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 Tuesday Fungo: June 4

June 4, 1984: Tigers 6 – Blue Jays 3 (10)

W: Aurelio López (5-0) – L: Jimmy Key (2-3) | Boxscore

Record: 39-11

Highlights

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Terry Cooney, 1B – Richard Shulock, 2B – Derryl Cousins, 3B – Bill Kunkel
Time of Game: 3:30
Attendance: 26,733

Birthdays

Jorge Bonifacio and Steve Searcy

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 429 7/9: Rarity: 216

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: June 2

June 2, 1984: Orioles 5 – Tigers 0

W: Storm Davis (6-1) – L: Jack Morris (10-2) | Boxscore

Record: 38-10

Highlights

Cue that tired expression: “They should have saved some for today.” The Orioles bounced back from the previous night’s drubbing and tagged Morris for five runs in six innings.

Storm Davis pitched a complete-game three-hitter.

Alan Trammell, Dave Bergman and Howard Johnson accounted for the Tigers offense.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Don Denkinger, 1B – Rich Garcia, 2B – Mike Reilly, 3B – Al Clark
Time of Game: 2:11
Attendance: 40,292

Game Highlights

Birthdays

Neifi Perez, Darnell Coles and the late Lou Skizas, Gene Michael, Jerry Lumpe and Jack Pierce

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 427 9/9: Rarity: 9

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: May 26

May 26, 1984: Mariners 9 – Tigers 5

W: Mike Moore – L: Juan Berenguer | Boxscore

Record: 35-7

Highlights

Kirk Gibson hit a first-inning homer to put the Tigers up 1-0 … and then the Mariners took control, scoring four off Berenguer in the home half.

Berenguer retired only one batter: Seattle’s leadoff hitter, Jack Perconte. The following hitters walked, singled, singled, singled, then a wild pitch, and two more singles. Mariners 4, Tigers 1.

Doug Bair, Dave Rozema, Glenn Abbott and Willie Hernandez did what they could but the Mariners built a 9-2 lead.

The Tigers scored three in the ninth and out-hit the Mariners, 13 to 11.

Gibson, Larry Herndon, Dave Bergman, Howard Johnson and Rusty Kuntz each had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: Seattle Kingdome
Umpires: HP – Mike Reilly, 1B – Al Clark, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Rich Garcia
Time of Game: 2:51
Attendance: 41,342

Bob Sykes #27

The Tigers drafted lefty Bob Sykes in the 19th round of the 1974 MLB June Amateur Draft from Miami Dade College.

After three seasons in the minors, he made his debut on April 9, 1977, at age 22, pitching four-and-two-thirds in a Royals 16-2 rout — but he managed to blank K.C., allowing just two hits and a walk.

Sykes appeared in 32 games that season, 20 of them starts, and finished with a record of 5-7 and a 4.41 ERA.

In 1978, appeared in 22 games, starting 10 and throwing a pair of shutouts. His record was 6-6 with a 3.94 ERA; he also earned two saves.

That offseason, Dec. 4, 1978, he was traded to the Cardinals, with minor leaguer John Murphy, in a deal that worked out well for the Tigers, who received Aurelio López and Jerry Morales in return.

Sykes’ final numbers in Detroit: 11-13, 4.22 ERA and two saves. He pitched three seasons in St. Louis before being traded to the Yankees for a young outfielder named Willie McGee.

Birthdays

Darrell Evans and the late Jack Cronin

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 420 8/9: Rarity: 154

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.

The Monday Fungo: May 13

May 13, 1984: Rained Out in Detroit

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.