Tim Corcoran

The Sunday Fungo: May 19

May 19, 1984: Tigers 5 – A’s 4

W: Jack Morris (8-1) L: Steve McCatty (3-3) – Save: Aurelio López (5) | Boxscore

Record: 31-5

Highlights

Darrell Evans went 3 for 4 with two RBI, and Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon each had two hits.

One of Whitaker’s hits was his fourth homer of the year.

Morris 7.1 IP, eight hits, six walks and six strikeouts.

Miscellany

Venue: Tiger Stadium
Umpires: HP – Dan Morrison, 1B – Marty Springstead, 2B – Jim McKean, 3B – Durwood Merrill
Time of Game: 3:00
Attendance: 42,906

Luis Salazar #12

The Tigers signed veteran utility man Luis Salazar as a free agent on Feb, 20, 1988. He has spent the previous season with the Padres, where he began his career in 1980.

He appeared in four of the five games in the 1984 World Series, hitting one for three. After that year, he was sent to the White Sox in blockbuster. He, Ozzie Guillén, Tim Lollar and Bill Long went to Chicago for LaMarr Hoyt and minor leaguers Kevin Kristan, Todd Simmons.

Salazar spent the 1985 and ’86 season in Chicago and went back to San Diego as a free agent in 1989.

He had one year in Detroit and he was solid: appearing in 130 games and batting .270 with 12 homers.

Sparky plugged him in everywhere: all three outfield slots and all four infield positions.

At the end of spring training 1989, the Tigers sent him back to the Padres for Mike Brumley. He played his final four seasons with the Cubs.

Birthdays

Tim Corcoran, Brandon Inge, Alan Zinter and Luis Salazar

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 413 9/9: Rarity: 34

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo

Tim Corcoran – #25

Fifty years ago this June, the Tigers signed Tim Corcoran as an amateur free agent, and he started hitting as soon as he got to Lakeland (.270) and Bristol (.370).

In 1975, Corcoran was promoted to Double-A Montgomery and hit .245 with a .666 OPS, but in ’76 he hit 64 points higher with a solid OPS: .309 / .811.

Corcoran made his Tigers debut on May 18, 1977, against Gaylord Perry and the Rangers. As Ralph Houk’s DH, he walked in his first big-league at bat and scored, but went 0 for 3 in a 6-3 loss.

The left-handed hitter played parts of four seasons with the Tigers as an outfielder/DH/first baseman combo.

From 1977-80, Corcoran appeared in 273 games for Detroit, with a final line of:

Average	Hits	Home Runs	RBI	OPS
.272	164	7	66	.690

Corcoran appeared in his final game as a Tiger on Oct. 5, 1980, against the Yankees, as a pinch hitter for Duffy Dyer. He lined into a game- and season-ending double play. The Tigers lost, 2-1.

He spent most of the 1981 season in Evansville where all he did was hit: .298 average, an .826 OPS and 100 hits in 106 games. Still, it wasn’t enough to last in Detroit.

On Sept. 4, 1981, the Tigers sent him to the Twins as the player to be named later in the Aug. 23 trade for Ron Jackson.

After spending time with the Twins and getting decent playing time with the Phillies from 1983-85, Corcoran’s final major-league appearance came on June 6, 1986 with the Mets. In ’87 and ’88, he played for the Triple-A Maine Phillies.

Birthdays

Tim Corcoran, the late Gee Walker, Tex Covington and Billy Maharg*

*Check out Maharg’s career

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 352 9/9 — Rarity: 121

See you tomorrow.

The Thursday Fungo

Chuck Scrivener – #9

If ever there were a time to break into major leagues, the forlorn Tigers of the mid-1970s presented a golden opportunity … unless you happened to play middle infield.

That was the scenario facing Chuck Scrivener who, it appeared, had the talent to be a big leaguer. I mean, he was drafted four times over three years:

Twins in the 17th round of the 1966 MLB June Amateur Draft
Braves in the 4th round of the 1967 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase
Giants in the 8th round of the 1967 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase
Tigers in the 2nd round of the 1968 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase

Here’s a snapshot of Scrivener’s career:

Played nine seasons in the Tigers minor-league system before making his major-league debut on Sept. 18, 1975 against the Indians. He started at shortstop, batting leadoff, and struck out looking against Jim Bibby. Scrivener finished the night 0 for 4.

He hit two career home runs:
- The first on Aug. 8, 1976, off Cleveland’s Tom Buskey in the bottom of a seven-run Tigers fifth, a solo shot to left. He went 3 for 4, part of the Tigers’ 15-hit attack in a 15-5 win.
- The second came on Sept. 25, off the Yankees’ Dick Tidrow, a sixth-inning, three-run homer that cut New York’s 10-3 lead to 10-6.

His final four appearances came as a defensive replacement, capped by his last Sept. 29, 1977, against his hometown Orioles, subbing in for rookie Alan Trammell.

Scrivener’s final plate appearances came on Sept. 22, 1977, against Boston’s Don Aase — a strike out and flyout — before being lifted for pinch-hitter Tim Corcoran.

With Trammell and Lou Whitaker establishing themselves, there was no path for Scrivener in Detroit. After spending 1978 in Evansville, hitting .262, the Tigers released him on Dec. 4. A month later, he signed with the Blue Jays, but didn’t appear in a game, in Toronto or in the minors.

Chuck Scrivener: By the Numbers

Birthdays

Blaine Hardy and the late Mike Strahler, Marty McManus and Hub Pernoll

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 347 9/9 — Rarity: 26

See you tomorrow.