting at second base and batting ninth, he went 3 for 4, including a double off Dennis Martínez.

Machemer’s final game was on July 2, 1979, when he pinch ran for Rusty Staub. His Tigers career totals: 19 games, .192 average.

Birthdays

Jack Morris, Doug Brocail, Bob Bruce, the late Billy Martin, Dave Philley, Stubby Overmire and John O’Connell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate 410 9/9: Rarity: 12

See you tomorrow.