This was a blast from the get-go. My friends and I sat in the upper-deck bleachers, taunting Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey during batting practice with a “Dempsey sucks” chant. He was a good sport, egging us on and even turning to face the bleachers and act as a conductor while we rained vitriol upon him.
As for the game, it was nothing short of bedlam. The Tiger scored six in the second highlighted by an Alan Trammell homer, and then three in the third and again in the fourth.
Chet Lemon and Lance Parrish also homered, as the Tigers built up a 13-0 lead in the fifth inning.
Tram had a three-hit game, and Lance, Chet and Larry Herndon each had two hits.
Petry threw six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits.
Miscellany
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Don Denkinger, 2B – Rich Garcia, 3B – Mike Reilly
The A’s knocked Wilcox around early: seven runs on seven hits and three walks, in three-and-a-third innings.
Oakland built up an 8-1 lead in the fourth.
Chet Lemon‘s seventh-inning two-run homer, one of his two hits, was the Tigers highlight. All told, they had six hits.
Miscellany
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Rick Reed, 2B – Dave Phillips, 3B – Jerry Neudecker
Time of Game: 2:42
Attendance: 22,499
Duffy Dyer #15
The Tigers picked up Don Robert “Duffy” Dyer in a March 15, 1980 trade with the Expos for Jerry Manuel. The 34-year-old was, throughout his career a backup catcher and on some decent teams — including the 1969 Miracle Mets.
By the time Dyer came to Detroit, his career was drawing to a close. But before we get to that, let’s look at his brief time as a Tiger:
He made his Tigers debut on April 12, 1980 against the Royals. Dyer started at catcher, batting eighth, and went 0 for 4.
In all he appeared in 48 games in 1980, mostly as a catcher and a few games at DH.
In 1981, Dyer appeared in two games, but had no at bats. His last big league hit came on Oct. 4, 1980, a single off the Yankees’ Rudy May.
And, his final at bat came on the next day, against the Yankees’ Doug Bird, a fly out to right.
His final appearance came a year and three days after his debut — both against the Royals. On April 15, he was a defensive replacement for Lance Parrish in the bottom of the ninth. The Tigers won, 4-0. On May 18, 1981, he was released.
His final line: .185 average, four home runs and 11 RBI.
Petry pitched a seven-inning gem in his hometown, allowing five hits and striking out five, surrendering only a Doug DeCinces two-run homer in the fourth.
One of Whitaker’s hits was his fourth homer of the year.
Morris 7.1 IP, eight hits, six walks and six strikeouts.
Miscellany
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 42,906
Luis Salazar #12
The Tigers signed veteran utility man Luis Salazar as a free agent on Feb, 20, 1988. He has spent the previous season with the Padres, where he began his career in 1980.
The Tigers are rained out yet again in the first six weeks. Seattle comes to town for three starting tomorrow.
Record: 26-5, 7.5 games up
Glenn Wilson #12
A torrid start in Evansville led to Glenn Wilson‘s promotion to the Tigers in time for the Tigers on Opening Day in Detroit, April 15, 1982, against the Blue Jays.
Just two years earlier Wilson was a Tigers first-round pick, 18th overall, out of Sam Houston State University in Texas.
Wilson entered the ’82 home opener in the bottom of the eighth pinch-hitting for DH Jerry Turner. Facing Jays’ reliever Jerry Garvin, he stuck out looking.
The next day, Wilson collected his first major-league hit the next day against Ron Guidry, leading off the ninth with a double to left center.
Wilson made the most of his opportunity, hitting .467 in his first six games, and playing excellent defense in the outfield. Thanks to his hot start, he stuck with the Tigers until early May when he was sent back to Evansville only to return in July.
Wilson ended up playing in 84 big-league games that season, 80 of them in centerfield, and finished at .292 with 12 home runs.
In 1983 the Tigers were depending on Wilson to maintain the pace he began in his rookie season. He shifted from centerfield to right, allowing Chet Lemon to take over his natural position. Wilson appeared in 144 games that year and hit .268 with 11 HR and 64 RBI.
The Tigers saw him as a key piece of the puzzle heading into 1984. But the Tigers were determined to make Kirk Gibson their regular right fielder in ’84 which complicated the outfield picture and likely meant Wilson was a man without a position.
On March 24, the Tigers sent Wilson and John Wockenfuss to the Phillies for Willie Hernandez and Dave Bergman. Wilson spent four seasons with the Phillies and was named to the National League All-Star team in 1985. He finished the season with a .275 average, 14 home runs and 102 RBI.
With stops in Seattle, Pittsburgh and his hometown Astros, Wilson had a solid 10-year major-league career. His place in Tigers lore is set, if only as a player traded away on the eve of a magical season.
I for one enjoyed watching him play in Detroit — he was one of my favorite players — and wish he’d hung around a bit longer.
Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the late, old-time Tigers: Alex Main (1914 Tigers), Jimmy Archer (1907 Tigers) and Jack Burns (1903-04 Tigers)
dailyfungo.com 