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Hall of Fame, Finally: Alan Trammell and Jack Morris Can Party Like it's 1984 Again

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December 11, 2017, 7:33 AM by  Alan Stamm

Good things come to those who wait.

Or, as many Tigers fans are saying: It's about damn time Alan Trammell finally earns his rightful place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The former shortstop and another Detroit legend from the same era, pitcher Jack Morris, were elected Sunday and will be inducted next July in Cooperstown, N.Y. They're the only pair elected from among 10 eligible past players.

Trammell, still with the Tigers as a special assistant, is a six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove Award winner and a World Series MVP in 1984, when the Tigers beat the Padres. He was named on 13 of the 16 ballots, while Morris was the choice of 14 Hall of Fame committee members.

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At MLB.com, Manny Randhawa gives the players' reactions and backgrounds:

Trammell played all 20 of his MLB seasons with the Tigers, from 1977-96, including the first eight seasons of his career as a teammate of Morris.

In the '84 World Series against the Padres, he hit .450 (9-for-20) with a double and two home runs to earn MVP honors. He also hit .364 and homered in that year's American League Championship Series against the Royals.

"I'm just overwhelmed. I don't know how else to describe it," Trammel said. "I just got a call a few minutes ago from Jack Morris, and I'm so proud that Jack and I will be going in together as a little bit of a Tiger flavor. It's an honor to go in with Jack and whoever goes in on the regular ballot in January.

"I'm usually not at a loss for words, but at this particular time, I don't know what else to say.

"I really suspect that Tiger fans all around the country, it meant a lot to them for one of us to get in. Now, they have two. It's very special, to be honest with you." . . .

Morris pitched for the Tigers, Twins, Blue Jays and Indians from 1977-94, and he was a teammate of Trammell's on the 1984 Tigers' World Series championship team. Morris threw a no-hitter during that season, shutting down the White Sox on April 7 at Comiskey Park.

At The Detroit News, veteran sportswriter Lynn Henning puts the overdue honor in context:

Trammell won Sunday for the simple fact his case was so compelling. He had a marvelous 20 seasons that compared neatly with another shortstop who five years ago crashed Cooperstown: Barry Larkin.

Trammell’s two-way excellence was enhanced by his consistency. He was a seamless, if unspectacular, defender. He had an average throwing arm. But he positioned himself in model fashion, often squaring up a ground ball, scooping it smoothly into his glove, and in one graceful over-the-top throw delivering a near-perfect throw to first. Thousands of times he made such plays, appearing almost mechanical in his fielding sequence and efficiency of motion.

He could also hit. Trammell’s best season was 1987, when he batted .343 [and] slammed 28 home runs.

These are among reactions online:

The Tigers release these statements:


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