Former Detroit Tigers relief player Guillermo “Willy” Hernandezwho won the American League Most Valuable Player Award, the AL Cy Young Award and a World Series championship in 1984 as part of his 13-year MLB career, died Monday night.
He was 69 years old.
Hernandez, who suffered from heart disease after his playing career, died at his home in Sebring, Florida, according to the British Daily Mail. Report from La Primera Hora. Funeral services are expected to be held in Aguada, Puerto Rico, where Hernandez was born in 1954.
“The Tigers are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Willie Hernandez,” the Tigers said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our thoughts are with Hernandez’s family, friends and colleagues.”
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Only three players have won the MVP, Cy Young, and World Series in the same season: Sandy Kovacs In 1963, Denny McLean in 1968 and Hernandez in 1984.
Hernandez is one of 10 players to win the MVP and Cy Young Awards in the same season, along with… Don Newcomb in 1956, COVAX in 1963, McLean in 1968, Bob Gibson In 1968, Rolly’s fingers In 1981, Roger Clemens In 1986, Dennis Eckersley In 1992, Justin Verlander In 2011 and Clayton Kershaw In 2014.
Three of those players – Wengers, Hernandez and Eckersley – served as assistants. Both Fingers and Eckersley were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
“Willie Hernandez was a great teammate, and I am so sorry to hear of his passing,” Hall of Famer Alan TrammellHe, who played for the Tigers from 1977 to 1996, said in a statement Tuesday. “I will never forget our team celebrating together on the mound after he scored the final run of the 1984 World Series. He will always be remembered as a World Series champion. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
In the 1984 season, Hernandez posted a 1.92 ERA and 32 saves in 140⅓ innings pitched in 80 games out of the bullpen. Of those 80 matches, 68 were over. He appeared in six additional games during the postseason, including three plate appearances, 5⅓ innings, and two saves in the World Series.
“He was our stud,” Trammell told the Free Press on Tuesday. “We certainly wouldn’t have won the championship without him. His control was precise that year. He had an amazing curler that has never been thrown so often in the history of the game. … Willie was a friendly guy who got along with everyone.”
Hernandez, a left-hander, pitched in the final two innings of the 1984 World Series. He faced eight batters and earned a save to secure an 8-4 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 5 at Tiger Stadium.
He also made the save in Game 3 of the World Series.
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“Obviously it was a shock when I heard Willie passed away,” the former Tigers catcher and teammate said Lance Parrish He said Tuesday. “I heard his health wasn’t good. It’s a sad day. We all loved Willie and he was a big reason for our success in 1984.
“It was fun to catch up with Willie who had endless success that year. He was so dominant. It didn’t take long for me to be on the same page with him about how he likes to differentiate between hitters. It was fun to sit there.” It works because he mastered everything so well. Willie was a fun guy to be around. He was a great club guy with a great work ethic. “Sparky (Anderson, manager) asked him to do things that he didn’t ask many shut-ins in today’s game and he never failed to answer the bell.”
The Tigers acquired Hernandez (b Dave Bergman) from the Philadelphia Phillies in March 1984, trading away Glenn Wilson And John Walkenfuss. Before the trade, Hernandez played for the Chicago Cubs (1977-83) and Phillies (1983).
Hernandez spent his final six seasons, from 1984-89, as a member of the Tigers. He made the AL All-Star team in 1984, 1986 and 1987, recording a 2.60 ERA and 87 saves across 335⅔ innings pitched in 218 games over the three-year period.
In his 13-year MLB career, Hernandez had a 3.38 ERA with 147 saves and 778 strikeouts over 1,044⅔ innings pitched in 744 games. He pitched to a 1.32 ERA with three saves and seven strikeouts over 13⅔ innings in 10 postseason appearances.
“We were best friends, which is very sad for me and my family,” said a former Tigers player and teammate Barbara Garbi He said Tuesday. “I was a rookie in 1984 and Willie was like a brother to me and we did everything together. He gave me great advice on and off the field.
“My English was very bad at that time, and he often acted as my translator. We only had a few Latinos in the team at that time. He was happy all the time, joking. Of course everyone knows what a great player he was.” “The baseball world has lost a great man and competitor and we will miss him. The Tiger family is not doing well today.”
A Free Press staff writer contributed to this report. Contact Evan Petzold at [email protected] Or follow him @Evan Petzold.
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