Tag: Richie Hebner

November 20, 2024

Number 20

Fifty-two Detroit Tigers have worn number 20, and it’s currently worn by Spencer Torkelson. But the first player I remember wearing number 20 was Mark Fidrych from 1976 to 1980.

After that, it belonged to:

*Rich Hebner, in 1982, was the final player to wear number 2 before it was retired.

Birthdays

Tarik Skubal, Jacob Robson, Lino Urdaneta and the late Ron Cash, Lou Berberet, Augie Prudhomme and Ray Powell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 598 8/9 — Rarity: 176

See you tomorrow-ish.

The Saturday Fungo: May 4

May 4, 1984: Tigers 9 – Indians 2

W: Dan Petry (4-1) – L: Dan Spillner (0-2) – Save: Willie Hernández (3) | Boxscore

Record: 20-4

Highlights

  • Petry: 5 innings,  6 hits, 2 runs 6 walks, 5 strikeouts
  • A four-inning save for Willie.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Cleveland Municipal Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
  • Time of Game: 3:06
  • Attendance: 8,497

Rick Leach #7

Here are seven things to know about Rick Leach, who went from start Michigan quarterback to Tigers first baseman.

  • He was drafted by the Tigers in the first round (13th) of the 1979 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Michigan. He was previously drafted by the Phillies twice: in the 11th round of the 1975 draft from Flint Southwestern High, and in the 24th round of the 1978 draft from Michigan.
  • On May 6 in Oakland, Leach got his first big-league start: batting seventh and place first. He finished 0 for 1 that night, but with three walks. The following day, he got his first major-league hit, a single to left off Matt Keough that drove in Champ Summers.
  • Leach saw his playing time increase between 1981 and 1983, appearing 54, 82 and 99 games respectively. His best year was 1983: .248, three home runs and 28 RBI.
  • With Dave Bergman, Bárbaro Garbey and Darrell Evans all slated for playing time at first, the Tigers released Leach on March 24, 1984 — the same day of The Trade that brought Bergman and Willie Hernandez to Detroit. And he signed, with of all teams, the Blue Jays. (He appeared in only two games against the Tigers.)
  • Leach had his best years in Toronto. In five seasons, he batted .283, eight home runs and 95 RBI.

Birthdays

Rick Leach, Brian Maxcy and the late Howie Koplitz, John Tsitouris and Charlie Hickman 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 398 8/9: Rarity: 134

See you tomorrow.

The Saturday Fungo

My Top-5 Tigers

Lately I’ve been giving a lot of thought to who my all-time favorite Tigers are and who would make a tidy list.

Putting together my top 10 would be easy. Narrowing it to just five would be tough but I wanted to give it a shot.

What’s the criteria for this list?

I decided that this was my purely subjective list based on players I enjoyed watching play for the Tigers.

For example, Mark Fidrych doesn’t make the list simply because I never saw him play live — and I decided ESPN Classic and MLB Network reruns don’t count.

The legend of The Bird and his place in Tigers lore is secure for me.

Here’s my list* — not in order of favorite-ness, but in order of how they came to mind — which has been revised right up to the moment I clicked “Publish” on this post.

Honorable Mentions

*Always subject to revision.

Birthdays

None!

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 356 9/9 – Rarity: 11

See you tomorrow.

The Monday Fungo

Al Cowens – #10

Stop me if you’ve read this here before: When the Tigers traded Jason Thompson for Al Cowens, I was not a happy 12 year old.

But Cowens was an intriguing player to me because he was on those great Royals teams in the late-’70s.

Presumably the Tigers and Angels, at the time of the trade, thought a change of scenery would help both players — and it seemed to work.

  • Cowens was hitting .227 with the Angels with a homer, 17 RBI and a .597 OPS. As a Tiger, he hit .280 in 108 games, with five homers, 42 RBI and a .709 OPS. All told, his 1980 line was: .268, six homers, 59 RBI and a .684 OPS.
  • Thompson hit just .214 with four homers, 20 RBI and a .638 OPS, in Detroit, but warmed up quickly in Anaheim: .317, 17 home runs, 70 RBI and a .965 OPS. He finished the year at .288, 21 home runs, 90 RBI and .873 OPS.

Just four days after the trade, Cowens made his Tigers debut* against the Angels on May 30, 1980 at Tiger Stadium. He batted fifth, going 2 for 5 with a run scored.

*Thompson made his Angels debut on May 28 against the Rangers, pinch hitting for catcher Tom Donohue. He hit a bases-loaded double off Sparky Lyle, clearing the bases, and scored when Dickie Thon drove him home.

In 1981, Cowens appeared in 85 games for the Tigers, hitting .261 with one home run, 18 RBI and a .667 OPS … and that was it for his time in Detroit.

On March 28, 1982, the Mariners purchased his contract and he had a nice bounce-back year in Seattle, hitting .270 with 20 home runs, 78 RBI and an .800 OPS.

Cowens’ final game with the Mariners, and in the majors, was June 8, 1986. The club released him four days later.

Birthdays

The late Bill Lawrence and Art Ruble.

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 344 8/9 — Rarity: 129

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo

Richie Hebner, One of My Favorites

Richie Hebner didn’t swing at the baseball as much as he chopped at it. That hacker’s cut was, the Tigers thought, an ideal fit for Tiger Stadium’s right field porch. It also served him well in the offseason when he dug graves in the Boston area.

According to the Associated Press story on the trade that brought Hebner to Detroit in October 1979, the Detroit acquired him for his punch:

“We’re really pleased to get somebody like Richie,” a Tigers spokesman said. “He’ll give us some power hitting we need.”

Power? Richie Hebner?

He came from the Mets where in 1979, his only season in New York, he hit just 10 homers.

Check out this Fungo profile of one of my favorite Tigers from the Archives.

A quintessential 1980 Tigers photo: Champ Summers in the box, Stan Papi, Richie Hebner and Duffy Dyer looking on.

Birthdays

Dixon Machado, Steve Colyer and the late George Lee “Sparky” Anderson, Jackie Sullivan, Tony DeFate and Clarence Mitchell

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 326 8/9 — Rarity: 121

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: Feb. 18

Happy Birthday, Jerry Morales

On Dec. 4, 1978, outfielder Jerry Morales was acquired, along with Aurelio Lopez, from the Cardinals for Bob Sykes and minor leaguer John Murphy. Not sure if Jim Campbell saw Señor Smoke as the key to the trade but he certainly made the deal worthwhile.

Morales, wearing #27, played in 129 games in 1979, most of them in right field. His hefty combo of a .211 average and .260 OBP helped make his stay in Detroit a short one.

On Oct. 31, 1979, he was traded with Phil Mankowski to the New York Mets for offseason grave digger Richie Hebner.

Random Game: May 19, 1980

Milt Wilcox versus Ron Guidry in a terrific pitching duel.

Milt matched Louisiana Lightnin’ — 6 hits, 3 walks, and a complete-game performance — and only surrendered Graig Nettles’ sac fly for the Yankees’, and the game’s, lone run.

Monday, May 19, 1980
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. Local
Attendance: 27,715
Venue: Tiger Stadium
Game Duration: 2:29

Boxscore

More Birthdays

Isaac Paredes, Nick Maton and the late Leo Marentette, Frank “Pig” House and Herm Wehmeier.

  • Marentette, who died in 2014, was a Lambertville, Mich., native. He appeared in two games for 1965 Tigers: 3 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K.

Today’s Grid

Yikes.

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 322 5/9: Rarity: 466

See you tomorrow.

Today’s Tiger: Jason Thompson

Jason Thompson

  • Born: July 6, 1954 in Hollywood, Calif.
  • Bats: Left Throws: Left
  • Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 200 lb.
  • Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 1975 amateur draft.
  • Seasons in Detroit: 5 (1976-80)
  • Uniform Number: 30
  • Stats: .256 avg., 98 HR, 354 RBI, .779 OPS
  • Awards: Three-time All Star (1977, ’78 and ’82)

JasonThompson.jpg
On May 27, 1980, Tigers GM Jim Campbell traded my favorite player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens.

The Hollywood native joined the Tigers full time in 1976 and played 123 games that year, hitting .218, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. Two of the homers cleared the rightfield roof at Tiger Stadium. It was in 1977, though, that he made his mark: .270, 31 homers and 105 RBI — and earned an All Star Game selection.

Continue reading “Today’s Tiger: Jason Thompson”