Chet Lemon, 1984 World Series champion with Tigers, dies at 70

New York Times

08-05-2025

Chet Lemon, the center fielder for the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers, died Thursday morning at his home in Apopka, Fla. He was 70.
Born in Jackson, Miss., and raised in California, Lemon played parts of 16 seasons in the major leagues. He debuted with the Chicago White Sox in 1975 and remained with the franchise through 1981. He played for the Tigers from 1982 until his retirement after the 1990 season.
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Lemon retired with a .273 career batting average and three All-Star selections. He was regarded as an electric defender in center field and was a key part of the Tigers' 1984 World Series run.
'Chet was the kindest of men and always had that great smile on his face,' former Tigers catcher Lance Parrish said in a statement. 'He was also a fierce competitor on the baseball field and a great teammate. I loved him like a brother.'
The Detroit Tigers join all of baseball in mourning the passing of Chet Lemon. While he was a World Series Champion and All-Star on the field, perhaps his biggest impact came off of it. That includes creating the Chet Lemon Foundation and dedicating much of his post-playing… pic.twitter.com/oXE4Om58RG
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 8, 2025
After his playing career, Lemon moved to Florida and established the Chet Lemon Baseball School, the Chet Lemon Foundation and also coached at Eustis High School.
For the past 30 years, Lemon has battled health issues. He was eventually diagnosed with the rare blood disease polycythemia vera, which causes bone marrow to make too many red blood cells. The extra blood cells thicken and slow blood flow, increasing the risk of blood clots, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Lemon suffered at least 13 strokes, leaving him unable to walk or talk in recent years.
'My heart goes out to (Lemon's wife) Gigi and the family,' Hall of Fame shortstop Alan Trammell said. 'Chet was a cherished teammate and friend. I'm so thankful for the time we spent together last summer when the 1984 team had its 40th reunion at Comerica Park. Today is a sad day for us. He will be dearly missed.'
Despite his health issues, Lemon attended that reunion last summer, where he received a large ovation from the crowd and a warm embrace from his former teammates.
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'I always believed my job as a pitcher was made easier when Chet was behind me in center,' former Tigers pitcher Dan Petry said. 'I'll never forget his laughter and infectious smile. His athleticism on the field always stood out, but he was an even better teammate and friend.'
(Photo of Chet Lemon (right) shaking hands with Tigers OF Kerry Carpenter (left), who played for Chet Lemon's Juice youth baseball team: Junfu Han / USA Today Network)