WILLIE HERNANDEZ
Pitcher, 1984-1989
#21
--Class of 2005--
Bats - Left
Throws - Left
Born - 11/14/1954
Biography:
Needing one more piece to complete the World Championship puzzle in 1984, the Tigers traded away fan favorites John Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dave Bergman and a lefty hurler named Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez. It didn't take long for the Tigers to realize that they may have made one of the best trades in team history. Equipped with a deadly screwball and equally deadly confidence, Hernandez's 1984 campaign was one for the ages, especially for a relief pitcher. Willie posted a 9-3 record that season, notching a save in each of his first 32 opportunities. His only blown save in '84 came in his final opportunity of the regular season. It was a regular season in which Herandez pitched just over 140 innings in 80 appearances, posting a sparkling 1.92 ERA in the process. In tandem with Aurelio Lopez, the Tigers were able to feature one of the the best 1-2 bullpen combinations in team history. But as Hernandez proved, the regular season was only the beginning. During the postseason, he was as equally effective. In six games that October, Hernandez logged just over nine innings of work, earning three saves and recording the final out of the 1984 World Series in the process. He finished the season by winning not only the American League Cy Young Award, but also collecting MVP honors, an incredible achievement for any pitcher, much less a reliever. The three-time Tigers All-Star never again had a season that equaled 1984, but he had a few more strong ones. In 1985, he saved 31 games and posted a 2.70 ERA in 107 innings of work. He went on to save 24 games in '86, but started losing favor with the fans, and in turn began to lose confidence. He rejected the name Willie in favor of his given name, Guillermo, and in a fit of frustration once dumped the contents of a water bucket on to a reporter's head. In 1987, manager Sparky Anderson began rotating closers, with Hernandez saving only eight games en route to the Tigers' American League East Division title. He also shared the closer's role with Mike Henneman in the following two seasons, collecting another 25 saves before opting for retirement. When it was all said an done, Hernandez had solidified himself as one of the great relief pitchers in team history. His 120 saves in a Tigers uniform places him third all-time for a Detroit reliever.
Pitching:
Code:
Year Ag Tm Lg W L G GS CG SHO GF SV IP H R ER HR BB SO HBP WP BFP ERA ERA+ WHIP
1984 29 DET AL 9 3 80 0 0 0 68 32 140.3 96 30 30 6 36 112 4 2 548 1.92 204 0.941
1985 30 DET AL 8 10 74 0 0 0 64 31 106.7 82 38 32 13 14 76 1 2 415 2.70 151 0.900
1986 31 DET AL 8 7 64 0 0 0 53 24 88.7 87 35 35 13 21 77 5 2 376 3.55 117 1.218
1987 32 DET AL 3 4 45 0 0 0 31 8 49.0 53 27 20 8 20 30 0 1 217 3.67 116 1.490
1988 33 DET AL 6 5 63 0 0 0 38 10 67.7 50 24 23 8 31 59 4 3 284 3.06 125 1.197
1989 34 DET AL 2 2 32 0 0 0 25 15 31.3 36 21 20 4 16 30 1 0 141 5.74 66 1.660
YR From To W L WL% ERA G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA+
TOTALS 6 1984 1989 36 31 .537 2.98 358 0 279 0 0 120 483.7 404 175 160 52 138 384 135