Former big league reliever Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez, best known for winning both the AL Cy Young and MVP Awards in 1984 for the World Series champion Detroit Tigers, passed away on Monday at the age of 69.
Following his playing career, Hernandez had a history of diabetes and heart and stroke troubles and nearly died during a pacemaker procedure in Boston in 2007.
A native of Puerto Rico, Hernandez signed with the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent following the 1973 season as a left-handed pitcher. After three years in the Phillies organization, the Chicago Cubs acquired Hernandez in the Rule 5 Draft. This meant Hernandez had to stay on the big-league roster with the Cubs or be sent back to the Phillies.
Hernandez spent 6½ seasons in the Cubs bullpen as a steady if unspectacular presence. In May 1983, the Cubs would return Hernandez to the Phillies in a trade for veteran starting pitcher Dick Ruthven. Hernandez would make 63 appearances out of the bullpen as a setup man in tandem with Ron Reed for closer Al Holland en route to the NL pennant. Although the Phillies fell short in the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles, Hernandez pitched four scoreless innings fanning four batters in three appearances.
Shortly before the conclusion of spring training in 1984, the Phillies traded Hernandez along with first baseman Dave Bergman to the Detroit Tigers for veteran utility man John Wockenfuss and up and coming outfielder Glenn Wilson.
Few could have expected what was to follow. The 1984 Detroit Tigers began the season with a roar starting out 35-5 and never had a serious challenge in the AL East. While Lance Parrish, Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker were a core part of the offense/defense and Jack Morris, Dan Petry and Milt Wilcox were an above average starting three, it was Hernandez who was the independent variable.
After pitching his entire career in the NL, few AL hitters had seen Hernandez's screwball and were overmatched. Hernandez made a league leading 80 appearances out of the bullpen, logging 140.1 innings pitched striking out 112 while walking only 36 boasting a 1.92 ERA with 32 saves. Hernandez turned the 1984 Detroit Tigers from a great team to a one of the greatest teams in MLB history. For this, Hernandez earned both the AL Cy Young Award and MVP. The only other AL relievers to attain this feat is Rollie Fingers with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1981 and Dennis Eckersley with the Oakland A's in 1992. He would also earn the first of three consecutive AL All-Star Team appearances.
Following his historical 1984 season, the Tigers gave Hernandez a four-year contract extension worth $4.5 million. Hernandez would post 31 and 24 saves for Detroit in 1985 and 1986, respectively. The Tigers would also win the AL East in 1987 though by this time, the Tigers had moved to a bullpen-by-committee approach with Hernandez closing games along with Mike Henneman, Eric King and Mark Thurmond. Hernandez only recorded 8 saves that season. By 1988, Henneman had emerged as the team's primary closer.
After a poor season in 1989 in which he posted a ghastly 5.74 ERA, the Tigers released Hernandez. Comeback attempts with the Oakland A's, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees but would never pitch in another MLB game. In 744 career appearances, all in relief, Hernandez compiled a 70-63 record with a 3.38 ERA with 147 saves. In 1044.2 innings pitched, Hernandez struck out 788 batters while walking 349.
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