Chet Lemon, 1984 Detroit Tigers hero, dies at age 70
He was 70.
"He was sleeping on his reclining sofa," Gigi Lemon, his wife, said. "He just wasn't responsive."
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Since Chet retired from the Tigers in 1990, he has suffered a series of clots and at least 13 strokes, leaving him unable to walk or talk; and he has been to the hospital at least 300 times in the past 30 years.
In 2024, he returned to Detroit for the Tigers celebration of the 1984 World Series champions.
'I think it added some more months,' Gigi Lemon said. 'He was able to see his teammates. I thought that was so important.'
After returning to Florida, he moved into his own home and threw out the first pitch at a college baseball game. He was going out to restaurants and spending time with his family.
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'The trip to Detroit, I think, it just sparked him,' Gigi Lemon said. 'I don't know the medical terms, or if there was such a thing as more blood flowing through some areas, but he just seemed to be so happy.'
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Chet Lemon death: Detroit Tigers 1984 hero dies at age 70
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