CHET LEMON
Center Fielder, 1982-1990
"The Jet"
#34
--Class of 1990--
Bats - Right
Throws - Right
Born - 2/12/1955
Biography:
Chet Lemon had some serious shoes to fill. He came to Detroit in a deal with Chicago that sent the ever-popular Steve Kemp to the White Sox. But it wasn't too long after the deal that Lemon became a fan favorite at The Corner. His great range in center and his solid arm made him a tremendous defensive presence. And while he was a .300 hitter with Chicago, his offensive contribution to the Tigers was one of consistent power. During his first year in Detroit, he clouted 19 home runs, and clubbed at least 17 in every season until 1989. Lemon was a hustler, and if he was up with two outs in the ninth inning, you could guarantee that he would be sliding into first base head-first. In the expansive Tiger Stadium outfield, Lemon's range was routinely above the league average. For awhile he was moved to right field to give Kirk Gibson a shot at playing the center, but that didn't last long as Lemon was simply a natural fit for Tiger Stadium's 440-foot fences. As an All-Star selection in 1984, Chet put together what was likely his best offensive season in what became a magical run to the Tigers' fourth World Championship. He went on to hit .287 that season, with 20 home runs. During the 1984 postseason, Lemon scored the pennant-clinching run in Game 3 of the ALCS, punching the Tigers' ticket to the World Series, where he batted .294. A member of the 1987 AL East champions, Lemon clouted 20 more round-trippers that season while knocking in 64 RBI. He batted .278 during the five games of the ALCS that season, pounding another two postseason home runs. Lemon never had issues with inside pitches, leading the American League in plunks in 1981, 1982, and finally 1983, when he was hit by a career-high 20 pitches. It was that sort of selfless production that made Chet Lemon one of the Tiger greats.
Hitting:
Code:
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS+ TB SH HBP
1982 27 DET AL 125 436 75 116 20 1 19 52 1 4 56 69 .266 .368 .447 123 195 4 15
1983 28 DET AL 145 491 78 125 21 5 24 69 0 7 54 70 .255 .350 .464 126 228 4 20
1984 29 DET AL 141 509 77 146 34 6 20 76 5 5 51 83 .287 .357 .495 135 252 2 7
1985 30 DET AL 145 517 69 137 28 4 18 68 0 2 45 93 .265 .334 .439 111 227 0 10
1986 31 DET AL 126 403 45 101 21 3 12 53 2 1 39 53 .251 .326 .407 99 164 3 8
1987 32 DET AL 146 470 75 130 30 3 20 75 0 0 70 82 .277 .376 .481 130 226 0 8
1988 33 DET AL 144 512 67 135 29 4 17 64 1 2 59 65 .264 .346 .436 122 223 1 7
1989 34 DET AL 127 414 45 98 19 2 7 47 1 5 46 71 .237 .323 .343 90 142 2 8
1990 35 DET AL 104 322 39 83 16 4 5 32 3 2 48 61 .258 .359 .379 107 122 2 4
YR From To G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG SB CS OPS+
TOTALS 9 1982 1990 1203 4074 570 1071 218 32 142 536 468 647 .263 .349 .437 13 28 117