It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Willie Hernández, the 1984 Detroit Tigers MVP and Cy Young Award winner, at the age of 69.
Willie Hernández was born in Puerto Rico in 1955, and was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent in 1973. He made his major league debut with the Cubs in 1977, and was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979. He then moved to the Detroit Tigers in 1983, where he would have his greatest success.
In 1984, Hernández had a remarkable season for the Tigers, posting a 9-3 record with 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA. He was named the American League MVP and won the Cy Young Award. He also helped lead the Tigers to a World Series championship that year, and was named MVP of the World Series.
Hernández remained with the Tigers until 1989, when he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. He retired from baseball in 1990 after a brief stint with the Montreal Expos.
Hernández will be remembered as one of the greatest relief pitchers in baseball history. His remarkable 1984 season will always be remembered as one of the greatest individual seasons in baseball history. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and fans.
