Jim Northrup, a Michigan native who was a power-hitting outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and World Series hero in 1968, died Wednesday at the age of 71.
Tigers’ 1968 World Series Hero Jim Northrup Dies At 71
The Tigers have won just two World Series since 1945: in 1984, the 104-win squad trampled everyone, and in 1968 they posted a surprising win in 1968 over a St. Louis Cardinals team that was heavily favored going into the Series.
Northrup played brilliantly during the ‘68 season, with 21 HR and 90 RBI while hitting .264. Those numbers may not seem like much today, but 1968 was the Year of the Pitcher; the entire American League hit just .230 that year.
In Game 7 of the ‘68 Series, Northrup came to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning of a scoreless tie with two on and two out; facing Cardinals ace Bob Gibson, he tripled over center fielder Curt Flood’s head to score both runners, and the Tigers won the game and the Series.
After his 12-year major league career, in which he hit 153 home runs, Northrup broadcast Tigers games from 1984 through ‘95 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
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