Former Tigers great, 1984 World Series champ Chet Lemon passes away at age 70

Former Detroit Tigers center fielder Chet Lemon, who was a member of the 1984 World Series championship team, died Thursday at his home in Apopka, Fla. He was 70 years old.

Lemon's wife, Gigi, found him unresponsive on his reclining sofa Thursday morning. Lemon, who turned 70 in February, had been dealing with a number of health issues since his retirement from professional baseball in 1990. Multiple clots and more than a dozen strokes had left him unable to walk or talk, with Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press reporting that Lemon had been hospitalized at least 300 times in the past 30 years.

Former Tigers great, 1984 World Series champ Chet Lemon passes away at age 70

Lemon was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the first round (No. 22 overall) of the 1972 MLB Draft. He enjoyed a 16-year career in the Major Leagues from 1975-90, making his MLB debut with the Chicago White Sox at age 20. He spent the final nine years of his career with the Tigers after being traded from Chicago for Steve Kemp in November of 1981.

Lemon was a three time All-Star, twice with the White Sox in 1978-9 and once with the Tigers during their title run in 1984. That year, he posted a .287/.357/.495 slash line with 20 home runs and 76 RBI. Lemon hit .263 over 1,203 games during his nine seasons in Detroit.

In a career that spanned 1,988 games, Lemon hit .273 with a .355 OBP, 215 home runs and 884 RBI. He had 1,875 hits, including 396 doubles, and his career WAR was 55.7.

Lemon's family had kept his condition private for years but chose to tell his story last year when he was one of the more than 20 former players who returned to Detroit for the 40th anniversary celebration of the 1984 World Series championship. Spending time with his former teammates, his wife believed, "sparked" him and "added some more months" to his life.

The Lemon family established the Chet Lemon Foundation after he lost his ability to speak in 2021 in an effort to spread awareness and help others impacted by stroke-induced aphasia. Those wishing to get involved can donate money, volunteer their time, attend fundraising events, participate in awareness campaigns and more.

More Tigers content from Motor City Bengals