For MLB reduction pitcher Willie Hernández has died at age 69, the Tigers introduced Tuesday. Hernández, a lefty, used to be signed out of his local Puerto Rico as an newbie unfastened agent in 1973 by way of the Phillies. He reached Triple-A in the group earlier than the Cubs decided on him in the Rule 5 draft in 1976. He used to be a reliever for the Cubs for portions of 7 seasons to various luck, together with a very good rookie yr in 1977 when he had a three.03 ERA in 110 innings of labor, excellent for three.2 WAR.
During the 1983 season, Hernández used to be traded again to the Phillies and then the next offseason used to be shipped to the Tigers in a four-player change. It would finally end up being the deal that prepared the ground for the most productive season of Hernández’s occupation, along side his construction of a screwball and cutter.
Those 1984 Tigers began the season 35-5, won 104 video games in the common season and then went 7-1 in the playoffs en path to a World Series identify. Hernández stored 3 video games in the ones playoffs and used to be remarkable, proceeding a yr for the ages.
In that common season, Hernández gave the impression in 80 video games out of the bullpen, going 9-3 with 32 saves in 33 probabilities. He had a 1.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 112 strikeouts towards simply 28 walks in a whopping 140 1/3 innings. The 4.8 WAR is likely one of the 25 absolute best marks ever by way of a reliever. Not handiest did Hernández make his first All-Star Game, however he additionally won by way of the AL Cy Young and AL MVP.
Hernández is certainly one of 11 pitchers in historical past to win each the MVP and Cy Young award in the similar season. Here’s the listing:
- Don Newcombe, 1956
- Sandy Koufax, 1963
- Bob Gibson, 1968
- Denny McLain, 1968
- Vida Blue, 1971
- Rollie Fingers, 1981
- Willie Hernández, 1984
- Roger Clemens, 1986
- Dennis Eckersley, 1992
- Justin Verlander, 2011
- Clayton Kershaw, 2014
The lasting reminiscence in the baseball global of Hernández shall be that superb 1984 season. It ended, fittingly, with him remaining down the World Series for a two-inning save.
Hernández had center surgical operation to put in a pacemaker in 2009 and, after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Tigers sport in 2009, stated the next, via Detroit News: “I passed away putting a pacemaker into my heart and I wake up later on. Because God’s got my heart, so nobody is going to bother my heart. No one is going to touch my heart.”