1976 Detroit Tigers season
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The 1976 Detroit Tigers season was the 76th season for the
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
competing in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
as a member of the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
. In their third season under manager
Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...
, the Tigers compiled a 74–87 record and finished in fifth place in the American League East, 24 games behind the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
. The team improved by 17 wins over its 1975 performance for the largest improvement by any team in the American League. The team played its home games at Tiger Stadium and attracted 1,467,020 fans, ranking fourth of the 12 teams in the American League. Rookie pitcher Mark Fidrych, known as "The Bird", became a sensation throughout baseball, both for his pitching prowess and for his unusual practices in talking to the ball and grooming the pitcher's mound. Fidrych finished the 1976 season with a 19-9
win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...
and led the American League with a 2.34
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA). Fidrych won the
American League Rookie of the Year In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...
and "Tiger of the Year" awards and finished second in the voting for the
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
. The team's batting leaders included center fielder
Ron LeFlore Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
with a .316 batting average and 58 stolen bases, Jason Thompson with 17
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s, and Rusty Staub with 96 RBIs and a .386
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...
. Third baseman
Aurelio Rodriguez Aurelio may refer to: People Politicians *Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. (born 1964), congressman in the Philippines *Aurélio de Lira Tavares (1905–1998), President of Brazil *Aurelio Martínez, Honduran politician *Aurelio Mosquera (1883–1939), Pre ...
also won the American League
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
, breaking
Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "the Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr. Hoover", he is generally c ...
's streak of winning the award for 17 consecutive years.


Preseason

The 1975 Detroit Tigers compiled the worst record (57–102) in Major League Baseball and up to that time the worst season in franchise history. The team's poor performance prompted two major trades during the December 1975 Winter Meetings. * On December 6, 1975, in their first major move, the Tigers dealt their starting rightfielder,
Leon Roberts Leon Kauffman Roberts (born January 22, 1951) is a former corner outfielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1974 through 1984 for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City R ...
, and three other players (backup catcher
Terry Humphrey Terryal Gene Humphrey (born August 4, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. A catcher, he appeared in 415 games played over all or parts of nine Major League Baseball seasons for the Montreal Expos (1971–1974), Detroit Tig ...
rookie pitcher
Gene Pentz Eugene David Pentz (born June 21, 1953) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until for the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros. He was traded along with Leon Roberts, Terry Humphr ...
and at-that-time minor league pitcher
Mark Lemongello Mark Lemongello ("le-MAHNJ-ul-oh"; born July 21, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1979 for the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is the cousin of singer Peter ...
) to the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
in exchange for catcher
Milt May Milton Scott May (born August 1, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and San F ...
, starting pitcher Dave Roberts, and relief pitcher Jim Crawford. Dave Roberts ended up leading the 1976 Tigers with 36 starts and 252 innings pitched. May began the season as the Tigers' starting catcher but fractured his ankle running into a wall in Oakland on April 20. * Six days later, on December 12, 1975, the Tigers traded
Mickey Lolich Michael Stephen Lolich (born September 12, 1940) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1963 until 1979, almost entirely for the Detroit Tigers. A three-time All-Star, ...
, the winningest left-handed pitcher in Detroit history, and rookie outfielder Billy Baldwin to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
for outfielder Rusty Staub and minor league pitcher
Bill Laxton William Harry Laxton (born January 5, 1948) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Laxton pitched in all or part of five seasons in the majors between 1970 and 1977. Early career Laxton grew up in Audubon, New Jersey and attended Audubon H ...
. Lolich initially vetoed the trade, but consented after receiving financial concessions from the Mets. Detroit general manager Jim Campbell said of the trade, "We got the one thing we were looking for -- a real sound RBI man." Staub led the 1975 Tigers with 96 RBIs and was a key component in the team's 1976 turnaround. The Tigers also brought in new talent through the draft. On January 7, 1976, the team drafted outfielder Steve Kemp with the No. 1 overall pick in the January phase of the MLB draft. Kemp spent the 1976 season in the minors but became the Tigers' starting left fielder from 1977 to 1981. The most significant preseason move involved the surprise promotion of little known pitcher Mark Fidrych. On April 5, 1976, the team announced that Fidrych would start the season with the team. He had not even been on the major league roster prior to the announcement.


Regular season


Season chronology


April

* April 10: The Tigers opened the season with a 3-1 victory over the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. Starter Joe Coleman got the win and John Hiller the save. Willie Horton hit a towering two-run home run in the third inning. The game was played in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium and drew a crowd of 65,000, the largest opening day crowd in the majors during the 1976 season. * April 13: The Tigers lost their home opener by a 1-0 score against the Milwaukee Brewers before a crowd of 48,612 at Tiger Stadium. Detroit starter Ray Bare shut out the Brewers through eight innings, but Milwaukee scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning off reliever John Hiller.
Jim Slaton James Michael Slaton (born June 19, 1950) is a former pitcher with a 16-year career from 1971-1986. He played in the American League with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1971–1977 and 1979–1983, the Detroit Tigers in 1978 and 1986, and the Cal ...
pithed a two-hitter for the Brewers. * April 14: Four Tigers were listed on the ballot for the 1976 American League All-Star team. Outfielder
Ron LeFlore Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
and second baseman Gary Sutherland were listed on the ballot for the first time. Outfielder Rusty Staub and catcher
Milt May Milton Scott May (born August 1, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and San F ...
had previously been listed on the National League ballot. * April 17: The Tigers defeated the California Angels, 2-0, in Anaheim. In his American League debut, Dave Roberts pitched a complete game shutout, had a no-hitter through six innings, and allowed only two singles. * April 20: Mark Fidrych appeared in his first major league game.
Milt May Milton Scott May (born August 1, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from to for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and San F ...
‚ acquired by the Tigers in December‚ broke his ankle crashing into the wall behind home plate while chasing a
foul ball In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that: * Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or * Bounces and then goes past first or third base on or over foul territory, or * Has its first bounce occu ...
. He did not play for the remainder of the season. * April 28: The Tigers defeated the Oakland A's, 8-1. Dave Roberts pitched a two-hitter and won his third consecutive game for the Tigers.


May

* May 15: Mark Fidrych won his first major league start. Fidrych pitched a
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
, allowing only two hits in a 2–1 victory over the
Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
. Fidrych took a
no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
through six innings, but gave up a single to Buddy Bell in the seventh. Aside from his fine pitching, Fidrych drew attention for talking to the ball during the game‚ and patting down the mound each inning.
Tom Veryzer Thomas Martin Veryzer ( ; February 11, 1953 – July 8, 2014) was an American baseball shortstop. He played 12 years in Major League Baseball, appearing in 979 games for the Detroit Tigers (1973-1977), Cleveland Indians (1978-1981), New York Met ...
had the game-winning RBI for Detroit with a
sacrifice fly In baseball, a sacrifice fly (sometimes abbreviated to sac fly) is defined by Rule 9.08(d): "Score a sacrifice fly when, before two are out, the batter hits a ball in flight handled by an outfielder or an infielder running in the outfield in fair o ...
in the fourth inning. * May 25: Mark Fidrych pitched well in his second start, holding the Red Sox to six hits and two runs, but the Tigers were shut out, 2–0, by Luis Tiant. * May 28: After hitting safely in 30 straight games since April 17,
Ron LeFlore Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
went hitless in a 9–5 loss to the
Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
. LeFlore's hitting streak tied the third longest in team history. * May 31: Manager
Ralph Houk Ralph George Houk (; August 9, 1919 – July 21, 2010), nicknamed The Major, was an American catcher, coach, manager, and front office executive in Major League Baseball. He is best known as the successor of Casey Stengel as manager of the New Yor ...
let rookie Mark Fidrych go 11 innings for a complete game, 5–4 win over the Brewers. Fidrych gave up a run in the top of the 11th inning, but the Tigers rallied in the bottom of the 11th on singles by Chuck Scrivener,
Jerry Manuel Jerry Lorenzo Manuel Sr. (born December 23, 1953), nicknamed "The Sage," is a former major league manager. He previously managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998 to 2003 and the New York Mets from the middle of 2008 to 2010 and played in the major ...
, and Tom Veryzer. Ron LeFlore had two triples in the game.


June

* June 1: John Hiller won both games of a double header against the Brewers. The Tigers came from behind to win 8–7 and 7–5. * June 5: Mark Fidrych pitched his second straight 11-inning complete game, beating Bert Blyleven and the Texas Rangers, 3–2.
Ben Oglivie Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie Palmer (born February 11, 1949) is a Panamanians, Panamanian former professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox (1971–1973), Detroit Tigers (1974–1977), and Mi ...
scored the winning run in the top of the 11th, and The Bird pitched a 1–2–3 inning in the bottom of the 11th against the heart of the Rangers lineup ( Mike Hargrove,
Toby Harrah Colbert Dale (Toby) Harrah (born October 26, 1948) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball from to . Harrah played the majority of his career for the Texas Rangers f ...
, and
Jeff Burroughs Jeffrey Alan Burroughs (born March 7, 1951) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball from through , for the Washington Senators / Texas Rangers (1970–76), Atlanta Braves (1977–8 ...
). * June 8: The Tigers sold 29-year-old pitcher Joe Coleman to the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
for $100,000 and a player to be named at the end of the season. Coleman won 62 games for the Tigers from 1971 to 1973. In the first two months of the 1976 season, he compiled a 2-5 record and 4.86 ERA. * June 8: The Tigers selected pitcher
Pat Underwood Patrick John Underwood (born February 9, 1957) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to . Underwood was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft, as the second pick overall.
with the second overall pick in the
1976 Major League Baseball draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft. ''*'' Did not sign Other notable Selections ''*'' Did not sign Background The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by ma ...
. The Tigers also selected shortstop
Alan Trammell Alan Stuart Trammell ( ; born February 21, 1958) is an American former professional baseball shortstop, manager and coach and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a player. His entire 20-year playing career in Major League Baseball ( ...
in the second round, pitchers
Dan Petry Daniel Joseph Petry ( ; born November 13, 1958) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers (1979–87 and 1990–91), California Angels (1988–89), Atlanta Braves (1991) and Boston Red Sox (1991). He currently se ...
in the fourth round and Jack Morris in the fifth round, and shortstop Ozzie Smith in the seventh round. Three of the Tigers selections (Trammell, Morris, and Smith) ended up in the
Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
. * June 11: "Bird"-mania began to take hold in Detroit. A crowd of 36,377 showed up in Detroit for a Friday night game, as Mark Fidrych faced Nolan Ryan. Fidrych gave up only one earned run, and the Tigers came out on top, 4–3. The Tigers won on a walk-off single by
Alex Johnson Alexander Johnson (December 7, 1942 – February 28, 2015) was an American professional baseball outfielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB), from to , for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, California An ...
in the bottom of the ninth inning, with Ron LeFlore scoring the winning run. * June 15: The Tigers lost to the
Royals Royals may refer to: Entertainment * The Royals (band), a Jamaican reggae vocal group * The Royals, original name of The Midnighters * "Royals" (song), a 2013 single by Lorde * ''The Royals'' (TV series), a 2015 E! network drama series * ''The ...
, 21–7. Four Detroit pitchers (
Dave Lemanczyk David Lawrence Lemanczyk ( ; born August 17, 1950) is a former pitcher with an eight-year Major League Baseball career from 1973 to 1980. He played for the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays and California Angels, all of the American League. Ea ...
,
Bill Laxton William Harry Laxton (born January 5, 1948) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Laxton pitched in all or part of five seasons in the majors between 1970 and 1977. Early career Laxton grew up in Audubon, New Jersey and attended Audubon H ...
, Ray Bare, and
Steve Grilli Stephen Joseph Grilli (born May 2, 1949) is an American former professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. Grilli played for six seasons in baseball, but only played in t ...
) combined to allow 24 hits and 20 earned runs.
George Brett George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player who played all of his 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a third baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are second-mos ...
went 4-for-5 and
Amos Otis Amos Joseph Otis (born April 26, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from to , most prominently as an integral member of the Kansas City Royals team that won t ...
drove in five runs. * June 16: The Tigers drew 21,659 on a Wednesday night to watch Mark Fidrych win his fifth game. Fidrych held the Royals to five hits and two earned runs. The Tigers trailed 3–2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but the Tigers rallied for two runs off singles by Dan Meyer and Alex Johnson, and a walk by
Aurelio Rodríguez Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
.
Mickey Stanley Mitchell Jack "Mickey" Stanley (born July 20, 1942) is an American former professional baseball player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Stanley signed with the Detroit Tigers organization in 1960. After four years in the Tigers' minor league ...
ended it with a walk-off single to right field, driving in Johnson. * June 20: The Tigers beat the Twins, 7–3, in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, as Mark Fidrych extended his record to 6–1. Jason Thompson hit a three-run home run in the 3rd inning for the Tigers. * June 24: Mark Fidrych drew 26,293 fans to
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
for a Thursday night game, as the Tigers won, 6–3. Jason Thompson homered and Fidrych pitched another complete game. * June 28: Mark Fidrych was in the spotlight, as the Tigers faced the Yankees on Monday Night Baseball. In front of a crowd of 47,855 at Tiger Stadium and a national television audience, "The Bird" talked to the ball and groomed the mound, as the Tigers won, 5–1 in a game that lasted only 1 hour and 51 minutes.


July

* July 3: As the country prepared to celebrate the
Bicentennial __NOTOC__ A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to: Europe *French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...
, Mark Fidrych shut out the Orioles 4–0 in front of a sell out crowd of 51,032 at Tiger Stadium. Fidrych gave up only four hits and extended his record to 9–1. * July 9: Pitching in front of another sell-out crowd (51,041) at Tiger Stadium, Mark Fidrych held the Royals to one run in nine innings, but
Dennis Leonard Dennis Patrick Leonard (born May 8, 1951) is a former pitcher for the Kansas City Royals in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He retired in 1986 due to injuries. Born in Brooklyn, Leonard attended Oceanside High School (New York), Oceanside High ...
shut out the Tigers. The final score was Royals – 1; Tigers – 0. * July 13: Three Tigers (Mark Fidrych, Ron LeFlore, and Rusty Staub) started for the American League in the
1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 47th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 13, 1976 ...
. Fidrych gave up two runs and was the losing pitcher, as the
National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
defeated the American League, 7–1. * July 16: Mark Fidrych won his 10th game, a 1–0 victory over the A's. Another big crowd (45,905) showed up to watch "The Bird" do his thing on the mound at Tiger Stadium. * July 20: A crowd of over 30,000 shows up on a Tuesday night in Minneapolis to watch "The Bird." Fidrych pitched another complete game and got his 11th win, 8–3. Rusty Staub and Ron LeFlore homered for the Tigers. * July 24: "The Bird" drew another big crowd to Tiger Stadium (37,405), but lasted only 4.1 innings. John Hiller got the win in relief, as Ben Oglivie hit a home run in the eighth inning to give the Tigers a 5–4 win over the Indians. * July 29: Mark Fidrych took a loss despite pitching a six-hit complete game and not allowing an earned run. The Orioles shut out the Tigers, 1–0, as
Lee May Lee Andrew May (March 23, 1943 – July 29, 2017) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman and designated hitter from to for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Baltimo ...
scored an unearned run in the fourth inning on an error by Detroit second baseman Pedro García. Rusty Staub tripled in the bottom of the fourth, but did not score as Willie Horton and Alex Johnson followed with ground balls to third base.


August

* August 7: The Tigers defeated the Cleveland Indians, 6–1, before a crowd of 35,393 at Tiger Stadium. Mark Fidrych pitched a complete game and gave up only six hits, all singles. Ben Oglivie went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Dan Meyer and Ron LeFlore scored two runs each. Fidrych improved his record to 12-4 with a 1.91 ERA. * August 11: The Tigers beat the Rangers, 4–3, as Mark Fidrych notched his 13th win over Gaylord Perry. The Tigers drew 36,523 for a Wednesday game in Detroit. Rusty Staub and Willie Horton both hit home runs for Detroit. * August 17: Despite a losing record, Mark Fidrych and the Tigers drew a season-high 51,822 fans to Tiger Stadium on a Tuesday night. It was the largest crowd at Tiger Stadium since July 17, 1973, and the largest for a night game since 1970. The Tigers won, 3-2, as catcher
Bruce Kimm Bruce Edward Kimm (born June 29, 1951) is an American former professional baseball catcher, manager and coach. He played all or part of four seasons in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox between 1976 u ...
hit his first career home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Fidrych gave up only five hits and pitched his 16th complete game of the season. After the game, the crowd remained, chanting "We Want Bird" until Fidrych returned to the field "thrusting his fist into the air again and again." His record improved to 14–4 with a 1.97 ERA. * August 18: The Tigers lost, 5–4, to the California Angels in 11 innings. Nolan Ryan struck out 17 Detroit batters. * August 25: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 3–1, in front of 40,000 fans on a Wednesday night in Detroit. Rookie Mark Fidrych held the White Sox to five hits in a game that lasted only one hour and 48 minutes. * August 31: The Tigers lost to the California Angels, 6-3, at Anaheim. Nolan Ryan struck out 11 Detroit batters. Ron LeFlore for the 2000th strikeout of his career. Ron LeFlore struck out twice, including Ryan's 2,000th career strikeout.


September

* September 3: The Tigers lost to the Brewers, 11–2, as Mark Fidrych had the worst outing of his young career, and
Mike Hegan James Michael Hegan (July 21, 1942 – December 25, 2013) was an American professional baseball player, who later worked as a sports commentator. In Major League Baseball (MLB) he was a first baseman and outfielder, and played for three different ...
hit for the cycle for Milwaukee. Fidrych gave up nine runs (seven earned) in 3.2 innings. * September 12: The Tigers beat Dock Ellis, 3–0, in front of 52,707 fans at Yankee Stadium. Mark Fidrych pitched a complete game shutout for his 16th win. * September 21 - Mark Fidrych won his 17th game, pitching a complete game and limiting the Indians to three runs. The victory halted a six-game losing streak. * September 22: The Tigers lost to the Indians, 3-0, before a crowd of 3,616 at Tiger Stadium. It was the smallest crowd of the season at Tiger Stadium. * September 22 - Mark Fidrych had his hair cut while sitting in Ralph Houk's chair at Tiger Stadium. The trimmed hair was placed in small, white boxes to be auctioned for charity. * September 24: Tigers starter Dave Roberts shut out the Yankees, 3–0. Roberts held the Yankees to five hits, as
John Wockenfuss Johnny Bilton Wockenfuss (February 27, 1949 – August 19, 2022), sometimes known by the nicknames "Fuss" and "Johnny B.", was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
had a triple and Rusty Staub hit a home run. * September 25 - The Yankees clinched the American League East title by defeating the Tigers, 10–6, in Detroit. After the game, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner threw a party for his team at a downtown Detroit restaurant. * September 28 - Mark Fidrych won his 18th game of the season. He shut out the Indians and allowed only five singles. The game, played on a cold night in Cleveland, attracted only 3,394 fans -- the smallest crowd to watch Fidrych pitch. The game lasted only one hour and 48 minutes. In one of his final games as a Tiger, Willie Horton had a double, a home run, and two RBIs. * September 28 - Quelling concerns that the Tigers would move out of the city, Tigers owner John Fetzer announced plans to renovate Tiger Stadium at cost of $15-$20 million. The proposed renovation included a new mercury vapor lighting system and new seats. * September 29 - The Tigers defeated the Indians, 3–2, in Cleveland. Despite the loss, the Tigers clinched fifth place, ensuring that they would not finish in last place for a third consecutive year. * September 30 - In his fourth start, rookie pitcher
Ed Glynn Edward Paul Glynn (born June 3, 1953) is an American former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher who worked in 175 Major League games, all but eight in relief, over ten seasons (1975–1983; 1985) for the Detroit Tigers, N ...
got his first major league win. The Indians defeated the Tigers, 6–4, in Cleveland.


October

* October 1: John Hiller got a rare start when starter Vern Ruhle developed a sore shoulder. Hiller had not started a game since 1972. He pitched a
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
, four-hit
shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...
over the Brewers at
County Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee Brewers. It was also used for Green Bay Packer ...
. The Tigers won by a 5-0 score. * October 2: In his last start of the 1976 season, Fidrych got his 19th win, beating the Brewers, 4–1. Fidrych held the Brewers to five hits in a game that lasted 1 hour and 46 minutes. * October 2: The Tigers signed Mark Fidrych to a three-year contract. The contract gave Fidrych a retroactive increase for his 1976 salary from $19,000 to an estimated $30,000. Fidrych's father negotiated the contract without using an agent. Fidrych said: "An agent probably could have gotten me more money. But then maybe I wouldn't have been happy. This way I got what I wanted.I'm happy." * October 3: The Tigers defeated the Brewers, 5–2, in Milwaukee, closing their season with a four-game winning streak. For the year, the team improved to 74 victories, 17 more than in 1975, the largest improvement by any team in the American League. The game was Hank Aaron's last major league game. In his final major league at bat, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Aaron hit an infield single off Dave Roberts, driving in a run with his 2,297th RBI.


Award season

* October 30: Mark Fidrych was named as the winner of the "Tiger of the Year" award. In voting by the Detroit chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, Fidrych received 31 of the 35 votes cast. The other four votes went to Ron LeFlore. * November 10: The American League
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
was presented to
Jim Palmer James Alvin Palmer (born October 15, 1945) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1965–1967, 1969–1984). Palmer was the winningest MLB pitcher in the ...
who received 108 points in the voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Mark Fidrych finished second in the voting with 51 points. * November 19: After compiling a league-best .978 fielding percentage at third base,
Aurelio Rodriguez Aurelio may refer to: People Politicians *Aurelio D. Gonzales Jr. (born 1964), congressman in the Philippines *Aurélio de Lira Tavares (1905–1998), President of Brazil *Aurelio Martínez, Honduran politician *Aurelio Mosquera (1883–1939), Pre ...
received the American League
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
at third base. Rodríguez was the first American League third baseman other than
Brooks Robinson Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (born May 18, 1937) is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "the Human Vacuum Cleaner" or "Mr. Hoover", he is generally c ...
to win the award since 1959.


Season standings


Record vs. opponents


Roster


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''


Other batters

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


Pitching


Starting pitchers

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


Other pitchers

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


Relief pitchers

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


Awards and honors

* Mark Fidrych, AL Rookie of the Year Award * Mark Fidrych, Finished 2nd in AL Cy Young Award voting * Mark Fidrych, Finished 11th in AL MVP Award voting *
Aurelio Rodríguez Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
, AL
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...
at third base


League top ten finishers

Mark Fidrych * MLB leader in ERA (2.34) * MLB leader in Adjusted ERA+ (158) * AL leader in complete games (24) * #3 in AL in walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP) (1.079) * #4 in AL in wins (19) * #4 in AL in win percentage (.679) * #5 in AL in bases on balls per 9 inning pitched (1.91) * #5 in AL in shutouts (4) John Hiller * #4 in AL in games finished (46)
Ron LeFlore Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
* AL leader in errors by an outfielder (11) * #2 in AL in stolen bases (58) * #3 in MLB in times caught stealing (20) * #4 in AL in singles (137) * #5 in AL in batting average (.316) * #5 in AL in runs scored (93) * #6 in AL in strikeouts (111) Dave Roberts * #2 in MLB in losses (17) * #2 in MLB in earned runs allowed (112) * #5 in AL in shutouts (4) * #9 in AL in complete games (18)
Aurelio Rodríguez Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
* AL leader in fielding percentage by a third baseman (.978) * #3 in AL in times grounded into double plays (19) Rusty Staub * AL leader in games played (161) * AL leader in times grounded into double plays (23) * #2 in AL in times on base (266) * #2 in AL in sacrifice flies (11) * #3 in AL in plate appearances (690) * #4 in AL in on-base percentage (.386) * #4 in AL in bases on balls (83) * #4 in AL in runs created (99) * #5 in AL in RBIs (96) * #5 in AL in intentional walks (11) * #7 in AL in times hit by pitch (7) * #7 in AL in hits (7) * #8 in AL in OPS (.818) * #10 in AL in total bases (255)


Players ranking among top 100 all time at position

The following members of the 1977 Detroit Tigers were ranked among the Top 100 of all time at their position by The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract in 2001: *
Aurelio Rodríguez Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. (December 28, 1947 – September 23, 2000), sometimes known by the nickname "Chi Chi", was a Mexicans, Mexican professional baseball player, who spent the bulk of his Major League Baseball, Major League career ...
: 91st best third baseman of all time *
Ron LeFlore Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948) is an American former Major League Baseball center fielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos. He retired with the Chicago White Sox in 1982. He stole 455 ...
: 80th best center fielder of all time *
Ben Oglivie Benjamin Ambrosio Oglivie Palmer (born February 11, 1949) is a Panamanians, Panamanian former professional baseball left fielder, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox (1971–1973), Detroit Tigers (1974–1977), and Mi ...
: 64th best left fielder of all time * Willie Horton: 55th best left fielder of all time


Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Montgomery, Lakeland


Notes


References

*
1976 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Statistics at Baseball Reference

1976 Detroit Tigers Game by Game at BaseballLibrary.com


External links


1976 Charlton's Baseball Chronology
{{Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers seasons Detroit Tigers season
Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...
1976 in Detroit