Chet Lemon, one of the most productive and under-appreciated players of his era, has died at the age of 70, the Detroit Tigers announced on Thursday.
The club’s statement reads:
“The Detroit Tigers join all of baseball in mourning the passing of Chet Lemon. While he was a World Series Champion and All-Star on the field, perhaps his biggest impact came off of it. That includes creating the Chet Lemon Foundation and dedicating much of his post-playing career to youth baseball development.
“Our thoughts are with Chet’s family, friends and all those he coached, mentored and inspired.”
That foundation, founded in 2021, is dedicated to “raising awareness about stroke and aphasia, providing support to those affected, and continuing Chet’s legacy of giving back in youth sports,” according to its website. “What started as a response to a personal crisis has grown into a mission to empower others facing similar challenges and to inspire hope and resilience in the face of adversity.”
Lemon’s death comes after a long period of declining health, including repeated hospital stays for blood clots and more than a dozen strokes that left him unable to walk or talk, according to the Detroit Free Press.
A former first-round pick of Fremont High School in Los Angeles, Lemon spent parts of 16 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox and Tigers. Over that span, he put up an OPS+ of 121 with 215 home runs, 396 doubles, and a long history of plus defense at the premium position of center field. Along the way, Lemon earned three All-Star selections, and his playing career ended after the 1990 season with a total WAR of 55.7, which puts him just outside the top 150 all-time among position players. In November of 1981, the Tigers acquired from the White Sox in exchange for Steve Kemp, and Lemon went on to be a core contributor to the great Detroit teams in the years to come. One of Lemon’s best seasons came in 1984, when the Tigers barged to 104 wins in the regular season and then a World Series triumph over the San Diego Padres. In those five World Series games, Lemon had five hits and a pair of stolen bases, as well as an impressive outfield catch in Game 3.
“My heart goes out to [his wife] Gigi and the family,” Lemon’s teammate on those Tigers teams, Hall of Famer Alan Trammell, said in a statement. “Chet was a cherished teammate and friend. I’m so thankful for the time we spent together last summer when the 1984 team had its 40th reunion at Comerica Park. Today is a sad day for us. He will be dearly missed.”
Former teammate Lance Parrish remembered him as “the kindest of men” and for “that great smile on his face.”
“He was also a fierce competitor on the baseball field and a great teammate,” Parrish said in a statement. “I loved him like a brother.”
