I Love the 80s - 1982 Detroit Tigers

This is a series of posts on a 1980's Frankenset. Each page features a different team, with 9 of my personal favorite cards from that year's team. You might find players repeated, you'll definitely see brands repeated, but hopefully you'll agree that there are some interesting selections from the 1980s!

When Reds legend Sparky Anderson came to the Tigers as Manager in 1979, he made a prediction that the team would win a World Series in 5 years. He nearly exceeded the goal of that prognostication in 1981, as the team remained in postseason contention until the final weekend. They needed to take 2 of 3 from the Milwaukee Brewers, but fell short despite a great pitching performance in the 2nd game from staff ace Jack Morris. They would ultimately finish in 3rd place in the AL East for the season. Their overall record of 60-49 saw the team just barely outscore their opponents, and rely on a young nucleus of talent on offense and on the mound.

  

1982 was a step backwards. An injury to Kirk Gibson derailed what would have been his first full season after his 1980 call up and the strike shortened 81 campaign. The young Tigers had another year to develop under Sparky's tutelage, finishing in 4th place with an 83-79 record. With the bulk of the lineup now entering the prime years of their careers, the future would be bright. A warm up to a rivalry began in 1982 as well between the Tigers and the Twins -- a pair of brawls during a May game would provide fuel for both teams. Rookie Kent Hrbek of the Twins would see his 22 game hitting streak end, but it was rookie catcher Tim Laudner who would be tasked with trying to keep up with Tigers speedster Chet Lemon as Lemon charged the mound following a brushback pitch from Twins' hurler Pete Redfern. Lemon would beat Laudner to the mound handily, though Laudner was able to stem the tide a bit by gathering Lemon up with a bear hug. Tigers catcher Lance Parrish muscled up and pulled Laudner away in a rare moment of positional fraternity before the brawl could engulf him. Kirk Gibson and Twins infielder Jesus Vega had a notable exchange at the fringes of the pile, with Gibson later getting his revenge at the plate with a go ahead 2 run homer that proved to be the decisive blow. The most notable casualty of the 2nd pile-up was the winning pitcher on the day, the Tigers' Dave Rozema. He was well clear of any punches thrown, but slipped on the grass and injured ligaments in his knee attempting to join the fracas. The Tigers were building a brand of toughness and aggressive baseball that would serve them well throughout the 1980s.

The Cards:

Fleer #262 Champ Summers - The 35 year old Summers was the regular DH for the Tigers in 1981. He debuted as a 28 year old rookie for the Oakland A's in 1974 but didn't get his first taste of the post season until a decade later with the Padres in the 1984 NLCS and the World Series against these same Tigers. He was a late bloomer, having signed his first pro contract at the age of 25 for $500. He served in Vietnam before attending college to play basketball. He was "discovered" playing softball by baseball scouts after being kicked off the basketball team for fighting a teammate. Summers came to Detroit in 1979 in a mid season deal for a player to be named later. He followed Sparky Anderson from Cincinnati, having filled a utility role for the Reds in 1977 and 78. Summers final big league game was his lone appearance in the 1984 World Series. His time with the Tigers was the most productive of his career- 40 of his 54 career homers came for Detroit. 

Donruss #107 Jack Morris - "The winningest pitcher of the 1980s" was already well established as the Tigers' #1 starter by 1981, his age 26 season. Morris led the AL in victories in 1981, with 14. He was the American League starter in the All-Star Game, and was certainly the Tigers most valuable arm. Morris would win at least 15 games every season from 1982 until 1989, and was 3-0 for the Tigers in the 1984 post season, including 2 complete game wins in the World Series. Morris would become known for big game heroics, include a 10 inning complete game shutout in the 7th game of the 1991 World Series. The legend of that game, along with three 20 win seasons, five all-star games, and 254 career wins punched his ticket to Cooperstown, with an election by the veteran's committee in 2018. 

Fleer #284 Lou Whitaker - The 1978 AL Rookie of the Year, Whitaker was a star player and key contributor to the Tigers success throughout the 1980s. Whitaker was an All-Star, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove winner for the 1983, 84, and 85 seasons. He was named to five all-star teams and had four Silver Sluggers overall to go with his three Gold Gloves. Whitaker was a mainstay at the top of the lineup for the Tigers for 19 seasons, during which he accumulated over 75 wins above replacement. Whitaker is still waiting for his call to the Hall of Fame to join his teammates Morris and Alan Trammell.

Fleer #275 Kevin Saucier - The Tigers' closer in 1981, Saucier was another young phenom in the mold of Morris and Dan Petry for the Tigers. He posted a sparkling 1.65 ERA with 13 saves over 38 appearances in '81. The following season saw his fortunes change, as is often the case for bullpen arms. He would relinquish the closer role to a committee of relievers, but saved five games of his own. Saucier's career as an MLB pitcher ended due o a shoulder injury following the 1982 season, missing out on the magical 1984 Tigers run. Fortunately, "Hot Sauce" had already tasted victory as a member of the 1980 Phillies team. His nickname was due to his antics on the mound. The nickname could cause some confusion, however, as his name is pronounced "So-Shay" instead of "saucy-er."

Topps Traded #62T Chet Lemon - Lemon would prove to be one of best acquisitions of the 1982 season, coming over to Detroit after seven seasons on the south side of Chicago. In a swap of 26 year old outfielders, the Tigers gave up slugger Steve Kemp for the on base machine Lemon. Little did they know that Lemon was just getting started and Kemp was near the end of his productive time as a big leaguer. Lemon combined a patient approach with the approach of a patient- he led the AL in hit by pitch 4 times. He finished in the top-ten in OBP three times, and began slugging in earnest for the Tigers in the 80s, averaging over 30 doubles and nearly 20 homers a year. He contributed five hits and stole a pair of bases in the 1984 World Series as well. His career OPS+ of 121  ranks favorably among his peers. 

Topps #475 Alan Trammell - The other half of the Tigers' double play combo with Lou Whitaker, Trammell displayed unexpected power from the Short Stop position while remaining a defensive asset. While not a home run hitter, Trammell was a doubles machine, and hit for average with five top-ten seasons in his career. He was the MVP of the 1984 World Series, hitting a pair of homers and posting a .450 average. He will forever be connected to Lou Whitaker, who debuted with Trammell on the same day in 1978. They got their first major league hits off the same pitcher, and Lou was on base for both of his World Series homers. The pair set a record for games played as teammates, and Trammell ranks 1st in Defensive WAR just ahead of Whitaker in franchise history. When Trammell retired, he ranked ahead of all short stops then in the Hall of Fame in fielding pct and home runs. By the time he was eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot, Robin Yount had been elected and Ozzie Smith was a sure fire first ballot entry as well. While on the ballot, Trammell was joined by greats like Barry Larkin and Cal Ripken Jr. Trammell was not elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers - as the short stop position had been re-invented by sluggers like Alex Rodriguez and Miguel Tejada among others. Trammell's turn came in 2018 with Jack Morris as part of the the veteran's committee.

Fleer #276 George Cappuzzello - Appearing in just 35 MLB games, Cappuzzello left an impression on at least one reammate, who he inspired to commit a little light arson. In his second and final big league season, Cappuzello inherited a bases loaded jam in the 10th inning of a tie game from Frank LaCorte. Cappuzzello was not able to escape without allowing all three runners to score, and LaCorte, who was winless on the season, decided to trash the locker room, pull off his jersey, and light it on fire. Cappuzzello was a serviceable reliever for both the Tigers in 81 and the Astros in 82, going 1-2 with a 3.23 ERA over 53 innings pitched. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in 1972, making a long journey to the big leagues. 

Topps #629 Johnny Wockenfuss - For a couple great posts on Johnny Wockenfuss, I point you to Night Owl's blog and his great conversation with Johnny about his cards and life. The second post was a follow up "Brush with Greatness." Wockenfuss was a swiss army knife for the Tigers, playing primarily as a catcher in his early career, then moving all along the foul lines to play both corner infield and corner outfield positions as well as DH. He was traded just before the 1984 season, missing out on the Tigers World Series win, but was a cornerstone of the team's development into a champion.

Topps #105 Kirk Gibson - The first Tiger to hit 20+ homers and steal 20+ bases in a season, Gibson was a phenomenal prospect when he came to the team as a 22 year old in 1979. Gibson would go on to glory with Tigers in 1984 and the Dodgers in 1988 as a World Series hero. The 1988 NL MVP is probably best remembered for his hobbled jaunt around the bases in game 1 of the 88 World Series, but he was a deceptively fast runner and talented base stealer throughout his career. He fell just 1 homer short of the 30/30 club in 1985 with the Tigers, and over the course of his career stole 284 bases and hit 255 homers. He was the ALCS MVP in 1984, hitting .417 in three games. He is also one of just 5 MVPs to later be named manager of the year, winning in 2011 as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sparky Anderson called Gibson the "next Mickey Mantle" - unfortunately the early talent and promise was just one of the ways their careers were similar. Like Mantle, Gibson's career was sidelined by a rash of injuries that sapped his speed and productivity. In Gibson's case the injuries were even more frequent. keeping him off the field in his prime years of production. When he was on the field, he was brilliant.

What is your favorite card of a Detroit Tiger from 1982? Doesn't have to be one of these...

Thanks for reading!