Three-time All-Star reduction pitcher Willie Hernández, who received the 1984 AL Cy Younger and Most Useful Participant awards for the World Collection champion Detroit Tigers, has died. He was 69.
Tigers spokesman Chad Crunk stated Tuesday that Hernández died in Florida and the group confirmed Hernández’s demise along with his household. No trigger was introduced.
The left-handed Hernández had a 13-year profession however is usually recognized for his function because the nearer on some of the dominant groups up 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 Metropolis within the AL Championship Collection and beating San Diego in a five-games World Collection.
Hernández had a 9-3 document and 32 saves in 33 possibilities in 1984, with a 1.92 ERA over 80 video games and 140⅓ innings. He’s amongst simply 11 pitchers to win the Cy Younger and MVP in the identical yr, edging Kansas Metropolis’s Dan Quisenberry for Cy Younger in 1984 and Minnesota‘s Kent Hrbek for MVP.
Hernández would go on to have a superb postseason and acquired the ultimate out of the clinching Sport 5, coaxing a brief fly ball to left area from Corridor of Famer Tony Gwynn, setting off a celebration. The Tigers have not received a World Collection since.
“Willie Hernández was an incredible teammate, and I am terribly sorry to listen to the information of his passing,” former Tigers star Alan Trammell stated in a press release. “I’ll always remember our group’s celebration collectively on the mound after he recorded the ultimate out of the 1984 World Collection. He’ll at all times be remembered as a World Collection champion. My ideas and prayers are with this household.”
Hernández turned solely the third participant to win MVP honors, the Cy Younger Award and World Collection in the identical season, becoming a member of Sandy Koufax (1963) and Denny McLain (1968).
Guillermo Hernández was born in Aguada, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 14, 1954. His ascent to baseball stardom could not have been predicted throughout 6½ strong however unspectacular seasons with the Chicago Cubs that started in 1977. He was traded to Philadelphia through the 1983 season and pitched 4 scoreless innings in that yr’s World Collection because the Phillies misplaced to Baltimore.
Detroit acquired Hernández and Dave Bergman from the Phillies for Glenn Wilson and John Wockenfuss a couple 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 document 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 next month, Hernández requested the group to have the general public handle announcer discuss with him as Guillermo, and Hernández glided by that for the remainder of his profession.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
