Former White Sox and Tigers great Chet Lemon has passed away at the age of 70, per an obituary from Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press. A specific cause of death wasn’t listed but Lemon’s ongoing health problems have been previously documented. He was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, a rare blood disorder, while still a player in 1990. The obituary notes that Lemon suffered a series of clots and at least 13 strokes over the years. That led to at least 300 hospital visits in the past 30 years and left Lemon unable to walk or talk.
Lemon was born in Jackson, Mississippi in 1955 but he and his family moved to Los Angeles six months later. He grew up in L.A. and played ball at John C. Fremont High School. He was drafted out of that school by the Athletics in 1972.
In June of 1975, still in the minor leagues, Lemon and Dave Hamilton were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Stan Bahnsen and Skip Pitlock. Lemon made his major league debut with Chicago late that year, getting into nine games. He got a more proper debut in 1976, playing 132 games for the Sox as the regular center fielder, a new position for him since he was an infielder in the minors. He didn’t do too much at the plate that year, with a .246 batting average and only four home runs, but the move to the grass seemed to work out well as he only made three errors all season long.
An offensive breakout emerged in 1977, as Lemon hit .273 with 19 home runs that year. He would carry that kind of production over into subsequent seasons, getting selected to the All-Star team in 1978 and ’79.
Ahead of the 1982 season, he was traded to the Tigers for Steve Kemp. In Detroit, he was shifted to right field for one season but was moved back to center in 1983. He continued to provide quality defense up the middle while hitting about 20 homers annually. In that era of Tiger baseball, Lemon was part of a core that also included Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, Willie Hernández, Jack Morris and many others.
In 1984, Lemon hit exactly 20 long balls, drove in 76 runs and scored 77, making his third All-Star team in the process. The Tigers went 104-58 that year, dominating the American League East, finishing 15 games ahead of the second-place Blue Jays. Lemon would only hit .167/.219/.167 in the playoffs but the Tigers nonetheless cruised through the postseason, sweeping the Royals in the ALCS with a 3-0 victory in the final year before the league championships went to a best-of-seven format. They then beat the Padres 4-1 in the World Series.
Lemon would continue producing in roughly the same fashion through the rest of the decade. As mentioned, he was diagnosed with his condition in 1990. He kept playing that year but battled multiple injuries and hit only five home runs in what eventually turned out to be his final season.
In total, his playing career consisted of 1,988 games and 7,872 plate appearances. He recorded 1,875 hits, including 215 home runs. He stole 58 bases, scored 973 runs and drove in 884. He was considered an excellent defensive center fielder. He made three All-Star teams and won a World Series ring. He spent most of his post-playing days coaching young players, including the creation of the Chet Lemon Foundation, which strives to “empower the next generation of athletes through scholarship opportunities, while also championing stroke and aphasia awareness … and providing crucial resources and support to those affected by stroke and aphasia,” per the foundation’s web site.
We at MLBTR join the baseball world in sending our condolences to Lemon’s family, friends, fans and everyone else mourning him at this time.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images.