Three-time All-Star aid pitcher Willie Hernández, who received the 1984 AL Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers, has died. He was 69.
Tigers spokesman Chad Crunk mentioned Tuesday that Hernández died in Florida and the crew confirmed Hernández’s loss of life together with his household. No trigger was introduced.
The left-handed Hernández had a 13-year profession however is usually identified for his position because the nearer on probably the most dominant groups prior to now 40 years. The 1984 Tigers, led by Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker and Jack Morris, opened 35-5 and cruised to the AL East title with a 104-58 mark earlier than sweeping Kansas City within the AL Championship Series and beating San Diego in a five-games World Series.
Hernández had a 9-3 file and 32 saves in 33 possibilities in 1984, with a 1.92 ERA over 80 video games and 140 1/3 innings. He is amongst simply 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young and MVP in the identical yr, edging Kansas City’s Dan Quisenberry for Cy Young in 1984 and Minnesota’s Kent Hrbek for MVP.
Hernández would go on to have a wonderful postseason and obtained the ultimate out of the clinching Game 5, coaxing a brief fly ball to left subject from Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, setting off a celebration. The Tigers haven’t received a World Series since.
“Willie Hernández was a great teammate, and I’m terribly sorry to hear the news of his passing,” former Tigers star Alan Trammell mentioned in an announcement. “I will never forget our team’s celebration together on the mound after he recorded the final out of the 1984 World Series. He will always be remembered as a World Series champion. My thoughts and prayers are with this family.”
Guillermo Hernández was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 14, 1954. His ascent to baseball stardom couldn’t have been predicted throughout 6 1/2 stable however unspectacular seasons with the Chicago Cubs that started in 1977. He was traded to Philadelphia in the course of the 1983 season and pitched 4 scoreless innings in that yr’s World Series because the Phillies misplaced to Baltimore.
Detroit acquired Hernández and Dave Bergman from the Phillies for Glenn Wilson and John Wockenfuss a number of weeks earlier than the 1984 season. Hernandez would go on to make three straight All-Star groups from 1984-86.
Hernández completed with a 70-63 file and a 3.38 ERA.
After a decline in efficiency led to fan booing, Hernández poured ice water from a bucket over Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom in March 1988 whereas the reporter was talking with Tigers teammate Frank Tanana. The following month, Hernández requested the crew to have the general public tackle announcer check with him as Guillermo, and Hernández glided by that for the remainder of his profession.
