Dave was your Godfather?. He also played for my Giants back in the 80's. In fact two other Giants played on that great '84 Tigers team. Darrell Evans and Larry Herndon😀
Mayhem 628 yeah my Dad’s brother. I have his Giants pullover and I just moved to San Jose so I wear it around a bit and makes more sense than when I lived in Chicago.
When Troy was playing for Michigan State back in 1999, Dave invited me to sit with him and his good buddy Pio Disalvo underneath a palm tree at Florida Atlantic University. We watched the game together and shot the breeze. Talked a little Tiger stuff but the conversation was everything else baseball and life. I will never forget that day. 3 baseball fans just enjoying the game. Thanks Dave.
I was 16 and at the game with my entire family. Half the crowd were Jays fans so lots of tension, lots of fun. The at bat seemed to take forever; we couldn't believe how he kept battling. We were all on our feet- it was just so epic. When I think of baseball, this is the moment I think of- this moment cemented their fate for the year I believe and cemented Bergman in my memory forever. Bless you boys and rest in peace Dave Bergman.
This isn't about the at-bat; it's about the man... After Dave retired from pro baseball, he sponsored an amateur team--the Grosse Pointe (MI) Redbirds. For a time, he also coached/managed it. I was an umpire in a tournament they played in, and on the first day of the tournament he complained from the bench about a balk he thought I missed. I argued back vociferously that it wasn't one, even though I wasn't sure. He said, "I'm gonna let it go, but look it up tonight when you get home." Well, I did, and sure enough, he was right and I was wrong--I missed it. I drew his game again two days later and at the plate meeting before the game I admitted to him that I blew it. He responded, "Hey, you missed that one, but you called a great game. Too many umpires call a strike zone that's too wide, and I can't convince my pitchers of the need to hit their spots when the umpires keep calling strikes on pitches that are three inches off the plate. You helped me make my pitchers understand what the hell I'm talking about." He could have thrown me under the bus, but instead he chose to concentrate on what he thought I had done well.
I was a kid watching this on TV by myself and it was a great at bat. But what the video here doesn't show, and what stuck with me to this day is how Bergman just ran the bases, like it was the 3rd inning of a throw away game. I loved that. No gatorade buckets or team mob scene. Thanks, Dave Bergman.
June 4th, 1984 Dave Bergman made my day. I watched it live as a kid. I always did tell the story of the 13 pitches with the walk off 3 run home run nationally televized on Monday night. Certainly not forgotten; rest in peace Dave.
I also saw that game live on television. I was alone in my kitchen jumping up and down. Being a Michigander born and bred, I watched or listened to most of the games and that is one AB I will never forget. For me that was a moment in time that symbolized Dave and those ‘84 Tigers. It was magical.
Listened to this on the radio with my dad. We were hanging on every pitch. Bergman was masterful in hanging in there...7 and then 8 fouls. Then he just torqued on one for a 3 run homer. We knew this was the Tiger's year. Thank you Dave Bergman!
One of the statement games of the 84 season. After the incredible 35-5 start, the Tigers won only 3 of their next 9 games (38-11). After being just 2 games over .500 (11-9) to start the season, the Blue Jays went on a 23-6 run (34-15), just 4.5 games out. The Jays led 3-0, until Howard Johnson's 7th inning homerun off of the right field foul pole tied the game (Where's THAT video Derek?)))). The Jays won the next two in the series, 8-4 and 6-3, to move just 3.5 games back. I went to the last game of the 4, a sunny Thursday afternoon. With the game tied 1-1 in the 6th, newly acquired Rupert Jones delivered a 3 run homer into the right field upper deck, and the Tigers prevailed 5-3. Jack Morris got his 11th win, and the Tiger regained their 4.5 game lead. The Jays would get no closer the rest of the season.
What an at-bat. Those two teams had a great rivalry. The '87 race was exhausting. Took everything out of the Tigers who then had to face a hot Twins team. '84 though, had so many heroes. Thanks for the post.
I don't care what anyone says; those seven games over the final two weekends in 1987 comprised the best series in the history of the sport. If that had been BOS/NYY they'd be teaching it in history classes.
Remember when baseball was truly a “contact” sport? A game of whiffs and bombs now... feast or famine. Bergie shows us all how it should be taught and executed right here. I will never forget this great AB, his other great AB against these same Jays later in the season, or the entirety of this very special 1984 Tiger season. Truly one for the ages. 🐯 ⚾️
This team gave me my fist memories of baseball and to your point of how the game used to be, as a former pitcher I WISH the game was like it is now with batters not caring about strikeouts when I pitched! 😄
I remember exactly where I was when he Bergman did this. A bunch of us were huddled around a radio at work. This at bat took forever. When Bergie cranked it out, we were going absolutely crazy. Great moment in sports.
I was at this game with friends. We sat on the first base side like 3/4 of the way up in the lower deck. Remember the walk off, and I believe Bergie hit another HR earlier. Only issue was with the upper deck overhang in Tigers Stadium, from our seats you could not see where the ball landed. Your could for sure hear the Roar in 84!! Great place to watch a ball game. Thanks Dave! Rest in Peace my man.
One of the greatest at bats in the history of baseball. I'll never forget listening to Ernie Harwell describe this play on the WJR radio broadcast that June night in '84. RIP, Dave Bergman.
Kevin Fogarty IMHO the best year for Tiger baseball was 1968: The Tigers had baseball’s last 30-game winner (Denny McClain) & a crafty southpaw (Mickey Lolich) as the linchpins of their pitching staff. They dethroned the defending World Series champion St Louis Cardinals in 7 games, after being down 3 games to 1, and by beating the immortal Bob Gibson in game 7 on the road in St Louis. Hail the 1968 World Series champions Detroit Tigers!
@@chatman2a I have to agree with Kevin in terms of quality and depth. But the '68 team is my personal favorite because I grew up in the 1950s and never thought I ever see a pennant, let along a World Series.
I watched it live on television and was aware of what Sparky said, the best piece of hitting he'd ever seen, but never realized that it started with an 0-2 count. Think about it. Of the eleven remaining pitches, three were balls and one was his walk off home run, so he was able to foul off seven pitches with two strikes on him, waiting for his pitch. A remarkable hitting feat and Dave Bergman will forever have a place in Detroit Tiger and baseball history because of it. RIP.
CarsInDepth You're right, but Bergman was really not getting on top of the fastballs. Pitcher should've stayed with the fastball. I give Bergman LOADS of credit for staying alive because the longer an at bat goes on, the better the chance the pitcher will make a mistake. The pitch Bergman hit out was down and in enough, but it sped up his bat. It was not a bad pitch location wise, and many hitters would've swung and missed. But the pitcher should've stayed with the fastball.
Had privilege of being Dave’s teammate in San Francisco. Great teammate and friend. No hidden agendas. One knew where he stood with Dave. God Rest his soul, Bill Bordley
Back in the day before steroids and not always swinging for the fences. Didn't know much about Bergman but now a fan. Reminds me of Bobby Murcer , very underrated. Thanks for video.
I remember where I was when I heard about this at bat. I didn't get to see the game I was on my way to work when it was happening and I heard about it when I got there to the guardhouse where I was a security guard working midnights. One of the highlights of that glorious 1984 season. That year will be etched in my mind forever. Bergman was such an unsung hero. Didn't play as regularly as most tigers but contributed so much to that World Series team. He was such a fighter during this at bat it was amazing. Bless you boys and r i p Dave Bergman we miss you
Good old Bergie. Ask any 10 Tiger fans from 84 what they remember about that season and I'm willing to bet his his at bat that night will come up 8 times or better. Man, what a special year. THAT was a well-rounded team. Bless you Boys and RIP Dave. We loved all you guys.
Watching that home run, I still think of the Old Stadium That I Love!!! I'm living down in Miami now....When MLB first started allowing the American League and National League to start playing each other, back in 1997, I knew the Miami Marlins (back then, the Florida Marlins) were in Detroit to start their first 3 game series against the Tigers. I'm a Big Time Detroit Tigers Fan! I don't really care for any of the South Florida teams (to put it mildly). But I raced home to hear what the Florida radio announcers for the team would have to say at the beginning of their first broadcast from Tiger Stadium. I got home just in time, clicked on the radio and the broadcaster for the Marlins said, "We are here in Detroit for the first interleague game between the Marlins and the Detroit Tigers and...let me tell you folks, we have just fallen in love with this stadium!"...That brought a big smile to my face!!!
Best ballpark ever. It was a sin that Ilitch got greedy & strong-armed Detroit into building him a new ballpark when the old one was so distinct, and such a great place to watch a game. Those decks and the dramatic dark backdrops on the action! I'm glad we got a chance to go there (often!). Just wish it was around for my sons, too.
This brings back a great memory. The Tigers started the year 35-5. I was going to school in Ann Arbor and was working on my bicycle while listening to this game on WJR radio. Paul Carey and Ernie Harwell were the announcers. It was quite exciting, almost like a script from a movie where a 1930s family was crowded around the big radio in the living room. To hit a homer after so many foul balls was almost too much to believe. Thanks for posting.
I am a baseball fan and I remember Dave Bergman as a competitor on a really good tiger team. God bless him and his family and I hope rests well in the great dugout in the sky.
My father who was a big tiger fan passed away in May that year I remember watching this game with me my mother and my brother when Burgie hit the homerun we where all happy but it was bitter sweet
I was actually at this game. I had just gotten my driver's license a month or so before, and I took my sister. We were in the upper deck center field bleachers, first row. This game also featured a clutch 3 run homer by Howard Johnson and I remember that as the only home run I've ever seen hit the foul pole and the clang that it made. But this homer? Bedlam. Awesome, awesome bedlam.
I was in the military that year I completely missed the whole entire season. Even worse I was out of the country for the World Series. As a Tigers fan I clearly missed the greatest season ever. So I appreciate these videos. By the way I saw a game in the mid-70s and Boog Powell for the Baltimore Orioles homered and hit the foul pole. RIP Dave Bergman
Was at this game with my Dad. I was a whopping 23 years old. Hung around the park and actually personally met Howard Cosell. It was Monday night baseball and he was aboard.
Hopefully you didn't have any open flame around Howard. You can hear him leaning into Al Michaels' play by play, at 0:54 in what is apparently an extended point being made, which ends with Al saying "Not necessarily," (clipped at 0:58) on Pitch 8. I remember all his work from the 70s, but by this time he was pushing his personality and opinions to the point that he was out of game broadcasting within 18 months.
I was ten in 1984 ..I remember waking up that morning and hearing my father and his friends talk about that at bat ..my father and I were die hard tigers fans ..one of my fondest memories in life ..
after that game the jays fell to 4 1/2 games back and never got closer t rest of the way. that at bat changed the game and that game changed the course of the season.
A sad day in baseball if you're a Detroit Tiger fan. Dave Bergman has passed away. He was a huge part of that magical year of 1984 when the Tigers went wire to wire and won it all. RIP Dave, and tell Ernie we're still missing him.
Thank you for posting. This was the best home run of the 1984 Season. I like the way you showed the thirteen pitches because it reestablishes the mood but you cut it off too soon.
When you consider how drunk Howard Cosell sounds in the small snippets available here, chalk up the brevity to an editor's discretion. There's a half-sentence from Al Michaels where he says "Not Necessarily," which I presume was to tamp down some of Howard's blather.
I was a HUGE Oriole fan back then and so looked forward to the season every year as I was just a 22 year old kid in 1984. I'll never forget that season when Detroit ran out to a 35-5 record ... locking up the division in the 1st month of the season and ruining the entire season for me and everyone else in that division by May 1. Like it happened yesterday .....
The most amazing "at bat" I ever saw. Seeing this replay I now realize that that 14th pitch Bergman hit for a homerun was probably gonna be ball four had he not swung at it. But a lot of lefty hitters like pitches down and in.
Working 3rd shift back then. Almost late punching in and the parking lot full of guys erupted. One of the best at bats of all time. What a great year for us Tigers fans. Go Tigers!
If you stop the video three seconds before it ends and zoom in….you will see a blurry image of a boy with a black baseball glove on, standing next to the beam that is holding up the roof in the upper deck (the ball lands just to the left of that beam). The gloved arm is in front of the beam but the boy cant move any farther towards the ball because the beam is in the way. I was that boy. From that game, that at bat, I have been and always will be a Dave Bergman fan. The memory of that home run coming so near to me, the roar of the crowd….it will NEVER fade.
I remember watching that. That was a great at bat! it broke Toronto that year, finally kicked them out of what little running they had going on towards the Tigers that year.
I think Toronto won the next two games but got no closer than 3 1/2 games behind the Tigers. But this was the epic at-bat the Tigers had that really killed the Blue Jays in 1984.
That was definitely a storied year. I listened to this game on the radio, expecting Harwell to call out "strike three" at any moment. Instead, "there's a long fly ball heading deep to right field ...and gone."
Daryl Evans was another Tiger who could stay in the box for long pitching duels. Besides being a designated hitter, he was a utility player who could play third, short stop, first base, and the outfield.
WTF? 37yr old Darrell Evans could do no such thing. He may have been marginally capable earlier in his career, but not in 84. Get real. And this is taking nothing away from Darrell. He had a very good career.
I know I'll never forget that HR. It was a huge win for the Tigers as Toronto was gaining on them after the 35-5 start. This became a 2 game swing and kept Detroit (I think) lead at 7 games instead if 5 with a loss
The Padres had a great a great year in 1984, too. Unfortunately, the Tigers put an end to it. 😄. It was still a great year all around. Great days of baseball. And great years before with the Dodgers, Reds, A’s, Yankees, and all. After the 90’s baseball never seemed the same again.
I was laying in bed listening to the all time greatest baseball announcer Ernie Harwell and I just had a feeling that Bergman was gonna hit one out of there. Sure enough, it was loooooooong gone!!!
This reminds me of the grand slam home run in the '98 series by Tino Martinez off the Padres Mark Langston. A 2-2 pitch right down the pipe was taken for ball 3...l wish everyone can see that pitch thrown...it was a classic blown strike of epic proportions that should have ended the inning. Instead the next 3-2 pitch was hit out for a grand slam. The 1-2 pitch to Bergman here was a strike but it was not as obvious as the one l am talking about. If l am Mark Langston l am still squirming over that damn non-call.
Thanks for putting this up. Dave was my Godfather. So cool to see comments about him and hear from people who were at the game!
Dave was your Godfather?. He also played for my Giants back in the 80's. In fact two other Giants played on that great '84 Tigers team. Darrell Evans and Larry Herndon😀
Mayhem 628 yeah my Dad’s brother. I have his Giants pullover and I just moved to San Jose so I wear it around a bit and makes more sense than when I lived in Chicago.
@@TurdFergussen Dave was a good player. He played on some really bad Giants teams though. Good for him he won a ring in 1984. They were a helluva team
When Troy was playing for Michigan State back in 1999, Dave invited me to sit with him and his good buddy Pio Disalvo underneath a palm tree at Florida Atlantic University. We watched the game together and shot the breeze.
Talked a little Tiger stuff but the conversation was everything else baseball and life. I will never forget that day. 3 baseball fans just enjoying the game.
Thanks Dave.
I really liked Dave. I wished he'd of got more time in the WS, but...that's baseball. He helped get us there.
As an Indians fan, I remember the Tigers that year. Three weeks into the season and we knew that they were unstoppable.
RIP Dave Bergman.
I was 16 and at the game with my entire family. Half the crowd were Jays fans so lots of tension, lots of fun. The at bat seemed to take forever; we couldn't believe how he kept battling. We were all on our feet- it was just so epic.
When I think of baseball, this is the moment I think of- this moment cemented their fate for the year I believe and cemented Bergman in my memory forever. Bless you boys and rest in peace Dave Bergman.
I remember this like it was yesterday. Laying in bed as a kid, secretly listening to the Tigers game. What an at bat, and what a year.
LOL yes listening to it in bed like I used to do in the 60s....It's a generational thing....
I would love to hear Ernie's call on this at bat.
God bless Ernie Harwell!!!!
This isn't about the at-bat; it's about the man...
After Dave retired from pro baseball, he sponsored an amateur team--the Grosse Pointe (MI) Redbirds. For a time, he also coached/managed it. I was an umpire in a tournament they played in, and on the first day of the tournament he complained from the bench about a balk he thought I missed. I argued back vociferously that it wasn't one, even though I wasn't sure. He said, "I'm gonna let it go, but look it up tonight when you get home." Well, I did, and sure enough, he was right and I was wrong--I missed it.
I drew his game again two days later and at the plate meeting before the game I admitted to him that I blew it. He responded, "Hey, you missed that one, but you called a great game. Too many umpires call a strike zone that's too wide, and I can't convince my pitchers of the need to hit their spots when the umpires keep calling strikes on pitches that are three inches off the plate. You helped me make my pitchers understand what the hell I'm talking about."
He could have thrown me under the bus, but instead he chose to concentrate on what he thought I had done well.
This is the perfect example of a teacher who takes the cards they were dealt and applies it in a productive manner. Thanks for sharing this :)
I was a kid watching this on TV by myself and it was a great at bat. But what the video here doesn't show, and what stuck with me to this day is how Bergman just ran the bases, like it was the 3rd inning of a throw away game. I loved that. No gatorade buckets or team mob scene. Thanks, Dave Bergman.
June 4th, 1984 Dave Bergman made my day. I watched it live as a kid. I always did tell the story of the 13 pitches with the walk off 3 run home run nationally televized on Monday night. Certainly not forgotten; rest in peace Dave.
I also saw that game live on television. I was alone in my kitchen jumping up and down. Being a Michigander born and bred, I watched or listened to most of the games and that is one AB I will never forget. For me that was a moment in time that symbolized Dave and those ‘84 Tigers. It was magical.
Listened to this on the radio with my dad. We were hanging on every pitch. Bergman was masterful in hanging in there...7 and then 8 fouls. Then he just torqued on one for a 3 run homer. We knew this was the Tiger's year. Thank you Dave Bergman!
One of the statement games of the 84 season. After the incredible 35-5 start, the Tigers won only 3 of their next 9 games (38-11). After being just 2 games over .500 (11-9) to start the season, the Blue Jays went on a 23-6 run (34-15), just 4.5 games out. The Jays led 3-0, until Howard Johnson's 7th inning homerun off of the right field foul pole tied the game (Where's THAT video Derek?)))). The Jays won the next two in the series, 8-4 and 6-3, to move just 3.5 games back. I went to the last game of the 4, a sunny Thursday afternoon. With the game tied 1-1 in the 6th, newly acquired Rupert Jones delivered a 3 run homer into the right field upper deck, and the Tigers prevailed 5-3. Jack Morris got his 11th win, and the Tiger regained their 4.5 game lead. The Jays would get no closer the rest of the season.
Rest in Peace Dave Bergman....certainly a big part of the 1984 Championship
What an at-bat. Those two teams had a great rivalry. The '87 race was exhausting. Took everything out of the Tigers who then had to face a hot Twins team. '84 though, had so many heroes. Thanks for the post.
I don't care what anyone says; those seven games over the final two weekends in 1987 comprised the best series in the history of the sport. If that had been BOS/NYY they'd be teaching it in history classes.
Remember when baseball was truly a “contact” sport? A game of whiffs and bombs now... feast or famine. Bergie shows us all how it should be taught and executed right here. I will never forget this great AB, his other great AB against these same Jays later in the season, or the entirety of this very special 1984 Tiger season. Truly one for the ages. 🐯 ⚾️
This team gave me my fist memories of baseball and to your point of how the game used to be, as a former pitcher I WISH the game was like it is now with batters not caring about strikeouts when I pitched! 😄
Babe Ruth was yesteryear and if there was ever a case for feast or famine that was it. Led in homers and strikeouts to the max.
I remember exactly where I was when he Bergman did this. A bunch of us were huddled around a radio at work. This at bat took forever. When Bergie cranked it out, we were going absolutely crazy. Great moment in sports.
I was at this game with friends. We sat on the first base side like 3/4 of the way up in the lower deck. Remember the walk off, and I believe Bergie hit another HR earlier. Only issue was with the upper deck overhang in Tigers Stadium, from our seats you could not see where the ball landed. Your could for sure hear the Roar in 84!! Great place to watch a ball game.
Thanks Dave! Rest in Peace my man.
One of the greatest at bats in the history of baseball. I'll never forget listening to Ernie Harwell describe this play on the WJR radio broadcast that June night in '84. RIP, Dave Bergman.
Paul Carey announced innings 10-12, not Ernie.
I was there. The crowd was still going crazy walking down the exit ramps at the Corner (of Michigan and Trumbell)
Greatest at bat i can remember..we screamed when he hit it out.1984 awesome year.
A memorable at bat and a career highlight by a true player. RIP Bergie!
Lived in Dearborn Heights at the time,,,,,,,,,,,Great game, and Dave was a great player!!!! Just so sorry to hear he has passed!!!
RIP....1984 the best year e-v-e-r for Detroit baseball and Bergie was a part of that.
Kevin Fogarty IMHO the best year for Tiger baseball was 1968: The Tigers had baseball’s last 30-game winner (Denny McClain) & a crafty southpaw (Mickey Lolich) as the linchpins of their pitching staff. They dethroned the defending World Series champion St Louis Cardinals in 7 games, after being down 3 games to 1, and by beating the immortal Bob Gibson in game 7 on the road in St Louis. Hail the 1968 World Series champions Detroit Tigers!
@@chatman2a the 1968 team was the sexy team. The 1984 team was the best baseball team. IMHO
@@chatman2a I have to agree with Kevin in terms of quality and depth. But the '68 team is my personal favorite because I grew up in the 1950s and never thought I ever see a pennant, let along a World Series.
Sparky said it was the greatest at-bat he ever saw.
I watched it live on television and was aware of what Sparky said, the best piece of hitting he'd ever seen, but never realized that it started with an 0-2 count. Think about it. Of the eleven remaining pitches, three were balls and one was his walk off home run, so he was able to foul off seven pitches with two strikes on him, waiting for his pitch. A remarkable hitting feat and Dave Bergman will forever have a place in Detroit Tiger and baseball history because of it. RIP.
CarsInDepth
ok, we are thinking about it
CarsInDepth You're right, but Bergman was really not getting on top of the fastballs. Pitcher should've stayed with the fastball. I give Bergman LOADS of credit for staying alive because the longer an at bat goes on, the better the chance the pitcher will make a mistake. The pitch Bergman hit out was down and in enough, but it sped up his bat. It was not a bad pitch location wise, and many hitters would've swung and missed. But the pitcher should've stayed with the fastball.
I admit I thought that one was a little too close to take with two strikes on him.
I watched it happen...great at bat for sure but typical non sense from Sparky who was full of himself and full of shit
Had privilege of being Dave’s teammate in San Francisco. Great teammate and friend. No hidden agendas. One knew where he stood with Dave.
God Rest his soul,
Bill Bordley
Back in the day before steroids and not always swinging for the fences. Didn't know much about Bergman but now a fan. Reminds me of Bobby Murcer , very underrated. Thanks for video.
RIP Bergie! Clearly the 13th pitch in this famous at-bat was the lucky one!
The 84 tigers one of the best teams to ever exist.
I remember where I was when I heard about this at bat. I didn't get to see the game I was on my way to work when it was happening and I heard about it when I got there to the guardhouse where I was a security guard working midnights. One of the highlights of that glorious 1984 season. That year will be etched in my mind forever. Bergman was such an unsung hero. Didn't play as regularly as most tigers but contributed so much to that World Series team. He was such a fighter during this at bat it was amazing. Bless you boys and r i p Dave Bergman we miss you
What a magical moment from a magical season. RIP....you will be missed and remembered.
Good old Bergie. Ask any 10 Tiger fans from 84 what they remember about that season and I'm willing to bet his his at bat that night will come up 8 times or better. Man, what a special year. THAT was a well-rounded team. Bless you Boys and RIP Dave. We loved all you guys.
R.I.P. Dave Bergman, it takes a lot of strength & fortitude..
What a magical season the Tigers had in '84.
What an incredible and memorable moment!
Watching that home run, I still think of the Old Stadium That I Love!!! I'm living down in Miami now....When MLB first started allowing the American League and National League to start playing each other, back in 1997, I knew the Miami Marlins (back then, the Florida Marlins) were in Detroit to start their first 3 game series against the Tigers. I'm a Big Time Detroit Tigers Fan! I don't really care for any of the South Florida teams (to put it mildly). But I raced home to hear what the Florida radio announcers for the team would have to say at the beginning of their first broadcast from Tiger Stadium. I got home just in time, clicked on the radio and the broadcaster for the Marlins said, "We are here in Detroit for the first interleague game between the Marlins and the Detroit Tigers and...let me tell you folks, we have just fallen in love with this stadium!"...That brought a big smile to my face!!!
Best ballpark ever. It was a sin that Ilitch got greedy & strong-armed Detroit into building him a new ballpark when the old one was so distinct, and such a great place to watch a game. Those decks and the dramatic dark backdrops on the action! I'm glad we got a chance to go there (often!). Just wish it was around for my sons, too.
God Bless Dave and the Bergman family.
This brings back a great memory. The Tigers started the year 35-5. I was going to school in Ann Arbor and was working on my bicycle while listening to this game on WJR radio. Paul Carey and Ernie Harwell were the announcers. It was quite exciting, almost like a script from a movie where a 1930s family was crowded around the big radio in the living room. To hit a homer after so many foul balls was almost too much to believe. Thanks for posting.
That whole season was magical.
RIP Dave, you'll forever be missed :(
Thank you for posting, that was beautiful
I am a baseball fan and I remember Dave Bergman as a competitor on a really good tiger team. God bless him and his family and I hope rests well in the great dugout in the sky.
My father who was a big tiger fan passed away in May that year I remember watching this game with me my mother and my brother when Burgie hit the homerun we where all happy but it was bitter sweet
I wasn't even a month old when this happened, but I knew of this game and this great player. R.I.P.
I was there. Howard Johnson tied it with a home run off the right field foul pole screen. We were in the upper deck center field bleachers. Awesome.
I was actually at this game. I had just gotten my driver's license a month or so before, and I took my sister. We were in the upper deck center field bleachers, first row. This game also featured a clutch 3 run homer by Howard Johnson and I remember that as the only home run I've ever seen hit the foul pole and the clang that it made. But this homer? Bedlam. Awesome, awesome bedlam.
I was in the military that year I completely missed the whole entire season. Even worse I was out of the country for the World Series. As a Tigers fan I clearly missed the greatest season ever. So I appreciate these videos. By the way I saw a game in the mid-70s and Boog Powell for the Baltimore Orioles homered and hit the foul pole. RIP Dave Bergman
rushbro Well... thanks for your service anyways. And hey, you didn’t miss a thing. Really. 😉
Lucky man. I was watching at home with my dad on TV. Great moment.
One of the greatest moments in Tiger history
Was at this game with my Dad. I was a whopping 23 years old. Hung around the park and actually personally met Howard Cosell. It was Monday night baseball and he was aboard.
Hopefully you didn't have any open flame around Howard. You can hear him leaning into Al Michaels' play by play, at 0:54 in what is apparently an extended point being made, which ends with Al saying "Not necessarily," (clipped at 0:58) on Pitch 8. I remember all his work from the 70s, but by this time he was pushing his personality and opinions to the point that he was out of game broadcasting within 18 months.
One of the greatest at bats I have ever seen!
I was ten in 1984 ..I remember waking up that morning and hearing my father and his friends talk about that at bat ..my father and I were die hard tigers fans ..one of my fondest memories in life ..
after that game the jays fell to 4 1/2 games back and never got closer t rest of the way. that at bat changed the game and that game changed the course of the season.
A sad day in baseball if you're a Detroit Tiger fan. Dave Bergman has passed away. He was a huge part of that magical year of 1984 when the Tigers went wire to wire and won it all. RIP Dave, and tell Ernie we're still missing him.
Bergman is still alive !
That at-bat summed up the whole tigers season in 1984
I'm from the Chicago area, and I know Dave's nephew. Our families used to vacation together. From a White Sox fan, R.I.P Dave
Tommy Z?
As a lifetime Reds fan Sparky was my guy. Turned the Tigers around. Some great years
I loved my Blue Jays then but wow oh wow the '84 Tigers.
Thank you for posting. This was the best home run of the 1984 Season. I like the way you showed the thirteen pitches because it reestablishes the mood but you cut it off too soon.
When you consider how drunk Howard Cosell sounds in the small snippets available here, chalk up the brevity to an editor's discretion. There's a half-sentence from Al Michaels where he says "Not Necessarily," which I presume was to tamp down some of Howard's blather.
From a Tiger FANATIC. R.I.P. Dave.
I was a HUGE Oriole fan back then and so looked forward to the season every year as I was just a 22 year old kid in 1984. I'll never forget that season when Detroit ran out to a 35-5 record ... locking up the division in the 1st month of the season and ruining the entire season for me and everyone else in that division by May 1. Like it happened yesterday .....
Sad Day! RIP my friend!!
I watched this live. I was 11 years old. So exciting!
The most amazing "at bat" I ever saw. Seeing this replay I now realize that that 14th pitch Bergman hit for a homerun was probably gonna be ball four had he not swung at it. But a lot of lefty hitters like pitches down and in.
this is after the detriot tigers 1st 40 games in 1984 35-5
Working 3rd shift back then. Almost late punching in and the parking lot full of guys erupted. One of the best at bats of all time. What a great year for us Tigers fans. Go Tigers!
Like it was yesterday....
If you stop the video three seconds before it ends and zoom in….you will see a blurry image of a boy with a black baseball glove on, standing next to the beam that is holding up the roof in the upper deck (the ball lands just to the left of that beam). The gloved arm is in front of the beam but the boy cant move any farther towards the ball because the beam is in the way. I was that boy. From that game, that at bat, I have been and always will be a Dave Bergman fan. The memory of that home run coming so near to me, the roar of the crowd….it will NEVER fade.
So wild I remember this at bat. We watched every televised game and got down to the bleachers a handful of times that summer.
I was watching that game.... damned late at night though I don't know why. it was awesome.
This was the coup de gras after Howard Johnson had hit a 3 run homer in the 7th to tie up the game.
Even though the Tigers were unstoppable in '84, this summed up the Jays' biggest problem getting to the playoffs in '83-'84: the bullpen.
RIP Bergy, what an AB
One of the best MLB at bats in recent memory.
I remember watching that. That was a great at bat! it broke Toronto that year, finally kicked them out of what little running they had going on towards the Tigers that year.
I think Toronto won the next two games but got no closer than 3 1/2 games behind the Tigers. But this was the epic at-bat the Tigers had that really killed the Blue Jays in 1984.
Nothing would tick a pitcher off more than a batter fouling off a lot of pitches from a 3-2 count.
"Persistance" thy name is Dave Bergman.
White Sox fan here. I still remember the Tigers record after 40 games: 35-5. I still cant believe what i saw in the standings, Jack Buck...
DAVE BERGMAN WAS A GRAPPLER....
HIS COMPETITIVE NATURE IN 1984 WAS THERE TO PLAY AND WIN..AND SO HE DID AT THAT AT BAT AND THE ENTIRE 84 SEASON...
The Greatness and the Glory of the 1984 Detroit Tigers! What a Year
That was definitely a storied year. I listened to this game on the radio, expecting Harwell to call out "strike three" at any moment. Instead, "there's a long fly ball heading deep to right field ...and gone."
RIP Bergie!
Daryl Evans was another Tiger who could stay in the box for long pitching duels. Besides being a designated hitter, he was a utility player who could play third, short stop, first base, and the outfield.
WTF? 37yr old Darrell Evans could do no such thing. He may have been marginally capable earlier in his career, but not in 84. Get real. And this is taking nothing away from Darrell. He had a very good career.
I know I'll never forget that HR.
It was a huge win for the Tigers as Toronto was gaining on them after the 35-5 start.
This became a 2 game swing and kept Detroit (I think) lead at 7 games instead if 5 with a loss
RIP Dave...Greatest at bat!!
That ball is down by his knees when he connects!
No doubt, knee high...
Didn't know this one....great!
RIP Bergie!!
Wow!!!! Way to hang in there!
ikr
This word gets overused but that was....epic.
Must have been a national broadcast because that sure sounds like Al Michaels calling the game...
And that, my friends, is what you call "protecting the plate".
Looks like every other at-bat by Victor Martinez last season. This was great!
Once again I was there with my dad again
The Padres had a great a great year in 1984, too. Unfortunately, the Tigers put an end to it. 😄. It was still a great year all around. Great days of baseball. And great years before with the Dodgers, Reds, A’s, Yankees, and all. After the 90’s baseball never seemed the same again.
I was laying in bed listening to the all time greatest baseball announcer Ernie Harwell and I just had a feeling that Bergman was gonna hit one out of there. Sure enough, it was loooooooong gone!!!
#DaveBergman
This is definitely from an ABC game. That's Al Michaels on play-by-play.
Monday Night Baseball. Yeah. That used to be a thing.
after an epic 13 pitch battle you'll throw a meringue to the middle!! :)
LOL, you moron, he hit a great low pitch out of the strike zone!! Please get your eyes checked.
This reminds me of the grand slam home run in the '98 series by Tino Martinez off the Padres Mark Langston. A 2-2 pitch right down the pipe was taken for ball 3...l wish everyone can see that pitch thrown...it was a classic blown strike of epic proportions that should have ended the inning.
Instead the next 3-2 pitch was hit out for a grand slam.
The 1-2 pitch to Bergman here was a strike but it was not as obvious as the one l am talking about.
If l am Mark Langston l am still squirming over that damn non-call.
RIP. :(
RIP berg
Wow, possibly the best at bat in history of the game.
Was that Tom Selleck or Dave Bergman up there? The stance, the swing, and the foul balls looked like Bergman's.
Legend!