| 1984 World Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 9–14 | |||||||||
| Venue(s) | Jack Murphy Stadium (San Diego) Tiger Stadium (Detroit) | |||||||||
| MVP | Alan Trammell (Detroit) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Doug Harvey (NL),Larry Barnett (AL),Bruce Froemming (NL),Rich Garcia (AL),Paul Runge (NL),Mike Reilly (AL) | |||||||||
| Hall of Famers | Umpires: Doug Harvey Tigers: Sparky Anderson (manager) Jack Morris Alan Trammell Padres: Dick Williams (manager) Goose Gossage Tony Gwynn | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | NBC | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Vin Scully andJoe Garagiola | |||||||||
| Radio | CBS WJR (DET) KFMB (SD) | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jack Buck andBrent Musburger (CBS) Ernie Harwell andPaul Carey (WJR) Jerry Coleman andDave Campbell (KFMB) | |||||||||
| ALCS | Detroit Tigers overKansas City Royals (3–0) | |||||||||
| NLCS | San Diego Padres overChicago Cubs (3–2) | |||||||||
| World Series program | ||||||||||
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The1984 World Series was thechampionship series ofMajor League Baseball's (MLB)1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was abest-of-seven playoff played between theAmerican League (AL) championDetroit Tigers and theNational League (NL) championSan Diego Padres. The Tigers won the series, four games to one. This was thecity of Detroit's first sports championship since the Tigers won the1968 World Series.
This was the first World Series thatPeter Ueberroth presided over ascommissioner. Ueberroth began his tenure on October 1, succeedingBowie Kuhn. Ueberroth had been elected as Kuhn's successor prior to the 1984 season but did not assume the job until the postseason, as he was serving as the chairman of the1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which ran from July 28 through August 12.
This was the last World Series in which thedesignated hitter was used for games played in an NL team's ballpark in the World Series (as in even-numbered years, the DH would be used in all games, which was first instituted in1976) until MLB's adoption of the universal DH in2022. Thenext World Series did not use the DH (as odd-numbered years saw the DH rule not in effect for the World Series). From 1986 until 2021, the DH would only be used in games played at the AL representative's park.[1]
The 1984 Tigers were the last team to win the World Series after sweeping the LCS and with their opponent winning the pennant in a winner-take-all game until theLos Angeles Dodgers did so in2025, and currently remain the only American League team to accomplish this feat.[2]
TheSan Diego Padres won theNational League West division by 12 games over both theAtlanta Braves and theHouston Astros, then defeated theChicago Cubs, three games to two, in theNational League Championship Series. TheDetroit Tigers won theAmerican League East division by 15 games over theToronto Blue Jays, then swept theKansas City Royals, three games to none, in theAmerican League Championship Series.
The World Series was scheduled to start and,if it went beyond five games, end in the National League host park, being an even numbered year. But sinceWrigley Field still did not have permanent lighting in 1984, MLB decided that, if the Cubs were to advance to the World Series, the American League host park would instead have the home field advantage for the series while the Cubs would host the middle three games.[3][4][5][6][7] Those games were scheduled to be played over the weekend of October 12-14, if necessary, such that only one night game, scheduled for the 12th, would be lost.[8]
The 1984 World Series was a rematch between managersSparky Anderson (Detroit) andDick Williams (San Diego). The two had previously faced off in the1972 World Series, with Anderson managing theCincinnati Reds and Williams helming the victoriousOakland Athletics. The 1984 Series was Anderson's fifth overall as a manager—in addition to the 1972 Fall Classic, he had also managed the Reds during the1970 World Series (which they lost to theBaltimore Orioles) and served as skipper during Cincinnati's back-to-back world championships in1975 and1976. Anderson's counterpart, Williams, was managing in his fourth World Series; he had headed theBoston Red Sox during the 1967 "Impossible Dream" season, when they won their first pennant in 21 years in a tight race over theTigers,Minnesota Twins, andChicago White Sox. After his Athletics won the 1972 World Series, Williams again led them to victory in the1973 Series over theNew York Mets.
Prior to 1984, only three managers (Joe McCarthy,Al Dark andYogi Berra) had won pennants in both leagues. Nobody had ever won World Series as a manager in both leagues, thus ensuring that the winning manager of the 1984 Series would be the first to do so.
The 1984 World Series was also a battle of sorts between the multimillion-dollar American fast food chains.Domino's Pizza founderTom Monaghan owned the Tigers whileMcDonald's founderRay Kroc, who died several months before the 1984 World Series, owned the Padres.[9] The series was informally known as the "Fast Food Fall Classic".[9] It would feature the first World Series game atJack Murphy Stadium (Game 1) and the final World Series game atTiger Stadium (Game 5),as well as the last outdoor World Series game to be played entirely in the daytime (Game 4)[citation needed].
This also was the last timeCBC Sports would simulcastNBC's broadcast of the World Series, althoughCBMT continued to flagship asyndicated television network put together by theMontreal Expos which included manyGlobal Television Network affiliates. As a result of changes of broadcast rights in Canada,CTV, which held broadcast rights to theToronto Blue Jays, would simulcast NBC's World Series coverage in 1986 and 1988.
By May 24, 1984, theDetroit Tigers had just won their ninth straight game withJack Morris on the mound winning his ninth game of the season. The Tigers record stood at 35–5, a major league record. In the next three games they would get swept by theSeattle Mariners and settle down to play .500 ball over the next 40 games. But in the end, they would wind up with a franchise record 104 wins and become only the third team in MLB history to lead the league wire-to-wire.
These Tigers were strong up the middle featuring all-stars at each middle position with catcherLance Parrish setting a career high in home runs with 33, the record-setting duo ofLou Whitaker at second base andAlan Trammell at shortstop (they played together from 1977–95) and solid center-fielderChet Lemon. In addition to Morris, the pitching staff was anchored by startersDan Petry andMilt Wilcox, with eventualCy Young Award andMost Valuable Player winner,Willie Hernández (9–3, 1.92 ERA, 32 saves), closing.
The Detroit Tigers signed ageless wonder free-agentDarrell Evans (their first free-agent signing sinceTito Fuentes in1977) prior to the season, and acquired first basemanDave Bergman in a trade with thePhiladelphia Phillies that also brought them the aforementioned Hernández. Bergman would settle in as the Tigers' everyday first baseman providing steady glove-work. And of course there was "Mr. Clutch", right-fielderKirk Gibson, who had a break-out year with 27 home runs, 29 stolen bases, 91 RBIs, and a .282 batting average.
After winning twoWorld Championships with the 1975–76Cincinnati Reds, managerSparky Anderson was primed to win his first in theAmerican League in his fifth full season with theDetroit Tigers. Anderson proved to be somewhat prophetic. He made a bold prediction (in mid-1979, when he joined the Tigers) that his team would be a pennant-winner within five years.[10]
Williams was in his third season with theSan Diego Padres after leading them to identical 81–81 (.500) records in1982 and1983.1984 would mark only the second time in Padre history that the team would finish over .500, the other being an 84–78 record in1978. With the Padres' NL pennant in 1984, Williams became the second manager to take three teams to the World Series (he had previously taken the1967 Red Sox and the1972 and1973 Athletics to the Fall Classic).
The Padres set a franchise record for victories with 92 in 1984, being led by two veterans, first basemanSteve Garvey and third basemanGraig Nettles. Statistically, this team was not overwhelming, with Nettles andKevin McReynolds leading the team with just 20 home runs. (The team eventually would lose McReynolds in Game 4 of the NLCS due to a broken wrist.) No player came close to 100 RBIs (Garvey, 86) or had over 30 doubles in the regular season, althoughTony Gwynn won the first of his eightNational League batting titles by hitting for a .351 average with 213 hits.
The pitching staff was average—a staff of twentysomethings and a 33-year-old closer,Goose Gossage (10–6, 25 SVs), who was signed as a free agent from theNew York Yankees.Eric Show led the staff with 15 wins withEd Whitson and leftyMark Thurmond having identical 14–8 records. But the sterling bullpen, headed by Gossage and Craig "Lefty" Lefferts, held the staff together enough to take this team to the "Big Show" although they would falter and get ripped by the Tiger bats losing the Series in five games.
To get to the Series, the Padres had to overcome a two-games-to-none deficit against the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS, rallying to win the final three games.[11] The 1984 Padres adoptedRay Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters" as their theme song (à la the1979 Pittsburgh Pirates usingSister Sledge's "We Are Family" as their theme song). During theirplayoff series against the Chicago Cubs, the Padre fans turnedGhostbusters intoCubbusters.[12]
ALDetroit Tigers (4) vs. NLSan Diego Padres (1)
| Game | Date | Score | Location | Time | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | October 9 | Detroit Tigers – 3, San Diego Padres – 2 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 3:18 | 57,908[13] |
| 2 | October 10 | Detroit Tigers – 3,San Diego Padres – 5 | Jack Murphy Stadium | 2:44 | 57,911[14] |
| 3 | October 12 | San Diego Padres – 2,Detroit Tigers – 5 | Tiger Stadium | 3:11 | 51,970[15] |
| 4 | October 13 | San Diego Padres – 2,Detroit Tigers – 4 | Tiger Stadium | 2:20 | 52,130[16] |
| 5 | October 14 | San Diego Padres – 4,Detroit Tigers – 8 | Tiger Stadium | 2:55 | 51,901[11] |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jack Morris (1–0) LP:Mark Thurmond (0–1) Home runs: DET:Larry Herndon (1) SD: None | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Tigers struck first in Game 1 whenLou Whitaker doubled to lead off the top of the first and scored onAlan Trammell's single but their starterJack Morris (a 19-game winner during the season) struggled in the bottom half, as he surrendered two-out singles toSteve Garvey andGraig Nettles, followed by a two-run double toTerry Kennedy. Padre starterMark Thurmond took a 2–1 lead into the fifth, but then surrendered a crucial two-out, two-run homer toLarry Herndon. Nettles and Kennedy both singled to open the San Diego sixth, but Morris snuffed out their momentum by striking out the rest of the side.Kurt Bevacqua started what looked to be a comeback with a leadoff double in the seventh, but was thrown out at third while attempting to stretch the hit into a triple. Despite the close call, Morris remained focused and set down the last nine remaining Padre batters for a complete game, 3–2 victory.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 11 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Andy Hawkins (1–0) LP:Dan Petry (0–1) Sv:Craig Lefferts (1) Home runs: DET: None SD:Kurt Bevacqua (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In Game 2,Lou Whitaker,Alan Trammell andKirk Gibson hit consecutive singles to lead off the top of the first and put the Tigers up 1–0. After Gibson stole second, Trammell scored onLance Parrish's sacrifice fly, thenDarrell Evans's RBI single made it 3–0 Tigers. Padre starterEd Whitson was pulled after just2⁄3 innings. In the bottom of the inning, the Padres cut the lead to 3–1 onGraig Nettles's sacrifice fly, then in the fourth,Bobby Brown's RBI groundout made it 3–2 Tigers.Kurt Bevacqua then evened the series at 1–1 with a three-run home run in the fifth-inning offDan Petry. To date, this remains the only World Series victory in Padres history.Andy Hawkins earned the win with5+1⁄3 shutout innings whileCraig Lefferts pitched a three-inning save.
Game 2 atJack Murphy Stadium marked the last MLB playoff game until the introduction of the universal DH in 2022 where theDH was used in aNational League ballpark. Before this, any World Series game in an American League park used the DH (previously, the DH was used in alternating World Series), while pitchers batted in the NL parks. The next time the DH rule was used in a National League park was during a regular season series between theToronto Blue Jays andPhiladelphia Phillies during the 2010 season.[17]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 5 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Milt Wilcox (1–0) LP:Tim Lollar (0–1) Sv:Willie Hernández (1) Home runs: SD: None DET:Marty Castillo (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
By the time the 1984 World Series rolled around, Tiger Stadium (built in 1912) became the oldest ballpark to ever host a World Series game. That record was eclipsed by Boston'sFenway Park (opened April 20, 1912, the same day as Tiger Stadium), which hosted in1986,2004,2007 and2013, and then by Chicago'sWrigley Field (opened in 1914), which hosted the Fall Classic in2016 until being reclaimed by Fenway Park in2018.
Tim Lollar failed to make it out of the second inning as Detroit erupted for four runs.Chet Lemon singled with one out, then with two outs,Marty Castillo's home run made it 2–0 Tigers.Lou Whitaker then walked and scored onAlan Trammell's double. A walk and single loaded the bases beforeGreg Booker relieved Lollar and walkedLarry Herndon to force in another run. The Padres got on the board in the third when back-to-back leadoff singles offMilt Wilcox was followed by an RBI groundout bySteve Garvey, but in the bottom of the inning, Booker walked three to load the bases with two outs.Greg Harris in relief hitKirk Gibson with a pitch to force in the Tigers' last run. The Padres scored their last run in the seventh onGraig Nettles's sacrifice fly with runners on second and third offBill Scherrer.Willie Hernández pitched2+1⁄3 innings of one-hit relief for the save. The 5–2 victory gave the Tigers a two games-to-one series lead.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Jack Morris (2–0) LP:Eric Show (0–1) Home runs: SD:Terry Kennedy (1) DET:Alan Trammell 2 (2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Trammell drilled a pair of two-run homers in the first and third innings to account for all of Detroit's offense as the Tigers beatEric Show to take a three games-to-one lead in the Series.Jack Morris got his second Series victory in another complete-game effort, allowing two runs onTerry Kennedy's home run in the second and a wild pitch in the ninth to Kennedy that scoredSteve Garvey, and five hits.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | X | 8 | 11 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Aurelio López (1–0) LP:Andy Hawkins (1–1) Sv:Willie Hernández (2) Home runs: SD:Kurt Bevacqua (2) DET:Kirk Gibson 2 (2),Lance Parrish (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the fourth consecutive game, the Padres' starting pitcher did not make it past the third inning, as the Tigers jumped on Mark Thurmond for three runs in the first inning.Lou Whitaker singled to lead off, thenKirk Gibson homered an out later, followed by consecutive singles byLance Parrish,Larry Herndon andChet Lemon. The Padres got on the board in the third whenBobby Brown hit a leadoff single offDan Petry, moved to third on two groundouts and scored onSteve Garvey's single. The Padres rallied to tie the score in the fourth when with runners on second and third Brown's sacrifice fly andAlan Wiggins's RBI single scored a run each to knock Petry out of the game, but the Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth offAndy Hawkins whenRusty Kuntz's sacrifice fly put them up 4–3. Parrish's home run in the seventh offRich Gossage made it 5–3 Tigers, but the Padres cut the lead back to one onKurt Bevacqua's home run off closerWillie Hernández.Kirk Gibson came to the plate in the bottom of the eighth for the Tigers with runners on second and third and one out. Gibson had homered earlier in the game, and Padres managerDick Williams strolled to the mound to talk toGoose Gossage, seemingly with the purpose of ordering him to walk Gibson intentionally. Just before the at-bat, Gibson made a US$10 bet (flashing ten fingers) with his manager Sparky Anderson that Gossage (who had dominated Gibson in the past) would pitch to him. Gossage talked Williams into letting him pitch to Gibson, and Gibson responded with a three-run blast into the upper deck to clinch the Series for the Tigers. Gibson wound up driving in five runs and scoring three, including the run that gave Detroit the lead for good when he raced home on a pop-up sacrifice fly by little-used reserveRusty Kuntz.
In the ninth, Willie Hernández closed out the series for the Tigers by gettingTony Gwynn to fly toLarry Herndon in left field for the final out.
WhileAlan Trammell won theSport Magazine variation of theWorld Series Most Valuable Player Award (the official one),Jack Morris won theBabe Ruth Award from the New York City chapter of theBaseball Writers' Association of America.Kirk Gibson had a stellar World Series as well, batting .333 with 6 hits and 7 RBIs, including two homeruns and scoring 4 runs.
After being fired by theCincinnati Reds in 1978, Sparky Anderson was hired by the Tigers in June 1979. Anderson, who had led the Reds to Series victories in1975 and1976, became the first manager to win a World Championship in both theAmerican andNational Leagues.
1984 World Series(4–1):Detroit Tigers (A.L.) overSan Diego Padres (N.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 40 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego Padres | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 44 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total attendance: 271,820 Average attendance: 54,364 Winning player's share: $51,831 Losing player's share: $42,426[18] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three players set or tied World Series hitting records for a five-game World Series during the 1984 World Series.[19] Series MVPAlan Trammell tied a record by with nine total hits, while teammateLou Whitaker tied another record by scoring six runs. The Padres'Carmelo Martinez set a record by striking out nine times. Each of these records still stands, as of 2019[update].
There was some celebratory rioting after Detroit won, resulting in one death and dozens of injuries.[20][21]
Since 1986, the DH has been in the lineup for games in AL cities.
wrigley field 1984 world series lights.
The scene was joyous pandemonium after the game, as long-suffering fans danced in the aisles, hugged total strangers, whooped and sang along as "Cub-Busters" played on the stadium's loudspeakers.
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