Detroit Tigers to honor legends Jack Morris and Alan Trammell
By Ash Thompson
Jack Morris and Alan Trammell will have their numbers retired during the 2018 season. These Detroit Tigers legends played on the 1984 World Series Championship team.
The Detroit Tigers will honor two of the franchise legends during the 2018 season. Jack Morris and Alan Trammell will be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame Sunday, July 29. Morris will be back in Detroit on Sunday, August 12, and Trammell will return Sunday, August 26. Both players will have their numbers retired in pre-game ceremonies.
Jack Morris pitched in the major leagues from two weeks before I was born, until my junior year of high school, 1994. The Tigers drafted him in the fifth round of the 1976 draft, and he received his first call-up in 1977. He came out of the bullpen during the 1978 season and made it to the starting rotation in 1979. He never went back to the bullpen, starting 527 games over the next 17 seasons. Morris posted two 21 win seasons and won 20 in another.
Between 1980 and 1991 he failed to post ten complete games only once. His career high was 20 complete games in 1983. He led baseball with a horrifying 293.2 innings pitched that season. Chris Sale led the majors with 214.1 IP in 2017. Morris holds the major league record for consecutive opening day starts with 14. He ranks number eight on the all-time wild pitch list. He also leads the Tigers with 23 balks. Morris holds the distinction of being the only pitcher with 2000 strikeouts who never faced a single pitcher in regular season play.
Alan Trammell was drafted three rounds earlier than Morris the same year. He made it to his first All-Star game in the 1980 season. In his 20 year career, he hit .300 or higher seven times. His career average was .285. He hit 185 home runs and ended with 1003 RBI. Trammell ended with 2365 hits, 412 doubles, and 55 triples. He stole 236 bases. Trammel went into coaching after his retirement. He managed the Tigers from 2003-2005.
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Both Trammell and Morris were members of the 1984 Detroit Tigers World Series Championship team.