1983 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Tigers
finished in second place in the American League East
with a record of 92-70 (.568), six games behind the Orioles
. The Tigers outscored their opponents 789 to 679. The Tigers drew 1,829,636 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1983, ranking 8th of the 14 teams in the American League
.
Larry Herndon
Chet Lemon
Aurelio Lopez
Jack Morris
Lance Parrish
Dan Petry
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker
Milt Wilcox
:
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...
finished in second place in 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...
with a record of 92-70 (.568), six games behind the 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...
. The Tigers outscored their opponents 789 to 679. The Tigers drew 1,829,636 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1983, ranking 8th of the 14 teams 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...
.
Offseason
- February 21, 1983: Dave ReveringDave ReveringDavid Alvin Revering , is a former Major League Baseball first baseman from 1978-1982. Revering graduated from Bella Vista High School...
was signed as a free agent by the Tigers. - March 15, 1983: Julio GonzálezJulio González (infielder)Julio César González Hernández is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played all or part of seven seasons in the majors from until . He played about equally at shortstop and second base, with a lesser but still substantial number at third base.-Sources:...
was signed as a free agent by the Tigers. - March 25, 1983: Stine Poole (minors) and cash were traded by Tigers to the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for Sal ButeraSal ButeraSalvatore Philip Butera was a Major League Baseball catcher and is currently a Special Assistant to Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos....
.
Notable transactions
- June 6, 1983: 1983 Major League Baseball Draft1983 Major League Baseball Draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1983 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Other notable players :*Kevin Ward, 6th round...
- Jeff Robinson was drafted by the Tigers in the 3rd round.
- D. J. DozierD. J. DozierWilliam Henry "D.J." Dozier Jr. is a retired American National Football League running back and Major League Baseball outfielder. He played five seasons with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions from 1987 to 1991, and played one season with the MLB's New York Mets in 1992...
was drafted by the Tigers in the 18th round, but did not sign.
- June 30, 1983: Pat UnderwoodPat UnderwoodPatrick John Underwood was a Major League Baseball Pitcher from to .Underwood was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft, as the second pick overall....
was traded by the Tigers to the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe 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....
for Wayne KrenchickiWayne KrenchickiWayne Richard Krenchicki is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors from until . He is currently the manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League...
.
Roster
| 1983 Detroit Tigers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 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... |
155 | 605 | 163 | .269 | 27 | 114 |
| 1B | Enos Cabell Enos Cabell Enos Milton Cabell, Jr. is a former third baseman and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played 15 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, the Houston Astros, the San Francisco Giants, the Detroit Tigers, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cabell is a cousin of center fielder Ken Landreaux.Cabell was... |
121 | 392 | 122 | .311 | 5 | 46 |
| 2B | Lou Whitaker | 161 | 643 | 206 | .320 | 12 | 72 |
| 3B | Tom Brookens Tom Brookens Thomas Dale Brookens is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers , New York Yankees , and Cleveland Indians... |
138 | 332 | 71 | .214 | 6 | 32 |
| SS | 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... |
142 | 505 | 161 | .319 | 14 | 66 |
| CF | 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:... |
145 | 491 | 125 | .255 | 24 | 69 |
| RF | Glenn Wilson Glenn Wilson (baseball) Glenn Dwight Wilson is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He was selected in the 1st round of the 1980 amateur draft by the Detroit Tigers, and made his Major League debut in a Tigers uniform on April 15, 1982... |
144 | 503 | 135 | .268 | 11 | 65 |
| LF | 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... |
153 | 603 | 182 | .302 | 20 | 92 |
| DH | 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... |
128 | 401 | 91 | .227 | 15 | 51 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Wockenfuss John Wockenfuss Johnny Bilton Wockenfuss is a former utility player in Major League Baseball who had a twelve year career from 1974 to 1985.-Playing career:... |
92 | 245 | 66 | .269 | 9 | 44 |
| Rick Leach | 99 | 242 | 60 | .248 | 3 | 26 |
| Johnny Grubb Johnny Grubb John Maywood Grubb, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter, who also occasionally played at first base... |
57 | 134 | 34 | .254 | 4 | 22 |
| Wayne Krenchicki Wayne Krenchicki Wayne Richard Krenchicki is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors from until . He is currently the manager of the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League... |
59 | 133 | 37 | .278 | 1 | 22 |
| Marty Castillo | 67 | 119 | 23 | .193 | 2 | 16 |
| Howard Johnson | 27 | 66 | 14 | .212 | 3 | 5 |
| Julio González Julio González (infielder) Julio César González Hernández is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He played all or part of seven seasons in the majors from until . He played about equally at shortstop and second base, with a lesser but still substantial number at third base.-Sources:... |
12 | 21 | 3 | .143 | 0 | 2 |
| Sal Butera Sal Butera Salvatore Philip Butera was a Major League Baseball catcher and is currently a Special Assistant to Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos.... |
4 | 5 | 1 | .200 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Petry Dan Petry Daniel Joseph Petry is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers , California Angels , Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox .... |
38 | 266.3 | 19 | 11 | 3.92 | 122 |
| 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... |
37 | 293.7 | 20 | 13 | 3.34 | 232 |
| 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... |
26 | 186.0 | 11 | 10 | 3.97 | 101 |
| Juan Berenguer Juan Berenguer Juan Bautista Berenguer was a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and other teams. He had a career record of 67 wins and 62 losses. A mean-looking, husky Panamanian with long hair and a mustache, he was called "Pancho Villa" by his... |
37 | 157.7 | 9 | 5 | 3.14 | 129 |
| Glenn Abbott Glenn Abbott William Glenn Abbott is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During an 11-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , Seattle Mariners , and the Detroit Tigers... |
7 | 46.7 | 2 | 1 | 1.93 | 11 |
Other pitchers
| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Rozema Dave Rozema David Scott Rozema , nicknamed "Rosey", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.-Early years and 1977 rookie season:... |
29 | 105.0 | 8 | 3 | 3.43 | 63 |
| Jerry Ujdur Jerry Ujdur Gerald Raymond Ujdur is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Ujdur pitched in all or part of five seasons from through .... |
11 | 34.0 | 0 | 4 | 7.15 | 13 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games Finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | GF | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurelio Lopez Aurelio López Aurelio Alejandro López was a Mexican relief pitcher. Over the course of an eleven year Major League career , he acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit due to his Mexican heritage and his overpowering fastball, which had been measured as high as 93 mph.-Early career:Born in Tecamachalco,... |
57 | 9 | 8 | 18 | 46 | 2.81 | 90 |
| Howard Bailey Howard Bailey (baseball) Howard L. Bailey is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for three seasons. He was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent in 1978. He played for the Detroit Tigers from 1981 to 1983, playing in 50 career games.-External links:... |
33 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 4.88 | 21 |
| Doug Bair Doug Bair Charles Douglas Bair is a right-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of fifteen seasons in the majors, from until , for seven different teams... |
27 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 3.88 | 39 |
| Dave Gumpert Dave Gumpert David Lawrence Gumpert , was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from - for the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Kansas City Royals.He was born in South Haven, Michigan.... |
26 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 2.64 | 14 |
| Pat Underwood Pat Underwood Patrick John Underwood was a Major League Baseball Pitcher from to .Underwood was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 1st round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft, as the second pick overall.... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8.71 | 2 |
Award winners and league leaders
Kirk GibsonKirk 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...
- #2 in AL in triples (9)
- #10 in AL in Power/Speed Number (14.5)
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...
- #2 in AL in triples (9)
- #8 in AL in hits (182)
- #10 in AL in at bats (603)
- #10 in AL in total bases (288)
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:...
- AL leader in times hit by pitch (20)
Aurelio Lopez
Aurelio López
Aurelio Alejandro López was a Mexican relief pitcher. Over the course of an eleven year Major League career , he acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit due to his Mexican heritage and his overpowering fastball, which had been measured as high as 93 mph.-Early career:Born in Tecamachalco,...
- AL All Star Team, pitcher
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...
- AL leader in strikeouts (232)
- AL leader in innings pitched (293-2/3)
- AL leader in wild pitches (18)
- AL leader in batters faced (1204)
- #2 in AL in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (7.11)
- #2 in AL in games started (37)
- #2 in AL in complete games (20)
- #2 in AL in strikeout to walk ratio (2.80)
- #4 in AL in wins (20)
- #4 in AL in walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) (1.158)
- #4 in AL in hits allowed (257)
- #5 in AL in home runs allowed (30)
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...
- AL Gold Glove AwardGold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, catcher - AL Silver Slugger Award, catcher
- AL All Star Team, catcher
- AL leader in runners caught stealing (54)
- AL leader in sacrifice flies (13)
- Finished 9th in AL MVP voting
- #3 in doubles (42)
- #3 in AL in extra base hits (72)
- #4 in AL in RBIs (114)
- #6 in AL in outs (479)
- #8 in AL in total bases (292)
- #9 in AL in home runs (27)
- #9 in AL in at bats (605)
- #9 in AL in strikeouts (106)
- #9 in AL in times grounded into double plays (21)
Dan Petry
Dan Petry
Daniel Joseph Petry is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers , California Angels , Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox ....
- AL leader in games started (38)
- AL leader in home runs allowed (37)
- #2 in AL in earned runs allowed (116)
- #2 in AL in wild pitches (12)
- #3 in AL in innings pitched (266-1/3)
- #3 in AL in bases on balls allowed (99)
- #3 in AL in batters faced (1115)
- #5 in AL in wins (19)
- #5 in AL in hits allowed (256)
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...
- AL Gold Glove AwardGold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, shortstop - AL leader in sacrifice hits (15)
- Finished 15th in AL MVP voting
- #4 in AL in batting average (.319)
- #5 in AL in Power/Speed Number (19.1)
- #8 in AL in on base percentage (.385)
- #9 in AL in times caught stealing (10)
Lou Whitaker
- AL Gold Glove AwardGold Glove AwardThe Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
, second baseman - AL Silver Slugger Award, second baseman
- AL All Star Team, second baseman
- AL leader in games played at second base (160)
- Tiger of the Year Award, by Detroit baseball writers
- Finished 8th in AL MVP voting
- #2 in AL in plate appearances (720)
- #2 in AL in singles (148)
- #2 in AL in times on base (273)
- #3 in AL in batting average (.320)
- #3 in AL in hits (206)
- #3 in AL in at bats (643)
- #4 in AL in games (161)
- #5 in AL in runs created (114)
- #7 in AL in total bases (294)
- #7 in AL in doubles (40)
- #7 in AL in sacrifice flies (8)
- #9 in AL in times caught stealing (10)
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...
- #4 in AL in wild pitches (10)
Players ranking among top 100 all time at position
The following members of the 1983 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by The Bill James Historical Baseball AbstractThe Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was published in 1985 by Villard Books, followed by The New Bill James...
:
- Lance ParrishLance ParrishLance 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...
: 19th best catcher of all time - Lou Whitaker: 13th best second baseman of all time
- Alan TrammellAlan TrammellAlan 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...
: 9th best shortstop of all time - Kirk GibsonKirk GibsonKirk 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...
: 36th best left fielder of all time