Doug Baker

Sept. 30, 1984: Yankees 9 – Tigers 2

W: Dennis Rasmussen (9-6) – L: Randy O’Neal (2-1) | Boxscore

Record: 104-58 — 15 games up on Toronto

Highlights

O’Neal started and lasted only three and two-thirds, getting knocked around for nine hits, four walks and seven runs.

Bárbaro Garbey, Chet Lemon and Doug Baker each had two hits.

Doug Bair, Aurelio López, Bill Scherrer and Willie Hernández each pitched an inning of post-season tune up. Sid Monge made his final big-league appearance: one inning, two runs, two hits and a walk.

Miscellany

Venue: Yankee Stadium
Umpires: HP – Al Clark, 1B – Mike Reilly, 2B – Don Denkinger, 3B – Rich Garcia
Time of Game: 2:35
Attendance: 30,602

Birthdays

Travis Demeritte, Danny Worth, Carlos Guillen, John DeSilva, Scott Lusader, Dan Gonzales and the late Jose Lima, Johnny Podres and Ben Taylor

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 547 9/9 — Rarity: 74

See you tomorrow.

Sept. 24, 1984: Tigers 7 – Brewers 3

W: Juan Berenguer (10-10) – L: Paul Hartzell (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 101-55 — 14^1/2 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Berenguer evened his record by going five innings, giving up just five hits. Dave Rozema, Doug Bair, Bill Scherrer and Aurelio López each pitched one inning to close it out.

Chet Lemon, number 20, and Lou Whitaker, his 12th, both homered off Milwaukee reliever Rick Waits.

Dave Bergman had three hits, and Lou, Ruppert Jones, Nelson Simmons and Doug Baker all had two hits.

Miscellany

Venue: County Stadium
Umpires: HP – Marty Springstead, 1B – Durwood Merrill, 2B – Dan Morrison, 3B – Jim McKean
Time of Game: 2:32
Attendance: 9,506

Birthdays

Nate Cornejo, John McDonald and the late Dixie Walker, Tom Seats, Joe Sargent and John Kane

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid #541: 9/9 — Rarity 14

See you tomorrow.

Aug. 20, 1984: Tigers 14 – A’s 1

W: Jack Morris (16-8) – L: Curt Young (6-2) | Boxscore

Record: 82-44 — 10.5 games up on Toronto

Highlights

The Tigers blasted Oakland starter, Saginaw native and Central Michigan product, Young in his two innings: eight hits, six earned runs and two homers. He was replaced by Chuck Rainey who fared worse: 4^1/3 innings, 10 hits and eight runs.

All told, the Tigers amassed 20 hits. Larry Herndon, Darrell Evans and Doug Baker each had three hits, and Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson and Chet Lemon contributed two each. Lemon, Gibby and Lance Parrish had homers.

The most-notable part of this game? Former Tigers infielder Mark Wagner pitched the final inning and two-thirds, allowing just two hits, a walk and striking out one (Johnny Grubb.)

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Durwood Merrill, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Tim Welke, 3B – Marty Springstead
Time of Game: 2:45
Attendance: 38,431

Birthdays

Gene Kingsale, Jose Paniagua and the late George Zuverink, Beau Bell and Ross Reynolds

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 506 8/9 — Rarity: 123

See you tomorrow.

July 31, 1984: Doubleheader versus Cleveland

Game 1: Tigers 5 – Indians 1

W: Juan Berenguer (5-7) – L: Roy Smith (4-3) | Boxscore

Record: 71-32

Highlights

This was a makeup game from the previous week’s rainout in Cleveland.

Berenguer was solid: 6^1/3 innings, four hits, two walks and four strikeouts — and just one run.

The Tigers jumped all over Indians’ starter Smith with five runs in the second inning. Doug Baker hit a bases-loaded triple and Ruppert Jones hit a solo shot which sent Smith to the showers.

Doug Bair pitched 2^2/3 flawless innings.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
Time of Game: 2:30

Game 2: Indians 6 – Tigers 4

W: Neal Heaton (8-10) – L: Dave Rozema (7-3) – S: Tom Waddell (5) | Boxscore

Record: 71-33 — 12 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Cleveland chased Rozey with six runs on seven hits in 2^1/3 innings.

At the time, I wish I had better appreciated the freak of nature that was Aurelio López. Sparky used him in every situation except for spot starter — and he probably would have excelled in the role. In this one, he pitched 6^2/3 of shutout relief, allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out five.

Bárbaro Garbey went three for four and Lou Whitaker had two hits and an RBI.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Jim Evans, 1B – Greg Kosc, 2B – Ted Hendry, 3B – Drew Coble
Time of Game: 2:50
Attendance: 32,158

Birthdays

Reese Olson, Andy Van Hekken, Gabe Kapler, Howard Bailey, Dave Dombrowski, Terry Fox and the late Al Aber, Harry Malmberg and Billy Hitchcock

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 486 9/9 — Rarity: 37

See you tomorrow.

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.

The Saturday Fungo: July 13

July 13, 1984: Tigers 5 – Twins 3 (11)

W: Willie Hernández (5-0) – L: Rick Lysander (0-1) – S: Aurelio López (10) | Boxscore

Record: 58-28 — 7 games up on Toronto

Highlights

Jack Morris and Twins starter John Butcher matched up more or less evenly through seven. The Tigers gave Morris a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth — thanks to a Johnny Grubb solo homer — only to see The Cat allow the tying run in the bottom half.

Lou Whitaker‘s 11th-inning two-run homer off Lysander gave the Tigers a 5-3 lead. Aurelio López earned the save by pitching a quintessential Señor Smoke inning: one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon and Tom Brookens each had two hits. In fact, the Tigers got four hits in five at bats out of the number-nine spot: One from Doug Baker, Grubb’s homer and Brookens’ double and triple.

Miscellany

Venue: The Metrodome
Umpires: HP – Nick Bremigan, 1B – Vic Voltaggio, 2B – Joe Brinkman, 3B – Larry McCoy
Time of Game: 3:11
Attendance: 30,050

Birthdays

Clint Sodowsky and the late George Cunningham

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 468 9/9: Rarity: 20

See you tomorrow.

The Wednesday Fungo: June 19

June 19, 1984: Tigers 7 – Yankees 6

W: Aurelio López (6-0) – L: Ron Guidry (5-5) – S: Willie Hernández (12) | Boxscore

Record: 48-17 — 6^1/2 up on Toronto

Highlights

Carl Willis made his first big-league start: 4^1/3 innings, nine hits, four earned runs.

The Tigers took it to Ron Guidry: a dozen hits and seven earned runs over 7^1/3.

Lance Parrish‘s first-inning two-run homer opened the scoring.

Chet Lemon, Larry Herndon and Tom Brookens each doubled; and Herndon had a three-hit game.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Steve Palermo, 1B – Dave Phillips, 2B – Jerry Neudecker, 3B – John Hirschbeck
Time of Game: 2:49
Attendance: 41,192

Doug Flynn – IF #20

The Tigers signed veteran infielder Doug Flynn as a free agent on June 20, 1985, nine days after he was released by the Expos. Here are four things to know about his brief time in Detroit:

He debuted on June 22 against the Yankees, starting at second base and batting ninth. He singled off Ron Guidry in his first at bat, one of just four hits Guidry allowed.

His final major-league game was Oct. 5, 1985 against the Orioles. He replaced Doug Baker at short — Alejandro Sánchez pinch ran for Baker — in the eighth inning.

Flynn’s final line as a Tiger: 32 games, 55 plate appearances, .255 average, no home runs and two RBI.

The Tigers re-signed him in the offseason, but released him near the end of Spring Training 1986.

Birthdays

Willis Roberts*, Jim Slaton and the late Eddie Cicotte.

*Roberts appeared in one game for the 1999 Tigers: 1.1 IP, three hits, four runs, one HBP.

See you tomorrow.