July 24, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 5

W: Milt Wilcox (10-6) – L: Steve Farr (1-7) | Boxscore

Record: 68-29 — 11.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Doug Baker had a career day, going 4 for 5 with two runs scored, and Milt allowed six hits across 6^2/3 innings — plus four unearned runs.

The Tigers, who had an 8-1 lead in the seventh, had 15 hits, three by Lou Whitaker, and two apiece by Larry Herndon and Kirk Gibson.

Lou, Gibby and Dave Bergman all homered.

Detroit won their sixth straight and 11^th of their last 12.

Miscellany

Venue: Cleveland Stadium
Umpires: HP – Ted Hendry, 1B – Drew Coble, 2B – Jim Evans, 3B – Greg Kosc
Time of Game: 3:21
Attendance: 15,578

Birthdays

Jason Smith, Joe Oliver and Jeff Kaiser

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 479 9/9 — Rarity: 23

See you tomorrow.

July 22, 1984: Tigers 2 – Rangers 0

W: Dan Petry (13-4) – L: Charlie Hough (10-8) – S: Willie Hernández (20) | Boxscore

Record: 66-29 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Another pitchers duel, this one between Dan Petry and Charlie Hough. I remember watching this one on Channel 4: Peaches threw 8^2/3 innings, allowing a mere four hits, walking one and striking out eight.

The one walk was to Wayne Tolleson to lead off the ninth. He got the next two hitters to pop out to short. With left-handed hitting Pete O’Brien coming up Sparky summoned Willie — to a chorus of boos.

Hernandez threw one pitch, and O’Brien popped out to short.

Dave Bergman batted leadoff and led off the first with a solo homer. The Tigers’ other run scored on a bases-load wild pitch.

The crowd booed me. All 38,000 of them, because they wanted Danny to get that shutout. I don’t blame them. They’re great fans and Danny is such a great guy.
But the object is to win, not make friends.
Sparky, “Bless You Boys”

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Rocky Roe, 2B – Ken Kaiser, 3B – Dale Ford
Time of Game: 2:11
Attendance: 37,846

Birthdays

Redford High graduate Bill Zepp and the late Doc Cramer

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 477 7/9: Rarity: 226

See you tomorrow.

July 21, 1984: Tigers 7 – Rangers 6

W: Sid Monge (3-1) – L: Dickie Noles (3-3) – S: Willie Hernández (19) | Boxscore

Record: 65-39 — 9 games up on Toronto

Highlights

You could file this one under “winning ugly.” The Tigers gave Glenn Abbott a 2-0 lead but he couldn’t hold it — he was pulled with one out in the third after giving up five runs on five hits.

Thankfully, Rangers’ starter Dickie Noles was worse: 4^2/3 innings, six hits, five walks and seven runs.

Sid Monge pitched four strong innings of middle relief before handing it over to Doug Bair and Willie Hernández.

Chet Lemon, Tom Brookens, Kirk Gibson each made an error.

Ruppert Jones, Chet, Howard Johnson and Dave Bergman each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dale Ford, 1B – Larry Barnett, 2B – Rocky Roe, 3B – Ken Kaiser
Time of Game: 2:38
Attendance: 46,219

Birthdays

Kimera Bartee and Denny Harriger

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 476 9/9: Rarity: 17

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo: July 15

July 15, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 2

W: Dave Rozema (6-1) – L: Ken Schrom (2-4) – S: Aurelio López (11) | Boxscore

Record: 60-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers had 15 hits on the night, 10 off Twins starter Schrom in 4^2/3 innings.

Of those 15 hits, eight were doubles — Chet Lemon, 2; Howard Johnson; Lou Whitaker, 2; Darrell Evans; Dave Bergman and Kirk Gibson. Evans also had a solo homer. Whitaker had four hits total.

Rozema turned in a solid start: 5^1/3, eight hits, two runs and five strikeouts.

Miscellany

Venue: The Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Joe Brinkman, 1B – Larry McCoy, 2B – Nick Bremigan, 3B – Vic Voltaggio
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 27,965

Birthdays

Scott Livingstone and the late Bob Miller, Joe Rogalski and Red Oldham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 470 9/9: Rarity: 172

Pete Rose is likely the least-rare guess of my Grid-playing career.

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: July 14

July 14, 1984: Tigers 6 – Twins 5 (12)

W: Willie Hernández (6-0) – L: Mike Walters (0-3) | Boxscore

Record: 59-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

With one out in the ninth, Dave Bergman tied it at four with a pinch-hit solo homer off Ron Davis.

The Tigers scored two in the 12th to take a 6-4 lead. Hernández pitched three innings and allowed a two-out home run to Tim Teufel in the 12th, before getting Ron Washington (!) for the final out.

Milt Wilcox started and pitched 5^2/3 allowing four runs on eight hits; Doug Bair pitched a flawless 3^1/3.

Detroit had a dozen hits, two apiece for Bárbaro Garbey, Chet Lemon and Howard Johnson.

Miscellany

Venue: Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Joe Brinkman, 2B – Larry McCoy, 3B – Nick Bremigan
Time of Game: 3:40
Attendance: 46,017

Birthdays

Enrique Gonzalez and the late John Peters

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 469 8/9: Rarity: 128

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 8^1/3 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.

Dave Bergman and Chet Lemon both had two hits. Bergie homered in the fourth.

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.

The Sunday Fungo: June 16

June 16, 1984: Tigers 6 – Brewers 0

W: Juan Berenguer (4-4) – L: Don Sutton (3-7) | Boxscore

Record: 46-16: 6 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Berenguer controls the Brewers with a complete-game five hitter — but with just one strikeout.

Sutton strikes out six in his five innings of work, but allows seven hits and six earned runs.

Ruppert Jones and Darrell Evans homer off Sutton, and Dave Bergman goes three for four.

Miscellany

Venue: County Stadium
Umpires: HP – Bill Kunkel, 1B – Mark Johnson, 2B – Terry Cooney, 3B – Tim Welke
Time of Game: 2:30
Attendance: 50,395

Bob “Fats” Fothergill – OF

On this Father’s Day, I’ll stretch the purview of this site, out of the 1977 – 1994 range and out of the proper spelling of father, to highlight a former Tigers player whose name is pretty close: the late Bob Fothergill. Here are three things to know about him:

The right-handed hitting outfielder played parts of nine seasons with the Tigers.
He hit over .300 in eight of his nine seasons — and he hit over .350 four times.
In 802 games he hit .337, 26 home runs, 447 RBI and an OPS of .861.