Three-time All-Star Guardian Chet Lemon won the World Series with the 1984 Detroit Tigers, who died Thursday at his Florida home. He is 70 years old.

"He was sleeping on the couch lying down," his wife, Gigi Lemon, told the Detroit Free Press. "He just reacted quickly."

Lemon has been fighting rare blood diseases for the past three decades and has suffered a series of strokes that prevent him from walking or talking.

Lemon played seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox from 1975 to 1981 and nine seasons from 1982 to 1990. He hit .273 hits in 1,988 games with 215 home runs, 884 RBIs, and 973 hits.

Lemon set a still-existing American League record for the outfielder with a score of 512 in the 1977 season.

He led the American League with 44 doubles in 1979 and became an All-Star team in 1978, 1979 and 1984.

When Detroit won the 1984 World Series in five games, Lemon fought a .294 fight against San Diego Padres with a run, RBI and two stolen bases.

"The Detroit Tigers joined all baseball to mourn the passing of Chet Lemon," the team said in a statement. "While he was a World Series champion and All-Star field, he was perhaps the biggest influence. This includes the creation of the Chet Lemon Foundation and dedicating most of his career to youth baseball development.

“Our ideas have something to do with Chet’s family, friends and everyone he has directed, directed and inspired.”

Lemon returned to Motor City in September 2024 as the Tigers mark the 40th anniversary of the championship. His wife said he was in a wheelchair but enjoyed an emotional party with his teammates.

"Chet is a precious teammate and friend," former teammate and Hall of Fame member Alan Trammell said in a statement. "I am very grateful for the time when the 40th party was held at Comerica Park last summer in 1984. Today is a sad day for us. He will be deeply missed."

Former teammate Lance Parrish remembers Lemon as a "hard competitor."

"Chette is the kindest man, and he always has such a big smile on his face," Parrish said in a statement. "He is also a fierce competitor on the baseball field and a great teammate. I love him like a brother."

Lemon was born in Jackson, Mississippi, but the family moved to Los Angeles when they were still babies. The Oakland track and field athlete selected him with the 22nd pick at the 1972 Los Angeles Fremont High School draft.

Information from field-level media is used in this report.