Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers History: Willie Hernandez Acquired in Trade

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:19 a.m. ET

Fansided, David Hill/FanSided via Call to the Pen

Sometimes, a trade makes all the difference in the world. On this day in 1984, the Detroit Tigers acquired Willie Hernandez, who became an immediate star.

Willie Hernandez was a solid reliever for the Phillies and Cubs. He had spent some time closing while in Chicago, and generally posted decent strikeout numbers. Yet, Hernandez was not exactly the type of pitcher that anyone would ever imagine as a game changer.

Well, that changed on this day in 1984. The Detroit Tigers acquired Hernandez and Dave Bergman from the Phillies for John Wockenfuss and Glenn Wilson. Wilson was a decent young player with a bit of power, making the All Star Team in 1985. However, the star of the trade, as he became a shutdown closer with the Tigers.

The 1984 Tigers were a juggernaut, starting the season with a 35-5 record before coasting to the American League East title. They won 104 games, and lost only one game in the postseason en route to winning the World Series. It was truly a dream year in Detroit.

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Calling 1984 a dream season would have been particularly accurate for Hernandez. Inserted as the Tigers closer, he recorded a 9-3 record along with 32 saves. In his 140.1 innings, Hernandez had a 1.92 ERA and a 0.941 WHiP, striking out 112 batters against 36 walks. He made the All Star team for the first time, and won both the Cy Young and the MVP awards that season.

Hernandez would continue to be a good closer for the Tigers, although he would never reach those heights again. He made the All Star Game in 1985 and 1986, and finished his time with the Tigers with 120 saves. He pitched well until his final season in the Majors in 1989, but still managed to record 15 saves and strike out 30 batters in 31.1 innings. Not a bad performance from a player who was only a decent reliever previously.

Willie Hernandez turned out to be a steal for the Detroit Tigers. Even though he was not expected to be a star, he was a major piece of the Tigers World Series run in 1984.