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The Detroit Tigers lost one of their beloved stars Thursday when Chet Lemon died at the age of 70.
Lemon, an outfielder, won the World Series with the famed 1984 Tigers team.
Lemon spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Chicago White Sox, earning back-to-back All-Star nods in 1978 and 1979 and leading the American League with 44 doubles in the latter season.
Ahead of the 1982 season, the Sox traded him to the Tigers, and the move looked like an early win for Chicago. Lemon’s batting average dipped from .302 to .266. The following season, he hit .255.
But he had a resurgence in 1984, raising his average to .287 with a .495 slugging percentage, the second-best of his career. He earned his third and final All-Star nod that season.
In the ’84 World Series, Lemon hit .294 in five games. He and his teammates were honored at Comerica Park in September to commemorate the 40th anniversary of that title.
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“While he was a World Series champion and All-Star on the field, perhaps his biggest impact came off of it. That includes creating the Chet Lemon Foundation and dedicating much of his post-playing career to youth baseball development,” the Tigers said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with Chet’s family, friends and all those he coached, mentored and inspired.”
“Chet was a cherished teammate and friend,” former teammate and Hall of Famer Alan Trammell said in a statement of his own. “I’m so thankful for the time we spent together last summer when the 1984 team had its 40th reunion at Comerica Park. Today is a sad day for us. He will be dearly missed.”
Lemon also led the league in being hit by pitches four times.
A blood disorder in 1990 played a role in Lemon’s career being cut short after 16 seasons. A year later, he was in intensive care due to a blood clot. Over the years, he had numerous health issues, including a series of strokes. He had been living in Florida at the time of his death.
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