Willie Hernandez obit

 

Willie Hernández dies at 69: Former Tigers closer won MVP, Cy Young and World Series in 1984

Hernández is one of 11 pitchers in history to win both an MVP and Cy Young in the same season

He was not on the list.

For MLB relief pitcher Willie Hernández has died at age 69, the Tigers announced Tuesday. Hernández, a lefty, was signed out of his native Puerto Rico as an amateur free agent in 1973 by the Phillies. He reached Triple-A in the organization before the Cubs selected him in the Rule 5 draft in 1976. He was a reliever for the Cubs for parts of seven seasons to varying success, including an excellent rookie year in 1977 when he had a 3.03 ERA in 110 innings of work, good for 3.2 WAR.

During the 1983 season, Hernández was traded back to the Phillies and then the following offseason was shipped to the Tigers in a four-player swap. It would end up being the deal that paved the way for the best season of Hernández's career, along with his development of a screwball and cutter.

Those 1984 Tigers started the season 35-5, won 104 games in the regular season and then went 7-1 in the playoffs en route to a World Series title. Hernández saved three games in those playoffs and was outstanding, continuing a year for the ages.

In that regular season, Hernández appeared in 80 games out of the bullpen, going 9-3 with 32 saves in 33 chances. He had a 1.92 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 112 strikeouts against just 28 walks in a whopping 140 1/3 innings. The 4.8 WAR is one of the 25 highest marks ever by a reliever. Not only did Hernández make his first All-Star Game, but he also won by the AL Cy Young and AL MVP.

Hernández is one of 11 pitchers in history to win both the MVP and Cy Young award in the same season. Here's the list:

 

Don Newcombe, 1956

Sandy Koufax, 1963

Bob Gibson, 1968

Denny McLain, 1968

Vida Blue, 1971

Rollie Fingers, 1981

Willie Hernández, 1984

Roger Clemens, 1986

Dennis Eckersley, 1992

Justin Verlander, 2011

Clayton Kershaw, 2014

The lasting memory in the baseball world of Hernández will be that glorious 1984 season. It ended, fittingly, with him closing down the World Series for a two-inning save.

Hernández had heart surgery to install a pacemaker in 2009 and, after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Tigers game in 2009, said the following, via Detroit News: "I passed away putting a pacemaker into my heart and I wake up later on. Because God's got my heart, so nobody is going to bother my heart. No one is going to touch my heart."

Hernández emerged as the Cubs' best relief pitcher during the 1982 season. At one point, he went a month without giving up a run. He appeared in 75 games (and an equal 75 innings), a career-high to that point in his career. He was used exclusively in relief, lowered his ERA to 3.00 and tallied 54 strikeouts and 10 saves, the latter being another career high to that point. Fellow relief pitcher Bill Campbell called him "one of the most professional men I've been around" and someone who gives 150% and who "you'll never get an excuse from."

The Chicago Tribune wrote that Hernández came into the 1982 season with "a new personality: confident, aggressive, eager." Hernández gave partial credit to advice he received from Juan Pizarro while pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League during the off-season. Pizzarro advised Hernández that he was "taking too much time thinking between pitches" and encouraged him to "do your thinking while you're in the bullpen, not in the game." Hernández, who was then making between $90,000 and $100,000, also pointed to his desire to make "big money" and provide for his wife and children: "I'm here to help the ballclub win games and to get a pay raise. I came into the world poor and naked. But I don't want to die with no clothes on."

Hernández began the 1983 season with Chicago, appearing in 11 games, including one start, with a 3.20 ERA. He struck out 18 batters in 19+2⁄3 innings pitched.

On May 22, 1983, the Cubs traded Hernández to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitchers Bill Johnson and Dick Ruthven,

On March 24, 1984, the Phillies traded Hernández to the Detroit Tigers with Dave Bergman for Glenn Wilson and John Wockenfuss.