The Lost Wednesday

So, I was looking for something today in one of those plastic storage bins, and I came across a genuine piece of my history with Tiger baseball. It was my ticket stubs from a game I attended at Tiger Stadium on July 10, 1985. I would love to tell you that this was a memorable game, and I have a bounty of riveting highlights to share. On the contrary, I've recall zilch from this game. I had to look up the game log on Baseball Reference to find out that I was at quite a little gem of a game.

Tom Seaver faced off against Jack Morris that fair Wednesday. I say fair because the game wasn't rained out. In reality, my recollection of the weather is no better than the game itself. I'm sorry. I suck. I would like to blame my blackout on some traumatic event, in which a period of my life was tragically overshadowed, and therefore blocked from memory. Nope. I have unforgivably forgotten a game I attended, one with a Hall of Fame pitcher dueling a potential Hall of Fame pitcher.

Jack Morris came out one top that day, pitching a complete game, 5-hit shutout, with four walks and 9 Ks against the Chicago White Sox (managed by Tony LaRussa). Tom Seaver wasn't bested by much. He went eight strong, allowing four hits and one earned run, no walks, and five strikeouts. That's right, the final score was 1-0 Tigers. I know, how is it possible not to remember it?

Lou Whitaker got the lone RBI, a two-out single scoring Tommy Brookens in the bottom of the eighth inning. Brookens had hit a double with two outs in the previous at bat. I would love to say that reading these details sparked my memory of Whitaker's single up the middle, a ball that just got by the second baseman, allowing Brookens to score easily from second base without a slide. Again, I let you down. I got nothin. In fact, I just made all that up about the single going up the middle. The game log didn't indicate the field to which the ball was hit. The no-slide score by Brookens? Also fabricated. Who knows whether he slid or not? NOT ME! Feel free to post abusive comments. I deserve them.

The win put the Tigers at 47-34, good for 3.5 games back of Toronto in the AL East. The game was well attended, with 33,748 other fans joining me at the ballpark. I wonder how many of them remember this game? In my defense, I was a little young to remember this game, and I had only gone to my very first baseball game in 1983. I'm sure I had no idea who Tom Seaver was at the time, and would have had no appreciation for what a great matchup it was. Well, I wasn't really all that young, but I'm trying to come up with a credible excuse here--please play along.

Hey, thanks for coming along for a ride on the amnesia express. It was fun, wasn't it? Wasn't it? More fun than reading ESPN's Rumor Central? More fun than pondering the Tigers' 2010 season, with true rookies playing center field and second base? (Actually, it will be fun to watch the young fellas develop, as long as your expectations are well, let's say tempered).

Gift Horse: Looked in the Mouth

I have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to share these snaps with you.  Today seems to be the day, as the Tigers (Morris' 77-90 team) are playing the Twins (Morris' 91 team and current employer--he's in his 6th year as a Twinkies broacaster).  You surely do not recall (I don't expect retention of the fare produced here) that I mentioned I was going to the game on Monday, May 4.  The giveaway that night was a Jack Morris jersey/t-shirt.

Due to the reduced numbers of Tiger faithful at the CoPa this year, I became one of the 10,000 fortunate fans to receive the #47 tent/awning, I mean jersey/t-shirt.  My first thought was to wonder whether Morris had to approve the t-shirt.  Now, I feel a little guilty bagging on a freebie, because I kind of hate when people complain about stuff that's given to them, but somehow my I managed to shove that feeling aside long enough to get this post up, so...

I think there was only one size--XL.  I thought I saw some people with smaller sizes on, but someone said they were told there was only one size.  I understand that it would be a logistical nightmare to have different sizes, and you've got to just put it out there as is, and whoever likes it/wants it is happy.  Mine fits me like a glove--yeah, Shaq's glove.  I  mean, I'm not a small girl, but let's just say it's a lot of fabric.  Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong.  I should be thinking, this is a t-shirt for two.  Let's get snug in it together.  The Belle Tire logo is ever so prominently displayed on the arm.  Sure, they sponsored the promotion, they want recognition.  Who can forget Belle Tire, what with the same ad running between every half inning on FSN (and then in our heads like a hamster on a wheel)?

Anyway, the Tigers have done some really great promotional giveaways--like the DVD of Verlander's no-hitter.  That was a gem.   Sorry I wasn't more grateful for this one.