Fernando Arroyo

The Thursday Fungo

Fernando Arroyo – #36

Righty Fernando Arroyo began the 1975 season in Triple-A Evansville, and made his major-league debut on June 28, 1975 against the Orioles, and in relief of Joe Coleman. He appeared in 14 games for the ’75 Tigers, finishing with a 2-1 record and 4.56 ERA.

Evansville was his home for the 1976 season, but he came to Detroit in ’77 and, considering his workload, he appeared to be there to stay.

38 appearances
28 starts
209.1 innings pitched
8-18 record
4.17 ERA
2 complete games

But … Arroyo was back in Evansville for most of 1978, appearing in just two games (4.1 IP) for the Tigers — yet he still appeared in the 1978 Tigers Yearbook. Here’s part of his profile:

Maybe there isn’t such a thing as luck in baseball — but don’t try to tell Fernando Arroyo that.

A veteran of seven minor league seasons, the good-looking right-hander got his first real chance with the Tigers in 1977, when he became a regular starter in mid-May. At the close, Fernando had lost 18 games — but six were by one run and 12 came when the Tigers failed to score, scored once or scored twice. That is not the kind of support to enhance a pitcher’s record.

In Arroyo’s case, it meant one losing streak of six straight, and another period of one victory in 11 decisions.

On Dec. 5, 1979, the Tigers traded him to the Twins for lefty Jeff Holly. (Holly never appeared in a game for Detroit.)

His final line in Detroit: 11-20, 4.48 ERA.

Today’s Random Game: Sept. 19, 1977

Yankees 9 – Tigers 4

W: Dick Tidrow (11-4) – L: Jim Crawford (7-7) | Boxscore

Highlights

The Yankees pounded three Tigers pitchers, Crawford, Vern Ruhle and Ed Glynn, for 17 hits. Crawford and Ruhle each allowed four runs.

New York hit five home runs: One each for Thurman Munson, Dave Kingman and Graig Nettles, and two for Reggie Jackson two.

Rusty Staub and Jason Thompson homered for the Tigers.

The win was the Yankees’ 92nd on their way to 100. The loss dropped the Tigers to 69-80; they finished the ’77 season at 74-88.

Miscellany

Umpires: HP – Vic Voltaggio, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Larry Barnett, 3B – Jim Evans.
Time of Game: 2:30
Attendance: 17,656

Birthdays

Fernando Arroyo and the late Owen Friend, Boyd Perry, Joe Samuels and Frank Sigafoos.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 354 9/9 — Rarity: 61

See you tomorrow.

Happy Birthday, Jeff Holly

You are forgiven if you don’t remember lefty pitcher Jeff Holly: he never pitched in the majors for the Tigers.

He did, though, appear in 39 games for the Twins from 1977-79 amassing a 3-4 record and a 5.60 ERA. He came to Detroit on Dec. 5, 1979, in a trade for pitcher Fernando Arroyo.

However, if your photo appears in the Tigers’ Yearbook (1980 edition), you deserve recognition — especially on your 56th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Fernando Arroyo

If you spend time looking through old Tigers yearbooks, especially those from the 1970s, and you have no recollection of the barren period of Tigers baseball, you might think those teams were this close to pennant contention.

As if.

The descriptions of the players in the yearbook are deftly crafted. Take, for example, Chuck Scrivener [emphasis is mine]:

Chuck bounced around the Tiger farm system for seven years before getting his first chance, low plate figures holding him back. But he broke loose with a .251 average at Evansville in 1975 to help lead the Triplets to the Junior World Series title.

Hmm. Batting .251 in Triple-A is considered “breaking loose”? Those were lean times for Detroit.

Another name you’ll find in the Tigers yearbooks of that era is Fernando Arroyo, who just so happens to turn 56 today.

In 1975, Arroyo appeared in 14 games and earned a 2-1 record, with a 4.58 ERA. The Sacramento native spent all of the ’76 campaign in Evansville before returning to Detroit in 1977. In 38 games that year his record was 8-18 with a 4.18 ERA.

Here’s what the yearbook had to say about that ’77 campaign:

Fernando had lost 18 games — but six were by one run and 12 came when the Tigers failed to score, scored once or scored twice. That’s not the kind of support to enhance a pitcher’s record.

In 1978 and ’79, Arroyo — who wore number 36 — pitched a mere 16 innings in eight games for Detroit compiling a 1-1 record.

On Dec. 5, 1979, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Jeff Holly. He spent parts of three seasons with the Twins before being released. Arroyo pitched in the White Sox organization from 1982-84.

Almost two years later, he reappeared in the big leagues, this time with Oakland. On Monday, Aug. 11, 1986, Arroyo came into a 4-4 game in the top of the ninth against the Mariners with two out, Danny Tartabull at first and Ken Phelps at second.

He walked the first batter he faced, Bob Kearney, to load the bases. Next he walked Spike Owen to bring home Phelps and the go-ahead run. Then he walked Domingo Ramos, plating Tartabull and giving the Mariners a 6-4 lead. Dave Leiper replaced Arroyo and got Harold Reynolds to flyout to center to end the inning.

And that was the last we heard of Fernando Arroyo.