Former center fielder and three-time All-Star Chet Lemon, who won the World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1984, passed away on Thursday at his home in Florida. He was 70 years old.
I was sleeping on his recliner. He just didn’t answer.
Gigi Lemon, wife of Chet Lemon
Lemon had battled a rare blood disease for the past three decades and had suffered a series of strokes, which prevented him from walking or speaking.
He played seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox from 1975 to 1981 and nine with the Tigers from 1982 to 1990. He batted .273 with 215 home runs, 884 RBIs, 973 runs and 1,875 hits in 1,988 games.
Lemon set a still-standing record in the American League for outfielders with 512 outs during the 1977 season.
He led the American League with 44 doubles in 1979 and was selected for the All-Star teams in 1978, 1979, and 1984.
In the 1984 World Series, where Detroit defeated the San Diego Padres in five games, Lemon batted .294 with one run, one RBI, and two stolen bases.
The Detroit Tigers join all of baseball in mourning the passing of Chet Lemon. While he was a World Series champion and an All-Star on the field, perhaps his greatest impact came off it. That includes the creation of the Chet Lemon Foundation and the dedication of much of his post-playing career to youth baseball development.
Tigers Team Statement
Lemon returned to Motor City in September 2024 when the Tigers celebrated the 40th anniversary of that title. He was confined to a wheelchair, but enjoyed the emotional reunion with his teammates, his wife said.
Chet was a beloved teammate and friend. I am so grateful for the time we spent together last summer when the 1984 team had its 40th anniversary at Comerica Park. Today is a sad day for us. We will miss him dearly.
Alan Trammell, former teammate and Hall of Famer
Former teammate Lance Parrish remembered Lemon as a “fierce competitor.”
Chet was the kindest of men and always had that big smile on his face. He was also a fierce competitor on the baseball field and a great teammate. I loved him like a brother.
Lance Parrish, former teammate
Lemon was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but the family moved to Los Angeles when he was a baby. The Oakland Athletics selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 1972 draft from Fremont High School in Los Angeles.
