From 1977 to 1992, only two players wore number 14 for the Tigers, both of them (mostly) played first base and were fan favorites:
John Wockenfuss, wore it from 1977-1983, resurrecting the number after a three-year layoff following Bill Slayback’s two-season tenure, 1973 and ‘74. In his 10 seasons in Detroit, Johnny B played in 677 games and hit .261 with 80 home runs and 284 RBI.
Dave Bergman put on number 14 within days after being traded for Wockenfuss in March 1984. From then until he retired in 1992, he wore it in 871 games, batting .259 with 39 homers and 219 RBI.
After taking two of three from the Angels, the Tigers hit the road for three games in Seattle, looking to settle a score from May’s sweep at the hands of the Mariners.
Here are a few things to know about the left-handed hitting outfielder:
Greene is the first player from Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) to appear in the majors. He signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent on Nov. 10, 1976.
In 1978, he hit .263 with 32 homers, 84 RBI and an .885 OPS with Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Evansville.
In 70 plate appearances, he had eight hits — three of them solo homers — six RBI and a .136 average. His final appearance came on Sept. 30, 1979 at Tiger Stadium against the Red Sox. He batted seventh as the Tigers’ DH and went 0 for 4.
On June 2, 1980, the Tigers traded him and John Martin to the Cardinals for Jim Lentine. He passed away in Detroit on Feb. 18, 2014 at 59.
The Tigers had a Monday off day at home before the Indians came to town for a three-game set. Let’s look back on a game played on this date 45 years ago …
‘Twas the final day of the 1984 All-Star Break and the Tigers prepared to start the second half with a four-game series against the Twins at the Metrodome.
So, let’s look at a game from this date in another season: 1977.
Record: 38-46 — 6th place, 10.5 games behind Boston
Highlights
The Blue Jays tagged Tigers starter Dave Roberts with five runs in the top of the first. Detroit answered with a run of their own in the first, and another four in the second to make it 5-5 heading to the third.
Rusty Staub led the Tigers’s 10-hit attack, with a two-for-three night — including a second-inning three-run homer — and four RBI.
Sept. 22: He entered the game against Boston with bases load and two out in the bottom of the ninth, and got Dwight Evans to hit into a 1-3 ground out. Noles earned the save.
Sept. 25: Facing the Blue Jays, he pitched 11/3 innings, allowing a hit, a walk and a run. The Tigers lost 3-2.
Sept. 27: Noles’ final Tigers appearance came in a huge, season-saving Tigers win. Doyle Alexander pitched the first 102/3 innings, and four relievers covered the final 21/3. Noles was the fourth; he entered with two out in the bottom of the 13th and they tying run on first. He got Barfield to hit it to shortstop for a force out at second. Tigers won 3-2 and that was it for Noles in Detroit.
On Oct. 23, 1987, he was returned to the Cubs. That’s a 32-day Tigers career. But given the mayhem of those final 10 days of the 1987 season, those were pretty good days to be with Detroit.
The Tigers have an off day after losing the series to the Yankees in New York. Up next: a doubleheader against the Twins in Detroit. Let’s look back on a game played on June 28 in another year.
The Tigers drafted outfielder Bob Molinaro in the second round of the 1968 June Amateur Draft from Essex Catholic High School in Newark, N.J.
He played in parts of seven minor-league seasons before making his debut on Sept. 18, 1975 against the Indians. He batted fifth, played right field and went hitless in two at bats, facing Jim Bibby — but he walked in his first plate appearance.
In his second game, on Sept. 20 against the Red Sox, he went 3 for 4 and got his first major-league hit — a triple — off Luis Tiant. He appeared in six games in ’75.
Molinaro spent the 1976 season in Evansville and was a September call up in 1977, appearing in four games before being selected off waivers on Sept. 22 by the White Sox.
He had two tours with White Sox, and short stints with Baltimore, the Cubs and the Phillies before wrapping his career how it started: September games with the Tigers.
After being released by the Phillies, Detroit signed him as a free agent on Sept. 1, 1983 and he appeared in eight games, five as a pinch runner, three as pinch hitter. He was 0 for 3 with a walk.
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