1984 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1984 World Series began on October 9 and ended on October 14, 1984. The American League champion Detroit Tigers
played against the National League champion San Diego Padres
, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one.
This was the first World Series that Peter Ueberroth
presided over as commissioner
. Ueberroth began his tenure on October 1, succeeding Bowie Kuhn
. Ueberroth had been elected as Kuhn's successor prior to the 1984 season, but did not take over until the postseason as he was serving as the chairman of the 1984 Summer Olympics
, which ran from July 28 through August 12. This was the last NBC-broadcast World Series to air before General Electric
acquired RCA
, NBC's parent company.
won the National League West
division by twelve games over both the Atlanta Braves
and the Houston Astros
, then defeated the Chicago Cubs
, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series
. The Detroit Tigers
won the American League East
division by fifteen games over the Toronto Blue Jays
, then swept the Kansas City Royals
, three games to none, in the American League Championship Series
.
The 1984 World Series was a rematch between managers Sparky Anderson
(Detroit) and Dick Williams
(San Diego). The two had previously faced off in the 1972 World Series
, with Anderson managing the Cincinnati Reds
and Williams helming the victorious Oakland Athletics
. The 1984 Series was Anderson's fifth overall as a manager—in addition to the 1972 Fall Classic, he had also managed the Reds during the 1970 World Series
(which they lost to the Baltimore Orioles
) and served as skipper during Cincinnati's back-to-back world championships in 1975
and 1976
. Anderson's counterpart, Williams, was managing in his fourth World Series; he had headed the Boston Red Sox
during the "Impossible Dream" season, when they won their first pennant in 21 years in a tight race over the Tigers
, Minnesota Twins
, and Chicago White Sox
. After his Athletics won the 1972 World Series, Williams again led them to victory in the 1973 Series
over the New York Mets
.
The 1984 World Series was a battle of sorts between the multi-million dollar American fast food chains. Domino's Pizza
founder Tom Monaghan
owned the Tigers while McDonald's
founder Ray Kroc
, who died several months before the 1984 World Series, owned the Padres. It would feature the first World Series game at Jack Murphy Stadium (Game 1) and the final World Series game at Tiger Stadium (Game 5).
had just won their ninth straight game with Jack Morris
on the mound winning his ninth game of the season. The Tigers record stood at 35–5—a major league record. In the next three games they would get swept by the Seattle Mariners
and settle down to play .500 ball over the next 40 games. But in the end, they would wind up with a franchise record 104 wins and become only the third team in MLB history to lead the league wire-to-wire.
These Tigers were strong up the middle featuring all-stars at each middle position with catcher Lance Parrish
setting a career high in home runs with 33, the record-setting tandem of Lou Whitaker at second base and Alan Trammell
at shortstop (they played together from 1977–95) and solid center-fielder Chet Lemon
. The pitching staff was anchored by ace starter Jack Morris
and eventual Cy Young Award
and Most Valuable Player
, Willie Hernández
(9–3, 1.92 ERA, 32 saves), closing.
The Detroit Tigers would sign ageless wonder free-agent Darrell Evans
(their first free-agent signing since Tito Fuentes
in 1977
) and acquired first baseman Dave Bergman
and the aforementioned reliever Willie Hernandez
in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies
. Bergman would settle in as the Tigers' everyday first baseman providing steady glove-work. And of course there was “Mr. Clutch”, right-fielder Kirk Gibson
, who had a break-out year with 27 home runs, 29 stolen bases, 91 RBIs, and a .282 batting average.
After winning two World Championships with the 1975–76 Cincinnati Reds
, manager Sparky Anderson
was primed to win his first in the American League
in his fifth full season with the Detroit Tigers
.
after leading them to identical 81–81 (.500) records in 1982
and 1983
. 1984
would mark only the second time in Padre history that the team would finish over .500, the other being an 84–78 record in 1978
. With the Padres' NL pennant in 1984, Williams became the second manager to take three teams to the World Series (he had previously taken the 1967 Red Sox
and the 1972
and 1973 Athletics
to the Fall Classic).
The Padres set a franchise record for victories with 92 in 1984, being led by two veterans, first baseman Steve Garvey
and third baseman Graig Nettles
. Statistically, this team was not overwhelming, with Nettles and Kevin McReynolds
leading the team with just twenty home runs. The team eventually would lose McReynolds in Game 4 of the NLCS due to a broken wrist. No player would come close to 100 RBIs (Garvey, 86) or have over 30 doubles in the season, although stalwart thumper Tony Gwynn
would lead the National League
in hitting for the first time with a .351 average and 213 hits.
The pitching staff was average—a staff of twentysomethings and a 32-year-old closer, Goose Gossage
(10–6, 25 SVs), who was signed as a free agent from the New York Yankees
. Eric Show
led the staff with fifteen wins with Ed Whitson
and lefty Mark Thurmond
having identical 14–8 records. But the sterling bullpen, headed by Gossage and Craig “Lefty” Lefferts, held the staff together enough to take this team to the “Big Show” although they would falter and get ripped by the Tiger bats losing the Series in five games.
As champions of the National League, the Padres had home-field advantage. But had the Chicago Cubs
won the NLCS
(which appeared likely after the Cubs took a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five series), the Tigers would have gained home-field advantage despite the fact the AL's Baltimore Orioles
had it the season before. NBC was contractually obligated to show all midweek series games in prime time
, something that would have been impossible at Wrigley Field
, since the Cubs' venerable facility lacked lights at the time (they would not install lights until four years later
). Had the Cubs advanced to the Series, Detroit would have hosted Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (on Tuesday and Wednesday nights), while the Cubs would have hosted Games 3, 4 and 5 (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday), with all three games in Chicago starting no later than 1:30 p.m. Central time
.
The 1984 Padres adopted Ray Parker, Jr.
's "Ghostbusters
" as their theme song (à la the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
using Sister Sledge
's "We Are Family
" as their theme song). During their playoff series
against the Chicago Cubs, the Padre fans turned Ghostbusters into Cubbusters. Ironically, the movie Ghostbusters starred noted Chicago Cub fan Bill Murray
.
in San Diego, California
Game 1 started shakily for Tiger starter Jack Morris
(a 19-game winner during the season), as he surrendered two-out singles in the bottom of the first inning to Steve Garvey
and Graig Nettles
, followed by a two-run double to Terry Kennedy
. Padre starter Mark Thurmond
took a 2–1 lead into the fifth, but then surrendered a crucial two-out, two-run homer to Larry Herndon
. Nettles and Kennedy both singled to open the San Diego sixth, but Morris snuffed out their momentum by striking out the rest of the side. Kurt Bevacqua
started what looked to be a comeback with a leadoff double in the seventh, but was thrown out at third while attempting to stretch the hit into a triple. Despite the close call, Morris remained focused and set down the last nine remaining Padre batters for the 3–2 victory.
in San Diego, California
Kurt Bevacqua
evened the series at 1–1 with a fifth-inning home run. To date, this remains the only World Series victory in Padres history. Andy Hawkins
, the winning pitcher, relieved starter Ed Whitson
in the first inning.
Game 2 at Jack Murphy Stadium
marked the last MLB playoff game to date where the DH
was used in a National League
ballpark. Since then, any World Series game in an American League park uses the DH (previously, the DH was used in alternating World Series), while pitchers bat in the NL parks. The next time the DH rule was used in a National League park was during a regular season series between the Toronto Blue Jays
and Philadelphia Phillies
during the 2010 season
.
By the time the 1984 World Series rolled around, Tiger Stadium (built 1912) became the oldest ballpark to ever host a World Series. That record was soon eclipsed by Boston's Fenway Park
(also opened in 1912), which hosted the Fall Classic in 1986
, 2004
and 2007
.
Tim Lollar
failed to make it out of the second inning as Detroit erupted for four runs, including a Marty Castillo two-run homer, en route to a 5–2 victory for Milt Wilcox
. Willie Hernández
pitched innings of one-hit relief for the save. The victory gave the Tigers a two games-to-one series lead.
Alan Trammell
drilled a pair of two-run homers in the first and third innings to account for all of Detroit's offense as the Tigers beat Eric Show
to take a three games-to-one lead in the Series. Jack Morris
got his second Series victory in another complete-game effort.
For the fourth consecutive game, the Padres' starting pitcher did not make it past the third inning, as the Tigers jumped on Mark Thurmond for three runs in the first inning. The Padres rallied to tie the score in the fourth, but the Tigers pulled ahead again with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. After the Padres closed it to a one-run game in the eighth with a rare run off closer Willie Hernández
, Kirk Gibson
came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth for the Tigers with runners on second and third and one out. Gibson had homered earlier in the game, and Padres manager Dick Williams
strolled to the mound to talk to Goose Gossage
, seemingly with the purpose of ordering him to walk Gibson intentionally. Just before the at-bat, Gibson made a $
10 bet (flashing ten fingers) with his manager Sparky Anderson that Gossage (who had dominated Gibson in the past) would pitch to him. Gossage talked Williams into letting him pitch to Gibson, and Gibson responded with a three-run blast into the upper deck to clinch the Series for the Tigers. Gibson wound up driving in five runs and scoring three, including the run that gave Detroit the lead for good when he raced home on a pop-up by little-used reserve Rusty Kuntz
.
In the ninth, Willie Hernández closed out the series for the Tigers by getting Tony Gwynn
to fly to Larry Herndon
in left field for the final out.
While Alan Trammell
won the Sport Magazine variation of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, Jack Morris
won the Babe Ruth
variation.
After being unceremoniously dumped by the Cincinnati Reds
in , Sparky Anderson was hired by the Tigers in June, 1979. He immediately vowed that his team would be in the World Series within five years. Discounting the partial 1979 season, 1984 was exactly the fifth full season with Anderson at the helm. Anderson would become the first manager to win a World Championship in both the American
and National League
s.
Game 5 had a starting time of 4:30 p.m. ET
, following a 1:30 p.m. start for Game 4. These were the last outdoor World Series games to start earlier than prime time
in the eastern United States (Game 6 in 1987, the last daytime World Series contest, was indoors at the Metrodome in Minneapolis). In addition, no World Series has ended as early as October 14 since 1984; in fact, with the exception of Game 1 of the 1989 World Series (played on October 14, 1989), no World Series game has been played earlier than October 15 since 1984. Format changes—the best-of-five League Championship Series becoming best-of-seven affairs, followed by the addition of wild-card teams and the best-of-five League Division Series—have made that impossible, even when baseball's regular seasons have ended on the last Sunday in September.
(A.L.) over San Diego Padres
(N.L.)
Less than twenty years after winning the 1984 World Series Most Valuable Player Award, Alan Trammell would become manager of the Detroit Tigers.
The Detroit Tigers would not return to the World Series until , six years after Comerica Park
opened. However Trammell was fired before the season began and was replaced by Jim Leyland
, who won a World Series ring managing the Florida Marlins
in .
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
played against the National League champion San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, with the Tigers winning the series four games to one.
This was the first World Series that Peter Ueberroth
Peter Ueberroth
Peter Victor Ueberroth is an American executive. He served as the sixth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1989. He was recently the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee; he was replaced by Larry Probst in October 2008....
presided over as commissioner
Baseball Commissioner
The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball and its associated minor leagues. Under the direction of the Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts...
. Ueberroth began his tenure on October 1, succeeding Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kent Kuhn was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifth Commissioner of Major League Baseball from February 4, , to September 30,...
. Ueberroth had been elected as Kuhn's successor prior to the 1984 season, but did not take over until the postseason as he was serving as the chairman of the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, which ran from July 28 through August 12. This was the last NBC-broadcast World Series to air before General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
acquired RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
, NBC's parent company.
Preview
The San Diego Padres1984 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
won the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
division by twelve games over both the Atlanta Braves
1984 Atlanta Braves season
The 1984 season was the 114th season for the Atlanta Braves.-Offseason:* October 4, 1983: Tommy Boggs was released by the Braves.* October 21, 1983: Brett Butler and Brook Jacoby were sent by the Braves to the Cleveland Indians to complete an earlier deal made on August 28, 1983.-Regular...
and the Houston Astros
1984 Houston Astros season
The Houston Astros' 1984 season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Houston Astros attempting to win the National League West.- Notable transactions :* April 27, 1984: J. R...
, then defeated the Chicago Cubs
1984 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green...
, three games to two, in the National League Championship Series
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
. The Detroit Tigers
1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
won the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
division by fifteen games over the Toronto Blue Jays
1984 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Blue Jays finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses.-Offseason:...
, then swept the Kansas City Royals
1984 Kansas City Royals season
The Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 1st in the American League West with a record of 84 wins and 78 losses.- Offseason :* October 17, 1983: Eric Rasmussen was released by the Royals....
, three games to none, in the American League Championship Series
1984 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, MissouriGame 1 was a blowout in Kansas City, as Jack Morris pitched seven innings and allowed a single run, with Willie Hernandez pitching the final two innings. The Tigers scored eight runs...
.
The 1984 World Series was a rematch between managers Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
(Detroit) and Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
(San Diego). The two had previously faced off in the 1972 World Series
1972 World Series
The 1972 World Series matched the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds, with the A's winning in seven games. These two teams would meet again in the fall classic eighteen years later...
, with Anderson managing the Cincinnati Reds
1972 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds season consisted of the Reds winning the National League West title with a record of 95-59, 10½ games over the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1972 National League Championship Series, but lost to the Oakland Athletics in...
and Williams helming the victorious Oakland Athletics
1972 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World...
. The 1984 Series was Anderson's fifth overall as a manager—in addition to the 1972 Fall Classic, he had also managed the Reds during the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
(which they lost to the Baltimore Orioles
1970 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 108 wins and 54 losses, 15 games ahead of the runner-up New York Yankees. The Orioles swept the Minnesota Twins for the second straight year in the American League Championship Series...
) and served as skipper during Cincinnati's back-to-back world championships in 1975
1975 World Series
The 1975 World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds . It has been ranked by ESPN as the second-greatest World Series ever played...
and 1976
1976 World Series
The 1976 World Series matched the defending champion Cincinnati Reds of the National League against the New York Yankees of the American League, with the Reds sweeping the Series to repeat. The Reds became the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason. The Reds are also the last National...
. Anderson's counterpart, Williams, was managing in his fourth World Series; he had headed the Boston Red Sox
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
during the "Impossible Dream" season, when they won their first pennant in 21 years in a tight race over the Tigers
1967 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for second in the American League with the Minnesota Twins with 91 wins and 71 losses, one game behind the AL pennant-winning Boston Red Sox.- Notable transactions :...
, Minnesota Twins
1967 Minnesota Twins season
The Minnesota Twins finished 91-73, tied for second in the American League with the Detroit Tigers. The Twins had a one-game lead with two games remaining, but lost both games to the Boston Red Sox in the season's final days...
, and Chicago White Sox
1967 Chicago White Sox season
The 1967 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 67th season in the major leagues, and its 68th season overall. They finished with a record 89-73, good enough for fourth place in the American League, 3 games behind the first-place Boston Red Sox.- Offseason :...
. After his Athletics won the 1972 World Series, Williams again led them to victory in the 1973 Series
1973 World Series
The 1973 World Series matched the defending champion Oakland Athletics against the New York Mets, with the A's winning in seven games to repeat as World Champions....
over the New York Mets
1973 New York Mets season
The New York Mets season was the 12th regular season for the Mets, who played home games at Shea Stadium. Manager Yogi Berra led the team to a National League East title with an 82–79 record, the National League pennant and a defeat at the hands of the Oakland Athletics in the World Series...
.
The 1984 World Series was a battle of sorts between the multi-million dollar American fast food chains. Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
founder Tom Monaghan
Tom Monaghan
Thomas Stephen "Tom" Monaghan is an entrepreneur and Catholic philanthropist and activist who founded Domino's Pizza in 1960. He owned the Detroit Tigers from 1983-1992....
owned the Tigers while McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
founder Ray Kroc
Ray Kroc
Raymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
, who died several months before the 1984 World Series, owned the Padres. It would feature the first World Series game at Jack Murphy Stadium (Game 1) and the final World Series game at Tiger Stadium (Game 5).
Detroit Tigers
By May 24, , the Detroit Tigers1984 Detroit Tigers season
The Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901 and their fourth World Series championship. Detroit relief pitcher Willie Hernandez won the Cy Young Award and was chosen as the...
had just won their ninth straight game with Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
on the mound winning his ninth game of the season. The Tigers record stood at 35–5—a major league record. In the next three games they would get swept by the Seattle Mariners
1984 Seattle Mariners season
The Seattle Mariners 1984 season was their 8th since the franchise creation, and ended the season finishing 5th in the American League West, finishing with a record of 74-88.- Offseason :...
and settle down to play .500 ball over the next 40 games. But in the end, they would wind up with a franchise record 104 wins and become only the third team in MLB history to lead the league wire-to-wire.
These Tigers were strong up the middle featuring all-stars at each middle position with catcher Lance Parrish
Lance Parrish
Lance Michael Parrish, aka "Big Wheel", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , Seattle Mariners , Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , and the Toronto Blue Jays...
setting a career high in home runs with 33, the record-setting tandem of Lou Whitaker at second base and Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
at shortstop (they played together from 1977–95) and solid center-fielder Chet Lemon
Chet Lemon
Chester Earl Lemon is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A three time All-Star, he was a member of the World Series champion 1984 Detroit Tigers.-Early years:...
. The pitching staff was anchored by ace starter Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
and eventual Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
, Willie Hernández
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
(9–3, 1.92 ERA, 32 saves), closing.
The Detroit Tigers would sign ageless wonder free-agent Darrell Evans
Darrell Evans
Darrell Wayne Evans is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1969 to 1989 with the Atlanta Braves , San Francisco Giants and Detroit Tigers . He is also the former manager and director of player personnel for the Victoria Seals of the Golden Baseball...
(their first free-agent signing since Tito Fuentes
Tito Fuentes
Rigoberto "Tito" Fuentes Peat is a retired second baseman who played for 13 seasons in the Major Leagues between 1965 and 1978...
in 1977
1977 Detroit Tigers season
The 1977 Detroit Tigers finished in fourth place in the American League East with a record of 74-88, 26 games behind the New York Yankees. They were outscored by their opponents 751 to 714...
) and acquired first baseman Dave Bergman
Dave Bergman
David Bruce Bergman was a Major League Baseball first baseman, designated hitter, and outfielder.Born in Evanston, Illinois, Bergman is an alumnus of Maine South High School and Illinois State University...
and the aforementioned reliever Willie Hernandez
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Bergman would settle in as the Tigers' everyday first baseman providing steady glove-work. And of course there was “Mr. Clutch”, right-fielder Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
, who had a break-out year with 27 home runs, 29 stolen bases, 91 RBIs, and a .282 batting average.
After winning two World Championships with the 1975–76 Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, manager Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
was primed to win his first in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in his fifth full season with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
.
San Diego Padres
Williams’ was in his third season with the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
after leading them to identical 81–81 (.500) records in 1982
1982 San Diego Padres season
The San Diego Padres season was the fourteenth in franchise history.-Offseason:* December 10, 1981: Ozzie Smith, Steve Mura and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the St...
and 1983
1983 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* November 3, 1982: Dave Edwards was released by the Padres.* November 18, 1982: Broderick Perkins and Juan Eichelberger were traded by the Padres to the Cleveland Indians for Ed Whitson....
. 1984
1984 San Diego Padres season
-Offseason:* October 21, 1983: Sandy Alomar, Jr. was signed by the Padres as an amateur free agent.* December 6, 1983: Joe Pittman and a player to be named later were traded by the Padres to the San Francisco Giants for Champ Summers...
would mark only the second time in Padre history that the team would finish over .500, the other being an 84–78 record in 1978
1978 San Diego Padres season
The 1978 San Diego Padres season was the tenth in franchise history. The team finished in fourth place in the National League West with a record of 84-78, 11 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
. With the Padres' NL pennant in 1984, Williams became the second manager to take three teams to the World Series (he had previously taken the 1967 Red Sox
1967 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season, often referred to as The Impossible Dream, consisted of the Red Sox shocking New England and the rest of the baseball world by winning the American League Championship and reaching the World Series for the first time since 1946...
and the 1972
1972 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning the American League West with a record of 93 wins and 62 losses. In the playoffs, they defeated the Detroit Tigers in a five-game ALCS, followed by a seven-game World Series, in which they defeated the Cincinnati Reds for their first World...
and 1973 Athletics
1973 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season involved the A's winning their third consecutive American League West title with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses...
to the Fall Classic).
The Padres set a franchise record for victories with 92 in 1984, being led by two veterans, first baseman Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
and third baseman Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
. Statistically, this team was not overwhelming, with Nettles and Kevin McReynolds
Kevin McReynolds
Walter Kevin McReynolds is a former Major League Baseball outfielder with a 12-year career from 1983 to 1994...
leading the team with just twenty home runs. The team eventually would lose McReynolds in Game 4 of the NLCS due to a broken wrist. No player would come close to 100 RBIs (Garvey, 86) or have over 30 doubles in the season, although stalwart thumper Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
would lead the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in hitting for the first time with a .351 average and 213 hits.
The pitching staff was average—a staff of twentysomethings and a 32-year-old closer, Goose Gossage
Goose Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
(10–6, 25 SVs), who was signed as a free agent from the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. Eric Show
Eric Show
Eric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit...
led the staff with fifteen wins with Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best remembered for his short and turbulent stint with the New York Yankees in the mid 1980s. He batted and threw right-handed.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
and lefty Mark Thurmond
Mark Thurmond
Mark Anthony Thurmond , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1983-1990...
having identical 14–8 records. But the sterling bullpen, headed by Gossage and Craig “Lefty” Lefferts, held the staff together enough to take this team to the “Big Show” although they would falter and get ripped by the Tiger bats losing the Series in five games.
As champions of the National League, the Padres had home-field advantage. But had the Chicago Cubs
1984 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1984 season was the 109th season for the Cubs. The team finished with a record of 96-65 in first place of the National League Eastern Division. Chicago was managed by Jim Frey and the general manager was Dallas Green...
won the NLCS
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
(which appeared likely after the Cubs took a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five series), the Tigers would have gained home-field advantage despite the fact the AL's Baltimore Orioles
1983 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 1st in the American League East with a record of 98 wins and 64 losses...
had it the season before. NBC was contractually obligated to show all midweek series games in prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
, something that would have been impossible at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, since the Cubs' venerable facility lacked lights at the time (they would not install lights until four years later
1988 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs' 1988 season involved the Cubs finishing in fourth place in the National League East with a record of 77-85, 24 games behind the New York Mets...
). Had the Cubs advanced to the Series, Detroit would have hosted Games 1, 2, 6 and 7 (on Tuesday and Wednesday nights), while the Cubs would have hosted Games 3, 4 and 5 (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday), with all three games in Chicago starting no later than 1:30 p.m. Central time
Central Time zone
In North America, the Central Time Zone refers to national time zones which observe standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC , and daylight saving, or summer time by subtracting five hours...
.
The 1984 Padres adopted Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Parker, Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
's "Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters (song)
"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...
" as their theme song (à la the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates had 98 wins and 64 losses and captured the National League East Division title by two games over the Montreal Expos. The Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds to win their ninth National League title, and the Baltimore Orioles to win their fifth World Series title - and also...
using Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge
Sister Sledge is an American musical group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed in 1972 and consisting of four sisters: Kim Sledge Debbie Sledge , Joni Sledge , and Kathy Sledge . They are granddaughters of the former opera singer Viola Williams. The sisters used to perform under the name of "Mrs...
's "We Are Family
We Are Family (song)
"We Are Family" is a 1979 dance hit song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. Rodgers and Edwards offered the song to Atlantic Records; although the record label initially declined, the track was released as a single from the album of the same name and quickly began to...
" as their theme song). During their playoff series
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
against the Chicago Cubs, the Padre fans turned Ghostbusters into Cubbusters. Ironically, the movie Ghostbusters starred noted Chicago Cub fan Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
.
Summary
Game 1
Tuesday, October 9, 1984 at Jack Murphy StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Game 1 started shakily for Tiger starter Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
(a 19-game winner during the season), as he surrendered two-out singles in the bottom of the first inning to Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
and Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
, followed by a two-run double to Terry Kennedy
Terry Kennedy
Terrence Edward Kennedy is a former All-Star Major League Baseball catcher who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , San Diego Padres , Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants . Kennedy batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He is the son of former major league player and manager Bob Kennedy...
. Padre starter Mark Thurmond
Mark Thurmond
Mark Anthony Thurmond , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1983-1990...
took a 2–1 lead into the fifth, but then surrendered a crucial two-out, two-run homer to Larry Herndon
Larry Herndon
Larry Darnell Herndon is a former Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , and Detroit Tigers...
. Nettles and Kennedy both singled to open the San Diego sixth, but Morris snuffed out their momentum by striking out the rest of the side. Kurt Bevacqua
Kurt Bevacqua
Kurt Bevacqua is a former Major League Baseball player. He was chosen in the 12th round of the 1967 draft by the Cincinnati Reds and debuted in the big leagues in 1971 with the Cleveland Indians, ultimately playing for six different teams during his career. His final appearance was in with the...
started what looked to be a comeback with a leadoff double in the seventh, but was thrown out at third while attempting to stretch the hit into a triple. Despite the close call, Morris remained focused and set down the last nine remaining Padre batters for the 3–2 victory.
Game 2
Wednesday, October 10, 1984 at Jack Murphy StadiumQualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
Kurt Bevacqua
Kurt Bevacqua
Kurt Bevacqua is a former Major League Baseball player. He was chosen in the 12th round of the 1967 draft by the Cincinnati Reds and debuted in the big leagues in 1971 with the Cleveland Indians, ultimately playing for six different teams during his career. His final appearance was in with the...
evened the series at 1–1 with a fifth-inning home run. To date, this remains the only World Series victory in Padres history. Andy Hawkins
Andy Hawkins
Melton Andrew "Andy" Hawkins is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.A right-handed starter, Hawkins spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres, and also played for the New York Yankees and briefly for the Oakland Athletics...
, the winning pitcher, relieved starter Ed Whitson
Ed Whitson
Eddie Lee Whitson is a former Major League Baseball pitcher best remembered for his short and turbulent stint with the New York Yankees in the mid 1980s. He batted and threw right-handed.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...
in the first inning.
Game 2 at Jack Murphy Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium
Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area....
marked the last MLB playoff game to date where the DH
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
was used in a National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
ballpark. Since then, any World Series game in an American League park uses the DH (previously, the DH was used in alternating World Series), while pitchers bat in the NL parks. The next time the DH rule was used in a National League park was during a regular season series between the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
during the 2010 season
2010 Major League Baseball season
The 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim...
.
Game 3
Friday, October 12, 1984 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
By the time the 1984 World Series rolled around, Tiger Stadium (built 1912) became the oldest ballpark to ever host a World Series. That record was soon eclipsed by Boston's Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
(also opened in 1912), which hosted the Fall Classic in 1986
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, 2004
2004 World Series
The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
and 2007
2007 World Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsThe Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game 1 behind ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason...
.
Tim Lollar
Tim Lollar
William Timothy Lollar is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1980-86 for the New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox , primarily as a starting pitcher.- Early career :Lollar played...
failed to make it out of the second inning as Detroit erupted for four runs, including a Marty Castillo two-run homer, en route to a 5–2 victory for Milt Wilcox
Milt Wilcox
Milton Edward Wilcox was a pitcher who had a sixteen-year career from 1970 to 1975, 1977–1986. He played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs of the National League and the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners of the American League...
. Willie Hernández
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
pitched innings of one-hit relief for the save. The victory gave the Tigers a two games-to-one series lead.
Game 4
Saturday, October 13, 1984 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
drilled a pair of two-run homers in the first and third innings to account for all of Detroit's offense as the Tigers beat Eric Show
Eric Show
Eric Vaughn Show was a Major League Baseball player who played for most of his career with the San Diego Padres. On September 11, 1985, Show gave up Pete Rose's record-breaking 4,192nd career hit...
to take a three games-to-one lead in the Series. Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
got his second Series victory in another complete-game effort.
Game 5
Sunday, October 14, 1984 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
For the fourth consecutive game, the Padres' starting pitcher did not make it past the third inning, as the Tigers jumped on Mark Thurmond for three runs in the first inning. The Padres rallied to tie the score in the fourth, but the Tigers pulled ahead again with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. After the Padres closed it to a one-run game in the eighth with a rare run off closer Willie Hernández
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
, Kirk Gibson
Kirk Gibson
Kirk Harold Gibson is a former Major League Baseball player and currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. As a player, Gibson was an outfielder who batted and threw left-handed...
came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth for the Tigers with runners on second and third and one out. Gibson had homered earlier in the game, and Padres manager Dick Williams
Dick Williams
Richard Hirschfeld "Dick" Williams was an American left fielder, third baseman, manager, coach and front office consultant in Major League Baseball. Known especially as a hard-driving, sharp-tongued manager from 1967–69 and 1971–88, he led teams to three American League pennants, one National...
strolled to the mound to talk to Goose Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
, seemingly with the purpose of ordering him to walk Gibson intentionally. Just before the at-bat, Gibson made a $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10 bet (flashing ten fingers) with his manager Sparky Anderson that Gossage (who had dominated Gibson in the past) would pitch to him. Gossage talked Williams into letting him pitch to Gibson, and Gibson responded with a three-run blast into the upper deck to clinch the Series for the Tigers. Gibson wound up driving in five runs and scoring three, including the run that gave Detroit the lead for good when he raced home on a pop-up by little-used reserve Rusty Kuntz
Rusty Kuntz
Russell Jay "Rusty" Kuntz is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and outfielder. He is an alumnus of California State University, Stanislaus....
.
In the ninth, Willie Hernández closed out the series for the Tigers by getting Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
to fly to Larry Herndon
Larry Herndon
Larry Darnell Herndon is a former Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , and Detroit Tigers...
in left field for the final out.
While Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell
Alan Stuart Trammell is a retired American baseball shortstop of the Detroit Tigers from to . Trammell, nicknamed "Tram", played his entire career with the Tigers, highlighted by a World Series championship in and an American League East division championship in . Although his arm was not...
won the Sport Magazine variation of the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
won the Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth Award
The Babe Ruth Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player with the best performance in the postseason. The award, created by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America in honor of Babe Ruth, was first awarded in 1949 to the MVP of the World Series, one...
variation.
After being unceremoniously dumped by the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in , Sparky Anderson was hired by the Tigers in June, 1979. He immediately vowed that his team would be in the World Series within five years. Discounting the partial 1979 season, 1984 was exactly the fifth full season with Anderson at the helm. Anderson would become the first manager to win a World Championship in both the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s.
Game 5 had a starting time of 4:30 p.m. ET
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, following a 1:30 p.m. start for Game 4. These were the last outdoor World Series games to start earlier than prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
in the eastern United States (Game 6 in 1987, the last daytime World Series contest, was indoors at the Metrodome in Minneapolis). In addition, no World Series has ended as early as October 14 since 1984; in fact, with the exception of Game 1 of the 1989 World Series (played on October 14, 1989), no World Series game has been played earlier than October 15 since 1984. Format changes—the best-of-five League Championship Series becoming best-of-seven affairs, followed by the addition of wild-card teams and the best-of-five League Division Series—have made that impossible, even when baseball's regular seasons have ended on the last Sunday in September.
Composite box
1984 World Series (4–1): Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(A.L.) over San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
(N.L.)
Aftermath
Three players set World Series hitting records during the 1984 World Series.Less than twenty years after winning the 1984 World Series Most Valuable Player Award, Alan Trammell would become manager of the Detroit Tigers.
The Detroit Tigers would not return to the World Series until , six years after Comerica Park
Comerica Park
Comerica Park is an open-air ballpark located in downtown Detroit, Michigan. It serves as the home of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball's American League, replacing historic Tiger Stadium in 2000....
opened. However Trammell was fired before the season began and was replaced by Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
, who won a World Series ring managing the Florida Marlins
1997 Florida Marlins season
The 1997 Florida Marlins season started off with the team trying to improve on their record from 1996. Their manager was Jim Leyland. They played home games at Pro Player Stadium...
in .
External links
- 1984 NLCS |Game 5 at MLB.com
- 1984 ALCS |Game 3 at MLB.com
- Detroit Jumped All Over 'Em at SI.com
- Baseball's Greatest Teams: 1984 Detroit Tigers at baseballlibrary.com
- 1984 Detroit Tigers: Day-by-Day Summary at baseballlibrary.com
- 1984 San Diego Padres: Day-by-Day Summary at baseballlibrary.com
- Twenty years ago, Padres concocted cohesive crew for run at World Series