Remembering the History Making 1984 Detroit Tigers Via Baseball Cards

At this time 40 years ago, the Detroit Tigers were in the midst of a 35-5 run that remains the best 40-game start in baseball history. That torrid start would set the pace for a 104-58 season, a wire-to-wire division title and a 1984 World Series victory over the San Diego Padres.

Four decades on, it’s not hard to see why this team did so well. It had a roster unusually packed with quality contributors. Only a couple of players wound up in the Hall of Fame, but the ‘84 Tigers just had all of the right pieces, from the players to the coaching staff.

Here’s a look back at ten of them through baseball cards.

Alan Trammell

For a long time after 1984, one defining element for this Tigers’ team was its lack of Hall of Fame players, though a decent case could be made for at least half a dozen men from the roster. And until his 2018 induction, perhaps no omission was so egregious as Trammell, one of the greatest shortstops of all-time.

Trammell showed his value in 1984, leading the Tigers with 6.8 WAR, hitting .314 and being selected to his second American League All Star team.

Trammell shared a 1978 Topps rookie card with fellow future Hall of Famer Paul Molitor but also had a solo card that year–in the 1978 Topps Burger King Tigers set.

Willie Hernández

Somehow, Trammell finished just ninth in voting for American League Most Valuable Player in 1984. Instead, that honor went to his teammate and Tigers closer Willie Hernández, who also scooped up the Cy Young Award.

Hernández earned his hardware by going 9-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 32 saves, though it was something of a unicorn season for him. He entered the year with a lifetime 3.72 ERA, posted a 3.41 ERA from 1985 through his final season of 1989 and, not surprisingly, drew just two votes when he became eligible for the Hall of Fame in the 1995 election.

Accordingly, Hernández’s cards are inexpensive. His 1978 Topps rookie card from his days with the Chicago Cubs can be had for next to nothing. He joined the Tigers after a stint with the Phillies and his first Tigers card is in the ’84 Topps Update set.

Jack Morris

The same year that the then-Modern Baseball Era Committee tapped Trammell for induction, it also voted in Morris, who won 19 games for the ‘84 Tigers.

It is debatable whether Morris was the staff ace of this team. Aside from Hernández, the Tigers also boasted Dan Petry who went 18-8 with a 3.24 ERA. Still, it was more or less a foregone conclusion that the veteran voters would tap Morris for induction after he fell just shy with the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Card-wise, Morris has a fairly affordable rookie card from the 1978 Topps set, appearing on it with Larry Anderson, Tim Jones and Mickey Mahler, and a ’78 Burger King card.

Roger Craig

One of the more unsung members of this era for the Tigers: pitching coach Roger Craig, who taught Morris the split-finger fastball. Craig presided over a pitching staff that punched above its weight in general, with a 3.49 ERA and 113 ERA+ overall.

Because Craig was a pitching coach, there aren’t any cards of him available from 1984. But there are plenty from his later years as manager of the San Francisco Giants and some cost-effective vintage options from his playing days. His rookie card is in the 1956 Topps set as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Lou Whitaker

At some point, momentum might finally start to build for a Hall of Fame case for Sweet Lou, who has to be high on the list of most underrated players in baseball history.

Until then, his memorabilia and cards might stay affordable, such as his 1978 rookie card that he shares with Dave Oliver, Garth Iorg and Sam Perlozzo, which is available from various sellers for $5 to $10 on eBay.

Kirk Gibson

Gibson is immortalized in baseball history for his walkoff home run for the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, though he was one of the ‘84 Tigers’ greatest weapons. His sixth-place finish in American League Most Valuable Player voting is a testament to offensive numbers like his 27 home runs, 91 RBIs and .282/.363/.516 slash line.

Aesthetically, Gibson’s Topps card from 1984 is also appealing, with sharp, contrasting colors and clean framing. The smaller photo showcases his trademark intensity.

A Tigers draft pick who chose baseball over football coming out of Michigan State, his rookie cards appeared in the 1981 sets.

Darrell Evans

It’s as if the ‘84 Tigers had some kind of affinity for loading up on underrated favorites of the sabermetric community. Evans is almost a stock casting character for this group, with good on-base abilities, power hitting and defensive prowess during his career.

His work, as a 37-year-old designated hitter for these Tigers, was far from his best, though he still managed a .353 on-base percentage on a .232 batting average.

Again, like so many members of this team, even marquee cards for Evans can be had inexpensively. His 1970 Topps rookie card is a high number but can still be had in reasonably good shape for under $15.

Lance Parrish

Detroit’s rock-solid backstop had a career-high 33 home runs and made his third consecutive American League All Star team in 1984.

One thing interesting about Parrish’s rookie card: He shares it with Dale Murphy, who also started off as a catcher. The card, which also features Ernie Whitt and Bo Diaz, is surprisingly cheap for its potential. Murphy could eventually be voted into Cooperstown as a veterans candidate, although his true rookie card was issued in 1977. Parrish is a much longer shot for the Hall, but it’s not totally inconceivable that he could eventually get in.

Chet Lemon

Same story as many of the men here: Lemon checks out well in terms of sabermetrics, with 55.7 WAR for his career and a team second-best 6.2 WAR in 1984. But he’s another under-the-radar ballplayer in terms of his historical legacy. His rookie card can be had on eBay for under $2.

Sparky Anderson

Of course, no post about the ‘84 Tigers would be complete without a mention of its iconic manager, who became the first manager in baseball history that year to win a World Series in both leagues.

The good news for anyone collecting cards from this team? Making sure to get its manager will barely cost anything, with Topps cards for Anderson from this year generally available for $1 to $3. If you want something cooler, go back to the dawn of Sparky’s brief big league career and grab his 1959 Topps rookie card.

The Tigers’ historic dominance was honored with a regional card set produced by Topps and distributed through Wendy’s restaurants in Michigan early in the following year. The 22-card set was distributed via three-card packs. The backs are similar to the 1985 Topps cards. Complete sets can be had for around $15-$25 and singles for a few bucks each.