Tag: Bill Krueger

The Saturday Fungo: May 18

May 18, 1984: Tigers 8 – A’s 4

W: Dan Petry (6-1) – L: Bill Krueger (1-1) | Boxscore

Record: 30-5

Highlights

  • The Tigers scored five first-inning runs and built up a 6-1 lead.
  • After a rain delay, the game was called with one out in the top of the sixth inning.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Marty Springstead, 3B – Jim McKean
  • Time of Game: 2:08
  • Attendance: 41,136

On this Date in 1982 …

Larry Herndon hit three home runs in an 11-9 win over Oakland, and became the 14th player in major league history to hit home runs in four consecutive plate appearances. On May 16, he homered in his final at-bat to give the Tigers a 7-6 victory over the Twins. — Courtesy of Baseball Reference, of course.

Birthdays

Joakim Soria, the late Don Lund and Rufe Gentry

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 412 9/9: Rarity: 99

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo: April 25

1984 Game 16: Tigers 9 – Rangers 4

W: Milt Wilcox (2-0) – L: Dave Stewart (0-5) – Save: Willie Hernández (2) | Boxscore

Record: 15-1

Highlights

  • Wilcox went six innings, allowing six hits and two runs.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Arlington Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Mike Reilly
  • Time of Game: 2:38
  • Attendance: 25,883

Bill Krueger #30

Here are a few things to know about lefty Bill Krueger:

Bill Krueger, not displaying his tremendous high leg kick.
  • The Tigers signed Krueger on Dec. 11, 1992. He spent the ’92 season with the Twins and Expos.
  • He made his Tigers debut on April 7, 1993 against his original club, the A’s, in a 12-7 Tigers loss. His line: 3.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.
  • The 1994 Tigers were not good and Krueger’s year aligned with his team’s. He had appeared in 16 games — his last a June 2 start against the Orioles in Baltimore — before the Tigers released him on June 4, with an 0-2 record and a 9.61 ERA.
  • Bill Krueger’s final line in Detroit: 6-6 with a 4.60 ERA.

Birthdays

Daniel Norris, Jacque Jones, Larry Pashnick and the late Tony Phillips, Woody Davis and Fred Haney

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 389 7/9 – Rarity: 219

My misses: Bruce Bochy in the middle square, and Tommy Henrich bottom left.

See you tomorrow.

The Wednesday Fungo: April 24

April 24, 1984: A ☃️ Doubleheader

It was Easter vacation, so I went to this one with my friend Steve and, after much guilt-heaping and nagging, my sister and her then-boyfriend, now husband.

Man, was it cold in the upper deck bleachers.

Game 14: Tigers 6 – Twins 5

W: Jack Morris (4-0) – L: Ron Davis (2-2) | Boxscore

Record: 13-1

Highlights

  • The Twins jumped out to a 4-1 and then 5-1 lead, before the Tigers started chipping away.
  • The Tigers scored two in the fifth and then won it with three in the ninth off Ron Davis.
  • A typical Morris start: nine innings, seven hits, five earned runs, five walks and one strikeout.
  • Lou Whitaker drove home the tying and winning runs with a single to right.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Al Clark, 3B – Don Denkinger
  • Time of Game: 2:16
  • Weather: COLD

Game 15: Tigers 4 – Twins 3

W: Glenn Abbott (1-0) – L: Frank Viola (0-3) – Save: Aurelio López (1) | Boxscore

Record: 14-1

Highlights

  • If this game had been played today, it would’ve been called a bullpen game. Petry, Abbott and Lopez each pitched three innings.
  • The Tigers turned three double plays, including a pivotal one in the ninth with the potential tying run on first.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Dan Morrison
  • Time of Game: 2:29
  • Attendance: 20,315
  • Start Time Weather: COLDER

Birthdays

Todd Jones, Bill Krueger and the late Howard Ehmke

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 388 9/9 — Rarity: 25

See you tomorrow.

🐇 The Sunday Fungo

The Tigers on Easter Sunday

Happy Easter! Here’s a rundown of the Tigers’ performance on Easter Sunday in games from 1977 through ’94. They appeared in nine games, winning three:

April 10, 1977: Royals 5 – Tigers 0 | W: Colborn – L: Ruhle – Save: Gura
April 15, 1979: Tigers 11 – Rangers 6 | W: Burnside – L: Lyle
April 19, 1981: Blue Jays 9 – Tigers 1 | W: Bomback – L: Morris
April 11, 1982: Tigers 2 – Royals 1 | W: Rozema – L: Blue – Save: Saucier
April 22, 1984: Tigers 9 – White Sox 1 | W: Berenguer – L: Brennan
April 19, 1987: White Sox 7 – Tigers 1 | W: Bannister – L: Petry
April 15, 1990: Orioles 6 – Tigers 0 | W: Milacki – L: Robinson
April 19, 1992: Orioles 3 – Tigers 2 | W: Milacki – L: Terrell – Save: Olson
April 11, 1993: Angels 7 – Tigers 6 | W: Crim – L: Krueger – Save: Grahe

Birthdays

Tracy Jones, Bill Denehy and the late Marv Grissom and Johnny Couch.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 364 9/9 – Rarity: 3

I don’t think I can do better than this. It checks all boxes except for the all-Tigers box.

See you tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Bill Krueger

He didn’t pitch long for the Tigers (1993 and part of ’94; 6-6 in 56 appearances), but Bill Krueger still qualifies for a Happy Birthday wish. He’s 51 today.

Now, did you know that Krueger’s batterymate in 1993 often was Chad Kreuter? Of course, Kreuter is pronounced “Kroy-ter”, but still, Krueger-to-Kreuter could’ve had a spot in the pantheon of classic batteries such as Bud Black and Steve Decker.

Well, maybe not.