Detroit Tigers 1987 Division Clinching Game (final innings)

The Detroit Tigers squared off 7 times against the Toronto Blue Jays in an epic run to capture the American League Eastern Division title during the final week of the 1987 season. The last three games were at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, with the Tigers sweeping the Blue Jays to win the title on the last game of the season on a 1-0 victory. The pitchers were Frank Tanana for the Tigers and Jimmy Key for the Blue Jays. Both went the distance, pitching incredible games. But this was the game of Frank Tanana's career, and the Blue Jays could not get anything going against him. The Tigers lone run was a bases empty home run early in the game from Larry Herdon. That run is not shown on this video.
The video is the ABC national broadcast featuring Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver. No copyright infringement intended.

[@bobsmith3217]

What a different world. No wild cards. Two pitchers going for a complete game. A classic stadium. Minimal screen graphics (and no annoying pitch box). This is baseball at its best, in particular when the camera takes in the cozy beauty of Tiger Stadium.

[@efrain926]

October 4th 1987, one week after my 16th birthday. I watched the entire game, I was rooting hard for Toronto. It was at a time I was still learning the English language, I thank the likes of Al Michaels, Tim McCarver, Vern Lundquist, Pat Summeral, Dick Enberg, Don Criqui, Marv Albert, and Bob Costas for teaching me English. And I guess I can give my high school english teachers a little bit of credit.

[@stuartcrane9385]

A treat to watch. Both teams played very well. Tanana dominates in a crucial game. The fans are terrific too. The crowd was paying attention without today's ball park design of blaring sound systems and light shows to remind the crowd to get into it. Tiger Stadium didn't need it on that early autumn day back in 1987. You could feel the tension develop as slowly as the shadows creeping in. It appears those shadows also played havoc on the hitters. I noticed many of the fans wore just a Tiger cap unlike what is common today with the face paint and megabuck priced jerseys and jackets in order to be a "real" fan. I loved hearing the occasional fan cheer and comment over the excellent announcing team. The stadium looked almost pristine with none of the garish advertisements. I miss the thrill of watching and being at games like this.

[@ckendall67]

- We get it, everything today sucks compared to how it was 30+ years ago, OK then.

[@garygennaro6029]

Yes. No artificial blaring noise and ads behind the plate. Games were more enjoyable and less distracting.

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

If the Tigers were a New York team, you'd still be hearing about those last 7 games of 1987. David Halberstam would've written a book about it, ESPN would do a 30 for 30 about it, and Bob Costas would reference it in every sports comeback he ever covered.

[@Nhamp2000]

You're damn right. I was 20 during this summer, and I live in Chicago now. The people I work with have no idea about these 7 games (which I declare as often as I can to be the best 7 game series in the history of the sport. Not a post-season, I know, but find me 7 better) and I always say that there should be a 30 for 30 on this. But, no, let's see a 10 part series on the Chicago Bulls and find out that MJ still doesn't like Isiah and would chew out his teammates, Pippen would still be a punk, Rodman was "eccentric". I've watched these episodes and haven't found anything new. I just wish they would post the WDIV version of this game, which is the one I watched. George Kell and Al Kaline.

[@seancurran6727]

That's why it was such a thrill when the Tigers beat the Yankees for the pennant in 2006. I remember a Yankee fan holding a sign in a rainout in that series saying "reign delay". They weren't just delayed, they were waylaid. Another interesting thing in this game is watching an almost skinny Cecil Fielder as a 7th place batter in the Toronto lineup. No one knew what he was about to become, just as no one knew what Howard Johnson was about to become when Sparky got him in into the lineup in the last game of the 84 championship series just so he could say he played in it.

[@iamnewfie1]

thats why some of newyorks players are over rated like jeter..

[@bobsmith3217]

All true, but Roger Angell of the New Yorker had a lot of nice things to say about those games. But he also said that the Tigers' failure in the playoffs diminished their importance, so he couldn't write as much about them as he wanted to. I think he writes about those games in the book Season Ticket.

[@jonfargo7311]

33 years later and this still hurts. I never watched the interview with Frank Tannana until now. Very classy in victory.

[@Nhamp2000]

Sorry to hear that. I've always said that Jimmy Key made a deal with the Devil. "Hey, Jimmy. Wanna throw a 3-hit complete game masterpiece tomorrow?" "Sure, where do I sign"? Should've read the fine print. But, on the plus side, you would, in 5 years, go back-to-back. Not too shabby.

[@jeremybright13]

There was something really special about making the playoffs back then, when there were only 4 spots available. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "we should go back to the old days" and I knew back then expanded playoffs were inevitable with expansion looming in the '90s, but you rarely see celebrations like this when a team makes the postseason today.

[@jackdavis8596]

I agree, the game wouldn't have been nearly as interesting today. Jays would have made playoffs as the wild card.

[@kristopherloviska9042]

I don't know. We see celebrations like that when a dude hits a walk off single.

[@kaio2212able]

Totally agree, I'm 43 and I was 10 years old watching these games back then, it was such a treat to watch baseball back then!

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

Yes, back then we had REAL pennant races.

[@rickrzendzian2228]

One of the best pitched.... high pressure games in Tiger history....thanks for the memories!

[@Chrisman77]

I love the jays...but respect to Tanana for a very professional interview afterwards. nicely done.

[@dibbsutd]

As a Jays fan this broke my heart. We had such a great team. When Fernandez broke his arm on the Madlock slide it went downhill. Sparky Anderson was such a nice soul.

[@user-zr6pl6nb6z]

I still remember the day I was watching this. I was in eleventh grade and it broke my heart too.

[@jimsmith6603]

After his interview Frank Tanana ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father.

[@donpietruk1517]

I was at that entire series. My cousin and I were poverty stricken graduate students at Wayne State University but we scrounged up enough money to buy bleacher seats to each of those games. We loved sitting with the unhinged "bleacher creatures" out there in the outfield. It was not just an epic 7 games but an epic month of September and early October when the Tigers chased down the Blue Jays who had if I remember a 6 or 7 game lead on them at the start of September. Once they got hot the whole town caught playoff fever. Morris, Petry, Tanana and Alexander all pitched out of their mind that month. I was still surprised that Sparky (Captain Hook) didn't pull Tanana and put Henneman in for the 9th but I think the crowd would have lynched Sparky the way he was pitching. I always felt bad for Jimmy Key as he pitched a magnificent game that day. I'll never forget that month or those games. The crowds were nuts that entire weekend. As magical as 84 was I will always remember those September and October 1987 games because it seemed like you lived or died with each win or loss. Everyone forgets what a bitter rivalry this was at the time. The cities are close and easy travel by rail between Toronto Windsor. There was an existing animosity due to the Wings-Leafs long standing rivalry. It was a fun time in the motor city and a fitting ending for Frank Tanana, the hometown boy from Hamtramck whose team won the Little League World Series, to get the win.

[@GOBLUEADAM]

Back then, the Jays and the Tigers were BITTER RIVALS! The Jays modeled their franchise after Detroit's. But the rivalry was INSTANTLY born from the old one between the Red Wings and the Maple Leafs. But the following of the fans, down to Detroit, from the CNR trains, across the tunnel or bridge, was amazing. We'd take the TIGER TRAIN, up to Toronto, see another country, and TONS of Tiger fans roaming the streets. We'd get out to Exhibition Stadium, sit behind that damned OBSTRUCTED VIEW, black centerfield wall, and watch people sing OKAY BLUE JAYS, instead of TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME! But usually when I went, THE TIGERS WOULD GET HAMMERED before 5th inning, and WE'D MAKE OUR WAY, back to Younge Street. Only to have some poor, unknowing Tiger fan ask, "WHAT WAS THE SCORE"? And when they came over here to Detroit, they be dressed in their Blue, and chanting "GO JAYS GO"! And a lotta times, THEY'D RUN US OUT OF TIGER STADIUM TOO! It was a battle, it was a BITTER RIVALRY, but it was DAMN FUN! That is until the WORST TIGER GM IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, Randy Smith, destroyed the franchise, and moved us out of the AL EAST. HE KILLED IT and the franchise! And Jays fans, I USED TO PICK YOUR GAMES UP on my radio, just to keep and eye on you guys! I MISS YOU, AND I SALUTE YOU!

[@mikemeyer7759]

I was at the game, the day before. My first Tiger game. What a memory! I’ll never forget that day and walking from the concourse, onto the catwalk, and coming out of the darkness to the smell, the sound, and the scene of the best ballpark on the planet. Box seats, upper deck third row, right on top of first base. Perfect view into the Tiger dugout. After the game and Manny Lee’s gaff, everybody walking through the stadium, my dad holding my shoulder, steering me out, everybody chanting, “sweep, sweep, sweep!!!” Still sends shivers up my neck. I was 12

[@jamestepera3356]

I was in Arlington stadium in TX that evening watching the Rangers play out a meaningless season finale. I still remember our announcer reading the score of this game and seeing the video of Sparky coming onto the field after the final out with another division championship.

[@chrisfallon77]

Frank Tanana was my favorite player growing up. Loved watching him pitch!

[@johnh5202]

So weird seeing a "lean" Cecil Fielder on the Jays. He became one of my favorite Tigers players of all time later on.

[@AndreInThe416]

One of the best games I've ever watched. What a duel.

[@cedricfarrell-mm6bj]

Detroit is such a great sports town

[@JohnSmith-op1tc]

Great to see Jim Walewander out there celebrating after Tanana's final flip, a hip kid trying to contribute to straight-laced Sparky's successes in Detroit.

[@randquadrozzi5850]

That was some very impressive pitching from Mr tanana.

[@jfly7816]

Never gets old 😊

[@kevinpayton2664]

I loved those late season ABC Sunday games.

[@robkarp9835]

In 1977, Tanana pitched 14 straight complete games w/ the California Angels

[@Nhamp2000]

Yeah, that's something. You get guys now who won't get that many in a career.

[@VV1CK3D]

An he threw 100 mph. That's pretty much why he was a finesse guy later on.

[@500stoney]

I was there. Lifelong memory

[@j3any3s]

As a tiger fan for 40 years running, this is my favorite win. Wish they had a good playoff showing.

[@edmerc92]

They should have had homefield advantage but Minny got it because of that dumb rotating rule.

[@leafyutube]

Devastating loss by the Jays. This and 85 hung over the team's head until they won it all in 92.

[@CrociatoAzzurro]

For older Blue Jays like myself, this was the one that really got away.Bad last week to end the season.

[@juanito1975]

I was 12 when I saw this! Boy I balled like a baby. Worst Collapse in Blue Jays history! But they say you have to go through the growing pains and in the end We got back to back World Series.

[@mhub3576]

I always loved watching lefty junkballers pitch. Tanana and Tommy John were the absolute master lefty junkballers. The last 7 games of the 87 AL East race was absolutely great baseball that I will always remember as one of the greatest division crown races ever. I was rooting for the Tigers and they pulled it out. Then got badly beaten by my Twins in the ALCS.

[@donpietruk1517]

The funny thing is Tanana was a flame thrower early in his career with the Angels. He and Nolan Ryan were a fearsome one two punch when you played that team. He only became a junk baller after he blew his arm out and had to reinvent himself as a pitcher.

[@JamieSmith-fz2mz]

I was at this game working for WFEN, a tiny radio station in Fenton. We had NO business sending a rep to that game, but I saw the opportunity to get media credentials. So I watched the entire 3-game series from the third deck in RF and occasionally in the press box (for the free food).

[@j3any3s]

I'm from Fenton, great story.

[@philduritza7717]

I gotta know - what was the 3rd deck like? I’d always see it up there when I was a child and wonder why they didn’t sell seats up there. Hard to get up there?

[@JamieSmith-fz2mz]

@@philduritza7717 It was very ... spartan. Just a wood countertop workspace desk and ancient folding chairs running the entire length of it. That’s it. Nothing to it. Just an overflow work area for visiting media that I never ever saw being used. Years later, I operated the scoreboard for a summer, and I asked the old timers about the 3rd deck, and they said it was never used even when they were in the World Series. The working press box was also pretty barren with only phone jacks and electric outlets. But that was 1987. Even laptops were unheard of. But I do have a vivid memory of Mitch Albom doing a lot of talking throughout the game like the loudmouth at the bar. The scoreboard summer is an entirely different story. So much fun.

[@doriley13]

Great Game by Tanana and the Tigers. A side note my HS Detroit Holy Redeemer beat Tanana pitching for Detroit Catholic Central for Detroit Catholic HS Championship 1970 at Tiger Stadium ! Frank was a Class act!

[@generalbullmoose]

The climax of one of the biggest collapses in baseball history.

[@cedricfarrell-mm6bj]

That blue jáys and tigers rivalry was pretty cool back in the day

[@chrischapel9165]

Christ first!!!! AWESOME...

[@mauriceogletree9845]

I like how sparky just walked out of dug out cool and collective ..i know he must have wanted to jump around with the rest of the guys deep inside ..what a classy manager..

[@Brian-Hayden]

I am not sure why I am watching this with 6 games to go in this season and the Jays up by 5. If the Jays collapse, blame the bad karma on me.

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

Back in the good ol' days of REAL (no wild cards) pennant races.

[@SeattleSportsFan17]

Did anyone notice that Sparky wasn’t even smiling liked he did in 84 when they clinch the division

[@moonbeamskies3346]

Sparky was never happy after 1984. He hung around a long time but he just wasn't the same.

[@williamsnyder5616]

There's always a feeling of melancholy about this division title. They had 98 wins that year, the most in MLB, yet they were upset by an improbable Minnesota team in the playoffs. They should've won the pennant.

[@BobJ1979]

And the Reds in 1973 with nearly 100 wins were upset by the Mets who had only 82 wins....Sadly, the best teams don't always win.

[@moonbeamskies3346]

Bob Jalving They did before 1969, when there were no divisions.

[@GOBLUEADAM]

DAMN TWINKIES! It was just their DESTINY!

[@ElectricCool]

Two words, Kirby Puckett

[@jamestepera3356]

The twins were deadly at home in those days playing at the Metrodome.

[@Prachsportsedge1]

Sparky Kissed him on the cheek ha gotta love sparky! Great moment for the tigers

[@CB-dr1jm]

I remember watching this game as a kid. Back when we had no pitch counts. Toronto had a murderer's row with Mosby, Barfield, Bell, and Fielder.

[@seancurran6727]

Dave Collins was a hell of a hitter for them, too. I remember when the Tigers traded for him, I loved that.

[@custodiansrock]

35 years later...this still stings.

[@MrMistrEnigma]

13:25 as Al Michaels finishes describing how dominating Jimmy Key has been (only 3 balls hit in the air the entire day) a great Tiger, Chet Lemon, tries to bunt/punch a ball down the first base line trying to get on base. Tim McCarver (probably still sore from losing in ‘68) goes off on Lemon “that’s a bad play, just a bad play”. I liked McCarver at times but he also came off as very ‘judgey’. Chet is trying to do what he can to get on base, any way he can, 2 outs, 1 run game, against a pitcher that was getting grounders at will...never understood why that’s such a ‘bad play’.

[@croccroccroc]

35:15 the first sports hashtag

[@mangrove]

Fans in the outfield were trying to run onto the field, but were chased off by the Detroit Mounted Police.My uncle was a Detroit cop for decades, and he might've been on horseback duty that afternoon.

[@tyryztoll]

Did anyone else notice Trammell getting staggered by Mike Heath's catchers helmet during the celebration @ 33:12? He was dazed for a few seconds!

[@terrycone7110]

As a Braves fan I would like to say glad we could help the Tigers win the division by sending you Doyle Alexander for John Smoltz.....I think we go the better end of the deal.

[@moonbeamskies3346]

Yes because Doyle Alexander was old and the Tigers got little from him after his good pitching in the '87 pennant race. After the 9-0 run, the AL hitters figured him out.

[@jamestepera3356]

One often has to make a bad long term deal for the sake of the short run. Doyle was awesome down the stretch. I've been watching baseball since the 70s and that trade was the most productive acquisition that I can remember in 40 years.

[@deckerrm]

@@jamestepera3356 Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio.............hmmm..............

[@mickeylynch8982]

@@jamestepera3356 Brock trade wasn't a short term swap like this one. Only one that may come close was Red Sox in '88 trading Brady Andersen and Curt Schilling for Mike Boddicker, who went 7-3 w' 2.63 ERA down stretch. He also won 17 games and GG in 90 helping Sox win division both yrs. He was done within couple yrs after that. Sox also traded Jeff Bagwell in late '90 for Larry Andersen who had great run from bullpen that yr.

[@ralphphillips2232]

The fact that I'm sittin here watching this on you tube 33 years later tells me that the trade was well worth it.

[@paulsonj72]

On this afternoon besides having a possible pennant clinching game(If Detroit won there would have been a 1 game playoff on Monday) ABC got lucky as this was during the NFL strike that season. Now there were games that afternoon but those were the 1st games with replacement players so the quality wasn't there.

[@kdutch98]

This WAS the Division clinching game. Detroit won 1-0. If TORONTO won, there would have been a tie breaker game the following day. ABC had the National broadcast, but this game was also on NBC and CBS locally I believe.

[@ckendall67]

- This game was nationally broadcast on ABC but also locally broadcast on the 2 other local channels in Detroit( WDIV in Detroit on the NBC station ); as well this game naturally was broadcast in Canada on CTV. So there in total FOUR networks combined covering this game. When you have 1 game to decide the division champion on the last day of the season, obviously it's going to be so big that you have that many networks carrying the game all at once. :-)

[@jamestepera3356]

An old friend of mine played QB for the Bills that day. Lol. Todd Mayfield.

[@paulsonj72]

@@kdutch98 NBC and CBS had contractual obligations to the NFL even though they were using replacement players due to the 1987 NFLPA strike

[@mangrove]

Unfortunate ending to an incredible season, but I had watched the Twins throttle the Tigers in a doubleheader earlier in the season, so I knew going in that their chance at winning the AL wasn't too good.

[@kristopherloviska9042]

Tigers went 8-4 vs Minnesota that year. I thought they would beat them. I was wrong.

[@stevesahagian3658]

Jimmy Key throws a 3 hitter and loses.........WOW

[@softshoes]

After that week long marathon the Tigers were out of gas when they got to the Twins in the playoffs.

[@jimmeasel1712]

'64 Phillies meet the '87 Blue Jays....

[@onetimer13541]

I remember this. Only thing that wluld have been better was hearing george Kell and al kaline doing the play by play. No offenese but it just isn't the same without Ernie harwell on the radio or gearge and so on channel 4

[@Nhamp2000]

I don't know why they keep posting this one. Probably because it went national. I watched the George and Al broadcast on WDIV. I though Kell was going to go through the roof. What a time.

[@zacheryalderton5737]

So close 1-0

[@mrg8581]

Tigers fans didn't storm the field like they did in 1984. 35:27.

[@zacheryalderton4600]

WHO ARE THEY TAKING ON DIVISION SERIES

[@frankpalancio8471]

Tanana was throwing slop/junk in this game. Didn't he used to throw gas when he pitched for the Angels?

[@jamestepera3356]

Yes. He blew his arm out several years before as I recall and reinvented himself as a junk baller. Cool player. His fastballs even looked like off speed pitches on this day.

[@edmerc92]

He threw 90 in the 70s and 70 in the 90s!

[@zacheryalderton5737]

What Division they clinched

[@mickeylynch8982]

The AL East back when there were only 2 divisions in each league

[@charlesgilbert2054]

Why are cops on the field during play?

[@monabiehl6213]

I don't miss the rivalry at all. Most of the time the Blue Jays won. They had the Tigers' number. Yes, there was this division title but other than that the Blue Jays usually came out on top. They had the Tigers' number. I don't know what was wrong with them in 1987.

[@GetBenched2010]

Jimy Williams.

[@douglassher1710]

I'm not a Tigers fan but It actually bugs me a great deal that this team, after playing so well and winning this amazing and largely forgotten pennant race, proceeded to get hammered in the ALCS by such a mediocre team as the 1987 Twins. Minnesota-St. Louis was a lousy matchup (the Cardinals were also pretty banged up) and despite going seven games, was a lousy World Series. Detroit-San Francisco would have been a much better outcome.

[@jimsmith6603]

The San Francisco Cunts did NOT have the best record in the National League though, the 95-win Cardinals did.

[@ElectricCool]

Tigers/Mets wouldve been better, imo

[@cedricfarrell-mm6bj]

Detroit 1 Toronto 0 1987

[@craigschray4486]

And then they got upset by the Minnesota Twins.

[@GetBenched2010]

Jimy Williams was truly an incompetent manager who had no idea how to handle players. That said, the Tigers would never content again under Sparky. Meanwhile, the Jays would finally smarten up and fire Williams in 1989 and win 4 division titles in 5 years and 2 World Series titles.

[@edmerc92]

The Tigers were in contention the next year, but finished in 2nd by a game.

[@fantasticvoyage262]

Blue Jays choked bigly the last 8 games of the season.

[@cedricfarrell-mm6bj]

George bell didn't do nothing in this game

[@ryanthompson8130]

McCarver was annoying and a know-it-all even in 1987!

[@JohnSmith-op1tc]

He said Mickey Owens, instead of Owen, when alluding to a 1941 dropped third strike for the Dodgers catcher that occurred against the Yankees in the World Series that year. Damn glad he is gone from the broadcast annals, now, for Joe Buck to depart all booths above the diamond.

[@BobJ1979]

He's like Terry Bradshaw with hair!

[@jimsmith6603]

Tim McCarver actually played the game of professional baseball, you on the other hand DID NOT.

[@jamestepera3356]

I got a big kick out of seeing McCarver get champagne continuously poured on him by Deion Sanders after a locker room celebration for the Braves a few years later. He was trying to interview another player and Sanders just kept pouring it in. Gosh McCarver was furious. Lol.

[@deckerrm]

McCarver popped out for the finial out of the 1968 World Series....he's bitter on Detroit baseball since the Cardinals blew that series up 3-1.