One of my favorite players of all time. I had the pleasure of getting to know him when I was younger, and I can say that he was a great human being.
He will be missed
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No. So sad.
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RIP. Loved Chet Lemon. One of the main cogs of that 80s run. Had some great catches at Tiger Stadium.
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Just saw this. Terrible.
âHe was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, a rare blood disease that causes bone marrow to make too many red blood cells. Over the past 30 years, he had been to the hospital more than 300 timesâ.
This isnât living. RIP Chet.
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On one hand very sad, on the other hand, the pain is gone now.
Really happy that he was able to be in the stadium last year when they honored the 84 team and saw all his former teammates. Some great articles from back then on what it meant for him.
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rest in peace now guy, you will always be remembered.
My oldest brother loved Chet the most out of all the 84 Tigers. Hadnât quite caught on myself but I believe that was the first Detroit World Championship of my life time (I was born in 1980).
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Rip #34
A real solid player.
A real solid guy.
RIP, Chet.
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This video made me tear up
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Thanks for posting that, loved it.
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This disease is often treated by old fashioned âbloodlettingââŚ.
where patients come in to have blood removed for the sole purpose of reducing their blood cell counts⌠reducing the viscosity of the blood.
We have several patients every week come into our infusion center for this reason.
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Parallel memories came to mind Thursday as word arrived that Chet Lemon, one of those centerpiece stars from the Tigersâ last championship team, had died at 70.
First recollection:
Tiger Stadium. Center field. A ball is lofted high into the heavens somewhere within a square mile of Lemonâs post, which was to quarterback the Tigers outfielders and take primary responsibility for anything hit his â or maybe their â way.
He glided nimbly. Got quickly to his target area. He would turn. Snare the ball. Then, completing his choreography, would fling a silky throw to an awaiting infielder. Everything was done with confident grace â and trust from his teammates, manager, and, as many will attest, from his fans.
Second memory:
Itâs the Tigersâ clubhouse, anytime in the â80s. Lemonâs locker on the left side of the dressing room is tucked within that region of players (sardines?) squeezed amid metal and caging and too many bodies in too little space. Guys named Trammell, Whitaker, Gibson, Evans, Herndon, Bergman, Grubb, surround him, with Tigers coaches stacked to his immediate left.
Lemon is talking in a manner that sounds more like singing. He is warbling, in fact, in steady, excited, upbeat tones that match the light spilling from his face.
He is in constant supply of energy and zeal for playing baseball.
RIP.Dude could play and if you read up on him after his career was over He started one hell of a sports training and fitness Empire
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I believe he was traded for Ron LeFeur after the movie about Ron
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On November 27, 1981, the Detroit Tigers acquired Lemon in a trade that sent Steve Kemp to the Chicago White Sox . In his first season with Detroit, Lemon shifted from his regular position in center field, starting 92 games in right field and 25 in center field.
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Good article on Lemon how his trip to Detroit seemed to give him a spark per his family.
I also wasnât aware of his post MLB career running a travel team and how many current players he impacted including Kerry Carpenter.
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you are correct LeFlore went to MTL for one year and went to CHW the same year as Kemp
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