1977 Detroit Tigers season explained

Detroit Tigers
Season:	1977
League:	American League
Division:	East
Ballpark:	Tiger Stadium
City:	Detroit, Michigan
Owners:	John Fetzer
General Managers:	Jim Campbell
Managers:	Ralph Houk
Television:	WWJ-TV (George Kell, Larry Osterman, Joe Pellegrino, Al Kaline)
Radio:	WJR (Ernie Harwell, Paul Carey)

The 1977 Detroit Tigers finished in fourth place in the American League East with a record of 74–88, 26 games behind the New York Yankees. They were outscored by their opponents 751 to 714. The Tigers drew 1,359,856 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1977, ranking 7th of the 14 teams in the American League.

Offseason

February 23, 1977: Tito Fuentes was signed as a free agent by the Tigers.^[1]

Regular season

With 212 hits, 100 runs scored, and a .325 batting average, center fielder Ron LeFlore was the team's most valuable player, and the recipient of the "Tiger of the Year" award. First baseman Jason Thompson led the team with 31 home runs and 105 RBIs, and second baseman Tito Fuentes was the team's only other .300 hitter, with a .309 batting average and 190 hits. Designated hitter Rusty Staub also had a .278 batting average, 173 hits, 22 home runs, and 101 RBIs. Rookie Steve Kemp (the first pick in the 1976 amateur draft) hit .257 with 18 home runs and 88 RBIs.

The rookie sensation of 1976, Mark Fidrych pitched in 1977 (2.89 ERA), but tendinitis limited "The Bird" to 11 games. The pitching star of 1977 for Detroit was rookie Dave Rozema who went 15–7 with a 3.09 ERA and finished eighth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.

1977 also saw the debut of Steve Kemp (debut April 7, 1977), Dave Rozema (debut April 11, 1977), Jack Morris (debut July 26, 1977), Lance Parrish (debut September 5, 1977), Alan Trammell (debut September 9, 1977), and Lou Whitaker (debut September 9, 1977).

Notable transactions

April 12, 1977: Willie Horton was traded by the Tigers to the Texas Rangers for Steve Foucault.^[2]

Roster

1977 Detroit Tigers
Roster
Pitchers	CatchersInfielders	OutfieldersOther batters	ManagerCoaches

Game log

Regular season

|-style="background:#fcc;"| 1 || || || Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 2 || || || Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 3 || || || Royals|-style="background:#cfc;"| 8 || || || @ Royals|-style="background:#cfc;"| 9 || || || @ Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 10 || || || @ Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 11 || || || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 12 || || || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 13 || || || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 14 || || || @ Red Sox|-style=background:#bbb| — || || || Orioles || colspan="8" | Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: September 7)|-style=background:#bbb| — || || || Orioles || colspan="8" | Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: September 8)|-style="background:#fcc;"| 15 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#cfc;"| 16 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 17 || || || White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 18 || || || White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 19 || || || @ Twins|-style="background:#fcc;"| 20 || || || @ Twins|-|-style="background:#fcc;"| 21 || || || @ Twins|-style="background:#fcc;"| 22 || || || Rangers|-style=background:#bbb| — || || || Rangers || colspan="8" | Postponed (Rain) (Makeup date: August 5)|-style="background:#fcc;"| 26 || || || Twins|-style="background:#cfc;"| 27 || || || Twins|-style="background:#fcc;"| 33 || || || @ Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 34 || || || @ Rangers|-style="background:#cfc;"| 35 || || || @ White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 36 || || || @ White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 37 || || || @ White Sox|-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 63 || || || Yankees || W 2–1 || Fidrych (4–2) || Gullett (6–3) || — || 2:33 || 47,236 || 28–35 || W1|-style="background:#cfc;"| 64 || || || Yankees || W 5–2 || Crawford (1–1) || Guidry (5–3) || — || 2:07 || 18,272 || 29–35 || W2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 65 || || || Yankees || L 11–12 || Lyle (3–2) || Foucault (3–4) || Clay (1) || 2:44 || 18,129 || 29–36 || L1|-style="background:#cfc;"| 70 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 71 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 72 || || || Red Sox|-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 73 || || || @ Yankees || W 5–1 || Rozema (7–3) || Torrez (8–7) || — || 2:07 || 22,876 || 35–38 || W5|-style="background:#fcc;"| 74 || || || @ Yankees || L 4–6 || Lyle (6–2) || Hiller (4–9) || — || 2:14 || 20,825 || 35–39 || L1|-style="background:#fcc;"| 75 ||
|| || @ Yankees || L 0–2 || Guidry (6–4) || Arroyo (5–6) || — || 2:15 || — || 35–40 || L2|-style="background:#cfc;"| 76 ||
|| || @ Yankees || W 10–6 || Foucault (4–4) || Tidrow (6–3) || — || 2:47 || 42,549 || 36–40 || W1|-style="background:#fcc;"| 77 || || || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 78 ||
|| || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 79 ||
|| || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 80 || || || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 81 || || || White Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 82 || || || White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 83 || || || White Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 86 || || || @ Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 87 || || || @ Royals|- style="text-align:center; background:#bbcaff;"| colspan="12" | 48th All-Star Game in Bronx, New York|-style="background:#fcc;"| 92 || || || Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 93 || || || Royals|-style="background:#cfc;"| 94 || || || Royals|-style="background:#fcc;"| 97 || || || @ White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 98 || || || @ White Sox|-style="background:#cfc;"| 99 || || || @ Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 100 || || || @ Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 101 || || || @ Rangers|-|-style="background:#fcc;"| 102 || || || @ Twins|-style="background:#cfc;"| 103 || || || @ Twins|-style="background:#fcc;"| 104 ||
|| || Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 105 ||
|| || Rangers|-style="background:#cfc;"| 106 || || || Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 107 || || || Rangers|-style="background:#fcc;"| 112 || || || Twins|-style="background:#cfc;"| 113 || || || Twins|-style="background:#cfc;"| 114 || || || Twins|-style="background:#fcc;"| 117 || || || Yankees || L 5–7 || Figueroa (12–8) || Arroyo (6–13) || Lyle (17) || 2:42 || 26,718 || 54–63 || L2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 118 || || || Yankees || L 4–5 || Hunter (8–7) || Crawford (4–5) || Lyle (18) || 2:31 || 27,564 || 54–64 || L3|-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 135 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 136 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 137 || || || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 138 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#cfc;"| 139 ||
|| || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 140 || || || Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 141 ||
|| || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 142 ||
|| || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 143 || || || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 144 || || || @ Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 148 || || || Yankees || L 4–5 || Gullett (12–4) || Arroyo (7–17) || — || 2:27 || 18,016 || 69–79 || L1|-style="background:#fcc;"| 149 || || || Yankees || L 4–9 || Tidrow (11–4) || Crawford (7–7) || — || 2:30 || 17,656 || 69–80 || L2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 150 || || || Yankees || L 5–6 || Guidry (15–6) || Sykes (5–6) || Lyle (24) || 2:11 || 12,672 || 69–81 || L3|-style="background:#cfc;"| 153 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 154 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 155 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 156 || || || Red Sox|-style="background:#fcc;"| 157 || || || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 158 || || || @ Orioles|-style="background:#fcc;"| 159 || || || @ Orioles|-style="background:#cfc;"| 160 || || || @ Yankees || W 5–2 || Hiller (8–14) || Guidry (16–7) || — || 2:31 || 28,200 || 73–87 || W1|-|-style="background:#cfc;"| 161 || || || @ Yankees || W 10–7 || Taylor (1–0) || McCall (0–1) || — || 2:47 || 50,054 || 74–87 || W2|-style="background:#fcc;"| 162 || || || @ Yankees || L 7–8 || Thomas (3–6) || Foucault (7–7) || — || 2:35 || 18,778 || 74–88 || L1|-|- style="text-align:center;"| Legend: = Win = Loss = Postponement
Bold = Tigers team member

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C	115	397	99	.249	12	46
1B	158	585	158	.270	31	105
2B	151	615	190	.309	5	51
3B	96	306	67	.219	10	32
SS	125	350	69	.197	2	28
CF	154	652	212	.325	16	57
LF	151	552	142	.257	18	88
RF	132	450	118	.262	21	61
DH	158	623	173	.278	22	101

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
94	286	79	.276	3	27
75	222	51	.230	8	23
53	164	45	.274	9	25
55	103	29	.282	3	15
61	72	6	.083	0	2
22	48	7	.146	1	3
12	46	9	.196	3	7
19	43	8	.186	0	0
11	32	8	.250	0	2
14	25	2	.080	0	1
15	24	6	.250	2	2
1	4	1	.250	0	0
4	4	1	.250	0	0
2	1	0	.000	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
28	218.1	15	7	3.09	92
38	209.1	8	18	4.17	60
22	129.1	4	10	5.15	46
11	81.0	6	4	2.89	42
14	66.1	3	5	5.70	27
7	45.2	1	1	3.74	28
5	14.1	0	2	12.56	4

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
32	132.2	5	7	4.41	58
37	126.0	7	8	4.79	91
20	106.1	6	2	3.64	82
8	27.1	2	1	5.27	13

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

G	W	L	SV	GF	ERA	SO
44	7	7	13	34	3.15	58
45	8	14	7	27	3.56	115
30	1	2	0	13	4.83	49
19	1	0	2	12	3.38	19

Awards and honors

Award winners

Ron LeFlore

Tiger of the Year Award from the Detroit baseball writers
Finished 20th in AL MVP voting

Dave Rozema

Finished 8th in the AL Cy Young Award voting

Jason Thompson

Finished 21st in AL MVP voting

All-Stars

Jason Thompson, reserve

League top ten finishers

Fernando Arroyo

#4 in AL in losses (18)

Mark Fidrych

AL All Star Team, pitcher

Tito Fuentes

AL leader in innings played at second base (1327)
AL leader in putouts at second base (379)
AL leader in double plays at second base (115)
AL leader in errors at second base (26)
AL leader in complete games at second base (144)
#2 in AL in singles (156)
#8 in AL in hits (190)
#8 in AL in triples (10)
#9 in AL in sacrifice hits (13)

Steve Kemp

AL leader in games in left field (148)
AL leader in complete games in left field (146)
AL leader in innings played in left field (1316)

Ron LeFlore

AL leader in assists by a center fielder (12)
#2 in AL in hits (212)
#2 in AL in singles (156)
#2 in AL in at bats (652)
#2 in AL in singles (156)
#2 in AL in times caught stealing (19)
#4 in AL in plate appearances (698)
#4 in AL in strikeouts (121) (tied with Tito Fuentes)
#5 in AL in batting average (.325)
#5 in AL in stolen bases (39)
#5 in AL in total bases (310)
#6 in AL in Power/Speed Number (22.7)
#8 in AL in triples (10)
#8 in AL in times on base (253)
#9 in AL in runs scored (100)
#9 in AL in outs (475)
#10 in AL in runs created (110)

Dave Rozema

AL leader in bases on balls per 9 innings pitched (1.40)
#5 in AL in Adjusted ERA+ (138)
#6 in AL in strikeout to walk ratio (2.71)
#7 in AL in ERA (3.09)
#8 in AL in complete games (16)
#9 in AL in win percentage (.682)

Rusty Staub

#1 in AL in times grounded into double plays (27)
#2 in AL in outs (490)
#3 in AL in sacrifice flies (10)
#5 in AL in plate appearances (695)
#7 in AL in at bats per strikeout (13.3)
#8 in AL in doubles (34)

Jason Thompson

#6 in AL in home runs (31)
#6 in AL in sacrifice flies (9)
#8 in AL in RBIs (105)

Alan Trammell

Youngest player in the AL (19)

Players ranking among top 100 all time at position

The following members of the 1977 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract in 2001:

Lance Parrish: 19th best catcher of all time (played 12 games as a rookie)
Lou Whitaker: 13th best second baseman of all time (played 11 games as a rookie)
Alan Trammell: 9th best shortstop of all time (played 19 games as a rookie)
Aurelio Rodríguez: 91st best third baseman of all time
Ron LeFlore: 80th best center fielder of all time
Ben Oglivie: 64th best left fielder of all time
Willie Horton: 55th best left fielder of all time (played one game for 1977 Tigers)

Farm system

External links

1977 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Statistics at Baseball Reference

Notes and References

https://www.baseball-reference.com/f/fuentti01.shtml Tito Fuentes page at Baseball Reference
https://www.baseball-reference.com/h/hortowi01.shtml Willie Horton page at Baseball Reference