Tag: Walt Terrell

The Saturday Fungo: May 11

May 11, 1984: Tigers 8 – Angels 2

W: Milt Wilcox (4-0) – L: Mike Witt (4-2) – S: Willie Hernández (4) | Boxscore

Record: 26-4

Highlights

  • Six solid, scoreless innings from Wilcox and a less-than-pristine three-inning save from Willie: 5 hits allowed, 2 runs.
  • A lot of traffic on the base paths during this one: 25 combined hits (14 for Detroit) and seven combined walks (6 for the Tigers.)

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Drew Coble, 1B – Jim Evans, 2B – Greg Kosc, 3B – Ted Hendry
  • Time of Game: 2:55
  • Attendance: 44,187

Birthdays

Francisco Cordero, Bill Bean, Mark Huismann, Walt Terrell, the late Rip Sewell and Charlie Gehringer 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 405 9/9 – Rarity: 17

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: April 28

April 28, 1984: Tigers 6 – Indians 2

W: Jack Morris (5-0) – L: Rick Behenna (0-1) | Boxscore

Record: 17-2

Two of these guys pitched for the Tigers.

Highlights

  • Another complete game for Morris. This time a three-hitter.
  • The Tigers hung six runs on Indians starter Behenna in three-and-a-third innings. Fourth-inning homers by Chet Lemon and Lou Whitaker ultimately chased him.
  • Detroit had 10 hits, Lemon and Whitaker with two each.

Miscellany

  • Venue: Tiger Stadium
  • Umpires: HP – Larry Barnett, 1B – Dale Ford, 2B – Ken Kaiser, 3B – Rocky Roe
  • Time of Game: 2:25
  • Attendance: 28,253

John Cerutti #55

The late John Cerutti would have turned 64 today. The long-time Blue Jays lefty pitched his final major-league season in Detroit.

  • After spending his first six seasons in Toronto, he signed with the Tigers as a free agent on Jan. 14, 1991.
  • Cerutti appeared in 38 games for the Tigers, including eight starts. His final line: 3-6, 4.57 ERA and two saves. As a Blue Jay from 1985-90, he appeared in 15 games against the Tigers: 2-1, 4.63 ERA
  • He passed away in 2004 at 44.

Birthdays

Sean Douglass, Jim Poole and the late John Cerutti, Tom Sturdivant and Charlie Metro 

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 392 9/9 – Rarity: 35

Another Willie Horton appearance.

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo: April 21

1984 Game 12

Tigers 4 – White Sox 1

W: Dave Rozema (1-0) L: LaMarr Hoyt (2-1)  Save: Doug Bair (1) | Boxscore

Record: 11-1

Highlights

  • Dave Rozema pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, to walks and striking out seven.
  • Whitaker homered off Hoyt, and drove in three runs.
  • Doug Bair pitched the final three innings to earn the save.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Larry McCoy, 1B – Nick Bremigan, 2B – Vic Voltaggio, 3B – Joe Brinkman
  • Time of Game: 2:35
  • Attendance: 34,395

On TV: Tigers @ Yankees: April 21, 1987

W: Joe Niekro (1-1) – L: Walt Terrell (1-2) – Save: Cecilio Guante (1) | Boxscore

Birthdays

Aquilino Lopez, Les Lancaster and the late Bill Faul

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 385 8/9 – Rarity: 254

See you tomorrow.

The Sunday Fungo

March 10, 1983: George Kell to Cooperstown

On this date in 1983, George Kell was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Former Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Walter Alston was elected too.

In his 15-year career, Kell:

  • Batted over .300 nine times
  • Was a 10-time All-Star
  • Led American League third basemen in fielding percentage seven times

In Detroit, he:

  • Wore three uniform numbers: 21, 15 and 7
  • Hit .325 with 25 homers, 414 RBI and a .824 OPS
  • Was named an all star in six of his seven seasons

Random Game: Aug. 10, 1986

Red Sox 9 – Tigers 6

W: Joe Sambito (2-0) – L: Bill Campbell (2-4) – Save: Calvin Schiraldi (3) | Boxscore

My friend Doug and I attended this game, sitting in the centerfield bleachers for budgetary reasons, and choosing the lower deck for meteorological.

‘Twas a soggy day for the finale of a three-game set that, at the outset, provided foolish hope the Tigers could gain ground on the Red Sox, which entered the series four-and-a-half games up on second-place Detroit.

Instead, the Tigers were swept and this one ended with an eighth-inning bullpen collapse.

  • Neither Roger Clemens nor Walt Terrell were sharp: Clemens allowed seven hits, five walks and three earned runs in six innings. Terrell: six hits, three walks and four earned in seven innings.
  • The Red Sox led 4-0 until the Tigers scored two in the sixth, on a two-run homer by Alan Trammell, and Darrell Evans grand slam in the seventh to go up 6-4.
  • Bill Campbell (three) and Willie Hernandez (two) coughed up five runs in the top of the eight and Boston held on to win.
  • Rich Gedman hit a grand slam off Willie; two of the runs were charged to Campbell.
  • Darnell Coles went 3 for 5 with a double.
  • Boston left town with a seven-and-a-half game lead over the Tigers.

Miscellany

  • Umpires: HP – Richard Shulock, 1B – Dan Morrison, 2B – Mark Johnson, 3B – Rocky Roe
  • Time of Game: 3:11
  • Attendance: 39,866

Birthdays

Bill Heath and the late Art Herring and Jim Curry

Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 343 9/9 — Rarity: 22

See you tomorrow.

The Tuesday Fungo: Feb. 20

The Chris Brown Experiment

Perhaps no other word best describes third baseman Chris Brown like enigmatic.

After a promising start to his career with the Giants in 1985, his .271 average and 16 homers earned him a fourth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and an All-Star Game appearance in ’86, Brown began frustrating his managers and his teammates with a string of questionable and bizarre injuries. In fact, he never appeared in more games than he did that rookie season (131).

The Tigers were in complete free fall when they traded Walt Terrell to the Padres for Brown and Keith Moreland, whose best years were behind him. Why Detroit thought Brown and his “Tin Man” reputation would be transformed under Sparky Anderson is mystifying.

Here’s a longer profile from the Fungo archives.


Birthdays

Buck Farmer, Justin Verlander, Kurt Knudsen, Bill Gullickson, Roy Face and the late Muddy Ruel and Suds Sutherland.


Today’s Grid

⚾️ Immaculate Grid 324 9/9: Rarity: 20

See you tomorrow.

Today’s Tiger: Chris Brown

Chris Brown

  • Born: Aug. 15, 1961 in Jackson, Miss.
  • Died: Dec. 26, 2006 in Houston
  • Acquired: Traded by the Padres with Keith Moreland to the Tigers for Walt Terrell on Oct. 28, 1988.
  • Seasons in Detroit: 1 (1989)
  • Bats: Right Throws: Right
  • Height: 6′ Weight: 185 lb.
  • Uniform Number: 35
  • Stats: .193 avg., 0 HR, 4 RBI, .449 OPS

Perhaps no other word best describes third baseman Chris Brown like enigmatic.

After a promising start to his career with the Giants in 1985, his .271 average and 16 homers earned him a fourth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and an All-Star Game appearance in ’86, Brown began frustrating his managers and his teammates with a string of questionable and bizarre injuries. In fact, he never appeared in more games than he did that rookie season (131).Chris Brown 1989 Tigers 3

By the middle of the 1987 season Brown was shipped to the Padres with Keith Comstock, Mark Davis and Mark Grant for Dave Dravecky, Craig Lefferts and Kevin Mitchell.

He didn’t fare well in San Diego either, hitting .232 in 44 games. In 1988 he hit just .235 in 80 games.The Tigers were in complete freefall when they traded Walt Terrell to the Padres for Brown and Keith Moreland, whose best years were behind him.

Why Detroit thought Brown and his “Tin Man” reputation would be transformed under Sparky Anderson is mystifying. His reputation for injuries — real or imagined — ranged from shoulder tenderness, a bad tooth and a sore eyelid. At least those are the more legendary ones and who knows if any were true.

In Detroit, the Chris Brown Experiment — such as it was — got off to a poor start when he arrived to spring training overweight. It ended after just 17 games, 11 hits and a .193 average. Worse yet, if possible, was a .909 fielding percentage in that time. On May 19, he was released.

A few weeks later he was signed by the Pirates but never appeared in a big-league game for them.

Brown died in a mysterious Houston house fire on Dec. 26, 2006, at the age of 45. According to this MLB.com story:

Brown was employed by Halliburton Co. in Iraq, driving and repairing 18-wheel fuel trucks, and in a 2004 interview with The Associated Press, he said, “It’s a place I would’ve never thought 20 years ago that I’d be.”

His final career line: .269 average, 38 home runs, 184 RBI and a .725 OPS.

Today’s Tiger: Chris Brown

Chris Brown

  • Born: Aug. 15, 1961 in Jackson, Miss.
  • Died: Dec. 26, 2006 in Houston
  • Acquired: Traded by the Padres with Keith Moreland to the Tigers for Walt Terrell on Oct. 28, 1988.
  • Seasons in Detroit: 1 (1989)
  • Bats: Right Throws: Right
  • Height: 6′ Weight: 185 lb.
  • Uniform Number: 35
  • Stats: .193 avg., 0 HR, 4 RBI, .449 OPS

Perhaps no other word best describes third baseman Chris Brown like enigmatic.

After a promising start to his career with the Giants in 1985, his .271 average and 16 homers earned him a fourth-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year Award, and an All-Star Game appearance in ’86, Brown began frustrating his managers and his teammates with a string of questionable and bizarre injuries. In fact, he never appeared in more games than he did that rookie season (131).

By the middle of the 1987 season Brown was shipped to the Padres with Keith Comstock, Mark Davis and Mark Grant for Dave Dravecky, Craig Lefferts and Kevin Mitchell. He didn’t fare well in San Diego either, hitting .232 in 44 games. In 1988 he hit just .235 in 80 games.

The Tigers were in complete freefall when they traded Walt Terrell to the Padres for Brown and Keith Moreland, whose best years were behind him. Why Detroit thought Brown and his “Tin Man” reputation would be transformed under Sparky Anderson is mystifying. His reputation for injuries — real or imagined — ranged from shoulder tenderness, a bad tooth and a sore eyelid. At least those are the more legendary ones — who knows if they were true.

In Detroit, the Chris Brown Experiment — such as it was — got off to a poor start when he arrived to spring training overweight. It ended after just 17 games, 11 hits and a .193 average. Worse yet, if possible, was a .909 fielding percentage in that time. On May 19, he was released. A few weeks later he was signed by the Pirates but never appeared in a big-league game for them.

He died in a mysterious Houston house fire on Dec. 26, 2006, at the age of 45. According to this MLB.com story:

Brown was employed by Halliburton Co. in Iraq, driving and repairing 18-wheel fuel trucks, and in a 2004 interview with The Associated Press, he said, “It’s a place I would’ve never thought 20 years ago that I’d be.”

His final career line: .269 average, 38 home runs, 184 RBI and a .725 OPS.