The Enchanted Season

The inside story of the Detroit Tigers' unforgettable 1984 season

In 1984, fantasy became reality in the Motor City. Led by ace Jack Morris, a historic season from lefty Willie Hernandez, and a thumping lineup powered by Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon, and Lance Parrish, the Detroit Tigers turned a sportscaster’s sarcastic “Bless you boys” remark into a rallying cry. The Tigers led the American League East from start to finish – starting the season 35-5 and finishing with 104 wins to take the division by 15 games. They topped Kansas City in the ALCS and the San Diego Padres in the World Series to capture Detroit’s first World Series Crown since 1968.  A key cog to this unforgettable season was Parrish, the all-star catcher who slugged a team-leading 33 home runs. Told from the perspective of Parrish himself and the expertise of award-winning Tigers scribe Tom Gage – who covered the 1984 Tigers for the Detroit News -- The Enchanted Season takes readers onto the field and inside the locker room, from the spring training trade for Hernandez to Morris’s April no-hitter to Gibson’s October home run to seal the Tigers’ clinching Game 5. Sharing insight on manager Sparky Anderson’s leadership, the magical keystone combination of Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, the power and speed of Lemon and Gibson, and much more, this essential read provides fans a new look back at the year the Tigers roared.