to .353. He also totaled 16 home runs and 63 RBIs for the 1984 Tigers. In the 1984 World Series, Evans managed only one hit in 15 at bats for a .067 batting average. Evans' father died at the end of July 1984 after a long battle with cancer, and Evans missed several games to attend the funeral in California. He later recalled that it was the greatest disappointment of his life that his father was not able to see him play in the World Series. 1985 season and home run title Despite his noted leadership as an elder presence in the clubhouse, owner Tom Monagahn tried to trade Evans to New York in the off season due to his contract. However, this plot failed. In 1985, Evans had one of the best offensive seasons of his career. He appeared in 151 games, 113 at first base, 33 as the designated hitter, and seven at third base. At age 38, he led the major leagues with 40 home runs, while driving in 94 runs. He became the oldest player to register 40 home runs in American League history, a feat not topped until Nelson Cruz hit 41 homers for the Minnesota Twins in 2019 at age 38/39. Evans was also the oldest player to lead the American League in home runs, and the first player to hit 40 home runs in both the National and American Leagues. He also registered a .356 on-base percentage (as a result of drawing 85 walks), and his .519 slugging percentage was his best since his breakout season in 1973. He was selected by both Detroit sports writers and fans for the 1985 Tiger of the Year award. 1986 to 1988 seasons At the start of the 1986 season, Detroit manager Sparky Anderson announced that Evans would not be the Tigers' first baseman and would instead be the team's designated hitter. Evans publicly expressed his frustration at losing his spot in the lineup after hitting 40 home runs. In the end, Anderson relented, and Evans played 105 games at first base and 42 as the designated hitter for the 1986 Tigers. He hit 29 home runs (part of a Tigers infield in which all four players hit at least 20 homers) and had 85 RBIs while compiling a .356 on-base percentage. Evans' three-year contract expired after the 1986 season, and the Tigers decided not to