Classic MLB 11-PASS Sports: MLB 1992-6/11-Baltimore Orioles @ Detroit Tigers: Full Game

This post was originally posted at The New Democrat on WordPress

I think this Orioles-Tigers games is a classic game, because 1992 was a very important year for both the Orioles and Tigers. The Orioles emerged again as AL East contenders, but the Tigers took a step back, as the Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers emerged in the American League. And even the Cleveland Indians started to finally improve and even to paraphrase Harry Doyle in the movie Major League, the Indians threatened to climb out of the cellar. Meaning last place in the division. So this Tigers series was important for the Orioles, because the Tigers one of the teams that were basically hammering the Orioles at least since the late 1980s. And the Orioles had something to prove here. Were they good enough to beat a traditional contender in the AL East. And they certainly were in 1992.

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Tim Fuerhardt: MLB 1991-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles: Orioles Last Game at Memorial Stadium

Source:Tim Fuerhardt– Tbe last MLB game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium.

Source:The New Democrat 

“Baltimore Orioles October 6, 1991 Sorry For The Bad Quality Video But The Tape Is Over 20 Years Old.”

From Tim Fuerhardt

The story of this Tigers-Orioles game, even though it is a very small part of the Orioles 1991 season with this being their last game at Baltimore Memorial Stadium, but this game pretty much summarized their season. You would think that the Orioles management would’ve put more into trying to make sure that they had a competitive team in 91, considering this was their last season at Memorial. And they tried to do that with the Glen Davis trade, but they were horrible in 91. Very little pitching, at least consistent pitching either starters or in the bullpen. And not a lot of offense in their lineup to go with Cal Ripken.

The Orioles lost this game I believe 8-1 to the Tigers, who had a pretty good lineup that year. But the real story of this game was that it was the end of a great era not just for Orioles baseball with all the success the Oriole had at Memorial, but the end of a great era for Major League Baseball as well. Just too bad that the Orioles, especially for their fans, that after winning their last MLB World Series in 1983, they five of their last eight seasons at Memorial, were losing seasons. Including losing 108 in 88 and two 95 lost seasons in 87 and 91. But the Orioles of the 60s, 70s and 80s were one of the best franchises in MLB and all of that home success came at Memorial.

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ABC Sports: MLB-1985-MNB-Detroit Tigers @ Baltimore Orioles

 

Source: FRS Daily Journal Plus– The Outdoor Insane Asylum- Baltimore Memorial Stadium 

Source: The New Democrat Plus

Interesting matchup between two non-contending AL East teams in 1985. The Detroit Tigers finished in third place, but fifteen games out of first. And the Orioles finished fourth sixteen games out of first. But the AL East was deep in 1985, with four teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Tigers and Orioles all having winning seasons. And the Boston Red Sox were a 500 club that year. So it wasn’t like the Tigers and Orioles had bad years in 85, it was just that the Blue Jays and Yankees were both very good. And had their been a wildcard back then, both the Jays and Yanks would’ve made the AL Playoffs.

The Orioles were in transition in 85 especially as it relates to their pitching with Jim Palmer retiring after the 84 season. They were still good enough to be a winning team, but no longer a serious contender for the AL East. Their pitching wasn’t nearly as good as it was in the early 1980s and 1970s. And became a power hitting team that needed big offensive games to win. The Tigers won the MLB World Series in 1984 and were still good enough to contend in 85. But they slipped back as the Blue Jays and Yankees finished first and second.

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NBC Sports: MLB 1984- Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox: Jack Morris No-Hitter

Source:NBC Sports– Detroit Tigers manager Sparky Anderson.

Source:The New Democrat 

“1984 04 07 NBC GOW Tigers at White Sox Morris no hitter”

From Classic MLB

Floyd Bannister and the Chicago White Sox taking on the Detroit Tigers in April, 1984 in Chicago. During the early and mid 1980s, Bannister was one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball, at least in the American League and then he wore out and became a mediocre pitcher.

Source:NBC Sports– The Detroit Tigers vs the Chicago White Sox, from 1984.

Here’s one example of why Jack Morris should be in the MLB Hall of Fame, because when he was on, he could be very dominant, because he threw hard and then throw in his devastating forkball and he could fool you. One of the last pitchers especially of his era that you wanted to fall behind, because of his forkball and he wouldn’t need to throw strikes to get you out.

The 1984 Detroit Tigers are about as a complete and great baseball team that MLB has had, at least since 1969 when divisional play started. They were very good defensively, had a very good, deep and all around lineup offensively. And had very good pitching, both starting and in the bullpen. And Jack Morris was a big part of that and should get more credit for it.

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NBC Sports: MLB 1985-GOW-6/22-New York Yankees @ Detroit Tigers: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– Phil Neikro and the New York Yankees, taking on the Detroit Tigers in 1985.

“1985 06 15 NBC GOW Tigers at Yankees”

From NBC Sports

1985 is the perfect example of why MLB should’ve went to the three division format in both the American and National League with the playoff wildcards well before 1994.

Because you had four ninety win teams in 1985 and each division champion would’ve had at least ninety wins. The Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, Kansas City Royals in the AL Central, and the Anaheim Angels in the AL West. The New York Yankees as a wildcard team in 85 would’ve have more wins than every division winner except for the Blue Jays.

If you go with two wild cards in each league, the Detroit Tigers would’ve just barely misses the AL Playoffs in 85 with 84 wins, a game behind the Chicago White Sox. 1985 was a great year for MLB and the Yankees and Tigers were both in the playoff race that year. And played each other on NBC which is this game.

You can also see this post at FreeState MD, on WordPress.

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NBC Sports: MLB 1985- NBC GOW- Detroit Tigers @ Chicago White Sox: Full Game

Source:NBC Sports– Detroit Tigers OF Kirk Gibson, perhaps the most talented, all around MLB player in the 1980s. And that’s not a Sparky Anderson promo. It’s simply the truth.

“1985 05 11 NBC GOW Tigers at White Sox”

From Classic MLB

A very good matchup here with both the Tigers and White Sox being in contention for their division titles going into September that season. And with Bob Costas and Tony Kubek calling this game for NBC Sports, you can’t ask for more when it comes to broadcast network sports.

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Tiger Stadium Fan: Tiger Stadium- Tribute to Detroit’s Tiger Stadium

Source:Tiger Stadium Fan– Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame outfielder Al Kaline.

“Tiger Stadium segment from “The Story of America’s Classic Ballparks,” hosted by Jeff Daniels which aired on PBS”

From Tiger Stadium Fan

Detroit Tiger Stadium is one of the best looking big ballparks of all time. As well as being a big ballpark yet a park that had a real ballpark feel rather then feeling like you were watching a baseball game at a football stadium like with all the cookie cutter stadiums that were built in the 1970s and were prominent in the 1980s as well.

But Detroit Tiger Stadium even though it was a big ballpark that seated over 50 thousand for baseball, was a great place to watch baseball , even in the upper deck and even in the upper deck in the outfield, because the upper deck over hanged on the field and the seats were so close to the playing field. Great place for the Tigers to play especially when they were winning because of how close their fans were close to the action.

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