Bochy recalls '84 Series
DETROIT -- Padres manager Bruce Bochy's recollections of the 1984 World Series against the Detroit Tigers are vivid.
Bochy, a catcher, had a pinch-hit single against Guillermo Hernandez, the American League Cy Young Award winner that season. The Padres lost the series to the Tigers, 4-1.
"We had seen him when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs,'' Bochy said. "When you look at his year -- what did he have? 34 or 35 saves? -- it would be pretty average now days. I got my hit off of him.''
Most of the memories for the Padres in the '84 Series were pretty bad, especially since shortstop Alan Trammell was a native of San Diego.
Trammell, the Tigers' current manager and former Padres first base coach (2000-2002), swung a hot bat and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the '84 World Series. His most memorable blasts came in Game 4, when he homered twice. The Tigers were simply the class of baseball that year, Bochy said.
"They just had an outstanding ballclub that was firing on all cylinders,'' Bochy said of the Tigers. "I remember the old Tiger Stadium. I could see that my guys liked to hit there.''
More than anything, Bochy said, he enjoyed the ambience and the atmosphere at Tiger Stadium.
"After every name in the intros, when they introduced us, the fans would say, 'Who cares!','' Bochy said. "They had to get all of our spouses out of there early; we thought that the fans would be happy (since the Tigers won the World Series).''
What Bochy, et al, experienced was unbelievable -- fans rocking the bus and a police car ablaze, amidst the crowd and the chaos.
"We thought that we were going to have to get out of the car and fight for our lives,'' Bochy said.
Padres radio announcer Tim Flannery was also part of that National League championship team that played the Tigers; like Bochy, he, too, went 1-for-1 in the World Series.
Sweeney bests an old friend: Since the Padres were already trailing by five runs in the ninth inning, Mark Sweeney's home run blast in Tuesday's 8-4 loss may have been meaningless.
But it wasn't meaningless for Sweeney; he was tagging Tigers ace reliever Troy Percival.
Back in 1991, the two were roommates in Class A Boise (Id.). "When you see Troy, you know that you're going to get some straight heat,'' Sweeney said. "I didn't think that it was going out, but the wind took it.''
Sweeney is one of several players who have been used as designated hitters for Bochy, who rotates the position during Interleague Play.
Peavy speaks out: After the Padres' loss on Tuesday night, pitcher Jake Peavy was so disappointed that he spoke up. And that didn't bother Bochy, who admitted that his team hasn't played well lately.
"I'm glad that he's (upset),'' Bochy said. "Other guys have said the same things recently -- they just haven't said it through (reporters).''
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
Bochy, a catcher, had a pinch-hit single against Guillermo Hernandez, the American League Cy Young Award winner that season. The Padres lost the series to the Tigers, 4-1.
"We had seen him when he pitched for the Chicago Cubs,'' Bochy said. "When you look at his year -- what did he have? 34 or 35 saves? -- it would be pretty average now days. I got my hit off of him.''
Most of the memories for the Padres in the '84 Series were pretty bad, especially since shortstop Alan Trammell was a native of San Diego.
Trammell, the Tigers' current manager and former Padres first base coach (2000-2002), swung a hot bat and was voted the Most Valuable Player of the '84 World Series. His most memorable blasts came in Game 4, when he homered twice. The Tigers were simply the class of baseball that year, Bochy said.
"They just had an outstanding ballclub that was firing on all cylinders,'' Bochy said of the Tigers. "I remember the old Tiger Stadium. I could see that my guys liked to hit there.''
More than anything, Bochy said, he enjoyed the ambience and the atmosphere at Tiger Stadium.
"After every name in the intros, when they introduced us, the fans would say, 'Who cares!','' Bochy said. "They had to get all of our spouses out of there early; we thought that the fans would be happy (since the Tigers won the World Series).''
What Bochy, et al, experienced was unbelievable -- fans rocking the bus and a police car ablaze, amidst the crowd and the chaos.
"We thought that we were going to have to get out of the car and fight for our lives,'' Bochy said.
Padres radio announcer Tim Flannery was also part of that National League championship team that played the Tigers; like Bochy, he, too, went 1-for-1 in the World Series.
Sweeney bests an old friend: Since the Padres were already trailing by five runs in the ninth inning, Mark Sweeney's home run blast in Tuesday's 8-4 loss may have been meaningless.
But it wasn't meaningless for Sweeney; he was tagging Tigers ace reliever Troy Percival.
Back in 1991, the two were roommates in Class A Boise (Id.). "When you see Troy, you know that you're going to get some straight heat,'' Sweeney said. "I didn't think that it was going out, but the wind took it.''
Sweeney is one of several players who have been used as designated hitters for Bochy, who rotates the position during Interleague Play.
Peavy speaks out: After the Padres' loss on Tuesday night, pitcher Jake Peavy was so disappointed that he spoke up. And that didn't bother Bochy, who admitted that his team hasn't played well lately.
"I'm glad that he's (upset),'' Bochy said. "Other guys have said the same things recently -- they just haven't said it through (reporters).''
Source: http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/
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