Rest In Peace Chet Lemon

Chet Lemon's career was right at the sweet spot of my baseball obsession, 1975-1990. I started watching the gam around 1974-75 when I was very young and continued well into the 90s. He was buried on some bad White Sox teams in the 70s but escaped in time to be one of the World Champion Detroit Tigers in 1984, the year they started 35-5.

Never a superstar, Lemon was Mr. Consistency. He averaged 18 homeruns & 72 RBI over his 16 year career and put together some excellent seasons including back to back 6.2 WAR seasons for the Tigers in 1983 & 1984. Many would be surprised to find out his career is 55.6, higher than many Hall of Famers!

When he finally escaped the futility of Chicago, he was traded for Steve Kemp. Unfortunately for the White Sox, Kemp's better years were behind him as he bounced around a few years until retring at age 33. The Tigers won that trade by leaps and bounds!

Saying goodbye is always tough, but I will always remember Chet Lemon, which makes him a Baseball Card Memory! Rest in Peace, Chet!