[ The Daily Fungo: Detroit Tigers Baseball ] » Lou Whitaker

Rolling

Mike McClary — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 05:05:45 +0000

When Victor Martinez crushed an offering from Tony Sipp on Wednesday for a grand slam, things seemed to change for a Tigers team that is on a remarkable roll.

Up to that point, I was thinking (and maybe you were too), that you could see a loss coming in the finale against the Indians.

As the script often goes in these situations, it was a getaway game, the Indians were ready to make their last statement of the season and Justin Verlander was due for a bad outing.

Nope.

This team is rolling.

Frankly, I’m tired of all the reminders of 2009 – and the Indians radio announcers beat that drum incessantly during the series.
Starting play on Friday against the Twins, the Tigers have played 143 games. Here’s a look at how the club’s 81-62 record and 8-1/2-game lead compares to seasons in which it contended:
- 1984: 92-51, 10 1/2 games up
- 1987: 86-57, Tied for first with Toronto
- 2006: 86-57, 3 games up
- 2009: 77-67, 5 1/2 games up

From Elias Sports Bureau: Victor Martinez hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to give Detroit a 7-4 lead at Cleveland and help Justin Verlander notch his 22nd win of the season. The Tigers entered the seventh inning trailing by two runs, matching the largest deficit they’ve had in any of Verlander’s wins this season. Detroit has trailed in only five of Verlander’s wins this year, but Wednesday’s game was the first one of them in which they trailed in the seventh inning or later.
On this date in 1977, in the second game of a doubleheader loss in Boston, Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debuted together and would do so for a record 19 years. The Red Sox won both games, 5-1 and 8-6.
Four years ago, Curtis Granderson stole his 20th base and became the third player in history to have 20 doubles, triples, homers and steals in the same season; the others were Wildfire Schulte (1911) and Willie Mays (1957).

Feeling Better About Hall of Fame Weekend

Mike McClary — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 01:53:33 +0000

Tomorrow afternoon Roberto Alomar and Pat Gillick will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tigers fans (or at least this Tigers fan) will be thinking about Detroit players that should be enshrined in Cooperstown.

Sour grapes? Of course.

I do, however, feel better today after reading Christina Kahr’s list of “Stars of the Forgotten ’80s” which, she writes, is “an excellent lineup of stars from the ‘80s who haven’t made it into the Hall of Fame.”

Former Tigers abound in her brilliant – brilliant! – assessment:

Catcher: Probably the weakest position, but Lance Parrish’s 324 career homers and 35.7 WAR (28.8 in the ’80s) would suit. Parrish was also one of the best-throwing catchers of his day, gunning down 39 percent on his career, helping to land him on eight All-Star teams. Effectively, he was to the AL what Gary Carter was for the NL.

I’ve been saying this for years!

Second Base: Has to be Lou Whitaker.

Once in a while, you’ll still get the odd stathead who argues that the BBWAA doesn’t make huge mistakes, making the easy comparison of its track record for putting people into the Hall against the various flavors of Veterans Committees the process has been saddled with over the years. Fair enough, but what about Lou Whitaker? The BBWAA eliminated Whitaker from all future consideration in his first year on the ballot, one of its most spectacularly thoughtless decisions where Hall voting is concerned.

Whitaker was the best second baseman in baseball between Joe Morgan and Robbie Alomar. Whitaker is the post-World War II WARP leader among all Hall-eligible players not in the Hall of Fame; he beats Sandberg and Willie Randolph fairly easily. He also beats Bobby Grich, 69.7 WAR to 67.6. Whitaker tops Raines (64.6) and Larkin (68.9) and Trammell (66.9).

But by receiving just 15 total votes in his first (and last) year on the ballot, Whitaker was dropped forever after from BBWAA consideration, because he didn’t reach the five-percent cutoff. He deserves much, much better, so we can hope this is one of those mistakes that whatever rules apply in 2015 or later can get him voted in by the Veterans Committee, the electoral college or the Diet of Worms. Somebody has to get this right, don’t they?

I think observers are finally recognizing what a colossal screw up this was by the writers. Speaking of which …

Shortstop: If Whitaker has been flat-out screwed by the process, there’s still some hope that ’80s great Alan Trammell will get his due from Cooperstown. Tram was the signature player from those great-to-good Tigers teams of the ’80s that seem to have been collectively forgotten ever since their manager, Sparky Anderson, got elected. Maybe Trammell suffers from being the best shortstop in baseball before Ripken, and maybe he’ll get his due after Barry Larkin gets voted in, but there really shouldn’t be any controversy over voting him in. Jay Jaffe’s JAWS system puts Trammell seventh overall among Hall-eligible shortstops (leaving Alex Rodriguez out of the conversation since his career’s still a going concern).

Amen.

Kahrl also takes a closer look at the Jack Morris Affair and her conclusion, well, hurts.

I often wonder if the Tigers had won or at least appeared in another World Series in the ’80s if Parrish, Whitaker and Trammell would’ve gotten more – or in Sweet Lou’s case, any – Hall consideration.

Maybe not. After all, Morris appeared in three World Series and look at what good that’s done him.

All-Star Game Notes and Non Sequiturs

Mike McClary — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 23:15:31 +0000

Sometimes I want to rail on Major League Baseball about the lameness of so many things it does — the vapid celebrity softball game, the interminable Home Run Derby, the “this-time-it-counts” angle on the All-Star Game — but then I realize it’s probably me just getting old.

The Tigers’ collection of All Stars is the largest since 1985 when the club sent six players to the Metrodome for the game managed by Sparky Anderson. Here’s a look at the largest classes of Tigers All Stars since 1984 and the team’s record that season:

1984 (104-58)
Willie Hernandez
Chet Lemon
Jack Morris
Lance Parrish
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker

1985 (84-77)
Willie Hernandez
Jack Morris
Lance Parrish
Dan Petry
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker

2007 (88-74)
Carlos Guillen
Magglio Ordonez
Placido Polanco
Ivan Rodriguez
Justin Verlander

2009 (86-77)
Curtis Granderson
Brandon Inge
Edwin Jackson
Justin Verlander

Clearly, the better the Tigers were, the more players they sent to the All-Star Game. For a long time though, the Tigers were a team that had little to offer the American League manager. From 1996 through 2003, Detroit sent a single player to the game. In some cases the pickings were particularly slim (see 2002).

1996 (53-109)
Travis Fryman

1997 (79-83)
Justin Thompson

1998 (65-97)
Damion Easley

1999 (69-92)
Brad Ausmus

2000 (79-83)
Todd Jones

2001 (66-96)
Tony Clark

2002 (55-106)
Robert Fick

2003 (43-119)
Dmitri Young

Ugly, no?

I still think it’s remarkable that Alex Avila is the starting catcher in tonight’s game. Whoda thunk it, especially after a dreadful Opening Day series against the Yankees when Avila looked about as lost as a player can look. I guess that’s why, as Rod Allen says, you play the games. Jason Beck has a nice piece recapping the Tigers’ All Stars’ respective experiences in Phoenix.

The water is so far past being under the bridge, but isn’t it still a bit weird to see Curtis Granderson starting in the All-Star Game … as a Yankee?

Six years ago today in the Home Run Derby at Comerica Park, Bobby Abreu destroyed the records for a single round, the championship round and the grand total for all three rounds of the derby by hitting 41 homers into every part of yard. The Phillies outfielder went deep 24 times in the first round, tacks on six more in the second round and finishes with 11 more in the championship round.

Looking ahead to the pitching matchups for this weekend’s series against the White Sox:

Friday | 7:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.15 ERA) vs. Gavin Floyd (6-9, 4.59 ERA)

Saturday | 4:10 p.m. FOX/1270 & 97.1
Max Scherzer (10-4, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson (5-7, 4.30 ERA)

Sunday | 1:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Brad Penny (6-6, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (4-2, 4.83 ERA)

Hey, look who’s available: The Dodgers designated Marcus Thames for assignment today.

Happy Birthday to Mike Schwabe (47) and Mike Munoz (46).

Finally, on this date in 1979 the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game of twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers when more tha5,000 fans refuse to leave the field during Disco Demolition Night. I wrote about it on the 30th anniversary.

Sunday’s Tiger: Glenn Wilson

Mike McClary — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:34:24 +0000

Glenn Wilson

Born: December 22, 1958 in Baytown, Texas
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6′ 1″ Weight: 190 lbs.
Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round (18th pick) of the 1980 amateur draft.
Seasons in Detroit: 2 (1982-83)
Uniform Number: 12
Stats: .278 avg., 23 HR, 99 RBI, .739 OPS

Twenty-seven years ago this past March, the Tigers orchestrated the trade that all but secured their 1984 World Series championship.

In case you’ve forgotten, on March 24 that year, the Tigers sent Glenn Wilson and catcher/first baseman extraordinaire John Wockenfuss to the Phillies for lefty reliever Willie Hernandez and first baseman Dave Bergman.

Certainly it worked out well that year, but I was disappointed that the Tigers traded one of my favorite players –Wilson – and one that Tigers many fans loved for his versatility, his name and his funky batting stance, Wockenfuss.

But back to the beginning.

Wilson made his major-league debut for the Tigers on Opening Day in Detroit against the Blue Jays on April 15, 1982. A rash of injuries to Tigers regulars — Eddie Miller (!) and Rick Leach — led the club to recall the 23-year-old Wilson and Howard Johnson from Triple-A Evansville.

“I was with the Tigers, not on the roster, during spring training,” Wilson told Tom Loomis of the Toledo Blade. “I never expected to be up here this year. I figured what I had to do was work hard down there and I’d get a good shot at the majors next year.”

Catching Louisiana Lightning

Wilson entered his first game in the bottom of the eighth inning pinch-hitting for DH Jerry Turner. Facing Jays’ reliever Jerry Garvin, Wilson stuck out looking.

Wilson collected his first major-league hit the next day against one of the toughest pitchers of that era: Ron Guidry. The Yankees were pummeling the Tigers and starter Pat Underwood at Tiger Stadium 10-2 when Wilson led off the ninth with a double to left center off Guidry, who would quickly retire the next three hitters in order. The Tigers sent Wilson back to Evansville in early May, but he returned by mid-July.

Just two years earlier Wilson was a Tigers first-round pick, 18th overall, out of Sam Houston State University in Texas. The club assigned him to Double-A Montgomery Rebels of the Southern League where he hit .264 with 7 home runs in 77 games.

In 1981, he spent most of the year with the Rebels (where he hit .306 with 18 homers and 82 RBI) but after before being promoted to Triple-A Evansville for 10 games.

The following year Wilson began the season with the Triplets and was tearing the cover off the ball leading to his promotion to Detroit in time for the Tigers’ home opener.

Wilson made the most of his opportunity, hitting .467 in his first six games, and flashing the leather in the outfield. Thanks to his hot start, he stuck with the Tigers until early May when he was sent back to Evansville.

Late in that season, on Sept. 21, Wilson and the Tigers had a scare when the outfielder collapsed during batting practice in Baltimore. According to an AP story, X-rays taken at Union Memorial Hospital showed a possible broken vertebra.

A Tigers spokesman said Wilson was suffering from severe pain of the lower back. Apparently it was nothing serious because on Sept. 29 he returned to the lineup against the Orioles in Detroit and went 1 for 4.

Wilson played in 84 big-league games that season, 80 of them in centerfield and finished at .292 with 12 home runs and was named Tigers Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

Solid, If Unspectacular, Sophomore Season

In 1983 the Tigers were depending on Wilson to maintain the pace he began in his rookie season. In spring training, though, he spooked the Tigers again when in a late-March game agains the Pirates he dove for a ball off the bat of Lee Lacy, injuring his shoulder. X-rays were negative and he was in the Opening Day starting lineup on April 5 against the Twins. The Tigers rolled to an 11-3 win at the Metrodome.

His sophomore season saw Wilson shift from centerfield to right, allowing Chet Lemon to take over his natural position. Wilson appeared in 144 games in ’83 and hit .268 with 11 HR and 64 RBI.

From all accounts, the Tigers saw him as a key piece of the puzzle heading into 1984. But the Tigers were determined to make Kirk Gibson their regular rightfielder in ’84 which complicated the outfield picture and likely meant Wilson was a man without a position.

Sparky Anderson, who was always looking for a reliable offensive force at third base (even though he had a young Howard Johnson on the roster), decided Wilson might be the answer at third. But the experiment didn’t last long as the Tigers’ skipper saw that he could get by with Tom Brookens and Johnson at third, but needed reinforcements at the back end of the bullpen.

A Fresh Start in Philadelphia

On March 24, the Tigers made the move that cinched them a World Series title when they sent Wilson and Wockenfuss to the Phillies for Hernandez and Bergman.

The Toledo Blade’s Loomis reported on the players’ reactions to the trade. Wockenfuss was visibly shaken and disappointed to be leaving a team he’d been part of for a decade.

It apparently was not all that difficult for Glenn Wilson.

The 25-year-old outfielder, whose right-field job was taken away by Anderson and handed to Kirk Gibson, has been unhappy with his aborted trial at third base.

“I’m tickled to death with this,” Glenn drawled. “I feel I’m going to get the opportunity to play in Philadelphia – and that’s the only thing I wanted in this game.” He was packing at the time. “Hey,” he yelled in the clubhouse, “anyone want to buy a black and orange shoe?”

Wilson spent four seasons with the Phillies and was named to the National League All-Star team in 1985. He finished the season with a .275 average, 14 home runs and 102 RBI.

Bouncing Around the Bigs

The Phillies traded Wilson to the Mariners after the 1987 season but he’d only play 78 games in Seattle before being shipped back to Pennsylvania during the ’88 campaign – but this time to Pittsburgh.

About a year later, in August of 1989, the Pirates traded Wilson to his hometown Astros where he’d post two solid seasons. After the 1990 season he signed with the Braves spent the ’91 season with Triple-A Richmond, where he hit .270 in 29 games.

Wilson fell off the major-league map for the next two seasons before reappearing for the Pirates, albeit for 10 games, in 1993. He appeared in his final major-league game on June 14, 1993 at St. Louis when in the fourth inning he replaced Andy Van Slyke in centerfield.

His final at bat came in the top of the seventh, facing Cardinals starter Donovan Osborne with a runner on first. Wilson grounded out, 5-3, to third baseman Tracy Woodson.

The 34-year-old was sent back to Triple-A Buffalo shortly thereafter and according to this, he was none too pleased about it:

Baseball people refer to a brief trip to the major leagues as a cup of coffee. Glenn Wilson’s most recent call-up amounted to a sip – and it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“Being called up and getting sent back after only 14 at bats, that didn’t sit well,” Wilson said. “When you get teased like I got teased, I don’t care who it is, you’re going to be bitter if you’re not the guy they want.”

Wilson wasn’t the guy the Pittsburgh Pirates wanted, at least not this season. He was the guy they wanted in 1988, when they traded Darnell Coles to the Seattle Mariners to get him.

But that was five seasons ago, when Wilson was coming off four solid seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies.

I’m sure that attitude sat well with the Pirates’ brass, including manager Jim Leyland.

The 1993 season was Wilson’s last in professional baseball. His final line with Buffalo: .279 avg., 12 HR and 43 RBI in 61 games.

Perhaps it didn’t end the way he wanted, but Glenn Wilson had a solid 10-year major-league career. His place in Tigers lore is set, though only as a player traded away on the eve of a magical season.

I for one enjoyed watching him play in Detroit and wish he’d hung around a bit longer.

Glenn Wilson’s Career Stats

Year	Age	Tm	G	AB	H	HR	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1982	23	DET	84	322	94	12	34	.292	.322	.457	.778
1983	24	DET	144	503	135	11	65	.268	.306	.408	.713
1984	25	PHI	132	341	82	6	31	.240	.276	.372	.649
1985	26	PHI	161	608	167	14	102	.275	.311	.424	.735
1986	27	PHI	155	584	158	15	84	.271	.319	.413	.732
1987	28	PHI	154	569	150	14	54	.264	.308	.381	.689
1988	29	TOT	115	410	105	5	32	.256	.286	.341	.628
1988	29	SEA	78	284	71	3	17	.250	.286	.324	.610
1988	29	PIT	37	126	34	2	15	.270	.288	.381	.669
1989	30	TOT	128	432	115	11	64	.266	.321	.421	.743
1989	30	PIT	100	330	93	9	49	.282	.342	.448	.791
1989	30	HOU	28	102	22	2	15	.216	.250	.333	.583
1990	31	HOU	118	368	90	10	55	.245	.293	.364	.657

1993	34	PIT	10	14	2	0	0	.143	.143	.143	.286
10 Seasons			1201	4151	1098	98	521	.265	.306	.398	.704
162 Game Avg.			162	560	148	13	70	.265	.306	.398	.704

PHI (4 yrs)			602	2102	557	49	271	.265	.307	.401	.708
PIT (3 yrs)			147	470	129	11	64	.274	.323	.421	.744
HOU (2 yrs)			146	470	112	12	70	.238	.284	.357	.641
DET (2 yrs)			228	825	229	23	99	.278	.312	.427	.739
SEA (1 yr)			78	284	71	3	17	.250	.286	.324	.610

NL (8 yrs)			895	3042	798	72	405	.262	.306	.397	.703
AL (3 yrs)			306	1109	300	26	116	.271	.305	.400	.706

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table Generated 6/11/2011.

Today’s Tiger: Jason Thompson

Mike McClary — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 05:13:18 +0000

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)

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.

The 1977 Tigers yearbook noted:

Jason led the Tigers with 31 home runs and 105 RBI — the first Tiger since Norm Cash (32) in 1971 to top 30 homers and the first since Willie Horton (100) in 1966 to attain the century mark in RBI.

At that point, the Tigers had to like their team of the future: Thompson, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish, Steve Kemp, Ron LeFlore, Jack Morris, et al, with a third baseman to be named later.

Thompson had another solid year in ’78, hitting .287 with 26 homers and 96 RBI.

The Beginning of the End in Detroit…Already?!

In 1979 he continued to hit homers and drive in runs — 20 and 79, respectively — but his average dropped 40 points to .246. That was also the year that Sparky Anderson arrived and, so the story goes, Thompson and Sparky didn’t mesh.

In 1980, Thompson got off to a slow start: .214/4/20 in 36 games, and Sparky invoked his My Way or the Highway clause and sent his first baseman to Orange County.

As I’ve said before, Thompson’s replacement, Richie Hebner, was a favorite of mine too. But, who were the Tigers kidding? Hebner over Jason Thompson?

From Anaheim to Pittsburgh to Montreal

Back home in southern California, Thompson thrived. In 102 games he batted .317 with 17 homers and 70 RBI. (Hebner hit .290/12/82.) On the eve of the 1981 season the Angels traded the three-time All Star to the Pirates for Ed Ott and Mickey Mahler.

In his five seasons in Pittsburgh, Thompson hit 93 home runs and averaged 93 RBI (not counting the 42 in the shortened ’81 season).

On April 4, 1986, the Pirates traded him to the Montreal Expos for players to be named later. Thompson played only 30 games for the Expos, hitting .196 with no home runs and just four RBI. On June 30, at the age of 31 and with balky knees, Jason Thompson was out of baseball for good.

The Jason Thompson Curse

If you remove the years that Darrell Evans and Cecil Fielder manned first base, the Tigers have had a revolving door at the position since they traded Jason Thompson. I call it The Curse of Jason Thompson: Hebner, Enos Cabell, Dave Engle, Keith Moreland, Tony Clark, Eric Munson, Carlos Pena, Chris Shelton, Sean Casey and Carlos Guillen. (And now, of course, Miguel Cabrera. Though I’m not convinced he’s long for first base.)

When looking back on the 1984 World Series team, I often think about how that team, or three-quarters of the starting nine, could’ve been homegrown talent — if Thompson were still in Detroit then.

With the exception of Chet Lemon and Larry Herndon, the Tigers could’ve had six of eight starters developed from Lakeland on up. (Or seven of nine if Morris or Dan Petry were on the hill.) Quite a different scenario from the 2008 Tigers when only two full-time, homegrown position players — Curtis Granderson and Matt Joyce — roam the field.

Today Thompson runs “Jason Thompson Baseball” in Auburn Hills, where kids can get hitting and fielding instruction from old #30 himself. He’s also an executive with Wachovia Securities.

If you can’t tell, even 28 years later I’ve still not gotten over the trade involving my favorite childhood player. I quickly hitched my wagon onto Hebner as a way to ease the pain. But that didn’t last long either, come to think of it.

So I threw my allegiance behind Kirk Gibson and five years later, when Gibson signed with the Dodgers, had to deal with the anguish all over again.

Hall of Fame Leftovers

Mike McClary — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:28:59 +0000

So after all the Hall of Fame ballots were counted, Tigers fans could only take solace in that Jack Morris saw his percentage of votes jump to 53.5 percent. That could bode well for the future but probably not next year.

Anyway, all the debates about whether Morris or Alan Trammell belong in Cooperstown got me wondering who the most-similar players are two these Tigers greats.

Thanks to the invaluable Baseball-Reference.com, we can get a quick look at how a player’s stats compare to others in baseball history.

I decided to look at how Baseball Reference compares Morris, Trammell and the BBWA-voter-shafted Lou Whitaker.

Jack Morris: Similar Pitchers — *indicates Hall of Famer

Dennis Martinez (903)
Bob Gibson (885) *
Luis Tiant (873)
Jamie Moyer (873)
Red Ruffing (860) *
Amos Rusie (859) *
Chuck Finley (859)
Burleigh Grimes (855) *
Bob Feller (855) *
Jim Bunning (854) *

So of the 10 in the list, Morris, who misses the cut for so many writers, actually aligns closely in career numbers with statistically to six Hall of Famers. Six!

Lou Whitaker

Ryne Sandberg (901) *
Alan Trammell (868)
Roberto Alomar (857) *
Buddy Bell (850)
Joe Morgan (849) *
Joe Torre (846)
Ray Durham (845)
Brian Downing (843)
Barry Larkin (841)
Julio Franco (834)

Sweetness compares to three Hall of Famers and one soon-to-be, Larkin. It’s astounding to me — and should be shameful to the writers — that Whitaker was one-and-done on the ballot.

And finally, Alan Trammell

Barry Larkin (914)
Edgar Renteria (895)
Jay Bell (876)
Lou Whitaker (868)
Ray Durham (866)
Tony Fernandez (865)
B.J. Surhoff (860)
Ryne Sandberg (859) *
Pee Wee Reese (850) *
Julio Franco (849)

Seeing Renteria on this list is painful if not appalling. And, it might just have obliterated any credibility of these comparisons. Nevertheless, Tram compares to a pair enshrined players and, like Whitaker, to Larkin.

What does this all prove? Probably not much. However, if, as we so often hear, writers must look at how a player compares to his contemporaries — or even to others across the history of the game — this trio of Tigers legends certainly deserve much stronger support than they’ve received to this point.

What do you think?

Today’s Tiger: Tito Fuentes

Mike McClary — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 05:14:02 +0000

Tito Fuentes

Born: January 4, 1944 in Havana, Cuba.
Acquired: Signed as a free agent on Feb. 23, 1977
Height: 5′ 11″ Weight: 175 lb.
Seasons in Detroit: 1 (1977)
Uniform Number: 3, 44
Stats: .309 avg., 5 HR, 51 RBI, .745 OPS

When the Tigers sought a player to oversee second base until Lou Whitaker was ready, they could have done a lot worse than Rigoberto “Tito” Fuentes.

Offensively, that is.

The switch-hitting 33 year old trailed only Ron LeFlore‘s team-leading .325 average that season but was brutal in the field. He led all American League second baseman with 26 errors, and posted a .970 fielding percentage.

Fans that remember Fuentes’ brief stop in Detroit are more likely to recall his signature bat flip when he approached the plate, tapping the bat handle on the plate, flip it up and catch the handle. This was a move widely imitated during Wiffle Ball games in my neighborhood, and probably others around Detroit, too.

After his one season with the Tigers, his contract was purchased by the Expos, who promptly released him in Spring Training in 1978.

The Tigers were ready to hand second base to Whitaker but picked up infielder Steve Dillard just in case.

Upon Fuentes’ departure, Jim Campbell had some interesting things to say in the Associated Press story:

“I’m not going to knock Tito,” said Tigers General Manager Jim Campbell. “He did a good job for us, especially offensively.

(snip)

“Dillard does some things better than Tito,” Campbell said. “He’s a better fielding second baseman than Tito, he covers more ground. And he runs better than Tito did.”

Good thing Campbell didn’t want to knock him.

Of course, the truth about Fuentes’ brief tenure in Detroit is probably somewhere in this paragraph from the AP story:

There also had been reports that he was haggling with Campbell over a new contract. Fuentes’ salary demands were reported to be in the $200,000 range.

And there you go.

Just ask Rusty Staub or Steve Kemp how receptive Campbell was to salary “demands.”

Fuentes spent the 1978 season, his last in the majors, with the A’s.

Oh, and if you were curious whether Dillard’s range and fielding were better: they weren’t. His fielding percentage of .958 was 12 points worse. But at least he was a better runner.

Same Time, Next Year for Me, Morris and the Hall of Fame

Mike McClary — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:08:52 +0000

It’s early January which means I have to write a post about how I’ll hold out hope that Jack Morris will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gobs of articles have been written in the past couple of weeks, the majority of which put The Cat squarely in the “great but not Hall-of-Fame great” category.

Sadly, many of them, such as this one by Joe Posnanski, make terrific arguments against Morris’ chances. Even sadder, I’m starting to believe them. As a result I’m resigned to the fact he won’t be elected this year, if ever.

But wait! I have some anecdotes of my own:

In the summer of 2008 I attended the SABR Convention in Cleveland and asked former Indians outfielder Rick Manning if he thought Morris belonged in Cooperstown. He hemmed and hawed and eventually said, “That’s a tough call.” I took it as a “no”.

Then, last spring — thanks to a twist of fate — I had coffee with former major leaguer Ken Phelps and I asked him if he thought Morris belonged in the Hall and he responded without hesitation: “Absolutely.” I told him that many writers disagree and he replied, “Well, they didn’t face him.”

Touche.

I think today I realized why I so badly want to see Morris in the Hall of Fame. It’s because Tigers fans that grew up with the players that formed the core of the 1984 team expected so much from them. Didn’t we honestly think the Tigers would win again and again in the 1980s — not just one other division title in 1987?

For crying out loud, there was Morris, Dan Petry, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson — the best collection of Tigers players in a generation! And all we got was a single World Series championship?

Granted, I wouldn’t trade the summer of ’84 for anything, I just expected it to be the beginning of something great, not a one-time trip to the baseball summit. Didn’t you?

That’s why I want to see Morris or Trammell in the Hall. They deserve — and I think they’ve earned – a lasting baseball legacy. One that includes more than the magic they displayed in October 1984.

Looking Back on Tigers Gold Glove Winners

Mike McClary — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:31:28 +0000

Well, no Tigers player won a Gold Glove this season, though some held out hope that Austin Jackson might’ve come away with some hardware. His day will come, I’m sure.

Let’s look back at the Gold Glove winners in franchise history:

1957

Al Kaline OF

1958

Frank Bolling 2B

Al Kaline OF

1959

Al Kaline OF

1961

Al Kaline OF

Frank Lary P

1962

Al Kaline OF

1963

Al Kaline OF

1964

Al Kaline OF

1965

Bill Freehan C

Al Kaline OF

1966

Bill Freehan C

Al Kaline OF

1967

Bill Freehan C

Al Kaline OF

1968

Bill Freehan C

Mickey Stanley OF

1969

Bill Freehan C

Mickey Stanley OF

1970

Mickey Stanley OF

1972

Ed Brinkman SS

1973

Mickey Stanley OF

1976

Aurelio Rodriguez 3B

1980

Alan Trammell SS

1981

Alan Trammell SS

1982

Lou Whitaker 2B

1983

Lance Parrish C

Alan Trammell SS

1984

Lance Parrish C

Lou Whitaker 2B

Alan Trammell SS

1985

Lance Parrish C

Lou Whitaker 2B

1988

Gary Pettis OF

1989

Gary Pettis OF

2004

Ivan Rodriguez C

2006

Ivan Rodriguez C

Kenny Rogers P

2007

Placido Polanco 2B

Ivan Rodriguez C

2009

Placido Polanco 2B

Tigers Today: September 13, 2010

Mike McClary — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:36:37 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

72-72, 3rd Place; 13.5 GB

Today’s Game

Off Day

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 6 – Orioles 2

W: Justin Verlander
L: Mike Gonzalez (0-3)
HR: Brandon Inge (11)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Luke French, 25

Nelson Cruz, 38

On this Date in Tigers History

2002 — The U.S. Senate passes a resolution honoring Tigers broadcaster Ernie Harwell who is retiring at the end of the season. The 84-year-old has been a major league baseball announcer for 55 years.

1995 — Tigers Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell set a new American League record for joint appearances (1,915
games).

1969 — The Tigers are eliminated when they lose to the Senators, 11-6. Washington scores five in the fifth, three coming home on a Ken McMullen homer, one of his four hits in the game. Detroit rallies in the sixth on Willie Horton’s third grand slam of the year, but McMullen knocks home another two runs to give Darold Knowles (7-3) the win over Tom Timmermann.

1934 — With his fiancee, Edna Mae Skinner of Oklahoma, watching, Schoolboy Rowe leads the Tigers to a 2-0 win over Washington. He asks in a radio interview: “How’m I doing, Edna?”

Tigers Today: September 9, 2010

Mike McClary — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:41:14 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

71-70, 3rd Place; 12.5 GB

Today’s Results

Tigers 6 – White Sox 3

W: Rick Porcello (9-11)
L: Gavin Floyd (10-12)

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 5 – White Sox 1

W: Jeremy Bonderman (8-9)
L: John Danks (13-10)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Edwin Jackson, 27

Dan Miceli, 40

Reggie Sanders (1949-2002)

On this Date in Tigers History

1997 — Scott Sanders hurls a one-hit, 4-0 shutout over the Rangers. Domingo Cedeno’s single is the only Rangers hit.

1990 — Right fielder Scott Lusader loses the battle to bright sun and soggy turf and makes three errors (two fielding and one throwing) in the first inning against the White Sox. It’s a first in the American League since 1925. The Sox score seven runs in the inning and coast home 13-3, snapping the Tigers’ seven-game winning streak.

1977 — In the second game of a doubleheader loss at Fenway Park, Tigers rookies Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell debut together. They will hold down the second base and shortstop jobs in Detroit for a record 19 years. Boston wins both games, 5-1 and 8-6, respectively.

1970 — Bowie Kuhn hands Denny McLain his third suspension of the year, this one for carrying a gun, plus other unspecified charges, and ends McLain’s season with a 3-5 record.

1932 — The Tigers beat the Yankees 14- 13 in a 14-inning game in which Lou Gehrig hits a grand slam and
drives in eight runs. He has reached this RBI feat twice before. Frankie Crosetti strikes out four times in the game, including twice in one inning.

Detroit also tops the Yanks, 4-1, in five innings to finally complete the protested game of August 1, and the tie of yesterday. The Yankees score their lone run in the third inning off Buck Marrow with their only two hits of the game.

Tigers Today: August 30, 2010

Mike McClary — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:01:00 +0000

Tigers’ Record:

65-66, 3rd Place; 10 GB

Today’s Game

Off Day

Tomorrow @ Minnesota

Yesterday’s Results

Tigers 10 – Blue Jays 4

W: Rick Porcello (7-11)
L: Marc Rzepczynski (1-2)
HR: Ryan Raburn 2 (10), Brandon Inge (9)

Tigers History Lesson

Today’s Birthdays

Randy O’Neal, 50

Steve Baker, 54

Steve Partenheimer (1891-1971)

On this Date in Tigers History

1995 — Lou Whitaker and Alan Trammell tie an American League record by playing in their 1,914th game together, a 10-7 loss to the White Sox. The record was set by the Royals’ George Brett and Frank White.

1912 — At Navin Field, the Browns’ Earl Hamilton no-hits the Tigers, 5-1.

1905 — Making his major league debut, Ty Cobb doubles off Highlander Jack Chesbro in a 5-3 Tigers victory at Bennett Park.

Fungo Flashback: May 27, 1980: The Day the Tigers Traded Jason Thompson

Mike McClary — Thu, 27 May 2010 18:58:09 +0000

Thirty years ago today the Tigers traded my favorite player, Jason Thompson, to the Angels for Al Cowens. Here’s a piece I wrote two years ago about the deal. Get a load of my thoughts on Miguel Cabrera who had recently been moved to first base. Another gleaming example of why I’m not fit to be a GM.

Twenty-eight years ago today, Tigers GM Jim Campbell broke my heart.

On May 27, 1980, he traded my favorite Tigers player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens. (For more on Cowens, check out this post from the archives.)

The 1977 Tigers yearbook noted:

Jason led the Tigers with 31 home runs and 105 RBI — the first Tiger since Norm Cash (32) in 1971 to top 30 homers and the first since Willie Horton (100) in 1966 to attain the century mark in RBI.

Thompson had another solid year in ’78, hitting .287 with 26 homers and 96 RBI.

The Beginning of the End in Detroit…Already?!

In 1980, Thompson got off to a slow start: .214/4/20 in 36 games, and Sparky invoked his My Way or the Highway clause and sent his first baseman to Orange County.

As I’ve said before, Thompson’s replacement, Richie Hebner, was a favorite of mine too. But, who were the Tigers kidding? Hebner over Jason Thompson?

From Anaheim to Pittsburgh to Montreal

In his five seasons in Pittsburgh, Thompson hit 93 home runs and averaged 93 RBI (not counting the 42 in the shortened ’81 season).

The Jason Thompson Curse

Today Thompson runs “Jason Thompson Baseball” in Auburn Hills, where kids can get hitting and fielding instruction from old #30 himself. He’s also an executive with Wachovia Securities.

So I threw my allegiance behind Kirk Gibson and ~~five~~ eight years later, when Gibson signed with the Dodgers, had to deal with the anguish all over again.

Wednesday Walewanders: Late-night Mish Mash

Mike McClary — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:57:16 +0000

Yes, I want an iPad, of course I do.

I wonder if Dave Dombrowski thinks of Johnny Damon in Detroit and only sees Jacque Jones.
I couldn’t see the Tigers making room for Jim Thome without eating another big contract — and we know that isn’t happening. Still, it would’ve been fun to see him play at Comerica Park 81 times in a Detroit uniform. But instead we’re left to hope that Carlos Guillen’s power numbers return. Sigh. (If only the Tigers had made a run at Bobby Abreu last offseason…) Oh, and what about Jermaine Dye? He’s still available.
It bums me out that the Tigers have apparently cut ties with Lou Whitaker (as loose as those ties were). Sweet Lou was always a bit flaky but he was so good for so long — and revered by Tigers fans — the Tigers should not let him vanish. Alas, it looks like it’s a moot point. And one more thing: I still can’t believe he was a one-and-done guy on the Hall of Fame ballot. That, dear reader, is a crime.
Happy Birthday to Phil Plantier (41), Rusty Meacham (42) and Steve Demeter (75).

Carry on.

Tuesday Night Therapy Session: Game 163 A Week Later

Mike McClary — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:20:34 +0000

If someone with a stopwatch had timed my lightning-quick zap of the TV last Tuesday evening after Game 163, my guess is that the stopwatch would’ve read less than three seconds.

I couldn’t watch the Twins celebrate, again, on their turf. (Still can’t.)

Think about it: the last time the Tigers were a division champion, they (and we) had to watch Dan Gladden and the suddenly despicable Twins celebrate on Tiger Stadium’s infield.

And the time the last two times the Tigers got close (2006 and ’09), we had to watch Joe Nathan and Co. dance a jig on the Metrodome concrete.

Sickening, really. This time I showed a rare combination of maturity and resignation all at once. Sort of.

So anyway, after a week of stewing and fretting, devouring three servings of sour grapes, followed by a weekend of Schadenfreude, I’m almost ready to move on. More or less.

Three things are still rattling around in my head a week later:

Andy Van Slyke. What a weird development this was. At first, I assumed it was not unlike when Don Slaught resigned after ’06: He didn’t want to be away from his family anymore. But the more we read about Van Slyke, and the less that was articulated, it became clear: he was fired. Why fire him? Because Curtis Granderson got picked off in a crucial moment of Game 163? Let’s hope not.
If any coach were to be canned I would’ve guessed it was hitting coach Lloyd McClendon. Still, I liked Van Slyke as a player and liked having him on the staff; let’s see if the outfielders suddenly get better next season.
Placido Polanco. Reading Lynn Henning’s recap of Dave Dombrowski‘s postseason “address”, one comes away thinking we’ve seen the last of Placido Polanco in a Tigers uniform. Read John Lowe’s version in the Free Press, however, and we’re led to believe the door isn’t closed tight on Polanco’s return. I sure hope it’s not. This is one player who I do not want to see the Tigers cut loose. I think they’d regret it in the short term. Yes, some change has got to happen eventually, but is Scott Sizemore the answer? And are the Tigers prepared if the answer is “not quite”?
I admit that I’m change-averse when it comes to roster overhauls — which usually equate to the dreaded rebuilding period — and when they involve good players that are also good guys. Then again, I do not want the Tigers to be in a position they were 10 seasons after the 1984 championship: still penciling Lou Whitaker in as their everyday second baseman. What do you think?
Tigers Pitching. I might be delusional, but even if the Tigers squeezed into the postseason last week I believe they could’ve given the Yankees more of a battle than the Twins did. Sure, the Tigers could’ve been the victim of some horrific calls as the Twins were, and the offense would’ve continued its slumber, but I simply don’t believe Detroit would’ve been swept away by New York. But we’ll never know.

But enough about me. How are you coping?

October Surprise Part 9: Comeback Complete

Mike McClary — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:03:58 +0000

This is the final installment in our series that looked back on the Tigers’ and Blue Jays’ epic fight for the 1987 American League East title.

American League East Standings: October 4, 1987

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Detroit	97-64	.619	â€“
Toronto	96-65	.596	1

In the first six games one thing was constant: the team that scored first would go on to lose. The Blue Jays, with the season in the balance, would take their chances and welcome an early lead off Tigers starter Frank Tanana.

Instead, the Tigers struck first. Larry Herndon led off the Detroit third inning with a home run off Blue Jays starter Jimmy Key. A strong wind gust nudged the ball over Bellâ€™s outstretched glove and into the lower deck in left. The Tigers led 1-0 on Herndonâ€™s first homer since Aug. 18.

â€œLuckily, I just got enough,â€ Herndon said to Tommy George of the Free Press. â€œI saw Bell go back and it looked like he had a chance to catch it. I looked at Bell all the way. And then when I heard and saw the crowd reaction behind the fence, I knew it was out.â€

Key gave his team every opportunity to get back into the game. He blanked Detroit â€“ allowing only a single by Lou Whitaker and three walks â€“ over the next five innings. As the shadows crept across the Tiger Stadium infield, Tanana faced â€“ and escaped â€“ a number of threats. In the eighth, the Blue Jays placed a runner at third with only one out and the heart of the order coming to bat. Tanana got Juan Beniquez to line to right and then Jesse Barfield grounded out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Key struck out the side and finished the game giving up only three hits. He could now only watch as his teammates worked to muster some offense against Tanana.

Cecil Fielder, who three years later would become a star with Detroit, led off the ninth inning with a strike out. The next hitter, Manny Lee, who was superb in replacing Tony Fernandez during the seasonâ€™s final 10 days, battled with Tanana and fouled off five, full-count pitches. With the sixth, Lee grounded sharply to third for out number two.

The Blue Jaysâ€™ final hope rested on the bat of third baseman Garth Iorg, hitless in his previous three at bats. Iorg swung at the first pitch, a tantalizing curveball, and hit a slow roller between pitcherâ€™s mound and first. Tanana scooped the ball, turned and softly underhanded it to first baseman Darrell Evans for the final out â€“ clinching the Tigers second division championship in four years.

The Blue Jays could only watch as the Tigers celebrated a championship that, just a week earlier, appeared to be theirs.

â€œTo lose that many one-run games, one play, one pitch, one hit turns â€˜em all around,â€ Toronto manager Jimy Williams told the Newsâ€™s Lynn Henning in a somber clubhouse afterward. â€œEspecially one hit. We lost the first two and then, when you put nine eggs on the board, itâ€™s tough to win.â€

As the Blue Jays gathered their belongings and prepared for a long winter of questions and soul searching, the Tigers had more work ahead of them: the American League Championship Series against the Minnesota Twins.

Seven months earlier at their spring training home in Lakeland, Fla., the Tigers didnâ€™t appear to have the ingredients required for a memorable season. At the time, Jack Morris said that the Tigers could winâ€¦but theyâ€™d have to do it with what they had. Hardly a stirring battle cry.

But when the final 10 days of the 1987 season arrived, the Tigers proved they had enough â€“ plenty, in fact â€“ to win the American League East title.

Final 1987 American League East Standings

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Detroit	98-64	.605	â€“
Toronto	96-66	.593	2

October Surprise Part 8 – Tigers Pull Ahead

Mike McClary — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:56:13 +0000

On the next-to-last day of the 2009 season, with the Tigers’ fate still undecided, we continue our series on the Tigers’ and Blue Jays’ battle for the A.L. East crown on the next-to-last day of the 1987 season.

American League East Standings: October 3, 1987

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Detroit	96-64	.600	â€“
Toronto	96-64	.600	â€“

In game two of the final series, Jack Morris and Mike Flanagan faced off on a bright and blustery Saturday afternoon.

As they had in Toronto nine days earlier, the two veteran pitchers sparkled. The Jays grabbed an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers countered with a Mike Heath single and Bill Madlock double to knot the game. Both teams scored in the fifth.

But over the next seven innings neither team scored. Morris pitched nine strong innings to Flanaganâ€™s 11.

â€œIâ€™ve been in this league eight years facing Flanagan, and Iâ€™ve never seen him better,â€ Tom Brookens said to the Free Press‘s John Lowe.

Mike Henneman relieved Morris in the tenth and shut down the Jays. Jeff Musselman took over for Flanagan but couldnâ€™t pick up where the starter had left off.

Lou Whitaker led off the twelfth with a single that stirred up the Toronto bullpen. Madlock singled too, then Kirk Gibson walked to load the bases. Blue Jays manager Jimy Williams quickly switched to the right-handed Mark Eichhorn to face Alan Trammell.

On Eichhornâ€™s third pitch, Trammell rifled a groundball through shortstop Manny Leeâ€™s legs into left field. Jim Walewander, pinch running for Whitaker, scored the winning run and for the first time in more than two weeks the Tigers had sole possession of first place in the American League East.

Following the game, Morris, who appeared to be throwing his hardest in the ninth inning, was asked how he got stronger as the game progressed.

â€œAdrenaline,â€ Morris told Lowe. â€œYou know itâ€™s the end of the season. Thereâ€™s no reason to save anything. You reach back and you find a little extra. I didnâ€™t have great stuff early, but I had great concentration from the third inning on. I just wouldnâ€™t give in.â€

The Tigers had seized momentum. With a win on Sunday they could cap baseballâ€™s most unlikely comeback in years and seal perhaps the worst collapse in recent memory.

Tomorrow: Tigers Clinch in a Nail-biter

October Surprise Part 5: Setting the Bear Trap

Mike McClary — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:36:42 +0000

As the Tigers and Twins wrap up the biggest series of the year with the division title hanging in the balance, we continue our look back on the last great race in Tigers history: 1987 and the seven games against the Toronto Blue Jays in the season’s final 10 days. Today: Game 4, the final game in Toronto.

Part 1 – Tigers and Jays Battle for ’87 Division Title
Part 2 – Showdown in Toronto, Game 1
Part 3 – Game 2 Skips Away
Part 4 – Bullpen Collapses in Game 3

American League East Standings: September 27, 1987

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Toronto	96-59	.619	â€“
Detroit	92-62	.597	3.5

As the Tigers arrived at Exhibition Stadium for the series finale, they knew what was at stake. The chances of coming back from four-and-a-half game deficit in less than a week bordered on the absurd. If ever there were a must-win game, this was it.

The Tigers turned to Doyle Alexander to stop the bleeding. Toronto looked to right-hander Jim Clancy to bury the Tigersâ€™ fading division title hopes.

Nelson Liriano led off the home half of the first with a single to right and promptly stole second. Eventual league MVP George Bell drove in Liriano for Torontoâ€™s first run. Though he baffled the Jays for the next eight innings, Alexander and the Tigers trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the ninth.

As he had in game two, Blue Jays manager Jimy Williams called on Tom Henke to start the ninth and snuff out any chance of a Tigers comeback. Henkeâ€™s first assignment was Kirk Gibson. With two strikes, Gibson connected for a monstrous homer to right, knotting the game at one and giving the Tigers a flicker of hope.

Neither team scored in the tenth, but in the eleventh inning Darrell Evans blasted a home run â€” farther then Gibsonâ€™s â€” to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.

Alexander lasted into the eleventh, pitching his finest game of the season. Over 10.2 innings, he scattered six hits, allowing just four walks and striking out four.

The Tigersâ€™ lead wouldnâ€™t last. In the bottom half of the eleventh, an error by Alan Trammell and an RBI single by Jesse Barfield tied the game at two.

In the Tigersâ€™ thirteenth, rookie Jim Walewander led off with a walk. Lou Whitakerâ€™s sacrifice advanced Walewander to second. After an intentional walk to Evans, Gibson dropped a single into center scoring Walewander with the go-
ahead run.

Unlike the previous three games, the Detroit bullpen delivered. Mike Henneman, Dickie Noles and Mark Thurmond combined to shut down the Jays for good in the bottom of the thirteenth and allowed the Tigers to escape Toronto just two-and-one-half games back.

In the clubhouse after the game, Gibson summed up the Tigers situation heading into the final week of the season. â€œWho knows,â€ he said to the media surrounding his locker. â€œWe might be setting the biggest bear trap of all time.â€

Tomorrow: Heading Home with Title Within Reach.

October Surprise Part 3: Game 2 Skips Away

Mike McClary — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:45:43 +0000

As the Tigers and Twins square off for the biggest series of the year with the division title hanging in the balance, we continue our look back on the last great race in Tigers history: 1987 and the seven games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Today: Game 2.

Part 1 – October Surprise: Tigers and Jays Battle for ’87 Division Title
Part 2 – Showdown in Toronto, Game 1

American League East Standings

September 25, 1987

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Toronto	94-59	.614	â€“
Detroit	92-60	.605	1.5

Tigers left hander Frank Tanana had been in one divisional race in his 14-year career: in 1979 when he helped the California Angels win their first American League West title. In 1987, Tanana approached the twilight of his career but Toronto starter Jimmy Keyâ€™s best days were just dawning. Key had won 14 games in each of his first two years as a starter and in 1987 he would finish second in A.L. Cy Young voting, posting a 17-8 record and 2.76 ERA.

For the second straight night, the Tigers produced a two-run lead. In the Tigersâ€™ second, Chet Lemon doubled and Darrell Evans singled him home. Later, in the sixth, Kirk Gibson bunted for a base hit and took second on Keyâ€™s wild throw to first. Larry Herndon followed with a single to left scoring Gibson and giving Tanana a two-run cushion.

Tanana pitched one of his best games of the season throwing seven scoreless innings, yielding just five hits and a walk. Key was equally masterful in his 8.1 innings pitched. He scattered nine hits, allowing only one earned run and walking a single hitter. Going into the ninth inning the Tigers maintained a 2-0 lead.

Whitt led of the ninth by flying out to center. The next batter, Jesse Barfield, singled off of reliever Dickie Noles. Anderson promptly lifted Noles for aging left-hander Willie Hernandez to face former-Tiger Rick Leach.

Leach wasted no time ripping a double to put runners on second and third with one out. The next batter, Manny Lee, tripled off Hernandez tying the game at two. Still with one out, Anderson brought in Mike Henneman, Detroitâ€™s rookie closer. Henneman intentionally walked Willie Upshaw and then Liriano to load the bases. With the infield in, Lloyd Moseby hit a sharp grounder to Lou Whitaker. Whitaker passed up a risky second-to-first double play chance and threw home. The ball bounced past Mike Heath and allowed Lee to score the winning run.

â€œOut of the corner of my eye, I saw Tram move to his left,â€ Whitaker told the Free Pressâ€™s John Lowe after the game. â€œThe way we play together, I knew we had a chance to turn two, but we couldnâ€™t take the chance.â€

â€œMaybe I could have backed up and caught the ball with one foot on the back part of the plate,â€ Heath said to Lowe. â€œThere possibly was time (to reposition himself at the plate), but at that point I just didnâ€™t think about it. It just happened too quick. When I saw it down there, I tried to trap it. . . . and it just ate me up.”

Two games, two blown leads, two losses. Not what the Tigers had in mind. â€œI would not recommend this as a way to get ahead,â€ Anderson said to the Free Pressâ€™s Charlie Vincent.

Instead of tightening the pennant race, the Tigers were loosening their grip on postseason aspirations. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays had to feel more comfortable on their first-place perch.

Tomorrow: Another Heartbreaker

October Surprise Part 2: Showdown in Toronto

Mike McClary — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:46:52 +0000

This is Part 2 in our series on the Tigers and Blue Jays’ pennant fight in 1987. Part 1 appeared yesterday.

American League East Standings

September 24, 1987

Team	Record	Pct.	GB
Toronto	93 â€“ 59	.612	â€“
Detroit	92-59	.609	.5

At the outset of the first series the Tigers sat only a half-game out of first place. The game-one pitching match up featured two of baseballâ€™s best in the 1980s: the Tigersâ€™ Jack Morris and Jays lefty Mike Flanagan.

It didnâ€™t take long for the complexion of the game, the series and perhaps the season to change dramatically. In the top of the third, with Bill Madlock on first, Kirk Gibson hit a routine double-play ball to second baseman Nelson Liriano. Liriano pivoted and threw to shortstop Tony Fernandez for the force at second; Madlockâ€™s slide toppled Fernandez who fell to the artificial surface, breaking his elbow. (Shortly after Fernandez left the game the Blue Jays announced that he would need surgery and would be out for the remainder of the season.) Gibson reached first on the fielderâ€™s choice.

After a Trammell fly out, Larry Herndon singled, moving Gibson to second. The next hitter, centerfielder Chet Lemon, drove in Gibson and advanced Herndon to third. A Flanagan wild pitch scored Herndon and gave Morris a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom half of the third, Toronto scored all the runs theyâ€™d need. Catcher Ernie Whitt smacked a two-run single tying the score at two. Jaysâ€™ third baseman Rance Mulliniks followed with a double off the top of the left field wall moving Whitt to third. Whitt scored â€“ narrowly â€“ on a wild pitch. The ball ricocheted off the backstop to catcher Mike Heath who tossed it to Morris covering home. Morris arrived ahead of Whitt but over-ran the plate and couldnâ€™t recover in time to apply the tag. Toronto led 4-2.

Flanagan blanked the Tigers until the seventh when three straight singles by Lou Whitaker, Trammell and Gibson narrowed the deficit to 4-3. In the ninth, Toronto closer Tom Henke shut the Tigers down to notch his league-leading 34th save and give the Blue Jays an early lead in the series.

â€œI just didnâ€™t do my job,â€ Morris told the Free Pressâ€™s John Lowe after the game. â€œMy team gave me a two-run lead and I gave it right back. Thatâ€™s not the way youâ€™re supposed to pitch.â€

Sparky Anderson refused to make too much of the loss. â€œCrucial?â€, he said to Tom Gage of the Detroit News. â€œHow the heck do I know if itâ€™s crucial? Iâ€™ll let you know in another 10 days.â€

With the injury to Fernandez, Toronto lost arguably its most important offensive player. For one night, though, the Jays were able to overcome it.

A game and a half ahead of the Tigers, Toronto had to like how the weekend had started. The Tigers would need to bounce back quickly.

Tomorrow: Game Two