Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 56

jpre-DLto lay mi Lr: 1 DETROIT FREE PRESSMONDAY, OCT. 5, 1967 9D DETROIT FREE PRESSMONDAY, OCT. 5, 1987 8D Detroit Toronto 96-64 96-64 Detroit Toronto 97-64 96-65 Detroit Toronto 98-64 96-66 94-59 92-60 Toronto Detroit 96-63 95-64 Toronto Detroit 95-59 92-61 Detroit 1 Blue Jays 4, Tigers 3, at Toronto: Ernie Whitt hits a two-run single off Jack Morris in the third inning, wiping out a 2-0 Tigers lead. Whitt later scores the Jays' fourth run of the inning and the game-winner on a wild pitch. The Jays' Tony Fernandez suffers a broken right elbow when upended by Bill Mad-lock on a double-play attempt.

Tigers 10, Orioles 1, a IDetroit: Orioles 7, Tigers 3, at Detroit: The Orioles hammer Dan Petry, taking a 5-0 lead after three innings. Jose Mesa wins his first major league game. Terry Kennedy hits a three-run homer. Brewers 5, Jays 2, at Toronto: Juan Nieves pitches a five-hitter, striking out 10 as Milwaukee completes a three-game sweep. Tigers 1, Blue Jays 0, at Detroit: Frank Tanana pitches a six-hitter, and Larry Herndon hits a solo homer in the second for the title.

Jimmy Key pitches a three-hitter for the Jays, who end the season with seven straight losses. The final out is Garth lorg's comebacker to Tanana, who underhands to Dar-rell Evans at first base. Tigers 9, Orioles 5, at Detroit: The Orioles take a two-run lead in the "first Inning with the help of photographers interfering with Tom Brookens' pursuit of a pop foul, but the Tigers get four runs in their first and never trail again. Walt Terrell wins his 17th game and eighth straight, supported by Matt Nokes and Kirk Gibson homers. Tigers 4, Blue Jays 3, at Detroit: Manny Lee's three-run homer off Doyle Alexander (9-0) gives the Jays a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Scott Lusader's two-run homer and Alan Trammell's solo homer tie it.

The winner scores on Chet Lemon's double- Tigers 3, Blue Jays 2, at Detroit: Alan Trammell's one-out, bases-loaded double-play ball goes through Manny Lee's legs for the game-winner in the 12th inning. Mike Flanagan pitches 11 innings for the Jays; Jack Morris goes nine for the Tigers. Mike Henneman pitches three hitless innings for his 11th relief win. Blue Jays 3, Tigers 2, at Toronto: Frank Tanana pitches seven shutout innings, but Manny Lee's two-run, ninth-inning triple off Willie Hernandez ties it. With Mike Hen-neman pitching, the bases loaded and one out, Lloyd Moseby hits a sharp, one-out grounder to Lou Whitaker.

He throws wildly to home; Lee scores. Jays 10, Tigers 9, at Toronto: The Tigers build a 9-4 lead on two homers and six RBIs by Matt Nokes (one of them a grand slam off lefthander John Cerutti). The lead is 9-7 entering the ninth, but Juan Beni-quez's bases-loaded triple with none out off Dickie Noles bounds to the fence In left-center for the game-winner. Tigers 3, Blue Jays 2, at Toronto: Kirk Gibson, whose solo homer off Tom Henke tied it, 1 -1 in the ninth, wins it with a bloop single in the 13th. Jim Walewander scores the game-winner with a headfirst dive.

Doyle Alexander allows two runs in 10 innings, ending his streak of wins In eight consecutive starts. The Jays win the series, 3-1. Orioles 3, Tigers 0, at Detroit: Rookie John Habyan pitches a three-hitter for eight innings, beating Jack Morris. Tom Niedenfuer gets the save, rewers 6, Jays 4, at Toronto: Milwaukee breaks a 1-1 tie with a four-run fifth inning, beating Mike Flanagan. Robin Yount has three of Milwaukee's 12 hits.

Homers by Chet Lemoriand Bill ght Madlock back Frank Tan innings, one run, three his). Brewers 5, Jays 3, at roromo: Milwaukee routs Jays i a Jimiy Key, getting 12 of Its 13 hil him. He lasts 5Vi innim igainst Ernie Whitt suffers broken ribs lid is out play ball. Mike Henneman saves it. for the season.

The Tigers turn five aouDie piays. lim the Tims Kim toe aaaacfla Ms I a bill Toronto uWl Tte 96-59 lToron, 86-60 lraToron, 11 zh mWklSX iPDeZr I 2 if Detroit 92-62 3 fpll Detroit 93-62 2 11 PSj Detroit 93-63 2 If B5S.1 Pelro" 9463 11 11 Wi I mm i 1 1 1 Hi) J. to at 1 1 M' Illli mu 1 ,1 1 1 1 jrwwfmmmmm.m Hi 111 I I I 1 I -a Hemcton cool! 1 ill and reclem Sparky takes crowning moment in stride ption Report Sparky Anderson In the playoffs 1 kC' mi mi 'WTt 1 if VLV'i jy riSi A i jr i VT 1 3 TV1" I 1 1 ft. nir ii i ifi ri it Hi Itni iirfiiimiiiiwiiHiiirililin m.niinMtaii!l By KEITH GAVE Free Press Sports Writer While his players mobbed themselves between first base and the pitcher's mound, the little white-haired man shook hands with his coaches and walked calmly out of the Tigers' dugout toward the scrum. His team had just beaten Toronto, 1-0, to win the American League East title in what he would describe as a crowning moment in his managerial career.

And Sparky Anderson was so cool. Let him explain. "I'm going to tell you a story now that I've never told anybody," he said, peeling off his uniform in his crowded office as his players showered themselves in champagne in the dressing room. He sat back and crossed his arms over the gray T-shirt that proclaimed the Tigers as World Series champions of 1984. Then he told his story.

It began Sept. 25 in Toronto, after a heartbreaking loss to the Blue Jays. Things looked bleak for his team, but Anderson followed through with plans for dinner the next evening with close friends. But Sept. 26, his team suffered another disheartening loss.

The last thing he wanted to do was entertain friends. He went anyway. "I never had anything harder to do," he said. "And 10 minutes into it, it was bad. "And then this little lady, Hillary King is her name, she's about 25 years old and pretty as a picture.

Well, she didn't know baseball too well. "But she says to me, 'This is so cool. You know, you're going to win this She told me, 'You've won before, but you've never won like She told me to be cool, but don't show it, don't give it away. "I saw her today before the game, and she said, 'It's She said, 'You're the coolest you've ever And so he was. "It's the greatest feeling I've ever had," said Anderson, whose teams have won bigger games with more at stake.

"I can die and go to heaven I hope I go to heaven and I've had it all now." Just a week ago to the day, he remembers, things weren't so hot for the Tigers. He recalled sitting in the visitors' dugout at Toronto's Exhibition stadium with Kirk Gibson at bat and his team three outs from virtual elimination. "I knew it was over," he said. Then Gibson hit the dramatic home run and the Tigers won the game to begin their thrilling comeback. Gibson may have hit the home run, but Anderson called the shot way back in late spring when he urged Detroit fans not to give up on his team just yet, and promised them excitement down the stretch.

Sparky the prophet. So cool. So lucky, he said, adding that he has no intention of changing his style. "Nah," he said, sitting back in his chair, his feet propped up on his desk. "I'll continue to do what I always do.

And remember, I'm wrong more than I'm right, anyway." OK, but how did you know your team would finish like this? "I didn't," he said with a mischievous smile. "I was just having fun." About that time, Alan Trammell stopped by, broke through the group of reporters, and hugged his manager. "I just had to do that. Thanks, Sparky," Trammell said. "Tram, you're the greatest," the little man said as his shortstop left to rejoin the party outside.

Anderson is a man beloved by his players. Most of them, anyway. "The only ones who don't like Sparky are the ones who aren't playing all the time," pitcher Jack Morris said. "And you can understand that, because everybody wants to contribute. "But I personally like the man so much I can't ever describe it.

It would sound silly. I think we've both grown up in a lot of ways. I think he's a different person since he came here, and I think I am, too." Anderson described a similar affinity for this 1 987 team, which has given him so much joy. "I'm so proud to take this team into Minnesota Tuesday," he said, referring to Wednesday's start of the best-of-seven American League championship series. "That will be my proudest moment." Bar patrons welcome unexpected visitors The team party was at Darrell Evans' house Sunday night.

Long before that, customers at a bar next to Tiger Stadium had their celebration unexpectedly enhanced. Shortly after the game, Jack Morris led several of his teammates over to the bar in uniform for about 1 0 minutes' worth of high-fiving and alcohol pouring. "The fans were high-fiving us so hard it hurt," said Scott Lusader. Other members of the expedition included Walt Terrell, Dan Petry, Jeff Robinson, Mike Henneman, Dwight Lowry and Jim Walewander. Sick, but feeling no pain: About 1 hour and 15 minutes before Frank Tanana's first pitch Sunday, Tom Brookens looked at the doctor who was treating him at Ford Hospital.

"I told him, 'I don't know what's on your mind, but I'm going to the Brookens said. So Brookens, weakened by a stomach ailment that hit early Sunday morning, made it to the clubhouse and Into uniform for the clincher. "I never went out to the bench," said Brookens, the Tigers' regular third baseman. "I watched the whole thing on TV. I can never remember being unavailable for a game because I was sick.

I should be disappointed. But I'm not." Brookens said he awoke at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, afflicted by vomiting and diarrhea. He went to the hospital instead of the park Sunday morning. "It was some kind of flu," Brookens said.

Reliever Willie Hernandez, who missed Saturday's game because of a stomach ailment, was back Sunday. "I feel fine," Hernandez said. Bagging a momenta: Alan Trammell walked out of the clubhouse carrying second base. Lou Whitaker had grabbed it at the end of the game, then written an inscription on it in black ink: "To Alan Trammell, MVP, 1987, Congratulations, Louis Rodman Whitaker." And up in the corner was written "Ten Years," the time Trammell and Whitaker have been the Tigers' double-play combination, A little class, please: After everyone else in a Tigers uniform had run out of the dugout at the last out Sunday, manager Sparky Anderson walked out slowly, as slowly as if he were changing a pitcher. He didn't want to show up Toronto manager Jimy Williams.

"I knew how tough it was on Jimy," Anderson said. "I didn't want to do anything that would reflect on him. That's a tough thing. It was a tough day for him." John Lowe YEAR OUTCOME 1970 Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh. 3-0 1972 CmdnnatrJjitedPjttsburgh.

3-2 "1973" to New York. 3-2 1975 Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh, 3-0 1976 Cincinnati defeated" Philadelphia, 3-0 1984 Detroit defeated Kansas City, 3-0 Sparky Anderson in World Series YEAR OUTCOME '1 1970 Cincinnati lost to Baltimore, 4-1 1972 Cincinnati l03t to Oakland. 4-3 1975 Cincinnati defeated Boston, 4-3 1976 Cincinnati defeated New York, 4-0 1984 Detroit deieated San Diego. 4-1 Tigers In the playoffs YEAR OUTCOME 1972 Detroit lostjo Oakland, 1934 Detroit defeated Kansas City. 3-6 Tigers In World Series YEAR OUTCOME 1907 JDetroltJost to ChicagojCubs, 1908 Detroit lost to Chicago Cubs.

40 1909 Detroit lost to Pittsburgh. 4-3 1934 Detroit lost to St. Louis, 4-3 1935 Detroit defeated Chicago Cubs, 4-2 1940 Detroit lost to Cincinnati, 4-3 Detroit defeated Chicago Cubs, 4-3 1968 Detroit defeated St. Louis. 4-3 1984 Detroit defeated San Diego, 4-1 one in on Herndon's hands but failed to get it inside enough.

It was there, just right, perfect for Herndon's picking. "And yet I just didn't hit it as well as I would have liked," Herndon said. "Luckily, I just got enough. I saw Bell go back and it looked like he had a chance to catch it. I looked at Bell all the way.

And then when I heard and saw the crowd reaction behind the fence, I knew it was out. "I never pressed this year. I knew what I had to do, how I had to come back. I really didn't know what to expect for sure coming into this season, but I just set out to do the best, like I always do. And everything just turned out good.

I never thought that would be the only run today. I never had any idea." It was the Tigers' seventh consecutive one-run game against the Blue Jays. "Wasn't this exciting?" asked Herndon, 33, his eyes beaming. "I guess when you're going for the gold that's the way it should be. We knew we still had a chance last Sunday, even though we had lost three of four from Toronto.

I knew back when we were 1 1-19 that we weren't an 11-19 team. That's why this is much sweeter than in '84. We worked so much harder to get here." He held a victory cigar in his right hand, but it was not lit. Somehow, it was another subtle reminder that mild, soft-spoken Larry Herndon wasn't about to light his own flame, to put himself on a pedestal and release the anguish of the past two seasons in this one, glorious moment. No need.

His winning smile said it all. "I've always said," exuberant Tigers manager Sparky Anderson offered, "that I have never met a finer person than Larry Herndon. I think there are few people like Larry Herndon who cannot be a better person than they are. Larry Herndon is special to me and he always will be. I will always have a special place in my heart for him, and he will always be on my mantelpiece.

"Not for that homer. Just 'cause he's Larry Herndon." By TOMMY GEORGE Free Press Sports Writer The quietest Tiger produced the loudest roar. After Larry Herndon slapped a belt-high fastball barely over lunging, leaping left fielder George Bell and the blue wire fence and into a sea of hilariously happy fans after the Tigers made that run count to win the American League East crown after all that, Herndon stood in a champagne-soaked Tigers locker room and exuded that special feeling of a once-beaten champion who has risen again. Here was a guy with gimpy legs, adequate glove and .244 and .247 batting averages the previous two seasons. But Sunday, he was redeemed.

He was on everyone's trading block during the off-season, but hinted on Opening Day that he wasn't through by clobbering a 440-foot homer to dead center. He politely refused interviews all season. But on this Sunday afternoon, standing in the glare of TV cameras and microphones, with a cluster of reporters hanging on his every word, he was well, speechless. And then he managed: "What can I say. What can I tell you?" And then he was interrupted by a long, showering squirt of bubbly from Tom Brookens.

And then he tried to continue. And he could only whisper, "We won." Tigers win. Larry Herndon wins. His second-inning homer off lefty Jimmy Key made it 1-0, and through nine innings of anticipation, sweat and grit, it finished that way. What a marvelous comeback for the once 11-19 Tigers.

What a resounding exclamation point for a man liked by his peers and fans, but whose career not long ago seemed on the brink. "When I first got here," said Bill Madlock, drenched from the winners' drink and clenching a bottle for more, "I heard a lot about what happened to Larry Herndon. I heard last year was rough and that was two bad seasons in a row, that he had been taking some slashing. And to see him have this kind of success after two rough years? It's a great, great thing." MARY SCHROEDERDelrolt Free Press George Bell reaches in vain for Larry Herndon's homer. In 89 games this season Herndon, playing against left-handed pitching, hit .324, collecting his ninth homer and 47th RBI in the division clincher.

"He knows," shortstop Alan Trammell said, "that his last two years were so-so years, just like they have been for the team. But what he did today from where he's come? Hey, that's really the story of our season." When Herndon strolled to the plate against Key, having gone l-for-6 against him this season, he expected a variety of breaking pitches rather than a fastball he could rip. Key, instead, tried to run the quick 0 niter enc DAYMON J. HARTLEYDetroit Free Press Jays take defeat hard, but reject 'choker' label beat the Blue Jays, 1-0. that Larry Herndon follows through on the second-inning home rjun Tigers eke out '87 East title, 1-0 Tanana a perfect hero the ball and shoved it over the fence, ft v.

1 I Toronto reached the fence in the fourth, and oh, did it hurt. With one out, Fielder singled. Lee was next, and Tigers 1, Blue Jays 0 manager Jimy Williams put on the hit-and-run sign for the first pitch. Then Williams saw that Lee had missed the sign. He yelled in verbal code to first-base coach Billy Smith to inform Fielder not to run.

Smith yelled, TORONTO Uriano 2b Moseby cf Boll If Beniquez dh Barlield rf Fielder lb Lee ss Iorg 3b AAoore DETROIT abrhbi 3 0 0 0 Whitaker 2b 4 0 10 Madlock dh 3 0 10 Gibson If 4 0 0 0 Trammell ss 4 0 0 0 Herndon rf 4 0 10 Lusader rf 4 0 10 Lemon cf 4 0 0 0 Evans lb 2 0 2 0 Morrison 3b Walewndr 3b Healh abrhbi 3020 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1000 3 111 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 "One out, one out" the message to i- i. A I ft'. r'y 1 I Tr, I Fielder not to go. But Fielder went. Lee took the 32 0 0 Totals pitch, and suddenly the lumbering Totals Toronto 24 13 1 000 000 000-0 010 000 000-1 1 44 mil Detroit Fielder was attempting his tirst major Game-wlnnino RBI: Herndon 131.

DP: Toronto 3, league stolen base, catcher Mine rieam threw him out. Then Lee tripled off the fence in right. Lee was stranded as Iorg flied to 1 ttpqp Final BATTING AB 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA Tramrtwll 151 597 109 205 34 3 28 105 56 47 19 21-23 .343 Herndon 89 225 32 73 13 2 9 47 23 35 1 1-1 .324 Lusadar 23 47 8 15 3 1 1 8 5 7 1 1-1 .319 Nokes 135 461 69 133 14 2 32 87 35 70 5 2-3 .289 Heath 93 270 34 76 16 0 8 33 21 42 5 1-6 .281 Madlock 87 326 56 91 17 0 14 51 28 45 2 4-7 .279 Gibson 128 487 95 135 25 3 24 79 67 117 7 26-33 .277 Lemon 146 470 75 130 30 3 20 75 69 82 3 0-0 .277 Bergman 91 172 25 47 7 3 6 22 30 23 3 0-1 .273 Whitaker 149 604 110 160 38 6 16 59 70 108 17 13-18 .265 Sheridan 141 421 57 109 19 3 6 49 44 90 6 18-31 .259 Evans 150 499 90 128 20 0 34 99 98 83 4 6-11 .257 Brookens 143 444 59 107 15 3 13 57 31 63 19 7-11 .241 Walewndr 53 54 24 13 3 1 1 4 7 6 1 Morrison 34 117 15 24 1 1 4 19 2 26 2 2-3 .205 Grubb 59 114 9 23 6 0 2 13 15 16 0 0-0 .202 Uwry 13 25 0 5 2 0 0 0 0 6 0 (H) .200 Baker 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hennemn 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Morris 31000000000 TOTALS 5649 895 1535 274 32 225 838 638 9)3 122 103-153 .272 Game-winning RBI (87): Trammell 16, Gibson 11, Madlock 10, Whitaker 8, Evans 7, Lemon 6, Nokes 6, Sheridan 5, Bergman 4, Brookens 4, Heath 4, Herndon 3, Lusader 2, Coles, Grubb. SB-Stolen bases and attempted steals. PITCHING 03 IP ER HP.

BB SO ERA Alexander 9 0 11 9-11 88') 63 16 15 3 26 44 1.53 Henneman 11 3 55 (Ml 9(M 86 36 32 8 30 75 2.98 Morrll 18 11 34 18-34 266 227 111 100 39 93 206 3.38 Hernandez 3 4 45 O-O 49 53 27 20 8 20 30 3.67 Tanana 15 10 34 18-34 218 216 106 95 27 56 146 3.91 Snell 1 2 22 1-2 38V3 39 20 17 5 19 19 3.96 Terrell 17 10 35 18-35 244 254 123 110 30 94 143 4.04 Thurmond 0 1 48 0-0 6IV3 83 32 29 5 24 21 4.23 Noles 004 0-0 2211010 4.50 King 6 9 55 1-4 116 111 67 63 15 60 89 4.89 Robinson 9 6 29 8-21 127'A 132 86 76 16 54 98 5.37 Petry 9 7 30 8-21 134 148 101 84 22 76 93 5.61 TOTALS 98 64 88-162 1456 1430 735 651 180 562 975 4.02 Saves (30) King 9, Hernandei 8, Henneman 7, Thurmond 5, Noles 2. OS-Quality starts and games started. A quality start Is one in which a pitcher allows three earned runs or fewer and goes at least six innings. Totals include players traded, released or In the minor leagues. Timers facts Vs.

AL East: 47-31 Vs. AL West: 51-33 Games vs. righty starters: 71-39 Games vs. lefty starters: 27-25 On grass fields: 85-52 On artificial turl: 13-12 One-run games: 26-16 Extra-innings: 9-5 '87 attendance: 2,061,829 '87 attendance average: 25,773 '86 attendance: 1,853,023 '86 attendance average: 23,756 center. The Jays' last chance for an RBI Delroll 1.

LOB: Toronto Detroit i. io: Lee, hk: Herndon (9). SB: Gibson (26), Moseby (391. CS: Fielder, SO: Uriano, Moseby 2, Beniquei, Iorg 2, Barfield, Fielder 2, Whitaker, Madlock, Gibson, Herndon, Lemon, Evans, Morrison, Heath. IP RERBBSO Toronto Key (L 17-B) 8 3 113 8 Detroit Tanana (W 15-10) 9 6 0 0 3 9 WP: Tanana 2.

2:29. 51,005. Umpires: Home, Barnett; lb, Relllv; 2b, Brlnkman; 3b, Palermo. How they scored SECOND INNING Detroit: Key pitching. Trammell grounded to third.

Herndon homered to left. Lemon grounded to third. Evans grounded to second. FINAL SCORE! Tigers Blue Jays 0. we didn't get.

Our pitchers didn't get blown out the team didn't get blown out. We competed and lost, period." Williams was asked whether missing injured shortstop Tony Fernandez and catcher Ernie Whitt cost the Blue Jays the division title. "You can't talk about if we had this or if we had that," Williams said. "You have to take things as they come. Of course, you can't substitute for the experience those players bring to a game.

But I can't say that not having them lost these games for us." Typical of the Jays' fortunes was a fourth-inning play Sunday on which Cecil Fielder, on first base with a one-out single, was thrown out at second when the batter, Manny Lee, missed the hit-and-run sign. Lee then tripled, but was stranded when Iorg flied to center. Key, the AL earned run average champion and a strong Cy Young Award candidate, did all he could to end the Jays' losing streak and force a playoff for the division championship today. The only run off Key was Larry Herndon's second-inning fly ball that barely cleared the left field barrier for a home run. "I threw him a fastball on the inside of the plate just where I wanted to," Key said.

"I'm sure he'll tell you that he didn't hit it that good. But he hit it good enough to get it out, and that's all that counts." Key said he kept hoping the Blue Jays would get to Tanana. "We've seen him enough," Key said. "I thought it was just a matter of time." But Tanana, who threw seven shutout innings against Toronto the previous weekend, proved too tough a puzzle once more for the slumping Blue Jays. "He threw maybe 50 percent changeups," said catcher Charlie Moore, who had two of the six hits off Tanana.

"If he threw a fastball, it was out of the strike zone. We're a fastball-hitting team. Guys like Tanana who could throw the breaking ball over for strikes gave us trouble all year." By the time the Blue Jays were ready to board their team bus outside Tiger Stadium, Barfield wasn't in a much better mood. He said it would take him a while to shake the depression he felt. "What I've got to do is put this out of my mind or at least in the back of it," Barfield said.

As Mulliniks was leaving, someone asked him what his immediate plans were. "I'm going home now and start getting ready for next season," he said. For Mulliniks and the rest of the Blue Jays, looking single came in the eighth. Lloyd Mo sebv nulled a single to right. By GENE GUIDI Free Press Sports Writer For the last week, the Toronto Blue Jays managed to hold their composure as they watched the American League East title slowly slip through their grasp.

They told themselves there was always tomorrow and maybe tomorrow their wretched hitting slump would disappear in a rain of base hits. But the Blue Jays ran out of tomorrows Sunday at Tiger Stadium, losing their seventh straight game and the AL East in the process. Even more cruel for a team that hit well all season before suddenly going cold was the final score 1-0. As usual, most of the press corps crowded first around Jays outfielder Jesse Barfield the team's most eloquent spokesman for his insight. But Barfield stared angrily at the lights from the television cameras and said: "Turn those things off can't you see there are people in underwear here?" Next to Barfield, Lloyd Moseby another of the usually co-operative Jays also was in a sour mood.

"Hey, Rip!" Moseby yelled at Rip Collins, the visitors-clubhouse manager. "Where's the bag I told you to put in my locker? Doesn't anybody listen to instructions anymore?" On the table in the middle of the clubhouse, two big containers of pork chops lay virtually untouched. Appetites had disappeared with the loss in Game 162 that finally and almost mercifully finished off the Blue Jays. Fittingly, Toronto's last out was a weak ground ball by Garth Iorg that pitcher Frank Tanana grabbed and underhanded to first. The heart of the batting order let the Jays down again: Cleanup hitter Juan Beniquez, 0-for-ll coming into the game, was 0-for-4.

Barfield, 3-for-18, was 0-4. George Bell, l-for-23, had a harmless single in three at-bats. Bell, a candidate for most valuable player who had carried the Jays much of the season, came up woefully short against the Tigers. "These games were under a microscope, but it won't ruin the great season George has had as far as I'm concerned," Jays manager Jimy Williams said. "He came up big for us all year and won games for us that counted just as much in the standings as these games did.

Without George, we wouldn't have been playing for first place." Bell hit .308, with 47 homers and had 134 RBIs. The Blue Jays last wijn Sept. 26 in Toronto, TIGERS, from Page 1D With one run, the Tigers whose 896 runs led the majors finished a three-game sweep of this showdown series. They completed comebacks from an 11-game deficit in early May and a 3 54 -game deficit eight days before. "Unbelievable," said Tigers manager Sparky Anderson.

"That's really something." The game, the series, or the whole season? "Everything," Anderson said. Had the Blue Jays won this regularly scheduled finale, they would have re-tied the Tigers for first place and forced a one-game playoff today at Tiger Stadium. But they ran into a pitcher proven and qualified as their spellbinder. The left-handed Tanana pitched four games against Toronto this season. This was the third in which he didn't allow any runs, and the second shutout.

Tanana didn't have his curveball, his No. 1 pitch, working all day. He said he made up for it with his screwball. Key (17-8) the most consistent pitcher in the majors this season threw a three-hitter. But as in many of his previous losses, including two other three-hitters, he was beaten by his team's lack of runs.

As in the other two games of this three-game Tigers sweep, the Blue Jays had more opportunities. They left a runner in scoring position in the first inning (as they did in all three games), and in the third, fourth, seventh and eighth. Toronto went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position Sunday including a dreadful 0-for-5 by Nos. 4 and 5 hitters Juan Beniquez and Jesse Bar- Bell (who began and ended this series with 47 homers and 134 RBIs) CHARLIE VINCENT, from Page 1D "This is the best bunch of guys I've ever played with," we laugh and say he's quite a card. When a player says, as Frank Tanana has on numerous occasions, "I've been saved and that's the biggest thing that has happened to me.

Praise the Lord!" we most often shake our heads and roll our eyes. Frank Tanana knows that. But when that ball came back to him in the ninth-inning madness of Tiger Stadium Sunday afternoon, one of the thoughts that raced through his mind was what faith has done for him. In August and September, Frank Tanana became useless to the Tigers, wild and unreliable, no longer able to get anybody out. In a span of eight starts he was 0-3, with an earned run average of 7.41.

He left Sparky Anderson no choice. He was dropped from the rotation, in favor of journeyman Nate Snell. Frank Tanana thought about that Sunday. "I got through that with a lot of prayers," he said. "I found a lot of strength in the Lord.

I know I'm secure in His grace and His love. "I wasn't happy, of course, because everybody was contributing and I wasn't. But during that time I was able to get mechanically squared around and mentally, too." Frank Tanana is proud to tell you he is a Christian every day. But every fifth day or so, he is a pitcher, too. It hurt to have the ball taken out of his hand.

At the time, Anderson intimated Snell had a chance to replace Tanana permanently, saying his rotation was uncertain but "if Snell pitches good then 'I don't know' becomes 'I But Snell did not pitch well. So Sunday, in the game that climaxed the Tigers' improbable comeback from an undistinguished spring and an 11-19 start to the season, Frank Tanana found himself the man whom Anderson and the Tigers and the city looked to. No longer as fast as he once was on the mound or off he mesmerized the Blue Jays with an assortment of pitches, easy to see but hard to hit, dipping and diving floaters that could be timed with an hourglass instead of a speed gun. "Every now and then, I'd give 'em something in the '80s (miles an hour) to keep 'em off balance," he said, poking fun at his lack of speed. A few times, he got into trouble.

As when Toronto had two runners on base, with only one away in the first; when Manny Lee tripled with two out in the fourth, after missing a hit-and-run sign that got lead-footed Cecil Fielder thrown out, trying to steal second; and in the eighth, when Lloyd Moseby got to third with only one away, but was left to wither away there when Jesse Barfield bounced out to Tanana. Every time, Frank Tanana pitched his way out of the trouble. And in the end, when that ball bounced softly back into his glove and the entire American League East season was reduced to a moment of reeze-frame splendor, Frank Tanana felt just as we have all felt at one time or another standing on the sandlot field scratched from a scruffy vacant lot, with the scent of freshly mowed grass and a new leather glove mingling in our nostrils. "It was," he said, "goose-bump time. I felt six.

I felt 34, but a young 34. It's awesome." MARY SCHROEOERDUIrott Pm Press flied to routine center. "That wnen i started to think we could win, 1-0," Anderson said. "I knew we wouldn't have to face Bell again." Moseby then stole second. He went to third as Beniquez flied to right on 3- 2.

Then Barfield hit a slow chopper over the mound that Tanana fielded. He threw him out with room to spare. The scare in the ninth came when DAYMON J. HARTLEYDetrolt Free Press George Bell sits dejected on the dugout steps. He finished in a 2-for-26 (.077) tailspin.

beating the Tigers, 10-9. In the seven losses that followed three to the Milwaukee Brewers and four to the Tigers the Blue Jays didn't score more than four runs. The question reporters didn't like to ask and the one players didn't like to hear was: "Did the Blue Jays choke?" Most Jays players, such as Ranee Mulliniks, refused to deal with the query. "Let people think what they want," Mulliniks said. Losing pitcher Jimmy Key answered the question with questions of his own: "How can a team win 96 games and choke? Does that make all the teams that won less games chokers, too? Detroit just performed better than we did this weekend, that's all." Williams said the choke label would be misplaced on the 1987 Blue Jays.

He noted that the seven games against the Tigers the last two weekends were all decided by one run. "I don't think we blew it at all," Williams said. "In most of the losses, the difference was just one key hit 'frank Tanana leaves the mound after shutting Toronto down in the eighth inning Sunday. tot Pitched Clincher 79 With his team one out from clinching the division title, Frank Tanana fired the ball at the plate. The batter swung and connected for an infield dribbler.

Tanana raced to first base and took the throw for the final out as the stadium erupted. Whoops. That's wrong, you say. Tanana made the throwla first for the final out. 1 Well, maybe he did Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays.

But on Tuesday Sept. 25, 1979, Tanana pitched the division-clinching game In the American League West for the California Angels, and took the throw at first for the final out of a 4-1 victory over the Kaasas City Royals. Tanana, who had been bothered by arm trouble wost of that season, pitched a five-hitter In what was described as his best game two years, "After what I'vo been through, don't have the mastery pfthe English language to tell you what it feels like," Tanana told Free freas sports writer Joe Lapointe. Jim Walewander (in to replace Jim Morrison, who was starting for ill Tom field. In this series, Toronto was 3-for-25 with runners in scoring position.

The only inning in which the Tigers batted with a runner in scoring position Sunday was the fourth. But there was that fastball Key threw to Herndon with one out in the second. Herndon lofted it high to left field. Left fielder George Bell acted as if he would make the catch on the warning track. Key and Anderson both thought Bell would catch it.

The flag was blowing out toward right. But at the last minute, something the wind, says Bell; Tigers' momentum, says something else grabbed Brookens) threw to first on one hop when he fielded Lee's grounder. "What a rhnke." Walewander said. Evans oicked it out. Had the throw gotten away, Lee rnulri have been at second with one out.

But the Tigers didn't make an error in this three-game series. Nor did they do anything wrong. toward next season is all that left. 1.