Tigers celebrate 40th anniversary of 1984 World Series title team

DETROIT — Saturday was the 40-year reunion for the team that captivated Detroit in 1984 on their way to a World Series title.

And they can still pack the house.

The 1984 championship team was honored before Saturday’s game at Comerica Park.

It was a chance for the group to bask in the cheers of fans while also catching up with old friends.

“Winning a World Series is special because it doesn’t happen very often,” said infielder Tom Brookens. “For most of us, it only happened one time. That, in itself, makes it special. In ’84, we were, without a doubt, the best team in the big leagues. Every time we come back and rub elbows, tell stories, it’s all about that special year of ’84.”

Lance Parrish, a catcher on the 1984 team, described the group as a brotherhood.

“Most of us came through the minor leagues together, so we formed a very strong bond early on,” said Lance Parrish, catcher on the 1984 team. “When we got to the big leagues, we hooked up with guys like Larry (Herndon) and others, and it didn’t take long for anyone who joined this ball club to become part of the brotherhood. I know that term gets thrown around a lot, but it truly defines what we represent. We worked together, sweated together, bled together, and aimed to accomplish a goal. Being able to do that was incredibly satisfying.”

The 1984 team included three future Hall-of-Famers — Alan Trammell, Jack Morris and manager Sparky Anderson — and several others who had illustrious careers, including Kirk Gibson and Lou Whitaker. But there were players who had smaller but still vital roles.

“There were certain guys who got more attention and publicity, but there were guys behind the scenes who were just as important as anybody on our ball club,” Trammell said. “I want to make sure that’s stated. The whole team, the ’84 team, was special. The way we built that group and that team, it would work today.”

Herndon was traded to the Tigers before the 1982 season. Asked to describe what intangible factor helped make the ‘84 team a champions, he had a one-word answer.

“Trust,” Herndon said. “There’s a trust in your guys because you know when they’re up there, they’re going to get it done. When I joined these guys, they were already a fantastic team. You could see the trust. That trust is something you can’t really measure or know unless you’ve been on a true championship team. For us, that’s what we had.”

The 1984 team captured national attention with their 35-5 start to the season. Forty years later, that record is still familiar to any Tiger fan. But Trammell said it was far more important how they finished: With a World Series victory.

“If we hadn’t won after all the incredible things we did, I hate to say it, but it would have been for naught,” Trammell said. “People wouldn’t remember that 35-5 start if we didn’t win. The Mariners won 116 games (in 2001), but people don’t really talk about them because they didn’t win it all. That was one of the most successful seasons in baseball history, but they didn’t win, did they? We won. That makes our story better.”