The Wednesday Fungo: May 29

May 29, 1984: A’s 8 – Tigers 5

W: Bill Krueger (3-1) – L: Milt Wilcox (6-2) – Save: Bill Caudill (10) | Boxscore

Record: 36-9

Highlights

  • 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.
  • 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.

Check out this full bio on Dyer on the SABR Bio Project website.

Birthdays

Trevor Miller, Eric Davis, Billy Beane, Fred Holdsworth, John Baumgartner, Denny McLain and the late Ferris Fain and Jack Lively 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 423 8/9: Rarity: 167

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo: April 23

🌧️ Game 14: Postponed

Easter Sunday’s cold and rainy weather in Detroit persisted and the Tigers and Twins face a doubleheader on April 24.

Record: 12-1

Eric Davis – #33

The 1993 season was a weird one. From April 23 to June 25, the Tigers were either in first place or tied for the division lead.

Then, beginning June 23, they lost 10 in a row and 13 of 14. The next thing you know, they were 4.5 games back by July 1.

On Aug. 31, sitting in third place and six games back of the Blue Jays, the Tigers made a curious and intriguing deal with the Dodgers, acquiring former All-Star outfielder Eric Davis for a player to be named later.

Davis was a superstar with the Reds and was traded to Los Angeles in December 1991 and re-signed with his hometown team in November 1992. He didn’t match the dual-threat production he had in his first eight seasons* in Cincinnati — 177 homers, 247 stolen bases — so at the Aug. 31 traded deadline, the former Gold Glover was sent to Detroit.

The power hitter joined a lineup already full of power hitters: Cecil Fielder, Rob Deer, Mickey Tettleton, Pete Incaviglia and even Kirk Gibson.


He debuted with the Tigers on Sept. 3 at Tiger Stadium against the White Sox. Sparky slotted him in the seven spot, in centerfield. He doubled in his second at bat and homered in the bottom of the eighth — a three-run shot to draw the Tigers to within two, 8-6. That was the final score.

Davis’s 1993 Detroit totals: 23 games, six homers, .253 average and a .904 OPS. He also stole two bases, bringing his L.A./Detroit combo to 35.

As for the Tigers, they finished tied for third, 10 games back of Toronto.


The Tigers brought Davis back in 1994, but injuries limited him to just 37 games. He batted .183 with three home runs.

His final game with Detroit was July 26, 1994; he went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored in a 9-1 win over the Mariners.

All told, his 60-game Tigers career wrapped with a .210 average, nine home runs, seven stolen bases and a .706 OPS.

*After sitting out 1995, he returned to the Reds for one more season in 1996, and then had a post-cancer resurgence with the Orioles, Cardinals and Giants.

Birthdays

Zach Logue and the late Elam Vangilder and Harry Coveleski

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 387 9/9 — Rarity: 92

Two former Tigers …

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo

Dennis Kinney

The Tigers picked up southpaw Dennis Kinney from the Padres on Dec. 12, 1980 for Dave Stegman.

After spending most of the ’81 campaign in Triple-A Evansville, Kinney appeared in six late-season games for the Tigers, debuting against the Red Sox in Detroit on Sept. 9, a 6-5 loss.

His final appearance came at County Stadium on Oct. 2 against the Brewers, entering with two out in the fifth in relief of Dan Petry. The Tigers lost, 8-2.

His Tigers career by the numbers:

  • 3.2 innings pitched
  • 4 walks
  • 3 hits
  • 4 runs, all earned
  • 9.82 ERA.

Kinney was released almost a year to the day he was acquired: Dec. 14, 1981. On Feb. 7, 1982, he signed with the A’s.

His final big-league appearance came on May 20, 1982 at Tiger Stadium in a 11-3 Tigers win. Kinney’s line: 3.0 IP, 7 H, 0 SO, 1 BB, 3 ER.

Random Game: May 9, 1981

Angels 15 – Tigers 1

The Tigers scored first on a Kirk Gibson RBI single to plate Al Cowens. And that was it.

Here’s your boxscore.

Details

  • Saturday, May 9, 1981
  • Attendance: 32,040
  • Venue: Anaheim Stadium
  • Game Duration: 2:42
  • Night Game, on grass

Birthdays

Dennis Kinney, Don Lee and the late Rip Collins

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 330 9/9 — Rarity: 74
Screenshot 2024-02-26
One former Tiger today.

See you tomorrow.