Gage - The big 50 Detroit Tigers: the men and moments that made the Detroit Tigers

To Sarge and Bear, who sleptand sometimes barkedwhile I wrote

Contents

Foreword by Alan Trammell

After an exhibition game the Tigers had just played at Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, Tom Gage, a baseball writer Ive known for 30 yearsmaybe morementioned he was writing a book about the Tigers, so we started talking about the chapters that were going to be included.

One, he said, was going to be about Al Kaline, a man I respect so much, someone who long ago became my friend. Another chapter was going to be about the home run Kirk Gibson hit off Goose Gossage in the 1984 World Series. Watching Gibbys home run at Tiger Stadium was one of the great thrills of my career.

I loved the sound of the book. I loved the history it was going to cover. The more we talked about the Tigers that day in Lakeland, the more I was reminded about the long and really fascinating story of the team for which I played 20 years.

I played next to Lou Whitaker for 19 of those years. Tom said there would be a chapter about Lou. We broke in together, Lou and I. He got three hits in his first game; I got two. We had won the Double A championship on a Wednesday night and then flew up to Detroit the next morning. We went up to the front office together, signed our contracts together but then didnt play in the game that day. After that we flew to Boston for a Friday doubleheader and we started the second game. Then our manager Ralph Houk told us we were going to start The Game of the Week on national television the next day. What a way it was for our careers in the majors to start.

I played 17 seasons for Sparky Anderson, a man who I owe so much to because of how much I learned from him. I was told there would be a chapter about Sparky, too, and there is.

Now that Ive been a coach and a manager, as well as a player, I better appreciate everything he went through.

Im glad to see theres a chapter on Ernie Harwell because his kindness was so genuine.

Frank Tananas wonderful game against the Toronto Blue Jays in 1987, Jack Morris no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox in 1984, Dave Bergmans memorable at-bat against Roy Lee Jacksonthey are all part of this book.

Its great to see that Willie Hernandez is also included because he was the last piece of our puzzle in 1984. What control he had, and to pitch multiple innings as a closer? You just dont see that anymore.

I was part of those stories because that was my era. They were part of me. Theyre still part of me. You dont play for as long as I did for the Tigers without realizing just how great a history the team has. And because I played at Tiger Stadium, I played in the ballpark where so many generations of great players were the Tigers of their day. That old dugout I sat in when I played, and had to duck not to hit my head, was the same dugout where Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, among many others, sat before me.

Im very happy I played in the era of baseball in which I did. I wouldnt change that for anything. But to me, baseball is interesting to talk about, read about, and learn about in all its eras. Ive always felt Ive been sort of a student of baseball. So when Tom asked me if Id be interested in writing the foreword for his book, I said I would be, in part because Im eager to learn more Tigers history from it.

But its also because I knew Tom would treat that history the right way. I was pleased to be askedand am honored to help. Tom covered many of the moments and many of the players youre going to be reading about, including me. Much of what you will read took place during my career. Some of it occurred after I played, and a lot of it occurred before. I hope you have as much fun exploring these pages as I did.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

1. Kirk Gibsons Game 5 Home Run

In the colorfully long history of the Detroit Tigerswith its great players and defining momentsthere have never been words more memorable than: He dont want to walk you.

That, of course, is what Sparky Anderson repeatedly shouted to Kirk Gibson as Gibson waited to see if Goose Gossage would pitch to him with first base open during the 1984 World Series.

The footage of the video seems grainy now because it no longer happened yesterday. But almost as if it did, theres Sparkyas he was that October daywatching from the Tigers dugout while his San Diego counterpart, Dick Williams, saunters to the mound to speak with Gossage. Its Game 5 at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers are looking like the better teamas they would prove to be. But theyve not yet put away the pesky Padres. Gibson is at the plate in the eighth inning; two runners are on. It is center-stage time. But he embraces it. With the Tigers up by two games and leading by a run, the city is poised to celebrate.

In the first inning, Gibson had hit his first home run of the series off left-hander Mark Thurmond. Through the first four games, it hadnt been an impactful World Series for himjust a few contributions here and there. He singled in a run in the first inning of Game 2, which the Tigers lost. In Game 3 he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, giving the Tigers a four-run lead in the third inning en route to a 52 victory.

But he had not done anything in the way of late thunder. Then again, no one had. Through the first four games, thered been only two runs scored after the fifth inningboth by the Padres. Neither had come close to deciding an outcome. But the buildup would merely be an appetizer to the entre of one showdown, one decision, and to the immortality of Sparkys words to Gibson: He dont want to walk you.

The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning of Game 5, two of them on Gibsons home run. It took three singles, along with Lance Parrishs steal of second, to add a third run, which was enough to knock Thurmond out of the game after just one out. By the fourth inning, though, the Tigers lead was gone. So was their starter, Dan Petry.

And when Alan Trammell flied out to center to leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, the Padres were clearly encouraged by the problems they were causing. We thought they were going to roll over, Gibson said, but they came back.

Then came a huge play, the most important of the series so fara pop-up to shallow right. With the game tied, the bases loaded, and one out in the fifth, Rusty Kuntz was called upon to pinch-hit for Johnny Grubb. It was a lefty-righty percentage move, but it surprised the kindly Kuntz all the same.

I was down at the end of the bench, cheering on the boys and thinking, Theres no way Im ever getting into this game , he said years later to The Kansas City Star . Thank God, I didnt say it out loud, but I remember thinking to myself, when my name was called, why?

A .286 hitter in 140 at-bats for the Tigers during the regular season, Kuntz had struck out as a pinch-hitter in Game 2 against the same pitcher he was about to face, lefty Craig Lefferts.

Making contact, though, was essential this time. Knowing he couldnt afford to strike out, Kuntz went up to the plate dead set on swinging at a first-pitch fastball. And what did I get? he said. A change-up. I barely made contact.

But, such as it was, he did, lofting a sickly little pop-up to no mans land between second and right. I always kid him about it being a deep fly ball, Gibson said. Kuntz still thinks of it as a dying quail.