Everyone talks about it, and rightly so, the 35-5 start. Through 40 games in 1984, the Tigers were playing winning baseball at an 87.5 percent clip, something no team had ever done before, and something no team has done since.

But the march to the championship, the franchise’s fourth and last World Series winner, wasn’t exactly as smooth as you might think.

The Toronto Blue Jays, the American League East rival and long the thorn in the Tigers’ side throughout the 1980s, didn’t go away for most of that summer. They were within 3.5 games of the Tigers as late as early June, and had a single-digit game deficit for much of August and even into early September, before the Tigers clinched on Sept. 18.

“If we wouldn’t have won after all the incredible things that we did, I hate to say it would’ve been for naught, but, basically, it probably would’ve been. ‘Eh, the ’84 Tigers, yeah they went 35-5, but they didn’t win,’” said Hall-of-Fame shortstop Alan Trammell, speaking ahead of the 40th-anniversary reunion celebration Saturday at Comerica Park.

The 1984 Tigers were introduced to the crowd by a P.A. announcer that sounded like an AI version of Harwell’s voice. John Fogerty’s “Centerfield” played as the starting lineup was announced. They then took their spots on the field by the World Series trophy, perched atop a platform behind the mound, as Morris threw a ceremonial first pitch to Parrish.

The team and fans then observed a moment of silence for the 1984 Tigers who have died, including players Willie Hernandez (that year’s American League MVP and Cy Young winner), Dave Bergman and Aurelio Lopez (Dwight Lowry was not included in the scoreboard tribute, for some reason), as well as manager Anderson, and coaches Roger Craig, Gates Brown, Alex Grammas and Billy Consolo. The numbers of eight late Tigers were stitched on the left and right sleeves of the custom “Roar of ’84” polo shirts they wore.

The Tigers only won the one championship during the 1980s, and if you ask most of them, including Trammell and Parrish and Gibson, that was a regret. They thought they’d win at least one more, and they had a chance in 1987, when they rallied and beat the Blue Jays on the last day of the regular season to capture the AL East crown. But the Tigers lost to the Minnesota Twins, and didn’t make the playoffs or World Series again until 2006.

It goes to show just how hard is to win it all, and explains why these ’84 Tigers still are so cheered and revered.