1979 Detroit Tigers season


The 1979 Detroit Tigers finished in fifth place in the American League East with a record of 85-76, 18 games behind the Orioles. They outscored their opponents 770 to 738. The Tigers drew 1,630,929 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1979, ranking 7th of the 14 teams in the American League. This season is most notable for both the Tigers' involvement in the infamous Disco Demolition Night, of which they were the visiting team to the Chicago White Sox and declared winners by forfeit, as well as for their mid-season hiring of Sparky Anderson as manager. Anderson would manage the Tigers through the end of the 1995 season, winning the 1984 World Series along with two American League Eastern Division titles in 1984 and 1987.

Offseason

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C143493136.2761965
1B145492121.2462079
2B127423121.286342
3B10634387.254536
SS142460127.276650
LF134490156.31826105
RF12944093.2111456
CF148600180.300957
DH6824658.236940

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
9024677.3132051
8723161.2641546
9521363.296426
6019050.263421
7514640.274113
429922.22208
21399.23124
12389.23714
18225.22706
10195.26302

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
33196.112104.35109
27197.21773.28113
1697.1443.5133
1598653.9543
1046333.9122
414.20310.435

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
351581073.3059
27121.2644.5983
2184176.6454
1339336.9231

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVGFERASO
6110521492.41106
43479305.2246
37353194.3348
1011026.3313
1012084.828
611038.257

Awards and honors

Ron LeFlore
Aurelio López
Jack Morris
Bruce Robbins
Alan Trammell
Milt Wilcox
The following members of the 1979 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract in 2001:
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Evansville