1984 Detroit Tigers

Here are three programs I have from the legendary "Bless You Boys" season. I think I bought all three of them at either Gibraltar Trade Center or a flea market. 

1984 Season Yearbook

      What more can be said about the "Bless You Boys"? 1984 was possibly the greatest season in Detroit Tigers history. Sparky Anderson's crew were simply in a class of their own that season.
     After finishing in second place in 1983 (92-70), many were expecting the Tigers to take the next step and reach the postseason. Detroit signed free agent infielder Darrell Evans to add power and veteran leadership to the young lineup. But what really put the team over the top was a spring training trade with Philadelphia. The Tigers acquired infielder Dave Bergman and reliever Willie Hernandez from the Phillies. Hernandez was named the new closer for 1984, and was lights out all year.
     Detroit jumped out to a 9-1, which included a no-hitter by Jack Morris. Before the rest of the AL East knew what hit them, the Tigers were a stunning 35-5, the best 40-game start in baseball history. Toronto kept it interesting for most of the summer, but the Tigers eventually pulled away, finishing the season at 104-58, a franchise best, and 15 games ahead of Toronto. The team never spent a day out of first place, the first "wire-to-wire" season since the vaunted 1927 Yankees.

1984 ALCS--Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals

     The Tigers cruised into the postseason, their first trip since 1972. Their opponents were the AL West champion Kansas City Royals. The Royals stumbled into the playoffs with an ordinary 84-78 record, just three games ahead of second place California. However, Kansas City was no slouch. Dick Howser's squad included talented pitchers like Bret Saberhagen and Dan Quisenberry, and future Hall of Fame infielder George Brett.
     The Tigers were heavily favored to take the series, and didn't disappoint. They crushed the Royals in the first two games, then returned home to finish them off in Game 3, 1-0. Tiger outfielder Kirk Gibson was named Series MVP.
      It was the first American League pennant for Detroit since 1968. The Tigers then sat back and waited for the NLCS to conclude. San Diego would come back from a 2-0 deficit to clinch their first National League pennant, and would face the Tigers in the 1984 World Series.

1984 World Series--Tigers vs. San Diego Padres

     Strangely, the Tigers would not have home-field advantage in this series. The first two games were scheduled for San Diego and, if necessary, so were Games Six and Seven. Didn't really matter. While San Diego won 92 games this year, most favored the Tigers to win.
     The Padres' starting pitching was beyond atrocious in the Fall Classic. In four out of the five games, Padre starters did not survive past the third inning. The big names on offense mostly disappeared as well. As a unit, the team hit a so-so .263, but star players like Steve Garvey, Tony Gwynn, and Carmelo Martinez had a forgettable series.
     After splitting the first two games in San Diego, the Series shifted to Detroit. The Tigers took control of the series with a 5-2 win, as wild Padres pitching allowed 11 walks. Alan Trammell provided all the offense needed for Game 4, with two two-run homers off starter Eric Show, as the Tigers won 4-2, for a 3-1 series lead.
     In Game 5, the Tigers smacked around starter Mark Thurmond for three runs, chasing him off the mound in the first inning. San Diego didn't give up, and eventually tied the score at 3.
     Detroit was ahead 5-4 in the eighth inning, with two runners on and Kirk Gibson at the plate. Conventional baseball wisdom says to walk Gibson (who was red hot at bat that day) and pitch to Lance Parrish. Reliever Goose Gossage declined, saying he had past success against Gibson and could strike him out. Gossage's first pitch was a ball, then Gibson drilled the second pitch into the upper deck in right field.  
     With the score 8-4 Tigers, the Series was pretty much over. Hernandez closed out the Padres in the ninth, and the Tigers celebrated the franchise's fourth World Series title. It was the first clinched in Detroit since 1935.

Aftermath: The Tigers were favored to repeat in 1985, but the magic was gone after one year. Detroit slumped to third place, behind Toronto and New York, with a disappointing 85-77. The Tigers would not return to the postseason until 1987, when a late season surge helped clinch the AL East title. They would be quickly pushed aside by the eventual World Champion Minnesota Twins in five games (best of seven). The Tigers franchise would go into steep decline after that season, and would not return to the playoffs until 2006.

 

Flint Baseball: Arrows (Central League, 1951)

Another Central League rarity, this one from the 1951 Flint Arrows. I found this on eBay shortly after buying the Flint Indians scorecard. This is the only Arrows anything I have seen online so far.

1951 Regular Season--Arrows vs. Charleston Senators

     The Flint Arrows were the ninth minor-pro baseball team to call Flint home. They were charter members of the revived Central League, a Class A loop that featured teams in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The Arrows played their home games at Atwood Stadium, previously home to the Flint Indians. 

     The Arrows, like the Indians, were a farm team for a major league team for most of their existence. Flint was able to land the coveted affiliation with the Detroit Tigers. Buick City fans were now able to see future Tigers players begin their pro careers right in their backyard. The Tigers, in turn, named Jack Tighe as the first manager of the new Arrows.  

Page 6, featuring the home schedule

     Tighe's bunch won the regular season title in their first season. The Arrows were led by the excellent hitting of

George Lerchen (.337) and strong pitching of Alex Nedelco (16-7). However, Flint was bounced from the playoffs in the first round by Fort Wayne.

     In 1949, the Arrows fell to second place, and again were knocked off in the first round, this time by the Grand Rapids Jets. Flint featured catcher Frank House, one of the Tigers' "bonus babies", who was a big draw for Flint and other CL franchises that summer. Pitcher Ernie Funk, despite a 12-10 record, had a sparkling 2.13 ERA.

     Tighe was replaced by Gene Desautels for the 1950 season, and his first Arrows squad was the finest in the franchise's history. Flint rolled to an 80-53 record, 8 games ahead of second-place Muskegon. In the playoffs, the Arrows zipped by both Grand Rapids and Muskegon to claim the Central League championship for the first time.

Page 7, featuring the 1951 Arrows Roster

     The bubble burst for the Arrows after the 1950 season. Desautels left and the Tigers had pulled the plug on their relationship with Flint. As a result, the Arrows were now forced to operate as an independent club. With no major league team sending down prospects, new Arrows manager Steve Bysco struggled to field a competitive lineup in 1951.

     Flint plummeted to the CL cellar, just a year after winning it all. Their woeful 38-98 record was a massive 48.5 games behind league champion Dayton. Team batting average was a dismal .247, though Joe Scalise did

bat .331 with 12 home runs. No pitcher on the roster had a .500 record, and five pitchers had over 10 losses. Mel Held had the best numbers, going 11-15 with a 4.09 ERA.

     Attendance collapsed at an alarming rate in 1951. A pathetic 25,900 fans bothered to show up for Arrows games that year, which is an average of 370 fans per game!

     While the awful on-field product did not help the gate numbers, attendance was a problem throughout the Central League and many other minor leagues. Televised baseball games were really starting to catch on, and more and more fans decided to stay home and watch the "Game of the Week" instead of head to the ballpark and watch the local team. The Central League was so far in debt by 1951 that it simply cancelled the postseason and folded. Professional baseball would never again return to the Buick City. Atwood Stadium still exists, but replaced the natural grass field with Astro-Turf in 1969 and is used almost exclusively for high school football.

     Again, another one of my favorite programs. The fact that it was from 1951 makes it even more special. This was the last professional baseball club to play in Flint. And judging by the shape that city is in now, it likely will always be the last one. But look at that attendance number in '51, that's what really makes this program rare.

Back Cover, featuring dimensions and ground rules

     The back cover is one of my favorites of this program. On this page, it gives the dimensions and ground rules for Atwood Stadium as a baseball field. Atwood, shown here, is a C shaped stadium, much more suited for football. Home plate was in one of the corners (not sure which one).      

     As you can see by the numbers, right field was a pretty short distance from home plate. Center field, however, was a different story. Tiger Stadium was famous for it's 420-foot center field. Atwood Stadium had it beat, with a mammoth 450 feet to dead center. It would take a huge swing in any era to homer to dead center in this ballpark.

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. pages 52-53. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.

Atwood Stadium pictures. Eric and Wendy Pastore, Digital Ballparks.com.

Flint Arrows Statistics: 1951 (from Baseball-Reference.com)

Muskegon Baseball: Anglers (1923-24, Michigan Ontario League)

These two scorecards are the oldest programs in my collection. I stumbled upon them on eBay a few years ago. Didn't pay much for them either, and they're in excellent condition, considering they're 90 years old.

Regular Season--Anglers vs. Grand Rapids

     The Anglers were the eighth team to call Muskegon home since the 19th Century. They were part of the Michigan-Ontario League, an eight-team loop that had member teams with some of the most creative nicknames in baseball. Just look at them:

Muskegon--Anglers

Flint--Vehicles

Bay City--Wolves

Kalamazoo--Celery Pickers/Kazoos

Grand Rapids--Billbobs/Homoners

Hamilton--Tigers/Clippers

London--Tecumsehs

     In 1923, the Anglers would finish the season with a strong 73-57 record. Their record would put them in third place, as the Bay City Wolves captured the league championship with an 80-51 mark.

Regular Season--Anglers vs. Kalamazoo

     In 1924, the Anglers would slide all the way to seventh place. Their 58-79 record was a distant 28.5 games back of Bay City, who went on to win the league title over Flint. Despite the poor showing, a highlight of the season was a 6-1 victory over Grand Rapids, with MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis among the sellout crowd.

     That was one of the few large crowds of the year, as a dismal on-field product led to low attendance numbers, which eventually forced the Anglers to fold after the 1924 season.

     Even though the team struggled, the Anglers did send several players to the majors. A highlight of the season was Bud Clancy's 40-game hitting streak, which helped propel him to the majors at the end of the season. Several other Anglers went on to the show, including Tony Welzer, Buck Crouse, Verdo Elmore and George Loepp.

     Again, these programs are in great shape for their age. Score was neatly kept in both in pencil. The program on the right has a neat way to separate the two teams' scorecards. Instead of having them on separate pages, they're simply printed on small cards with the rosters on opposite sides. I like the Buick ad on the front of the first program. To stir up sales with baseball fans, the local Buick dealer listed the names of major leaguers that drove Buicks, including Connie Mack and Tris Speaker. If it's good enough for Hall of Famers, it's good enough for you!

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. pages 137-38. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.

    

Saginaw Baseball: Bears/Jack Rabbits (Central League, 1948-51)

Here's a scorecard from the long-lost Central League: the 1950 Saginaw Bears. Found this one on eBay a year or so ago, didn't cost too much either.

1950 Regular Season--Bears vs. Muskegon Reds

     The Saginaw Bears were Saginaw's sixteenth and (as of now) final minor-pro baseball franchise. They were part of the Class A Central League, which was revived for the seventh time in 1948. The Bears were owned by James "Ike" Bearinger, the same man who owned the Saginaw Athletics/White Sox franchise. The team played it's home games in Saginaw Stadium (later called Veterans Memorial Stadium), which was just off of M46.

     Unlike the majority of teams in the Central League, the Bears operated without a major league affiliate during their four-year existence. Without a parent club sending down talent, the Bears struggled to compete and were mostly a bottom-feeder in the CL.

     In their inaugural season, the Bears just barely stayed out of the league cellar, going a dismal 55-85. Manager Bob Finley's crew did have some talent. Saginaw native Bob Buhl debuted with the '48 Bears, winning 11 games just out of high school. He would later carve out a solid 15-year career in the majors with the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies.

Page 3, featuring lineup for Muskegon Reds

     Finley was back for another season as Bears manager, but the team continued it's losing ways, finishing in last place in the league. Ron Bowen led the team in batting (.292) and Oscar Khederian was tops in home runs (12), but only one pitcher had a winning record (Duane Gotschall, 7-6).

Page 4, featuring lineup for Saginaw Bears

     In 1950, Finley was replaced by former White Sox manager Hank Camelli, but the losing continued. The independent Bears would bring up the rear in the Central League, going a pathetic 56-81. James Wallace had an excellent season on the mound, going 11-4, but the rest of the pitching staff struggled, with ERAs over 4.00. Joe Massaro led the team in batting with a .298 average, and as a group, the Bears hit .250.

     A losing team year after year and poor weather caused a severe drop in attendance, forcing Bearinger to sell the franchise. In June, Bearinger sold controlling interest in the Bears franchise to a group of local businessmen led by R. Lee Gilbert. In the offseason, the new owners would rename the franchise "Saginaw Jack Rabbits". Camelli was replaced by Bert Niehoff as manager for the upcoming season.

      

Page 2, featuring Front Office Listing

The 1951 Jack Rabbits finally emerged from the Central League basement, going an excellent 79-58, just 8 games behind league-leading Dayton. As a group, the Rabbits batted .276, with Ed Bachmann leading the way at .317. Teammate Ettore Giammarco blasted 21 homers to pace the Rabbits attack. The pitching staff was led by Ed Albosta, who won 19 games. Two others won over ten games (Walter Wenciewicz and Warren Martin).

Aftermath: By the early 1950s, the increasing popularity of televised baseball was wreaking havoc on the minor leagues. Fans, preferring to stay home and watch the "Game of the Week" on TV, stayed away in droves, forcing many leagues the fold. The Central League collapsed in 1951, cancelling the playoffs and declaring bankruptcy. Professional baseball would not return to the Tri-Cities until 2007, when the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League arrived.

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. pgs. 164-65. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.

Saginaw Group Buys Up Bears. Ludington Daily News, June 22, 1950. (From Google News Archive)

Saginaw Bears Statistics: 1949, 1950

Saginaw Jack Rabbits Statistics: 1951

Saginaw Baseball: White Sox (Michigan State League, 1941)

Here's another one from the short-lived Michigan State League: The Saginaw White Sox. Again, you don't really expect to find 72-year old scorecards from any minor league teams. Had to have it when I saw it online.

1941 Regular Season--White Sox vs. Flint Indians

     Much like nearby Flint, Saginaw had a long tradition of minor-professional baseball. Saginaw was home to sixteen baseball clubs from 1883-1951, several of which were of the one-and-done variety. The fifteenth edition of Saginaw Pro Baseball was born in 1940 with the revival of the Michigan State League (MSL).

     Saginaw's entry in the MSL was originally called the Saginaw Athletics, a farm club of the Philadelphia (now Oakland) Athletics. The Athletics played their home games at Fairgrounds Park, at the corner of Webber and Dixie Highway. 

     The 1940 Athletics were owned by James Bearinger, who installed Tex Avery as manager. Avery didn't last long, replaced by Hank Camelli. Led by strong starting pitching, the A's finished 53-48, 10-1/2 games behind league-leading Flint. In the playoffs, the Athletics upended the Grand Rapids Colts to advance to the MSL Championship Series against the St. Joseph Autos, who upset Flint. However, constant rainfall caused the postponement, and eventual cancellation of, that series.

Pages 3-4, featuring Saginaw's lineup (ads are not cut off on scorecard, it simply didn't fit my scanner)

Pages 5-6, featuring Flint's lineup (The ads aren't cut off, the scorecard didn't fit the scanner)

     In 1941, Saginaw switched parent clubs, as they now aligned themselves with the Chicago White Sox. Fittingly, Saginaw adopted the parent club's nickname. Camelli departed and was replaced by Bill Prince, who was fired midseason in favor of Whitey McMullen. Saginaw fans would not get a repeat performance of 1940's success, as the Sox fell to fifth place (out of six). Their dismal 51-62 record was a distant 21.5 games behind league-winning Flint. Flint was so strong in '41 that they made the postseason unnecessary--they won both halves of the regular season!
     This scorecard is about six pages and about 9-1/2 inches long by 6-3/4 inches wide. It's in remarkable shape, given it's age. There's a crease on the front and back covers and the original owner kept score neatly. Numerous ads, including one for Farmer Peet's and Coca-Cola. Again, never expected to find anything from one of these teams.

Back Cover, a sign of things to come...

   Aftermath: Despite the poor second season, fan support seemed to be strong enough to warrant the team's return in 1942. However, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, pulling the United States into World War II. Wartime travel restrictions and a lack of available ballplayers forced the Saginaw White Sox, and the rest of the Michigan State League, to go out of business, never to return. But like Flint, Saginaw would eventually return to baseball after hostilities ceased.

Sources:

 Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. Pages 163 and 167. Thunder Bay Press,  1997.

Rain Continues to Plague Series. Ludington Daily News, September 11, 1940. (from Google News Archive)

Flint Baseball: Indians (Michigan State League, 1941)

This is the first minor league baseball program/scorecard I bought. I knew Flint had baseball teams for decades, but didn't think any programs existed. I actually have two scorecards from this particular franchise. Paid more than I usually do for the first one, but the second one wasn't that bad.

1941 Regular Season--Indians vs. Muskegon Reds

      Long before Flint became a minor league hockey town, it had a long tradition of minor pro baseball, dating all the way back to 1889. The eighth franchise in the Vehicle City's history arrived in 1940, with the revival of the Class C Michigan State League (MSL). The MSL had six teams, all in Michigan, including the Flint Gems. The Gems were a farm team of the Cleveland Indians and played their home games at Atwood Stadium. Atwood Stadium now exists, but replaced it's natural playing field with artificial turf in the early 1970s and is now primarily a football stadium.
     In their inaugural season, the Gems were the class of the MSL, going 67-41 and finishing in first place. However, in the playoffs, they were upset by the St. Joseph Autos. The Autos were supposed to face the Saginaw Athletics for the MSL Championship, but inclement weather forced the postponement, and eventual cancellation of, the series. 

Page 3, featuring the home schedule

     In 1941, the Gems would rename themselves the Flint Indians, a nod to their parent club. The MSL split
their regular season into halves. The teams that finished in first place in each half would meet to decide the league title.

     However, the Indians would make the playoffs unnecessary. A loaded lineup led by manager Jack Knight dominated the MSL all season. Flint finished in first place in both halves of the season, with a combined record of 70-38. The Indians finished 9-1/2 games ahead of St. Joseph at season's end, capturing the league championship.

     The Indians were, by all accounts, a very strong team. They even knocked off the defending American League champion Detroit Tigers, 5-1, in an exhibition game at Atwood Stadium. 

     The Gems/Indians franchise sent several players to the big leagues. Right-hander Steve Gromek pitched two years for the franchise, then had a 17-year career in both Cleveland and Detroit. In 1941, Gromek had a sparkling 14-2 record to lead the staff. Outfielder Gene Woodling hit an excellent .394 in 1941, then went on to a solid 19-year career in the majors. Other notable Gems/Indians include Cliff Mapes and Red Embree.

     There are plenty of advertisements inside this scorecard, which had eight pages. Some of the businesses

Page 7, featuring a list of MSL Teams

still exist, many are long gone. Coca-Cola has a nice ad on page 3, and I've heard of Vogt Flowers. I believe WFDF 910 AM is still around, but not sure if it's still based out of Flint. Again, I couldn't believe I found one of these scorecards, let alone two. Seeing that they are 72 years old, I didn't think any existed anymore. The second one is in even better shape than the first one I bought.

Back cover of the scorecard

     Aftermath: The Flint Indians were well on their way to building a Michigan State League dynasty. However, on December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire bombed Pearl Harbor, drawing the United States into World War II. Travel restrictions and a lack of players available forced the MSL to fold, never to return. However, Flint had not seen the last of professional baseball.

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns in Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. Pg. 51. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.

Gene Woodling Wikipedia Page: 

Flint Indians Trounce Tigers in Special Game. Ludington Daily News, August 9, 1941 (from Google News Archive).

Baseball Programs Blog Launched!

     I've enjoyed posting on my Hockey Programs blog, so I'm going to start one for baseball. I have a bunch of Tigers programs, as well as some very rare scorecards from around Michigan. You'll see scorecards from Flint, Saginaw and Muskegon's baseball past as well. Some of them date back as far as 1923! They deserve to be displayed, so let's get this going!

     I'll use the same format as the Hockey Programs blog, an image (or two) of the program, a review of that season, the top players and the fate of that team. Pretty straight-forward format.