Detroit Tigers
| Detroit Tigers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Established in 1894 | |||||
| |||||
| Major league affiliations | |||||
| |||||
| Current uniform | |||||
 | |||||
| Retired numbers | |||||
| Colors | |||||
| Name | |||||
| |||||
| Other nicknames | |||||
| |||||
| Ballpark | |||||
| |||||
| Major league titles | |||||
| World Series titles (4) | |||||
| AL Pennants (11) | |||||
| Division titles (7) | |||||
| Wild card berths (1) | 2006 | ||||
| Front office | |||||
| Owner(s) | Ilitch family trust[3][4] | ||||
| Manager | Ron Gardenhire | ||||
| General Manager | Al Avila | ||||
| President of Baseball Operations | Al Avila | ||||
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit as a member of the minor league Western League in 1894. They are the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the AL.[5] The Tigers have won four World Series championships (1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984), 11 AL pennants (1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, 2012), and four AL Central division championships (2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014). The Tigers also won division titles in 1972, 1984, and 1987 as a member of the AL East. The team currently plays its home games at Comerica Park in Downtown Detroit.
The Tigers constructed Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Avenue in Corktown (just west of Downtown Detroit) and began playing there in 1896. In 1912, the team moved into Navin Field, which was built on the same location. It was expanded in 1938 and renamed Briggs Stadium. It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961 and the Tigers played there until moving to Comerica Park in 2000.
Franchise history
Western League beginnings (1894–1900)
The franchise was founded as a member of the reorganized Western League in 1894.[6] They originally played at Boulevard Park, sometimes called League Park. It was located on East Lafayette, then called Champlain Street, between Helen and East Grand Boulevard, near Belle Isle.[7] In 1895, owner George Vanderbeck decided to build Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, which would remain their base of operations for the next 104 seasons.[8][9] The first game at The Corner was an exhibition on April 13, 1896. The team, now occasionally called the "Tigers," beat a local semi-pro team, known as the Athletics, by a score of 30–3.[8][9] They played their first Western League game at Bennett Park on April 28, 1896, defeating the Columbus Senators 17–2.[8][9]
At the end of the 1897 season, Rube Waddell was lent to the team to gain professional experience. After being fined, Waddell left Detroit to pitch in Canada.[10]
When the Western League renamed itself the American League for 1900, it was still a minor league, but the next year, it broke from the National Agreement and declared itself a major league, openly competing with the National League for players and for fans in four contested cities.[11][12][13] For a while, there were rumors of the team relocating to Pittsburgh, but the two leagues made peace in 1903 when they signed a new National Agreement.[14]
First Major League season (1901)
The Tigers were established as a charter member of the now major league American League in 1901.[15] They played their first game as a major league team at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25, 1901, with an estimated 10,000 fans at Bennett Park.[16] After entering the ninth inning behind 13–4, the team staged a dramatic comeback to win 14–13.[17] The team finished third in the eight-team league.[18]
The Cobb era (1905–26)
1905
In 1905, the team acquired 18-year-old Ty Cobb, a fearless player with a mean streak, who came to be regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.[19] The addition of Cobb to an already talented team that included Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings, Bill Donovan and George Mullin quickly yielded results.
1907 American League Champions
Behind the hitting of outfielders Ty Cobb (.350) and Sam Crawford (.323), and the pitching of Bill Donovan and Ed Killian (25 wins each), the Tigers went 92–58 to win the AL pennant in 1907 by 1.5 games over the Philadelphia Athletics.[20][21] They moved on to their first World Series appearance against the Chicago Cubs.[22][23]
Game 1 ended in a rare 3–3 tie, called due to darkness after 12 innings.[22][23] The Tigers scored only three runs in the succeeding four games, never scoring more than one run in a game, and lost the Series, 4–0.[22]
1908 American League Champions
The Tigers won the AL by just a half-game over the 90–64 Cleveland Naps with a 90–63 record.[24] Cobb hit .324, while Sam Crawford hit .311 with 7 home runs, which was enough to lead the league in the "dead ball" era.[25]
The Cubs, however, would defeat the Tigers again in the 1908 World Series, this time in five games.[26] This would be the Cubs' last World Championship until 2016.[27]
1909 American League Champions
In 1909, Detroit posted a 98–54 season, winning the AL pennant by 3.5 games over the Athletics.[28] Ty Cobb won the batting triple crown in 1909, hitting .377 with 9 home runs (all inside-the-park) and 107 RBIs.[29][30] He also led the league with 76 stolen bases.[30] George Mullin was the pitching hero, going 29–8 with a 2.22 ERA, while fellow pitcher Ed Willett went 21–10.[31] Mullin's 11–0 start in 1909 was a Tiger record for 104 years, finally being broken by Max Scherzer's 13–0 start in 2013.[32][33][34]
It was hoped that a new opponent in the 1909 Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates, would yield different results. The Tigers performed better in the Fall Classic, taking Pittsburgh to seven games, but they were blown out 8–0 in the decisive game at Bennett Park.[35]
1910–14
The Tigers dropped to third place in the American League in 1910 with a 86–68 record.[36] They posted 89 wins in 1911 to finish second, but were still well behind a powerhouse Philadelphia Athletics team that won 101 games.[37] The team sunk to a dismal sixth place in both the 1912 and 1913 seasons.[38][39] A bright spot in 1912 was George Mullin pitching the franchise's first no-hitter in a 7–0 win over the St. Louis Browns on July 4, his 32nd birthday.[40]
Cobb went into the stands in a May 15, 1912, game to attack a fan that was abusing him, and was suspended. The Tigers protested the suspension by fielding a team of replacement players and some coaches, and lost 24–2, to the Philadelphia Athletics.[41] During this five-season stretch, Cobb posted batting averages of .383, .420, .409, .390 and .368, winning the AL batting title every year.[42]
1915
In 1915, the Tigers won a then-club record 100 games, but narrowly lost the AL pennant to the Boston Red Sox, who won 101 games.[43] The 1915 Tigers were led by an outfield consisting of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Bobby Veach that finished #1, #2, and #3 in RBIs and total bases.[44] Cobb also set a stolen base record with 96 steals in 1915 that stood until 1962, when it was broken by Maury Wills.[45] Baseball historian Bill James has ranked the 1915 Tigers outfield as the greatest in the history of baseball.[44] The only team in Tigers' history with a better winning percentage than the 1915 squad was the 1934 team that lost the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals.[46]
1916–20
The Tigers dropped to third place in 1916 with an 87–67 record, and would remain mired in the middle of the AL standings the rest of the decade, never winning more than 80 games.[47][48][49][50][51] In the late teens and into the 1920s, Cobb continued to be the marquee player, though he was pushed by budding star outfielder Harry Heilmann, who went on to hit .342 for his career.[52]
Hughie Jennings left the Tigers after the 1920 season, having accumulated 1,131 wins as a manager.[53] This stood as a Tiger record until 1992, when it was broken by Sparky Anderson.[54] Cobb himself took over managerial duties in 1921, but during his six years at the helm, the Tigers topped out at 86 wins and never won a pennant.[55][56][57]
1921
In 1921, the Tigers amassed 1,724 hits and a team batting average of .316, the highest team hit total and batting average in AL history.[58] That year, outfielders Harry Heilmann and Ty Cobb finished #1 and #2 in the American League batting race with batting averages of .394 and .389, respectively.[59] The downfall of the 1921 Tigers, however, was the absence of good pitching. The team ERA was 4.40.[60] Without pitching to support the offense, the 1921 Tigers finished in sixth place in the American League at 71–82, 27 games behind the New York Yankees.[61]
On August 19, 1921, Cobb collected his 3,000th career hit off Elmer Myers of the Boston Red Sox. Aged 34 at the time, he is still the youngest player to reach that milestone, also reaching it in the fewest at-bats (8,093).[62][63]
1922–26
The Tigers continued to field good teams during Ty Cobb's tenure as player-manager, finishing as high as second in 1923, but lack of quality pitching kept them from winning a pennant.[56][64] Harry Heilmann hit .403 in 1923, becoming the last AL player to top .400 until Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941.[65] In 1925, Heilmann collected six hits in a season-ending doubleheader to win the batting title, finishing at .393 to Tris Speaker's .389.[66][67]
Cobb announced his retirement in November 1926 after 22 seasons with the Tigers, though he would return to play two more seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics.[55][56]
The Tigers break through (1927–40)
1927–33
Though the Tigers struggled with mediocre records in the seven years following Cobb's departure, they were building a solid foundation, adding slugging first baseman Hank Greenberg and pitchers Tommy Bridges and Schoolboy Rowe to a lineup that already included second baseman Charlie Gehringer.[68]
In 1927, Harry Heilmann flirted with a .400 batting average all year, eventually finishing at .398 and winning his fourth AL batting title.[69]
Following the 1933 season, the Tigers added perhaps the final piece of the puzzle, acquiring catcher Mickey Cochrane from the Philadelphia Athletics to serve as player-manager.[68]
1934 American League Champions
The Tigers won the 1934 AL pennant with a 101–53 record, at the time a team record for wins, and still the best win percentage (.656) in team history.[46] The Tigers infield (Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, along with shortstop Billy Rogell and third baseman Marv Owen) accumulated 462 runs during the season, with Gehringer (214 hits, .356 average) leading the way.[70][71] Schoolboy Rowe led a strong pitching staff, winning 16 straight decisions at one point of the season and finishing with a 24–8 record.[72]
The Tigers would fall in the 1934 World Series in seven games to the "Gashouse Gang" St. Louis Cardinals.[68][73] After winning a tight battle in Game 5 with a 3–1 decision over Dizzy Dean, Detroit took a 3–2 series lead, but would lose the next two games at Navin Field (Tiger Stadium).[73] For the second time in a World Series Game 7, Detroit folded. St. Louis scored seven times in the third inning off starter Elden Auker and a pair of relievers, while Dean baffled the Tiger hitters en route to an 11–0 victory.[68][73][74][75] The final game was marred by an ugly incident. After spiking Tiger third baseman Marv Owen in the sixth inning, the Cardinals' Joe Medwick had to be removed from the game for his own safety by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after being pelted with debris from angry fans in the large temporary bleacher section in left field.[68][73][74]
1935 World Series Champions
The Tigers 1935 lineup featured four future Hall of Famers (Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane, Goose Goslin and Charlie Gehringer).[76] Though they didn't challenge the 1934 team's 101 wins, their 93–58 record was good enough to give them the AL pennant by three games over the New York Yankees.[77] Greenberg was named AL MVP after hitting .328 and leading the league in home runs (36), extra-base hits (98) and RBIs (168).[78][79] Incredibly, Greenberg's RBI total was 48 higher than the next closest player (Lou Gehrig, with 120).[79] The Tigers also got strong contributions from Gehringer (.330), Cochrane (.319) and starting pitchers Tommy Bridges (21–10) and Elden Auker (18–7).[80]
The Tigers finally won their first World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs, 4–2. Game 6 concluded with Goslin's dramatic walk-off RBI single, scoring Cochrane for a 4–3 victory.[68]
After owner Frank Navin died in the offseason, Walter Briggs Sr. took over control of the team.[81][82]
1936–39
Despite being forecast to win the American League pennant again in 1936,[83] the Tigers fell to a distant second place behind the New York Yankees both that season and in 1937.[84][85] The team fell further down the standings with a 84–70 record in 1938 and a 81–73 record in 1939.[86][87] Hank Greenberg nevertheless provided some excitement for Tiger fans in 1938 by challenging the single season home run record held by Babe Ruth (60). He went into the season's final weekend against the Cleveland Indians with 58 home runs, tied with Jimmie Foxx for the most by a right-handed batter at the time, but he failed to homer.[88][89][90]
During the final week of the 1938 season, the Tigers presciently held out doubts about a pennant in 1939, but figured that 1940 would be their year.[91]
1940 American League Champions
In a tight three-team race, the 90–64 Tigers won the 1940 AL pennant by one game over the Cleveland Indians and two games over the New York Yankees.[92] Prior to the season, first baseman Hank Greenberg was persuaded to move to left field to make room for Rudy York.[93] The move proved successful. York hit .316 with 33 home runs and 134 RBIs. Greenberg batted .340 and slammed 41 home runs while driving in 150.[94] Greenberg won his second AL MVP award, becoming the first major leaguer to win the award at two different positions.[93] Charlie Gehringer batted .313 while collecting 101 walks and scoring 108 runs.[94]
Bobo Newsom was the ace of the Tiger pitching staff in 1940, going 21–5 with a 2.83 ERA.[94] An unlikely hero on the mound this season was 30-year-old rookie Floyd Giebell. Making just his third major league start on September 27, Giebell was called upon to pitch the pennant-clinching game against Bob Feller of the Indians. Feller surrendered just three hits, one being a 2-run homer by Rudy York, while Giebell blanked the Tribe for a 2–0 victory.[95][96]
The Tigers lost the 1940 World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in seven games.[97][98] Despite a heroic effort by Bobo Newsom, the Tigers came up short in the deciding game, losing 2–1.[97][98] Newsom's father had died in a Cincinnati hotel room after watching his son win Game 1.[97][98] An inspired Newsom won Game 5 and pitched Game 7 on just one day's rest.[97][98] This was the third time the Tigers had lost a World Series in a deciding seventh game.[98]
The war years (1941–45)
With Hank Greenberg serving in World War II for all or parts of the 1941–44 seasons, the Tigers struggled to recapture the glory of 1940.[99] They finished no higher than fifth place in 1941–43, but did manage a second-place finish in 1944, largely on the strength of pitchers Hal Newhouser and Dizzy Trout, who won 29 and 27 games, respectively.[100][101][102][103][104] Newhouser, who was 29–9 with a 2.22 ERA, won the first of his two consecutive AL MVP awards this season.[104][105] The Tigers were in first place as late as September 18, but would finish one game behind the St. Louis Browns for the AL pennant.[103][106]
1945 World Series Champions
With the end of World War II and the timely return of Hank Greenberg and others from the military, the Tigers won the AL pennant by just 1.5 games over the Washington Senators with a 88–65 record.[107][108] Hal Newhouser became the first pitcher in the history of the AL (and still the only pitcher as of 2018) to win the MVP Award in two consecutive seasons.[109] Newhouser won the pitching triple crown, leading the AL in wins (25), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212).[110]
With Newhouser, Virgil Trucks and Dizzy Trout on the mound and Greenberg leading the Tiger bats, Detroit responded in a World Series Game 7 for the first time, staking Newhouser to a 5–0 lead before he threw a pitch en route to a 9–3 victory over the Cubs.[111][112] Because many stars had not yet returned from the military, some baseball scholars have deemed the 1945 World Series to be among the worst-played contests in World Series history. For example, prior to the World Series, Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown was asked who he liked, and he answered, "I don't think either one of them can win."[113]
A long drought (1946–67)
1946–50
Following their World Series win in 1945, the Tigers continued to have winning records for the remainder of the decade, finishing second in the AL three times, but never winning the pennant.[114][115][116][117][118]
During the 1946 season, the Tigers acquired George Kell, a third baseman who was a 10-time all-star and future Hall of Famer.[119][120] He batted over .300 in eight straight seasons (1946–53), and finished with a career .306 average.[119][120] Kell won the batting title in a very close race with Ted Williams in 1949, going 2-for-3 on the last day of the season to edge out the Red Sox slugger, .34291 to .34276.[119][120][121]
The 1950 season was particularly frustrating, as the Tigers posted a 95–59 record for a .617 winning percentage, the fourth best in team history at the time. However, they finished that season three games behind a strong New York Yankees team that went on to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.[118][122]
1951–60
Over the next 10 years, the Tigers sank to the middle and lower ranks of the American League. The team had only three winning records over this span and never finished higher than fourth place.[123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132] The last place 1952 team went 50–104 (.325), which was the worst season in Tigers history until the 2003 team lost 119 games.[133][134] Despite the dismal season, starter Virgil Trucks threw two no-hitters, becoming only the third pitcher in major league history to accomplished this feat.[135] Also, team owner Walter Briggs Sr. died in 1952. His son Walter Briggs Jr. inherited the team, but he was forced to sell it in 1956 to broadcast media owners John Fetzer and Fred Knorr.[136][137][138]
Notwithstanding Detroit's fall in the standings, the decade saw the debut of outfielder Al Kaline in 1953. One of the few Major League players who never played a day in the minor leagues, he would hit over .300 nine times in his career. He also made 15 All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves, and featured one of the league's best arms in right field. In 1955, the 20-year-old Kaline hit .340 to become the youngest-ever batting champion in major league history.[139]
1958 saw the Tigers become the second to last team to integrate their roster when Dominican player Ozzie Virgil Sr. joined the team. Only the Boston Red Sox trailed the Tigers in integrating their roster.[140][141]
1961
As the American League expanded from 8 to 10 teams, Detroit began its slow ascent back to success with an outstanding 1961 campaign. The Tigers won 101 games, a whopping 30-game improvement over the 71–83 1960 team, but still finished eight games behind the Yankees.[142] This marked one of the few times in major league history that a team failed to reach the postseason despite winning 100 or more games, though it had happened once before to the Tigers in 1915.[142] First baseman Norm Cash won the batting title with a .361 average, while teammate Al Kaline finished second.[142][143] Cash never hit over .286 before or after the 1961 season, and would later say of the accomplishment: "It was a freak. Even at the time, I realized that."[144] Cash's plate heroics, which also included 41 home runs and 132 RBI, might have earned him MVP honors were it not for New York's Roger Maris bashing a then record 61 homers the same season.[142] Cash also drew 124 walks for a league-leading .487 on-base percentage.[143]
The 1961 club featured two non-white starters, Bill Bruton and Jake Wood, and later in the 1960s, black players such as Willie Horton, Earl Wilson, and Gates Brown would contribute to Detroit's rise in the standings.[145][146][147][148][149]
1962–66
As a strong nucleus developed, Detroit repeatedly posted winning records throughout the 1960s. In 1963, pitchers Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain entered the rotation.[150][151] Outfielders Willie Horton (1963), Mickey Stanley (1964) and Jim Northrup (1964) would also came aboard around this time.[147][152][153]
The team managed a third-place finish during a bizarre 1966 season, in which manager Chuck Dressen and acting manager Bob Swift were both forced to resign their posts because of health problems.[154][155][156] Thereafter, Frank Skaff took over the managerial reins until the end of the season.[157] Both Dressen and Swift died during the year; Dressen died of a heart attack in August, while Swift died of lung cancer in October.[155][156] Following the season, the Tigers hired Mayo Smith to be their new manager.[158]
1967
In 1967, the Tigers were involved in one of the closest pennant races in history. Because of rainouts, the Tigers were forced to play back-to-back doubleheaders against the California Angels over the final two days of the season.[159][160] They needed to sweep the doubleheader on the last day of the season to force a one-game playoff with the Boston Red Sox.[159][160] The Tigers won the first game, but lost the second, giving the Red Sox the pennant with no playoff.[159][160] Detroit finished the season at 91–71, one game behind Boston.[161] Starter Earl Wilson, acquired the previous season from the Red Sox, led the Tigers with 22 wins and would form a strong 1–2–3 combination with Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich over the next few years.[148][162]
1968–72
Glory in '68: 1968 World Series Champions
The Tigers finally returned to the World Series in 1968. The team grabbed first place from the Baltimore Orioles on May 10 and would not relinquish the position, clinching the pennant on September 17 and finishing with a 103–59 record.[163] In a year that was marked by dominant pitching, starter Denny McLain went 31–6 (with a 1.96 ERA), the first time a pitcher had won 30 or more games in a season since Dizzy Dean accomplished the feat in 1934; no pitcher has accomplished it since.[164] McLain won the AL MVP and Cy Young Award for his efforts.[165][166]
1968 World Series
In the 1968 World Series, the Tigers met the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, led by starter Bob Gibson, who had posted a modern-era record 1.12 ERA during the regular season, and speedy outfielder Lou Brock.[164][167][168] This was the first time the Tigers and Cardinals had met in the World Series since 1934.[169] The series was predicated with a bold decision by manager Mayo Smith to play center fielder Mickey Stanley at shortstop, replacing the slick fielding but weak hitting of Ray Oyler.[170][171] Stanley had never played shortstop before, but was a Gold Glover in the outfield and an excellent athlete.[170] Smith started him at short for the final six games of the regular season and all seven World Series games, with Oyler only appearing as a late-inning defensive replacement.[170][171] This allowed Smith to play an outfield of Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Al Kaline in every game.[170][171]
In Game 1, Gibson completely shut down the Detroit lineup, striking out a World Series record 17 batters en route to an easy 4–0 win.[172][173] However, due in no small part to pitcher Mickey Lolich's victories in Games 2 and 5, the Tigers climbed back into the World Series.[174] Many fans believe the turning point came in the fifth inning of Game 5, with the Tigers down three games to one, and trailing in the game, 3–2. Left fielder Willie Horton made a perfect throw to home plate to nail Lou Brock, who tried to score from second base standing up, as catcher Bill Freehan blocked the plate with his foot.[174][175] The Tigers came back with three runs in the seventh to win that game, 5–3, and stay alive.[174][175] The Cardinals would not threaten to score the rest of this game, and scored only two more meaningless runs over the remainder of the series. In Game 6, McLain ensured a Game 7 by notching his only win of the World Series, a 13–1 blowout, despite pitching on only two days' rest.[174]
In Game 7 at Busch Memorial Stadium, Lolich, also pitching on two days' rest, faced Gibson.[169] Both men pitched brilliantly, putting zeros up on the scoreboard for much of the game.[169] In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals looked primed to take the lead as Lou Brock singled to lead off the inning, only to be promptly picked off by Lolich.[169] One out later, Curt Flood followed with another single, and was also picked off by Lolich.[169] In the top of the seventh, an exhausted Gibson finally cracked, giving up two-out singles to Norm Cash and Willie Horton.[169] Jim Northrup then struck the decisive blow, lashing a triple to center field over the head of Flood, who appeared to misjudge how hard the ball was hit.[169] That scored both Cash and Horton; Northrup himself was then brought home by a Bill Freehan double.[169] Detroit added an insurance run in the ninth.[169] A solo home run by Mike Shannon was all the Cardinals could muster against Lolich as the Tigers took the game, 4–1, and the World Series, 4–3.[169][174] The Tigers became only the third team to ever win the World Series after being down 3–1.[169] For his three victories that propelled the Tigers to the championship, Lolich was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.[169][174] Through 2018, Lolich is the last pitcher to have three complete-game victories in a single World Series.[150][169]
1969–71
1969 saw further expansion as both leagues realigned into two divisions of six teams, and the Tigers were placed in the American League East.[176][177] That year, Detroit failed to defend its title, despite Denny McLain having another outstanding season with a 24-9 campaign, earning him his second straight Cy Young Award (co-winner with Baltimore's Mike Cuellar).[178] The Tigers' 90 wins placed them a distant second in the division to a very strong Baltimore Orioles team, which had won 109 games.[177][179]
The Tigers suffered a disappointing 1970 season, finishing fourth in the AL East with a 79–83 record.[180] Following the season, Mayo Smith was let go and was replaced by Billy Martin.[181][182][183] In a playing career that was primarily spent with the New York Yankees, Martin played his final games with the Minnesota Twins and stayed in that organization after his retirement.[183] He managed the Twins to an AL West Division title in 1969, but was fired after that season due to rocky relationships with his players which included a legendary fight with pitcher Dave Boswell in an alley behind Detroit's Lindell AC sports bar.[183][184]
Also during the offseason, Denny McLain, who had been suspended three times and had a 3–5 record, was part of a eight-player deal with the Washington Senators in what would turn out to be a heist for Detroit.[185][186][187][188] The Tigers acquired pitcher Joe Coleman, shortstop Eddie Brinkman and third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez.[185][187][188]
Martin's Tigers posted 91 wins in 1971. However, they had to settle for a second-place finish behind the Orioles, who won 101 games to take their third straight AL East Division crown.[189] The season was highlighted by Mickey Lolich's 308 strikeouts, which led the AL and is still the single-season record in franchise history.[150] Lolich also won 25 games and posted a 2.92 ERA while throwing an incredible 376 innings and completing 29 of his 45 starts.[190][191] Coleman paid immediate dividends for Detroit, winning 20 games,[190] while McLain went 10–22 for the Senators and was out of baseball by age 29.[186][187][192]
1972 AL East Champions
Joe Coleman, Eddie Brinkman and Aurelio Rodríguez all played critical roles in 1972, when the Tigers captured their first AL East division title.[187][193] Oddities of the schedule due to an early-season strike allowed the 86-70 Tigers to win the division by just ½ game.[193][194] Brinkman was named Tiger of the Year by the Detroit Baseball Writers, despite a .203 batting average, as he committed just 7 errors in 728 chances (.990 fielding percentage) and had a 72-game errorless streak during the season.[195] Mickey Lolich was his steady self for the Tigers, winning 22 games with a sparkling 2.50 ERA, while Coleman won 19 and had a 2.80 ERA.[196] Starter Woodie Fryman, acquired on August 2, was the final piece of the puzzle as he went 10–3 over the last two months of the regular season and posted a minuscule 2.06 ERA.[197] Fryman was also the winning pitcher in the division-clinching game against the Boston Red Sox, a 3–1 victory on October 3.[197][198]
1972 ALCS
In the 1972 American League Championship Series, Detroit faced the American League West division champion Oakland Athletics, who had become steadily competitive ever since the 1969 realignment.[199] In Game 1 of the ALCS in Oakland, Mickey Lolich, the hero of '68, took the hill and allowed just one run over nine innings. The Athletics' ace, Catfish Hunter, matched Lolich, surrendering only a solo home run to Norm Cash, and the game went into extra innings.[199] Al Kaline hit a solo homer to break a 1–1 tie in the top of the 11th inning, only to be charged with a throwing error on Gonzalo Marquez's game-tying single in the bottom half of the frame that allowed Gene Tenace to score the winning run.[199] Blue Moon Odom shut down Detroit 5–0 in Game 2.[199] The end of Game 2 was marred by an ugly incident in which Tiger reliever Lerrin LaGrow hit A's shortstop and leadoff hitter Bert Campaneris on the ankle with a pitch. An angered Campaneris threw the bat at LaGrow, and LaGrow ducked just in time for the bat to sail over his head. Both benches cleared, and though no punches were thrown, both LaGrow and Campaneris were suspended for the remainder of the series. It was widely believed that Martin had ordered the pitch that hit Campaneris, who had three hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored in the game.[199][200]
As the series shifted to Detroit, the Tigers caught their stride. Joe Coleman held the A's scoreless on seven hits in Game 3, striking out 14 batters in a 3–0 victory for the Tigers.[199][201] Game 4 was another pitchers' duel between Hunter and Lolich, resulting again in a 1–1 tie at the end of nine innings. Oakland scored two runs in the top of the 10th and put the Tigers down to their last three outs.[199] Detroit pushed two runs across the plate to tie the game before Jim Northrup came through in the clutch again. His single off Dave Hamilton scored Gates Brown to give the Tigers a 4-3 win and even the series at two games apiece.[199]
A first-inning run on an RBI ground out from Bill Freehan, set up by a Gene Tenace passed ball that allowed Dick McAuliffe to reach third, gave Detroit an early lead in the deciding fifth and final game in Detroit.[199] Reggie Jackson's steal of home in the second inning tied it up, though Jackson was injured in a collision with Freehan and had to leave the game.[199] Tenace's two-out single to left field plated George Hendrick to give Oakland a 2–1 lead in the fourth inning. The run was controversial to many Tiger fans, as Hendrick was ruled safe at first base two batters prior to the Tenace hit. Hendrick appeared to be out by two steps on a grounder to short, but umpire John Rice ruled that Norm Cash pulled his foot off first base. Replays and photos, however, show that Cash did not pull his foot.[153][199] Thanks to that play and four innings of scoreless relief from Vida Blue, the A's took the AL pennant and a spot in the World Series.[199]
A slow decline (1973–78)
The 1973 season saw the Tigers drop to third place in the division, with an 85–77 record.[202] Joe Coleman posted another 23 wins, but the other Tiger starters had subpar seasons.[203] Willie Horton hit .316, but injuries limited him to just 111 games.[147] Jim Northrup posted the best batting average of his career (.307) but was inexplicably limited to part-time duty (119 games played), which Northrup attributed to an ongoing feud with Billy Martin that had actually started in the 1972 ALCS. Northrup even proclaimed to the press that Martin "took the fun out of the game."[153] Martin did not survive the 1973 season as manager. He was fired that September after ordering his pitchers to throw spitballs (and telling the press that he did so) in protest of opposing Cleveland Indians pitcher Gaylord Perry, whom Martin was convinced was doing the same.[183][204] Third base coach Joe Schultz served as interim manager for the reminder of the season.[204]
A bright spot for the Tigers in 1973 was relief pitcher John Hiller, who marked his first full season since suffering a heart attack in 1971 by collecting a league-leading 38 saves and posting a brilliant 1.44 ERA.[205] Hiller's saves total would stand as a Tiger record until 2000, when it was broken by Todd Jones' 42 saves (Jones' record would later be broken by José Valverde's 49 saves in 2011).[205][206][207]
After the season, the Tigers hired Ralph Houk to be their new manager. Houk served in that capacity for five full seasons, through the end of the 1978 season.[208] The roster of players who played under Houk were mostly aging veterans from the 1960s, whose performance had slipped from their peak years.[209] The Tigers did not have a winning season from 1974 to 1977, and their 57 wins in the 1975 season was the team's lowest since 1952.[210][211][212][213] Perhaps the biggest signal of decline for the Tigers was the retirement of Kaline following the 1974 season, after he notched his 3,000th career hit.[214][215] Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980.[216][217]
1976: The Year of The Bird
Tiger fans were provided a glimmer of hope when 21-year-old rookie Mark Fidrych made his debut in 1976.[218] Fidrych, known as "The Bird", was a colorful character known for talking to the baseball and other eccentricities.[218] During a game against the Yankees, Graig Nettles responded to Fidrych's antics by talking to his bat. After making an out, he later lamented that his Japanese-made bat didn't understand him.[219] Fidrych entered the All-Star break at 9-2 with a 1.78 ERA, and was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game played that year in Philadelphia to celebrate the American Bicentennial.[218] He finished the season with a record of 19–9 and an American League-leading ERA of 2.34.[218] Fidrych, the AL Rookie of the Year, was one of the few bright spots that year with the Tigers finishing next to last in the AL East in 1976.[212][218]
Aurelio Rodríguez won the Gold Glove Award in 1976 at third base, snapping a streak in which Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson had won it for 16 consecutive seasons.[220]
1977–78
Injuries to his knee, and later his arm, drastically limited Fidrych's appearances in 1977–78.[218] Perhaps more important, however, was the talent coming up through the Tigers farm system at the time. Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker all made their debuts in 1977, and would help the team to 88 wins in 1978, the only winning season under Houk.[221][222]
The "Bless You Boys" era (1979–87)
Houk's immediate successor as Tiger manager in 1979 was Les Moss, but Moss would only last until June of that year.[223] From June 14, 1979 until the end of the 1995 season, the team was managed by George "Sparky" Anderson, one of baseball's winningest managers and owner of two World Series rings as manager of the Cincinnati Reds during their peak as The Big Red Machine.[224] When Anderson joined the Tigers in 1979 and assessed the team's young talent, he boldly predicted that it would be a pennant winner within 5 years.[225]
Acerbic sports anchor Al Ackerman initiated the phrase "Bless You Boys". Originally used as a sarcastic remark, Ackerman's phrase would take on a new meaning in 1984.[226][227]
The Roar of '84: 1984 World Series Champions
As in 1968, the Tigers' next World Series season would be preceded by a disappointing second-place finish, as the 1983 Tigers won 92 games to finish six games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.[228]
The first major news of the 1984 season actually came in late 1983, when broadcasting magnate John Fetzer, who had owned the Tigers since 1957, sold the team to Domino's Pizza founder and CEO Tom Monaghan for $53 million.[229][230]
The 1984 team got off to a 9–0 start highlighted by Jack Morris tossing a nationally televised no-hitter against Chicago in the fourth game of the season.[231][232] They stayed hot for most of the year, posting a 35–5 record over their first forty games and cruising to a franchise-record 104 victories.[233] The Tigers led the division from opening day until the end of the regular season and finished a staggering 15 games ahead of the second-place Toronto Blue Jays.[233] Closer Willie Hernández, acquired from the 1983 NL champion Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, won both the Cy Young Award and AL MVP, a rarity for a relief pitcher.[234]
1984 ALCS
The Tigers faced the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series. In Game 1, Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon went deep to crush the Royals 8–1 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium).[235] In Game 2, the Tigers scored twice in the 11th inning when Johnny Grubb doubled off Royals closer Dan Quisenberry en route to a 5–3 victory.[236][237] The Tigers completed the sweep at Tiger Stadium in Game 3. Marty Castillo's third-inning RBI fielder's choice would be all the help Detroit would need. Milt Wilcox outdueled Charlie Leibrandt, and after Hernandez got Darryl Motley to pop out to preserve the 1–0 win, the Tigers were returning to the World Series.[236][238]
1984 World Series
In the NLCS, a San Diego rally from 2–0 down prevented a fifth Cubs-Tigers series and meant the Tigers would open the 1984 World Series against the San Diego Padres.[239]
In Game 1, Larry Herndon hit a two-run home run that gave the Tigers a 3–2 lead.[240] Jack Morris pitched a complete game with 2 runs on 8 hits, and Detroit drew first blood.[240][241] The Padres evened the series the next night despite pitcher Ed Whitson being chased after pitching ⅔ of an inning and giving up three runs on five Tiger hits.[240][242] Tiger starter Dan Petry exited the game after 4 1⁄3 innings when Kurt Bevacqua's three-run homer gave San Diego a 5–3 lead they would hold onto.[240][242]
When the series shifted to the Motor City, the Tigers took command. In Game 3, a two-out rally in the second inning, highlighted by Marty Castillo's 2-run homer, led to four runs and the yanking of Padre starter Tim Lollar after 1 2⁄3 innings.[240][243] The Padres never recovered, losing 5–2.[240][243] Eric Show continued the parade of bad outings in Game 4, getting bounced after 2 2⁄3 innings upon giving up home runs to World Series MVP Alan Trammell in his first two at-bats. Trammell's homers held up with the help of another Morris complete game, and the Tigers' 4–2 win gave them a commanding lead in the series.[240][244]
In Game 5, Kirk Gibson's two-run shot in the first inning would be the beginning of another early end for the Padres' starter Mark Thurmond.[240][245][246] Though the Padres would pull back even at 3–3, chasing Petry in the fourth inning in the process, the Tigers retook the lead on a Rusty Kuntz sacrifice fly (actually a pop-out to retreating second baseman Alan Wiggins that the speedy Gibson was able to score on), and then went up 5–3 on a solo homer by Parrish.[240][245][246]
A "Sounds of the Game" video was made during the Series by MLB Productions and played on TV a number of times since then. Gibson came to bat in the eighth inning with runners on second and third and the Tigers clinging to a 5–4 lead.[240][245][246] Padres manager Dick Williams was shown in the dugout flashing four fingers, ordering an intentional walk, before San Diego reliever Goose Gossage summoned him to the mound. Sparky Anderson was seen and heard yelling to Gibson, "He don't want to walk you!", and making a swing-the-bat gesture.[247] As Anderson had suspected, Gossage threw a 1–0 fastball on the inside corner, and Gibson was ready. He launched the pitch into Tiger Stadium's right field upper deck for a three-run homer, effectively clinching the game and the series.[240][245][246][248]
Aurelio López pitched 2 1⁄3 innings of relief and retired all seven batters he faced, earning the win. Despite allowing a rare run in the top of the 8th inning, Willie Hernández got the save as Tony Gwynn flew out to Larry Herndon to end the game, sending Detroit into a wild victory celebration.[240][245][246]
The Tigers led their division wire-to-wire, from opening day and every day thereafter, culminating in the World Series championship. This had not been done in the major leagues since the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers.[249] With the win, Anderson became the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues.[250]
1987 AL East Champions
After a pair of third-place finishes in 1985 and 1986,[251][252] the 1987 Tigers faced lowered expectations – which seemed to be confirmed by an 11–19 start to the season.[253] However, the team hit its stride thereafter and gradually gained ground on its AL East rivals.[253] This charge was fueled in part by the acquisition of pitcher Doyle Alexander from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for minor league pitcher John Smoltz. Alexander started 11 games for the Tigers, posting a 9–0 record and a 1.53 ERA. Smoltz, a Lansing, Michigan native, went on to have a long and productive career, mostly with the Braves, and was ultimately inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.[253][254] Despite the Tigers' great season, they entered September neck-and-neck with the Toronto Blue Jays. The two teams would square off in seven hard-fought games during the final two weeks of the season. All seven games were decided by one run, and in the first six of the seven games, the winning run was scored in the final inning of play. At Exhibition Stadium, the Tigers dropped three in a row to the Blue Jays before winning a dramatic extra-inning showdown.[253]
The Tigers entered the final week of the 1987 season 2.5 games behind.[253] After a series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers returned home trailing by a game and swept the Blue Jays.[253] Detroit clinched the division in a 1–0 victory over Toronto in front of 51,000 fans at Tiger Stadium on October 4. Frank Tanana went all nine innings for the complete game shutout, and outfielder Larry Herndon gave the Tigers their lone run on a second-inning home run. Detroit finished the season two games ahead of Toronto, securing the best record in the majors (98–64).[253][255]
In what would prove to be their last postseason appearance until 2006, the Tigers were upset in the 1987 American League Championship Series by the 85–77 Minnesota Twins (who in turn won the World Series that year) 4–1.[253][255][256] The Twins clinched the series in Game 5 at Tiger Stadium, 9–5.[257]
A new approach (1988–95)
Despite their 1987 division title victory, the Tigers proved unable to build on their success. The team lost Kirk Gibson to free agency in the offseason, but still spent much of 1988 in first place in the AL East. A late-season slump left the team in second place at 88–74, one game behind the Boston Red Sox.[258][259]
In 1989, the team collapsed to a 59–103 record, worst in the majors.[260][261] The franchise then attempted to rebuild using a power-hitting approach, with sluggers Cecil Fielder, Rob Deer and Mickey Tettleton joining Trammell and Whitaker in the lineup (fitting for the team with the most 200+ home run seasons in baseball history).[262] In 1990, Fielder led the American League with 51 home runs (becoming the first player to hit 50 since George Foster in 1977, and the first AL player since Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle in 1961), and finished second in the voting for AL MVP.[263][264][265] He hit 44 home runs and collected 132 RBI in 1991, again finishing second in the AL MVP balloting.[266] Behind the hitting of Fielder and others, the Tigers improved by 20 wins in 1990 (79-83), and posted a winning record in 1991 (84–78).[267][268] However, the team lacked quality pitching, despite Bill Gullickson's 20 wins in 1991, and its core of key players began to age, setting the franchise up for decline.[269] Their minor league system was largely barren of talent as well, producing only a few everyday players during the 1990s.[270][271][272] Adding insult to injury, the Tigers and radio station WJR announced in December 1990, that they were not renewing the contract of long-time Hall of Fame play-by play announcer Ernie Harwell, and that the 1991 season would be Harwell's last with the team.[273] The announcement was met with resounding protests from fans, both in Michigan and around the baseball world.[274]
1992 saw the Tigers win only 75 games, with Fielder being one of the few bright spots as he won the AL RBI title for a third straight season (124).[275][276] In August 1992, the franchise was sold to Mike Ilitch, the President and CEO of Little Caesars Pizza who also owns the Detroit Red Wings.[277] One of Ilitch's first priorities as the new owner was to rehire Ernie Harwell.[278] Late in the season, Sparky Anderson won his 1,132nd game as a Tiger manager, passing Hughie Jennings for the most all-time wins in franchise history.[54] The team also responded with an 85-77 season in 1993, but it would be their last winning season for a number of years.[279][280]
On October 2, 1995, manager Sparky Anderson chose to not only end his career with the Tigers, but retire from baseball altogether. and the Ilitch Kids never ran the team[281]
Randy Smith era (1996–2002)
From 1994 to 2005, the Tigers did not post a winning record, the longest sub-.500 stretch in franchise history.[279][280] The only team in the majors to have a longer stretch without a winning season during this time were the Pittsburgh Pirates, who didn't have a winning record in the years spanning 1993 to 2012.[282] The Tigers' best record over this span was 79–83, recorded in 1997 and 2000.[283] In 1996, the Tigers lost a then-team record 109 games, under new general manager Randy Smith.[284][285]
In 1998, the Tigers moved from the AL East, where they had been since the divisions were created in 1969, to the AL Central as part of a realignment necessitated by the addition of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[286][287][288]
In 2000, the team left Tiger Stadium in favor of Comerica Park.[289]
Soon after it opened, Comerica Park drew criticism for its deep dimensions, which made it difficult to hit home runs; the distance to left-center field (395 ft), in particular, was seen as unfair to hitters. This led to the nickname "Comerica National Park."[290] The team made a successful bid to bring in slugger Juan Gonzalez from the Texas Rangers for the inaugural 2000 season at Comerica Park.[291] Gonzalez only hit 22 home runs that season. He cited Comerica Park's dimensions as a major reason why he turned down a multiyear contract extension.[292] In 2003, the franchise largely quieted the criticism by moving in the left-center fence to 370 feet (110 m), taking the flagpole in that area out of play, a feature carried over from Tiger Stadium.[293] In 2005, the team moved the bullpens to the vacant area beyond the left field fence and filled the previous location with seats.[294]
In late 2001, Dave Dombrowski, former general manager of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, was hired as team president.[295] In 2002, the Tigers started the season 0–6, prompting Dombrowski to fire the unpopular Smith, as well as manager Phil Garner. Dombrowski then took over as general manager and named bench coach Luis Pujols to finish the season as interim manager.[296][297] The team finished 55–106. After the season was over, Pujols was let go.[298]
Most losses in American League history (2003)
Dombrowski hired popular former shortstop Alan Trammell to manage the team in 2003.[299] With fellow '84 teammates Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish on the coaching staff, the rebuilding process began.[134] On August 30, 2003, the Tigers' defeat at the hands of the Chicago White Sox caused them to join the 1962 New York Mets, who were a first year expansion team, as the only modern MLB teams to lose 100 games before September.[300] They avoided tying the 1962 Mets' modern MLB record of 120 losses only by winning five of their last six games of the season, including three out of four against the Minnesota Twins, who had already clinched the AL Central and were resting their stars.[134][301]
Mike Maroth went 9–21 for the 2003 Tigers and became the first pitcher to lose 20 games in more than 20 years.[302] Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman (6–19), and Nate Cornejo (6–17) led the majors in losses, the first time in history that this had occurred.[303][304]
The Tigers finished 43–119, the worst record in franchise history.[134][301][304] This eclipsed the previous AL record of 117 losses set by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics.[305] While the 2003 Tigers rank as the third worst team in major league history based on loss total, they fare slightly better based on winning percentage. Their .265 win percentage was the majors' sixth-worst since 1900.[303]
Rebuilding the franchise (2004–06)
After the embarrassing 2003 season, the Tigers vowed to make changes.[301][306] Under Dombrowski, the franchise demonstrated a willingness to sign marquee free agents.[307] In 2004, the team signed or traded for several talented but high-risk veterans, such as Fernando Viña, Rondell White, Iván Rodríguez, Ugueth Urbina, and Carlos Guillén, and the gamble paid off.[308][309][310][311][312] The 2004 Tigers finished 72–90, a 29-game improvement over the previous season.[134][313][314] This was the largest improvement in the AL since the Baltimore Orioles had a 33-game improvement from 1988 to 1989.[314]
Prior to the 2005 season, the Tigers spent a large sum for two prized free agents, Troy Percival and Magglio Ordóñez.[315][316] On June 8, 2005, the Tigers traded pitcher Ugueth Urbina and infielder Ramón Martínez to the Philadelphia Phillies for Plácido Polanco.[317] The Tigers stayed on the fringes of contention for the AL wild card for the first four months of the season, but then faded badly, finishing 71–91.[314][318] The collapse was perceived as being due both to injuries and to a lack of player unity; Rodríguez in particular was disgruntled, taking a leave of absence during the season to deal with a difficult divorce.[314][319] Trammell, though popular with the fans, took part of the blame for the poor clubhouse atmosphere and lack of continued improvement, and he was fired at the end of the season.[314]
A highlight of the 2005 campaign was Detroit's hosting of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, its first since 1971.[320] In the Home Run Derby, Rodriguez finished second, losing to the Phillies' Bobby Abreu.[321]
In October 2005, Jim Leyland, who managed Dombrowski's 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, replaced Trammell as manager; two months later, in response to Troy Percival's arm problems, closer Todd Jones, who had spent five seasons in Detroit (1997–2001), signed a two-year deal to return to the Tigers.[322][323] Veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers also joined the Tigers from the Texas Rangers in late 2005.[323]
The return of the Tigers: 2006 American League Champions
After years of futility, the 2006 season showed signs of hope. The impressive rookie campaigns of eventual AL Rookie of the Year Justin Verlander, centerfielder Curtis Granderson, and flamethrowing relief pitcher Joel Zumaya, coupled with a well-publicized early-season tirade by Leyland, helped the team explode and quickly rise to the top of the AL Central.[134][280] The team reached a high point when they were 40 games over .500, but a second half swoon started to raise questions about the team's staying power.[106][280] On August 27, a 7–1 victory over the Cleveland Indians gave the Tigers their 82nd victory and their first winning season since 1993.[280][324][325] On September 24, the Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 11–4 to clinch their first playoff berth since 1987.[326][327] A division title seemed inevitable. All that was required was one win in the final five games of the season, which included three games against the Royals, whom the Tigers had manhandled much of the season. However, the Tigers lost all five games to finish 95–67, and the division title went to the 96–66 Minnesota Twins. The Tigers instead settled for the AL wild card.[328]
The playoffs saw the Tigers beat the heavily favored New York Yankees 3–1 in the ALDS and sweep the Oakland Athletics in the 2006 ALCS, thanks to a walk-off home run in Game 4 by right fielder Magglio Ordóñez.[329][330] They advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the underdog St. Louis Cardinals in five games.[331]
Falling short (2007–2010)
2007
In 2007, the Tigers returned 22 of 25 players from their 2006 World Series roster, and traded for outfielder Gary Sheffield, who had been a part of the 1997 Marlins World Series team managed by Jim Leyland.[332] In addition to acquisitions, Dombrowski developed a productive farm system. Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya, the most notable rookie contributors to the 2006 team, were followed by Andrew Miller, who was drafted in 2006 and called up early in the 2007 campaign, and minor-leaguer Cameron Maybin, an athletic five-tool outfielder ranked #6 in Baseball America's 2007 Top-100 Prospects.[333]
On June 12, Verlander threw the Tigers' first no-hitter since 1984 (Jack Morris) and the first in Comerica Park history, in a 4–0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.[334] The Tigers had the best record in baseball in late July, but lost a few players to injuries and started to play poorly in the second half.[335][336][337][338] The Tigers were officially eliminated from playoff competition on September 26, 2007 when the New York Yankees clinched a wild card berth.[339][340] The Tigers, at 88-74, finished second in the AL Central.[341]
Magglio Ordóñez captured the AL batting title in 2007 with a .363 average, becoming the first Tiger to win it since Norm Cash did so in 1961.[342]
2008
Going into the 2008 season, the franchise traded for prominent talent in Édgar Rentería (from the Atlanta Braves) and Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis (from the Florida Marlins). However, the Tigers (who now boasted the second-highest team payroll in the majors at over $138 million)[343] began the regular season by losing seven straight games. The Tigers climbed back, and at the midway point of the season, they were 42–40. In the end, the team finished miserably, slumping to a 74–88 record. Justin Verlander finished with his worst season as a pro, as he went 11–17 with a 4.84 ERA. The Tigers also lost closer Todd Jones to retirement on September 25, 2008. Despite the disappointing season, the team set an attendance record in 2008, drawing 3,202,654 customers to Comerica Park.
2009
The Tigers started 2009 very hot, quickly gaining the lead in the AL Central and keeping it for much of the year. This was fueled primarily by the combination of pitching and defense.
The Tigers acquired starter Edwin Jackson from the 2008 AL Champion Tampa Bay Rays, and called up rookie and former #1 draft pick Rick Porcello. Jackson was outstanding in the first half, making his first All-Star team, while Porcello was solid most of the year, posting a 14–9 record with a 3.96 ERA and displaying grit and maturity beyond his 20 years of age. Tigers ace Justin Verlander bounced back from an off 2008 to win 19 games. He posted a 3.45 ERA and led the AL in strikeouts (269) to finish third in the AL Cy Young balloting. Fernando Rodney assumed the closer role in spring training, replacing the retired Todd Jones. Rodney responded with 37 saves in 38 tries, while Bobby Seay, Brandon Lyon and young Ryan Perry shored up the middle relief that plagued the team in 2007–08.
Despite the improvements, the Tigers again found themselves struggling to hold a lead in the AL Central during the second half of the season, and in particular, the final month. The offense they were known for in recent years slumped badly and was unable to support strong outings by the pitching staff. The team entered September with a 7-game lead on its AL Central rivals, but wound up tied with the Minnesota Twins at 86 wins by the final day of the regular season. The season ended on October 6 with a 6–5 loss in 12 innings to the Twins in the tie-breaker game, leaving the Tigers with an 86–77 record. The Tigers spent 146 days of the 2009 season in first place, but became the first team in Major League history to lose a three-game lead with four games left to play.[344]
2010
Entering 2010, the Tigers parted ways with Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson as part of a three-way trade with the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks; in return they picked up outfield prospect Austin Jackson and pitchers Phil Coke, Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth. Austin Jackson made the Tigers opening day roster, and was American League Rookie of the Month for April.[345] 2010 also saw the debut of Brennan Boesch, who was named the AL Rookie of the Month for May and June.[346][347]
At the All-Star break, the Tigers were a half-game out of first place in the AL Central, behind the Chicago White Sox. But a slow start after the break and injuries to three key players sent the Tigers into yet another second-half tailspin. The Tigers finished the season in third place with an 81–81 record, 13 games back of the division-winning Minnesota Twins. While playing outstanding baseball at home, the Tigers were just 29–52 on the road. Only the Seattle Mariners had fewer road wins than the Tigers among American League teams.
Among the 2010 season highlights were Miguel Cabrera hitting .328 with 38 home runs and an AL-best 126 RBI, earning the American League Silver Slugger Award at first base[348] and finishing second in the AL MVP race (earning 5 of 28 first-place votes).[349] Austin Jackson (.293 average, 103 runs, 181 hits, 27 stolen bases) finished second in the AL Rookie-of-the-Year voting. Justin Verlander enjoyed another strong season (18–9 record, 3.37 ERA, 219 strikeouts).
The near-perfect game
On June 2, 2010, Armando Galarraga was pitching a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians with 2 outs in the top of the ninth inning when first base umpire Jim Joyce made a controversial call, ruling Jason Donald safe at first. Video replay showed he was out. A tearful Joyce later said "I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay."[350] Later Galarraga told reporters Joyce apologized to him directly and gave him a hug. The next day, with Joyce umpiring home plate, Galarraga brought out the Tigers lineup card and the two hugged again. Despite large fan support for overturning the call, commissioner Bud Selig let the call stand, but said he would look into expanding instant replay for the future.
Division winners (2011–2014)
2011: First AL Central Championship
The Tigers returned much of their roster from 2010, while adding catcher/DH Victor Martinez, relief pitcher Joaquín Benoit and starting pitcher Brad Penny. The Tigers sent five players to the 2011 All-Star Game. Catcher Alex Avila was voted in as a starter, while Justin Verlander, José Valverde and Miguel Cabrera were added as reserves. (Verlander was unavailable to play in the game due to the scheduling of his regular-season starts.) Shortstop Jhonny Peralta was later added to the All-Star team when the Yankees' Derek Jeter was unable to play due to injury.
On May 7, Justin Verlander took a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays into the 8th inning. After a walk to J. P. Arencibia, Verlander coaxed a double-play grounder and went on to the 9th inning to complete his second career no-hitter by facing the minimum 27 batters. It was the seventh no-hitter in Tigers history.[351] On August 27, Verlander defeated the Minnesota Twins, 6–4, to become the first Tiger since Bill Gullickson in 1991 to win 20 games in a season. Verlander also became the first major league pitcher since Curt Schilling in 2002 to reach 20 wins before the end of August.[352]
In May, the Tigers were as many as eight games back of the first-place Cleveland Indians, but slowly pulled back to near-even by the All-Star break. As a three-way battle for the division title developed between the Tigers, Indians, and Chicago White Sox, the Tigers put together an 18–10 record in August to begin to pull away. Starter Doug Fister, acquired via trade on July 30, provided an immediate spark, going 8–1 over the final two months of the season with a sparkling 1.79 ERA. After a loss on September 1, the Tigers reeled off a 12-game winning streak to put any thoughts of another late-season collapse to rest. The streak consisted of four consecutive three-game sweeps over their AL Central Division rivals. It was the Tigers longest winning streak since the 1934 team won 14 straight.[353] On September 16, the Tigers clinched the AL Central Division title with a 3–1 win over the Oakland Athletics. It was their first AL Central title since joining the division in 1998, and first division title of any kind since 1987.[354] The Tigers clinched the division with 11 games left to play, tying the franchise record set by the 1984 team.
Members of the 2011 Tigers won multiple statistical awards in 2011. Justin Verlander won the triple crown of pitching, leading the American League in wins (24), ERA (2.40) and strikeouts (250). On November 15, Verlander was a unanimous selection for the AL Cy Young Award.[355] In a much closer vote six days later, Verlander also won the AL MVP Award, becoming the first pitcher to do so since Dennis Eckersley in 1992.[356] José Valverde was the AL saves leader with 49 (in 49 save opportunities), winning the 2011 MLB Delivery Man of the Year Award. Miguel Cabrera won the AL batting title with a .344 average, while also leading the AL in on-base percentage (.448) and doubles (48).
The Tigers beat the New York Yankees by a score of 3–2 in Game 5 of the ALDS, winning the series 3–2. They advanced to the ALCS, but they lost to the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers, 4 games to 2.
2012: American League Champions
.jpg)
In 2012, the Tigers looked to defend their 2011 AL Central Division title, with the hopes of earning a second consecutive playoff appearance. On January 24, the Tigers signed free-agent all-star first baseman Prince Fielder to a 9-year, $214 million contract.[357] The move came shortly after the Tigers learned that Víctor Martínez had torn his anterior cruciate ligament during offseason training in Lakeland, Florida, and would likely miss the entire 2012 season.[358] Miguel Cabrera moved back to his original position of third base, leading to the eventual release of veteran Brandon Inge on April 26.[359] On July 23, the Tigers acquired veteran second baseman Omar Infante (who played for Detroit in 2003–07) and starting pitcher Aníbal Sánchez from the Miami Marlins in exchange for starting pitcher Jacob Turner and two other minor leaguers.[360]
At the midway point of the 2012 season, the Tigers were three games under .500 (39-42).[361] The team played much better in the second half and, after a fierce battle down the stretch with the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers clinched the AL Central Division title on October 1 with a 6–3 win against the Kansas City Royals.[362] Coupled with the Tigers' division title in 2011, it marked the first back-to-back divisional titles in team history, and first back-to-back postseason appearances since 1934–35.[363] The Tigers concluded the 2012 regular season with an 88–74 record.
On the final day of the season, Miguel Cabrera earned the American League Triple Crown in batting, leading the league in three key statistical categories during the season: batting average (.330), home runs (44), and runs batted in (139). No player had accomplished this feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.[364] On the mound, starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer finished first and second among the American League strikeout leaders, with 239 and 231, respectively.[365] Verlander (17–8, 2.64 ERA) finished second in the Cy Young Award balloting to David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays.
In the American League Division Series, the Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics, 3 games to 2, earning their second straight trip to the American League Championship Series.[366] The Tigers completed a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees in the ALCS to win their 11th American League Pennant and earn a trip to the World Series. The Tigers lost the 2012 World Series to the San Francisco Giants, four games to none. They were shut out twice (in Games 2 and 3), the same number as in the entire 162-game regular season, and had a team batting average of .159.
On November 15, 2012, Miguel Cabrera was named the AL's Most Valuable Player.[367]
2013: American League title defense
The Tigers entered the 2013 season looking to defend their 2012 American League Pennant. Key acquisitions in the offseason included signing free agent outfielder Torii Hunter to a two-year, $26 million contract,[368] while also signing their 2012 trade deadline acquisition, pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, to a five-year, $80 million deal.[369] The Tigers also signed free agent catcher Brayan Peña to a one-year contract.[370] Moreover, ace starter Justin Verlander signed a $180 million contract extension,[371] which would have kept him with the team until 2019 had he not been traded to the Houston Astros in 2017. The Tigers placed six players on the 2013 American League All-Star team: Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Jhonny Peralta, Torii Hunter, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.[372]
On September 25, the Tigers clinched their third consecutive AL Central Division title, and eventually finished the season at 93–69. The last time the Tigers won three consecutive regular-season titles was 1907–1909.[373] Detroit Tigers pitchers struck out 1,428 batters during the regular season, breaking the old major league record of 1,404 held by the 2003 Chicago Cubs.[374] Miguel Cabrera (.348 average, 44 HR, 139 RBI) was voted the AL Most Valuable Player for the second straight season,[375] while Max Scherzer (21–3, 2.90 ERA, 240 strikeouts) won the AL Cy Young Award.[376]
The Tigers played the Oakland Athletics for the second straight year in the ALDS, and defeated the A's, 3 games to 2. The Tigers set a record for a best-of-five playoff series by striking out 57 Oakland batters in the ALDS, topping the old mark of 55 set by the 2010 Texas Rangers (against the Tampa Bay Rays). With his Game 5 gem, Justin Verlander ran his postseason scoreless streak against Oakland to 30 innings, topping the record against one team in the postseason previously held by Christy Mathewson (28 innings against the Philadelphia Athletics in 1905 and 1911).[377]
The Tigers advanced to their third straight ALCS, where they played the Boston Red Sox for the first ever time in the postseason. The Tigers won Games 1 and 4 in the ALCS, but ultimately lost the AL Championship to the Red Sox in Game 6.
2014: Changes at the top
Jim Leyland stepped down from his managerial position after eight years with Detroit,[378] and the Tigers hired Brad Ausmus as Leyland's successor.[379] On November 20, 2013, the Tigers traded Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers for three-time All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler plus cash considerations with regard to Fielder's remaining contract amount.[380] The Tigers later traded starting pitcher Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals for infielder Steve Lombardozzi, Jr. and pitchers Ian Krol and Robbie Ray.[381]
In an effort to improve a bullpen that often struggled in 2013 the Tigers signed veteran closer Joe Nathan to a two-year, $20 million contract, with a club option for 2016,[382] and later signed Joba Chamberlain to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.[383] On May 2, 2014, a month into the season, with the bullpen having a combined 5.37 ERA (29th out of 30 in the MLB) the Tigers signed free agent reliever Joel Hanrahan to a one-year contract,[384] but he never came off the disabled list to pitch for the team in 2014. The team further bolstered the bullpen near the MLB trading deadline, dealing pitchers Corey Knebel and Jake Thompson to the Texas Rangers in exchange for former All-Star closer Joakim Soria on July 23.[385]
On July 31, with just hours left before the end of the MLB non-waiver trade deadline, the Tigers traded pitcher Drew Smyly and shortstop Willy Adames to the Tampa Bay Rays, and Austin Jackson to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal to acquire pitcher David Price from the Rays.[386] With the acquisition of Price, the Tigers became the first team in major league history with three consecutive Cy Young Award winners in its starting rotation.[387]
On September 28, the last day of the regular season, Price pitched a 3–0 gem against the Minnesota Twins, and the Tigers clinched their fourth consecutive AL Central Division title.[388] The 90–72 Tigers finished one game ahead of the Kansas City Royals.
The Detroit Tigers faced the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 American League Division Series and lost the series 0–3. J. D. Martinez became the first player in franchise history to hit home runs in his first two career postseason games. Both were part of back-to-back homers, with Víctor Martínez and Nick Castellanos in Games 1 and 2, respectively.[389]
2015: Mid-season Reboot
Brad Ausmus continued to manage the Detroit Tigers for a second season. Free agents Max Scherzer and Torii Hunter left for other teams at the end of the year while Rick Porcello, Eugenio Suárez, Robbie Ray, and prospect Devon Travis were all lost through trades. On the receiving end, the Tigers traded for slugger Yoenis Céspedes, relief pitcher Alex Wilson, speedy outfielder Anthony Gose and starting pitchers Alfredo Simón and Shane Greene.[390][391]
After winning the first six games of the year in record-breaking fashion the Tigers season slowly went downhill.[392] Inconsistent pitching, division rivals outperforming expectations, and injuries to multiple players, including Joe Nathan (only appeared in one game), Victor Martinez, and career first stints on the disabled list for Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera, sent the team below the .500 mark as the trade deadline came and the decision was made to "reboot" the team.[393][394] Within a two-day span in late July, the Tigers traded David Price, Joakim Soria and Cespedes, receiving six well regarded prospects in return, including Daniel Norris and Michael Fulmer.[395]
On August 4, longtime Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski was released by the team, with Assistant GM Al Avila being promoted to General Manager and Vice President of Baseball Operations.[396]
Despite difficulties, the Tigers still ended up sending four players to the 2015 MLB All-Star Game: Miguel Cabrera received his 10th career All-Star selection and the starting nod, but could not play due to injury; David Price received his 5th career selection as well as the credit for the win for the American League; and J.D. Martinez and Jose Iglesias both received their first career All-Star selections.[397][398]
The Tigers ended the season in last place in the AL Central Division with a record of 74-87.[399] The pitching staff was one of the worst in the MLB, ending 27th in ERA, 28th in FIP, and 27th in WHIP.[400] But the team also ended with a team batting average of .270, the best in the MLB,[401] while Miguel Cabrera finished with the highest player batting average in the American League and the MLB (.338), earning his fourth batting title in five years.[402]
2016
Brad Ausmus and the Tigers entered the 2016 season with new pitching coach Rich Dubee and 9 out of 25 members of the 2015 roster being replaced through trades and free agency. Prominent additions included two highly sought free agents, starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann and outfielder Justin Upton, as well as players acquired through trades: outfielder Cameron Maybin, and the veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez, who led a totally revamped bullpen.[403] The Tigers lost two 2016 draft picks due to free agent compensation but, because of their bottom-ten finish in 2015, they kept their first round pick.[404] Key veteran losses include catcher Alex Avila and outfielder Rajai Davis, who both signed free agent deals with other teams in the division.[405][406]
The Tigers finished the 2016 season with a record of 86-75 and in second place in the AL Central, eight games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians. Detroit was the final team to fall out of contention for a Wild Card playoff spot, losing Saturday and Sunday games to the Atlanta Braves while the two teams they were chasing (Baltimore and Toronto) got needed wins.[407]
Pitcher Michael Fulmer, acquired from the Mets organization in 2015, was awarded the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year Award.[408]
Rebuilding (2017–present)
2017
Mike Ilitch, the Tigers owner since 1992, died at the age of 87 on February 10, 2017.[409] The team remains in an Ilitch family trust, under the leadership of Mike's son, Christopher Ilitch.[410][4] Like the Detroit Red Wings, the Tigers honored their owner in multiple ways, the most prominent being a "Mr. I" uniform patch.[411]
After a disappointing record through the All-Star break, the Tigers began committing to a rebuild, trading J. D. Martinez,[412] Alex Avila and Justin Wilson in July,[413] plus Justin Upton and Justin Verlander in August.[414] On September 22, the Tigers announced that the team would not extend manager Brad Ausmus's contract past the 2017 season, ending his four-year tenure as the Tigers manager. Under the management of Ausmus, the Tigers had a record of 314–332 (.486 winning percentage) and won one AL Central division title in 2014.[415] The Tigers went 6–24 in September, ending the season in a tie for the worst record in MLB with the San Francisco Giants, but gaining the number one pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.[416]
2018
On October 20, 2017, the Tigers announced that Ron Gardenhire and the team had reached a three-year agreement for the former Minnesota Twins skipper to succeed Brad Ausmus as the team's manager.[417] While rebuilding with young players, the team also lost slugger Miguel Cabrera and expected ace pitcher Michael Fulmer to extensive stints on the disabled list. This led the team to the same 64–98 record as the previous year, the fifth worst record in MLB, but still good for third place in a very weak AL Central division.
Best seasons in Detroit Tigers history
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Worst seasons in Detroit Tigers history
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Payroll
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Tigers
There are various legends about how the Tigers got their nickname.[418][419] One involves the orange stripes they wore on their black stockings.[418][419][420] Tigers manager George Stallings took credit for the name. However, the earliest known use of it appeared in the Detroit Free Press on April 16, 1895, a year prior to Stallings joining the team.[419][421]
In the book A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium, Richard Bak states that the name originated from the Detroit Light Guard military unit, who were known as "The Tigers". They had played significant roles in certain Civil War battles and in the 1898 Spanish–American War. Upon entry into the majors, the ballclub sought and received formal permission from the Light Guard to use its trademark. From that day forth, the team has officially been known as the Tigers.[419]
Rivalries and fan base
The Tigers' rivalries with other baseball franchises have changed throughout the years, with no one rivalry standing out. The most notable of them are with regional neighbors Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, and these are notable for brawls and division races between them.
The others are with nearby teams such as the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and the Toronto Blue Jays – the latter a holdover from when the Tigers competed in the AL East. There are numerous Tigers fans throughout the state of Michigan, northwestern Ohio, Chicago, southwestern Ontario, as well as a small fan base in and around the Erie, Pennsylvania area, due in part to Detroit's proximity to these regions as well as the presence of the Tigers' Double-A affiliate Erie SeaWolves in northwestern Pennsylvania. The Detroit Tigers have their Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens in Toledo, Ohio in addition to their Double-A affiliate in Erie, Pennsylvania. The cities of Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario, have large fanbases of loyal Tigers fans. The Detroit Tigers continue to develop a strong and long line of baseball fans in Ontario; the majority of baseball fans in southwestern Ontario are considered Tigers loyalists.
Some are rivalries for first place during the regular season, with all American League teams until 1969, with American League East teams from 1969 to 1997, and with American League Central teams from 1998 until the present. Finally, some are rivalries with National League teams the Tigers have faced repeatedly in the World Series, such as the Chicago Cubs (four times) and St. Louis Cardinals (three times). Had the Cubs beaten the San Diego Padres in the 1984 NLCS, they would have faced the Tigers for a fifth time in the World Series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, whom the Tigers faced in the 1909 World Series, is the team's "natural rival" in interleague play. It has become a popular rivalry for fans of both teams, due to Tigers ex-manager Jim Leyland having managed the Pirates from 1986 to 1996 (his two immediate successors in Pittsburgh, Gene Lamont and Lloyd McClendon, served on Leyland's staff with the Tigers), the close proximity of Detroit to Pittsburgh, and the NHL rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings (who, like the Tigers, were owned by Mike Ilitch) and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Cleveland Indians have the Ohio Cup against the Cincinnati Reds, but prefer the rivalry within the American League Central division with the Detroit Tigers or, as the fans and Tom Hamilton like to call them, "Motown Kitty Cats". The rivalry with the Indians came to a head when the Tigers played the Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland on August 7, 2013, with the teams first and second in the AL Central standings. Many Tigers fans who made the short trip to Cleveland started several "Let's go Tigers!" chants while the game was tied in the 9th inning. Irritated that their rivals were "taking over" their home stadium, many Indians fans decided to combat the chant with a "Detroit's bankrupt!" chant, in reference to the city's 2013 bankruptcy. Footage of the game from SportsTime Ohio that had the chants clearly audible quickly went viral, with many baseball fans on social media criticizing the Indians fans for the chant due to the circumstances of Detroit's financial situation.[422] The Tigers ended up defeating the Indians 6–5 in 14 innings.[423]
Home attendance
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rally cry
During the 1968 season, the team was cheered on by the phrase, "Go Get 'Em Tigers", which was made popular by a song of the same name written and recorded by Artie Fields.[425] The previous year, "Sock It To 'Em, Tigers!" was also popular in the city as the Tigers' close pennant race with Boston coincided with the release of the single "Sock It To Me, Baby!" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels.
During the 1984 World Series championship run, the team was cheered on to the cry, "Bless You Boys," a phrase coined by sports caster Al Ackerman.[426]
For the 2006 season, with the team going into July with the best record in baseball, the phrase "Restore the Roar" (a phrase first introduced in 1990 by then-Detroit Lions Head Coach Wayne Fontes) began to catch on, referring to the fact that the Tigers had not had a winning season since 1993 and seem to be returning to their former glory. Another 2006 phrase found in several Detroit commercials was "Who's your Tiger?" A popular rally cry for the Detroit Pistons has also been adapted for the Tigers, resulting in "Deee-troit Base-ball!"
A second rally cry also caught on in the Tigers' dugout in 2006. In a June game versus the New York Yankees, Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson was featured on FSN Detroit's "Sounds of the Game", in which the TV station will mic a player on the bench or a coach. To appease the fans, Nate began to stuff Big League Chew bubble gum into his mouth, hoping to spark a late-inning rally. The trend caught on, with Jeremy Bonderman, Zach Miner and Justin Verlander all chewing from time to time. The Tigers came back to tie the game, and the phrase "It's Gum Time" became the new "Rally-cap" for all of Tigertown.
Additionally, the chant of a local man, the late James Earl Van Horn,[427] who patrolled the streets around Comerica Park yelling out "Eat 'Em Up Tigers! Eat 'Em Up!", has begun to make its way into the park. The chant originated in 1968 when the Tigers won their third World Series, "Eat 'em Up" referring to the St. Louis Cardinals. People have even been seen wearing James Van Horn's homemade shirts with the cheer written on the back as far away as Miller Park in Milwaukee.[428]
During the 2006 playoffs the phrase "Team of Destiny" appeared on several homemade signs, and became a rallying cry for the post season. The signs featured the "Olde English" (blackletter) "D" in place of the standard "D" in destiny.
In 2009, the team used the phrase "Always a Tiger" as its slogan. This slogan remained in effect for 2010, even though the team lost many key players in the offseason. With the deaths of George Kell, Mark Fidrych, Ernie Harwell and Sparky Anderson, the slogan has new appreciation, for players and personalities of the team's history.
In 2011, the slogan was switched back to Who's Your Tiger?
Uniforms and logos
2016–present
1924–present. It is orange for road games.
The Tigers have worn essentially the same home uniform since 1934 — solid white jersey with navy blue piping down the front and an Old English "D" on the left chest, white pants, navy blue hat with a white letter D in the blackletter or textur/textualis typeface associated with Middle and Early Modern English and popularly referred to as "Old English" even though it was not used for that language. When the Tigers are the visiting team, the D on their hats is orange and the word "DETROIT" appears across the shirt. A version of the team's blackletter D was first seen on Tigers uniforms in 1904, after using a simple block D in 1903. The blackletter D appeared frequently after that until being established in 1934.[429] In 1960, the Tigers changed their uniform to read "Tigers", but the change only lasted one season before the traditional uniform was reinstated.
In 1995, the Tigers introduced an alternate jersey, solid navy blue with the team's alternate logo (a tiger stepping through the "D") on the chest. It was worn for one home game, paired with new white pants with navy blue pinstripes. After the loss, the uniform was retired and never worn again.[430]
The Tigers use slightly different versions of the initial logo on the cap and jersey.[431]
In 2018, the Tigers changed the classic curved Old English D logo on their home uniforms to match that of the sharp-cornered hat logo; additionally, the logo on the cap was enlarged.[432][433]
Unique characteristics of Tigers uniform:
- The Tigers are the only team in Major League Baseball to have a color on their road uniforms that is not on their home uniforms (orange).[434]
- The Tigers' uniforms have more belt loops than those of any other team, owing to the fact that their uniform pants do not feature the wide "tunnel" loops that appear on most baseball pants.[435]
Alternate jerseys:
The Tigers wear a white and navy blue home jersey with "Tigres" across the chest for their annual "¡Fiesta Tigres!" game to recognize and honor the contributions of Hispanic and Latino players and coaches to the game of baseball.
Like all of MLB, the Tigers wear a highly stylized and brightly colored jersey for Players Weekend. In the inaugural games from August 25–27, 2017, their away jerseys were grey with bright orange with "Tigers" on the chest, the orange cap had a tiger instead of the Old English "D" on it. Players are also encouraged to use nicknames on the back of their jerseys.
Baseball Hall of Famers
| Detroit Tigers Hall of Famers |
|---|
| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
|
Ford C. Frick Award recipients
| Detroit Tigers Ford C. Frick Award recipients | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum | |||||||||
|
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
| Detroit Tigers in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame | ||||
| No. | Name | Position | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Frank Navin | Owner | 1908–1935 | Born in Adrian |
| — | Walter Briggs Sr. | Owner | 1919–1935 | Born in Ypsilanti |
| — | John Fetzer | Owner | 1961–1983 | |
| — | Tom Monaghan | Owner | 1983-1992 | Born and raised in Ann Arbor |
| — | Mike Ilitch | Owner | 1992–2017 | Born and raised in Detroit |
| — | Marian Ilitch | Owner | 1992–present | Born and raised in Dearborn |
| — | Jim Campbell | Executive | 1962–1983 1978–1990 1990–1992 | |
| — | Ernie Harwell | Broadcaster | 1960–1991 1993–2002 | |
| — | Van Patrick | Broadcaster | 1949, 1952–1959 | |
| — | Ty Cobb | CF Manager | 1905–1926 1921–1926 | |
| — | Sam Crawford | OF | 1903–1917 | |
| — | Wish Egan | P | 1902 | Born and raised in Evart |
| — | Harry Heilmann | RF/1B | 1914 1916–1929 | |
| — | Hughie Jennings | IF Manager | 1907, 1909–1910, 1912, 1918 1907–1920 | |
| — | Heinie Manush | LF | 1923–1927 | |
| — | George Mullin | P | 1902–1913 | |
| — | Ralph Young | 2B | 1915–1921 | |
| 1 | Lou Whitaker | 2B | 1977–1995 | |
| 2 | Charlie Gehringer | 2B GM | 1924–1942 1951–1953 | Grew up near Fowlerville, attended University of Michigan |
| 3 | Mickey Cochrane | C Manager | 1934–1937 1934–1938 | |
| 3 | Dick McAuliffe | 2B/SS | 1960–1973 | |
| 3 | Alan Trammell | SS Coach Manager | 1977–1996 1999 2003–2005 | |
| 4 | Goose Goslin | LF | 1934–1937 | |
| 4 | Rudy York | 1B | 1934, 1937–1945 | |
| 4 | Charlie Maxwell | LF | 1955–1962 | Born in Lawton, attended Western Michigan University |
| 5 | Hank Greenberg | 1B | 1930, 1933–1941 1945–1946 | |
| 5, 20 | Vic Wertz | RF/1B | 1947–1952 1961–1963 | |
| 5 | Jim Northrup | OF | 1964–1974 | Born in Breckenridge, attended Alma College |
| 6 | Al Kaline | RF | 1953–1974 | |
| 7 | Billy Rogell | SS | 1930–1939 | |
| 7, 26 | Harvey Kuenn | OF/SS | 1952–1959 | |
| 7 | Rick Leach | OF/1B | 1981–1983 | Born in Ann Arbor, attended University of Michigan |
| 10 | Tommy Bridges | P | 1930–1943 1945–1946 | |
| 10 | Jim Leyland | Manager | 2006–2013 | |
| 11 | Sparky Anderson | Manager | 1979–1995 | |
| 11 | Bill Freehan | C | 1961, 1963–1976 | Born and raised in Detroit, attended University of Michigan |
| 13 | Lance Parrish | C | 1977–1986 | |
| 14 | Schoolboy Rowe | P | 1933–1942 | |
| 14, 15 | Jim Bunning | P | 1955–1963 | Elected mainly on his performance with Philadelphia Phillies |
| 15, 21 | George Kell | 3B Broadcaster | 1946–1952 1959–1963 1965–1996 | |
| 16 | Hal Newhouser | P | 1939–1953 | Born and raised in Detroit |
| 17 | Denny McLain | P | 1963–1970 | |
| 18 | John Hiller | P | 1965–1970 1972–1980 | |
| 20 | Billy Pierce | P | 1945, 1948 | Elected mainly on his performance with Chicago White Sox, born in Detroit, grew up in Highland Park |
| 21 | Barney McCosky | OF | 1939–1942, 1946 | Grew up in Detroit |
| 21, 30 | Don Lund | OF | 1949, 1952–1954 | Born and raised in Detroit, attended University of Michigan |
| 21 | Willie Hernandez | P | 1984–1989 | |
| 22 | Virgil Trucks | P | 1941–1952, 1956 | |
| 23 | Willie Horton | LF/DH | 1963–1977 | |
| 23 | Kirk Gibson | OF Coach | 1979–1987 1993–1995 2003–2005 | Born in Pontiac, grew up in Waterford, attended Michigan State University |
| 24 | Mickey Stanley | CF | 1964–1978 | Grew up in Grand Rapids |
| 25 | Norm Cash | 1B | 1960–1974 | |
| 26 | Gates Brown | LF Coach | 1963–1975 1978–1984 | |
| 26 | Frank Tanana | P | 1985–1992 | Grew up in Detroit |
| 29 | Mickey Lolich | P | 1963–1975 | |
| 47 | Jack Morris | P | 1977–1990 | |
Retired numbers and honorees
This is how the retired numbers and Honored names are displayed on the outfield walls at Comerica Park:
In left field:
|
In right field:
|
- Ty Cobb is honored by his name on the wall at Comerica Park. Cobb played in an era where numbers were not worn on jerseys.[437]
- Ernie Harwell spent 42 years (in two stints) calling Tigers games on radio and television.
- Al Kaline was also a TV color commentator for the Tigers from 1975 to 2002.
- Though their numbers are not officially retired, the names of Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush, Hughie Jennings, Sam Crawford, Mickey Cochrane and George Kell are displayed at Comerica Park to honor their contributions to the Detroit Tigers organization. They also have all entered the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum as Detroit Tigers, and their plaques in the Hall show them wearing the Tigers' cap.
- Jackie Robinson's number 42 was retired throughout Major League Baseball in 1997.
Players with retired numbers (and Ty Cobb) also have statues of themselves that sit behind their names, which are painted on the left-center field wall.
National Avenue, which runs behind the third-base stands at the Tigers' previous home Tiger Stadium, was renamed Cochrane Avenue for Mickey Cochrane. Cherry Street, which runs behind the left-field stands at Tiger Stadium, was renamed Kaline Drive for Al Kaline.
The number 1 was last worn by Lou Whitaker in 1995, the year Whitaker retired as a player. It was not reissued again until 2013, when mid-season acquisition José Iglesias requested it.
Team captains
- Bill Coughlin 1907–1908
- Germany Schaefer 1909
- George Moriarty 1911–1915
- Brad Ausmus 1999[438][439]
- Doug Brocail 1999[440][441]
- Dean Palmer 1999[442][443]
Award winners
Current roster
Minor league affiliations
Broadcasters
Radio
The Tigers' current flagship radio stations are Detroit sister stations WXYT (1270 AM) and WXYT-FM (97.1 FM).[444] Dan Dickerson does play-by-play and former Tigers catcher Jim Price does color commentary.[445] Games are carried on both stations unless a conflict with Detroit Lions, or Detroit Red Wings coverage arises, in which case only WXYT (the AM station) serves as the Tigers' flagship. Games are syndicated throughout Michigan and in portions of Ohio, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Television
The Tigers' current exclusive local television rights holder is Fox Sports Detroit.[446] During the 2016 season, the Tigers averaged a 7.56 rating and 138,000 viewers on primetime TV broadcasts.[447]
Former
Franchise records
See also
References
- ↑ Beck, Jason (January 25, 2018). "Tigers honor history with unified Olde English D". Tigers.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- ↑ "2018 Detroit Tigers Style Guide". Major League Baseball Properties. January 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Simon, Andrew (May 6, 2016). "Ilitch announces ownership-succession plan". Major League Baseball Advanced Media. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
- 1 2 Bill Shea (February 18, 2017). "Who owns the Tigers? Family plan is a matter of trust". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
- ↑ Carter, John (November 2, 2012). "Aging Franchises". Bill James Online. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. p. 40. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (July 5, 2013). "The Tigers first 4th of July game was in 1894". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- 1 2 3 Dickson, Marcus W. "April 28, 1896: There used to be a hay market here: Detroit Tigers open Bennett Park". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ↑ O'Brien, Dan. "Rube Waddell". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ Santry, Joe; Thomson, Cindy. "Ban Johnson". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. pp. 77–79. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ "Year In Review : 1901 American League". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ "Tigers Timeline". Tigers.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
- ↑ "1901 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Cobb still revered, reviled 100 years after first game". ESPN.com. August 29, 2005. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ↑ "1907 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ↑ "1907 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- 1 2 3 "1907 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- 1 2 Bak, Richard (November 14, 2013). "When the Tigers played to a tie in the World Series". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
- ↑ "1908 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ↑ "1908 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ↑ "1908 World Series Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers (4-1)". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ↑ Blum, Ronald (November 3, 2016). "Cubs win World Series Game 7, end 108-year drought". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
- ↑ "1909 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "Baseball History in 1909". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- 1 2 "1909 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1909 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ Mowery, Matthew B. (June 22, 2013). "Scherzer makes history, becoming first Tigers starter to post an 11-0 record to begin the season". The Oakland Press. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ Lowe, John (June 28, 2013). "Max Scherzer first pitcher to start 12-0 in 27 years". USA Today. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ Axisa, Mike (July 13, 2013). "Rangers hand Max Scherzer first loss of 2013". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ "World Series Game 7 Played on Saturday, October 16, 1909 (D) at Bennett Park". Retrosheet. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ↑ "1910 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1911 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1912 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1913 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Lutzke, Mitch. "July 4, 1912: George Mullin tosses first Tigers no-hitter". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ↑ Special to The New York Times. (May 19, 1912). DETROIT TEAM OUT ON STRIKE.New York Times (1857-1922) Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/97276455
- ↑ "Ty Cobb Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
- ↑ "1915 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- 1 2 Holmes, Dan (July 15, 2012). "Led by Cobb, Tigers outfield was greatest ever". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ Dwyre, Bill (April 9, 2012). "Fifty years ago, Maury Wills made crime pay off for the Dodgers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- 1 2 OKennedy, Patrick (October 19, 2012). "Which Tiger team is the greatest of all time?". Bless You Boys. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "1916 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1917 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1918 American League Standings". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "1919 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1920 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ D'Addona, Dan. "Harry Heilmann". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Hughie Jennings Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
- 1 2 "Tigers 13, Indians 3". UPI.com. September 27, 1992. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- 1 2 Ginsburg, Daniel. "Ty Cobb". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Holmes, Dan (February 17, 2012). "Ty Cobb served as player/manager for the Tigers during The Roaring '20s". Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Ty Cobb Managerial Record". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ↑ Siwoff, Seymour (2008). The Elias Book of Baseball Records. Elias Sports Bureau. p. 88. ISBN 978-0917050107.
- ↑ "1921 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ↑ "1921 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ↑ "1921 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ↑ "The 3000 Hit Club: Ty Cobb". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
- ↑ "Inside the numbers: 3,000 hits". Sporting News. August 6, 1999. Archived from the original on February 11, 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2007.
- ↑ "1923 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ↑ "Harry Heilmann Baseball Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ↑ Zerby, Jack. "October 4, 1925: Heilmann grabs AL batting title; Cobb 'saves' the day". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- ↑ "1925 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ferkovich, Scott (September 27, 2015). "1935 Tigers: Missing the Babe leads to HR hire in Cochrane". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ↑ Mundy, Chip. "October 2, 1927: Heilmann takes batting title on season-ending spree". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ↑ Goldstein, Richard (August 13, 2003). "Billy Rogell Is Dead at 98; Star Shortstop in the 1930's". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1934 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (June 7, 2014). "The hottest team in Detroit Tigers' history was 1934, not 1984". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "Postseason History: 1934 WORLD SERIES". MLB.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- 1 2 Heutmaker, Brent. "October 9, 1934: 'A case for Judge Landis': Medwick tossed in World Series melee as Cardinals win Game 7". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ↑ "1934 World Series Game 7, Cardinals at Tigers, October 9". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- ↑ Lehman, Doug. "A Mechanical Man, a Hammer, the Goose, and Black Mike: 1935 Detroit Tigers in the Hall of Fame". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1935 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ "Hank Greenberg Baseball Stats". Baseball Alamanc. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- 1 2 "1935 American Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1935 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ Okkonen, Marc; Jones, David. "Frank Navin". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (April 29, 2012). "Mansion of former Tiger owner on the market for less than $500k". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
- ↑ Gallagher, John P. (April 12, 1936). "Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs Picked to Repeat Major League Victories". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1936 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1937 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1938 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1939 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ "Hank Greenberg Facts from". The Baseball Page.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2006. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ↑ D'Addona, Dan (October 10, 2017). "Two Tigers made a run at the single-season home run record". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ Ferkovich, Scott. "Hank Greenberg". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ↑ Detroit Tigers Point to Pennant in 1940, Sid Feder, The Evening Independent, St. Petersburg, Florida, September 29, 1938
- ↑ "1940 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- 1 2 Coffey, Alex. "Tigers move first baseman Hank Greenberg to the outfield". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- 1 2 3 "1940 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ↑ "Sport: Vegetable Plate". Time. October 7, 1940. Retrieved April 20, 2010.
- ↑ Wancho, Joseph. "September 27, 1940: Tigers clinch American League pennant behind Floyd Giebell". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "1940 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bak, Richard (October 21, 2012). "1940 World Series was a heartbreaker for Bobo Newsom and Detroit". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved August 4, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (January 1, 2016). "Remembering Hank Greenberg's service in World War II". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ "1941 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ "1942 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ "1943 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "1944 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "1944 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ Goldstein, Richard (November 11, 1998). "Hal Newhouser, 77, a Hall of Fame Pitcher". The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- 1 2 Holmes, Dan (July 5, 2016). "These Tiger teams blew leads late in the season". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ↑ Rosengren, John. "The Return of Hank Greenberg". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
- ↑ "1945 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Nemec, David; Flatow, Scott (2008). Baseball Feats, Facts and Firsts (2008 Edition). Berkley. p. 153. ISBN 978-0451223630.
- ↑ Eagle, Ed (March 1, 2018). "Triple Crown in Pitching". MLB.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1945 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Rice, Stephen V. "October 10, 1945: Newhouser leads Tigers to Game 7 victory". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ Lancaster, Marc (October 27, 2016). "Last World Series at Wrigley Field was hardly a fall classic". Sporting News. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
- ↑ "1946 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1947 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1948 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1949 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- 1 2 "1950 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- 1 2 3 "George Kell, former Detroit Tigers broadcaster, dies at 86". ESPN.com. March 24, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Goldstein, Richard (March 24, 2009). "George Kell, 86, Detroit Tigers Hall of Famer and Broadcaster, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (August 31, 2014). "The Day George Kell Won the Batting Title". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ Anderson, David (October 26, 2009). "In October 1950, Yankees Pitching Delivered a Sweep of the Phillies". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
- ↑ "1951 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1952 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1953 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1954 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1955 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1956 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1957 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1958 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1959 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1960 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ VandeBunte, Blake (October 28, 2009). "Team 108: The 1952 Tigers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Anderson, R.J. (May 1, 2018). "The 2003 Detroit Tigers, one of the worst MLB teams ever, provide rebuilding teams lessons to learn from 15 years later". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 139, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
- ↑ "WALTER O. BRIGGS, OWNED THE TIGERS". The New York Times. July 4, 1970. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Ferkovich, Scott (January 30, 2016). "Former Tigers' owner John Fetzer ushered baseball into TV era". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (March 8, 2017). "Knorr's important role in history of Detroit Tigers deserves to be remembered". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Al Kaline at the SABR Baseball Biography Project, by Nick Waddell, Retrieved October 14, 2013.
- ↑ Couch, Graham (August 10, 2008). "Tigers notes: Ozzie Virgil blazed trail for today's Latin American players". MLive. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- ↑ Austin, Dan (January 28, 2015). "The day the Detroit Tigers gave up their color barrier". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 Adler, David (August 12, 2018). "The 9 times a 100-win team didn't finish first". MLB.com. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- 1 2 "1961 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ↑ Dow, Bill (2001). "Former Tiger Norm Cash". Baseball Digest. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (May 20, 2014). "Speedy Bill Bruton covered center field for the Tigers in the early 1960s". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (October 21, 2015). "Wood was the first African-American star for the Tigers". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Holmes, Dan. "Willie Horton". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- 1 2 Hyslop, Don. "Earl Wilson". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (February 22, 2017). "Gates Brown went from troublemaker to team leader". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Holmes, Dan. "Mickey Lolich". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ Armour, Mark. "Danny McLain". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ Nechal, Jerry. "Mickey Stanley". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Sargent, Jim. "Jim Northrup". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ "1966 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- 1 2 Jolly Charlie Dressen dies at 67, The Montreal Gazette, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 11, 1966
- 1 2 "Tigers' Stand-In Pilot Bob Swift Dies At 51, Services For Bob Swift Will Be Held Wednesday". Tiger Lore. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ Skelton, David E. "Frank Skaff". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ↑ Raglin, David. "Mayo Smith". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- 1 2 3 OKennedy, Patrick (October 12, 2013). "Flashback, 1967: Red Sox edge Tigers in AL Pennant race". Bless You Boys. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Armour, Mark. "October 1, 1967: Tigers drop season finale to give Red Sox the AL pennant". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1967 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1967 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ Steckroth, John (April 7, 2017). "From the vault: 1968's 'The Year of the Tiger'". ClickOnDetroit.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- 1 2 Herzog, Bob (March 27, 2018). "A look back at 1968, the year of the pitcher". Newsday. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1968 American League Most Valuable Player Award voting results". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1968 American League Cy Young Award voting results". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ Keri, Jonah (February 7, 2008). "Forty years later, Gibson's 1.12 ERA remains magic number". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Brock, Lou". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Nechal, Jerry. "October 10, 1968: Lolich outduels Gibson in dramatic Game Seven victory". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 Hall, Donald (October 17, 1988). "HOW A STOPGAP SHORTSTOP WON A WORLD SERIES". SI.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- 1 2 3 "Greatest coaching decisions". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ Muder, Craig. "Bob Gibson fans 17 Tigers in Game 1 of 1968 World Series". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ↑ "1968 World Series Game 1, Tigers at Cardinals, October 2". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ford, Ryan (September 7, 2018). "The Tigers' 1968 World Series victory: Seven games to glory". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- 1 2 Paul, Tony (September 5, 2018). "Fifty years later, 1968 Detroit Tigers can't forget World Series-changing play". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ↑ Ruane, Tom. "A Retro-Review of the 1960s". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- 1 2 "1969 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ↑ "1969 American League Cy Young Award voting results". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ↑ "MLB's winningest seasons". Newsday. February 25, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ↑ "1970 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (November 26, 2014). "Mayo Smith deserves to remembered for what he did - and didn't do - as a Tigers' manager". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (November 11, 2013). "Billy Martin infused veteran Tiger team with new life in early 1970s". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 Acocella, Nick. "Billy battled opponents, himself". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ↑ Dow, Bill (July 29, 2009). "Remembering Detroit's Original Sports Bar: The Lindell AC". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- 1 2 Bad Boy Denny Back in Baseball, TimesDaily, Florence, Alabama, October 10, 1970
- 1 2 Acocella, Nick. "From the big time to the big house". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "Looking at a few of the worst deals in baseball history". The Oakland Press. July 22, 2007. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- 1 2 Markusen, Bruce (January 8, 2015). "Elliott Maddox was part of lopsided deal that sent Denny McLain to Senators". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ↑ "1971 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- 1 2 "1971 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ↑ Wallner, Peter J. (August 11, 2016). "Mickey Lolich, after 3,600 innings without surgery, says today's pitchers are 'coddled'". MLive. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ↑ Berkow, Ira (December 29, 2003). "BASEBALL; In a Lifetime Full of Second Chances, Denny McLain Receives His Biggest". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- 1 2 Holmes, Dan (July 12, 2013). "Quirk in schedule helped Tigers to the AL East Division title in '72". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ↑ "1972 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers Awards | tigers.com: History". MLB. June 19, 2012. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
- ↑ "1972 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- 1 2 Markusen, Bruce (October 30, 2013). "Fryman's heroic pitching efforts down the stretch in '72 make him a Tiger for life". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- ↑ "Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers Box Score, October 3, 1972". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 OKennedy, Patrick (September 30, 2013). "Playoff flashback, 1972: Oakland A's vs Detroit Tigers". Bless You Boys. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ↑ "Was Billy Martin the Most "Bad Ass" Baseball Manager of them All?". Launiusr.wordpress.com. October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "1972 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 3, Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers, October 10, 1972". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ↑ "1973 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "1973 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- 1 2 Hawkins, Jim (September 3, 1973). "Billy Martin Fired by Tigers". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- 1 2 Markusen, Bruce (December 17, 2013). "Hiller's amazing comeback is one of Tigers' greatest triumphs over adversity". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers ready to cope without their closer". The Oakland Press. April 3, 2006.
- ↑ Schmehl, James (April 24, 2013). "Detroit Tigers' Jose Valverde says he received several offers; Yankees, Mets deny extending him deals". MLive. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Vorperian, John. "Ralph Houk". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (December 21, 2012). "War hero Houk managed Tigers through transitional era in 1970s". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "1974 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "1975 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- 1 2 "1976 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "1977 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "National Baseball Hall of Fame - The 3,000 Hit Club - Al Kaline". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Henning, Lynn (May 26, 2015). "399: Kaline's last day short of history, long on regret". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "Kaline, Al". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Gage, Tom (December 11, 2014). "Al Kaline, turning 80, reflects on Hall of Fame career". The Detroit News. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Puerzer, Rich. "Mark Fidrych". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ "The Bird: The Life and Legacy of Mark Fidrych Book Review". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (April 15, 2011). "Aurelio Rodriguez: The Detroit Tiger with the Golden Arm". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Schoenfield, David (January 12, 2012). "Morris, Trammell and the '80s Detroit Tigers". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Kornacki, Steve (July 22, 2010). "Tigers remember former manager Ralph Houk, who died at age 90". MLive. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (May 14, 2012). "Faithful soldier Moss stepped aside for Sparky in '79". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Dow, Bill (February 24, 2014). "What a coup: 35 years ago the Tigers hired Sparky Anderson". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "One of a Kind." Retrospective article about Anderson in Sports Illustrated, June 28, 1993.
- ↑ Eno, Greg (April 16, 2014). "Bless You Boys! Our name has sarcastic roots, thanks to 'Acid Al' Ackerman". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Bartkowiak Jr., Dave (June 8, 2016). "Mort Crim: Al Ackerman originally used 'Bless You Boys' sarcastically". ClickOnDetroit.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "1983 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "Tom Monaghan – Domino's Pizza". Giants for God. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
- ↑ Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. p. 332. ISBN 978-0814325124. .
- ↑ Markusen, Bruce (May 14, 2014). "'84 Tigers had the best start in the history of the game". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Savage, Brendan (April 20, 2017). "Jack Morris no-hitter was sign of big things to come for 1984 Tigers". MLive. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- 1 2 DeCamp, Scott (August 2, 2017). "It was good to be a Detroit Tigers fan in 1984". MLive. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (November 7, 1984). "HERNANDEZ ADDS M.V.P. TO CY YOUNG". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "1984 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 1, Tigers at Royals, October 2, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- 1 2 Lantz, Susan. "October 5, 1984: Slurves, Yackadoos, and an American League pennant". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "1984 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 2, Tigers at Royals, October 3, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Gross, Jane (October 6, 1984). "WOLCOX STOPS ROYALS AS TIGERS WIN PENNANT". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Doolittle, Bradford (October 23, 2016). "Chicago Cubs' six darkest days finally lead to their brightest". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "1984 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1984 World Series Game 1, Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres, October 9, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- 1 2 "1984 World Series Game 2, Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres, October 10, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- 1 2 "1984 World Series Game 3, Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres, October 12, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ↑ "1984 World Series Game 4, Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres, October 13, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "1984 World Series Game 5, Detroit Tigers at San Diego Padres, October 14, 1984". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Wulf, Steve (October 22, 1984). "Detroit Jumped All Over 'Em". SI.com. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ↑ "YouTube video of Kirk Gibson's 1984 World Series Game 5 home run, Sparky Anderson mic'd". YouTube.com. September 18, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Dow, Bill (March 11, 2011). "Rare Video of Sparky Anderson during Kirk Gibson's 1984 World Series Home Run". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- ↑ Mather, Victor (April 13, 2015). "Jordan Spieth, Count Fleet and the 1927 Yankees: Wire-to-Wire Champions". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ Thomson, Cindy. "Sparky Anderson". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ↑ "1985 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1986 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Duke, Mike (September 13, 2017). "30 years ago—the 1987 Detroit Tigers". The Daily Reporter. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ Turnquist, Ryan. "Tigers trade John Smoltz to Braves". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- 1 2 "1987 Major League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1987 World Series". MLB.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1987 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 5, Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers, October 12, 1987". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ Durso, Joseph (January 30, 1988). "Gibson Agrees to Sign With the Dodgers". The New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "The Story Of The 1988 Detroit Tigers". TheSportsNotebook.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ Newhan, Ross (May 7, 1990). "He Lost Spark, but Found Himself : Baseball: When his Detroit Tigers suddenly went downhill in 1989, it took a while for Anderson to pick himself up". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "1989 Major League Baseball Standings & Expanded Standings". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ↑ "Home Run Records by a Team During a Single Season". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (February 20, 2013). "Fielder was the best bargain the Tigers ever had". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Eno, Greg (December 7, 2014). "Hot stove throwback: Cecil Fielder, the prodigal son slugger who became a Tigers legend". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Muder, Craig. "Henderson named 1990 AL MVP". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (November 20, 1991). "BASEBALL; Ripken Outpolls Fielder in Winning M.V.P. Award". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "1990 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "1991 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "1991 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (May 30, 2012). "For Travis Fryman, the timing was wrong in Detroit". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (February 9, 2012). "Unfortunate timing: The Career of Bobby Higginson". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Tony Clark debuts on Hall of Fame ballot". Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers Fire Ernie Harwell, Broadcast Veteran of 31 Seasons". Los Angeles Times. December 19, 1990. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ Bohn, Matt. "Ernie Harwell". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "1992 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Cecil Fielder Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers sold to rival pizza baron". UPI.com. August 13, 1992. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers rehire Harwell". UPI.com. September 18, 1992. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- 1 2 Young, Geoff (September 8, 2010). "Losing streaks, winning teams". FanGraphs. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Chirco, Vito (April 26, 2016). "Leyland changed the way Detroiters viewed their baseball team". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Sparky Anderson Chronology from". The Baseball Library. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Perry, Dayn (September 9, 2013). "Regrets, I've had a few: A tour of the Pirates' 20-year drought". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers Year-By-Year Results". Tigers.com. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers name Randy Smith as GM". UPI.com. October 30, 1995. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ VandeBunte, Blake (October 29, 2009). "Team 107: The 1996 Tigers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (October 16, 1997). "BASEBALL; Owners' Vote Allows One Team to Move to National League". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (November 6, 1997). "BASEBALL; Brewers Cleared to Shift To N.L. Central in '98". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Rogers, Phil (February 8, 1998). "TIGERS CAN'T WAIT TO LEAVE AL EAST". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers Win In New Stadium". CBS News. April 11, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (June 13, 2005). "Comerica Park fair to hitters, pitchers". Tigers.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Rangers trade Gonzalez to Tigers in blockbuster". ESPN.com. November 4, 1999. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Berríos, Alfredo R. (May 7, 2010). "Former Texas Rangers slugger Juan Gonzalez eases into new baseball life in his native Puerto Rico". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Niyo, John (March 1, 2003). "Comerica getting a new dimension". USA Today. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (January 14, 2005). "Comerica Park to see alterations". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Lage, Larry (November 4, 2001). "Source: Tigers to Hire Dombrowski". Associated Press. Retrieved October 8, 2001.
- ↑ Chass, Murray (April 9, 2002). "BASEBALL; Tigers Dismiss Garner And Smith". The New York Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers clean house, fire manager Garner, GM Smith". ESPN.com. April 9, 2002. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Lage, Larry (September 30, 2002). "Tigers fire Pujols as manager". USA Today. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ↑ Lage, Larry (October 9, 2002). "Tigers Hire Trammell As Its Manager". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Thomas has 10 homers in past 12 games". ESPN.com. August 30, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Lapointe, Joe (September 29, 2003). "BASEBALL; The Tigers Are Happy To Avoid Making History". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Pitchers With 20 or More Losses in a Season". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
- 1 2 "The Ten Worst Major League Baseball Seasons". JM Pressley Writing. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- 1 2 Kornacki, Steve (December 28, 2008). "Tigers challenged Mets' futility record in 2003". MLive. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ "Game Lost Records". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ Wagner, John (September 29, 2003). "Tigers notebook: Ilitch vows to make changes". The Blade. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ↑ OKennedy, Patrick (August 5, 2015). "Reviewing Dave Dombrowski's tenure with the Detroit Tigers". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Second baseman agrees to two-year deal". ESPN.com. December 10, 2003. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "AP: Rondell White Signs With the Tigers". Associated Press. December 14, 2003. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Less than half of $40M is guaranteed". ESPN.com. February 4, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers, Urbina close to 1-year agreement". Chicago Tribune. March 26, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ Tigers acquire veteran shortstop from Mariners, The Argus-Press, Owosso, Michigan, January 9, 2004
- ↑ VandeBunte, Blake (December 1, 2009). "Team 81: The 2004 Detroit Tigers". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Tigers fire Trammell after 71-91 season". ESPN.com. October 4, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Percival to Sign With the Tigers". The New York Times. November 18, 2004. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Five-year deal worth $75 million". ESPN.com. February 5, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "POLANCO DEALT TO TIGERS". Newsday. June 8, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers beat reeling Twins to get back to .500". ESPN.com. July 24, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ Harrington, Mike (August 21, 2005). "Pudge isn't nudging Tigers toward postseason". The Buffalo News. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Tejada homers, named All-Star MVP". ESPN.com. July 13, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Abreu shatters Home Run Derby records". ESPN.com. July 12, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers pounce quickly, hire Leyland to manage". ESPN.com. October 4, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- 1 2 "Tigers sign veterans Kenny Rogers, Todd Jones". The Blade. December 8, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians Box Score, August 27, 2006". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Rogers' gem helps Tigers avoid sweep vs. Indians". ESPN.com. August 28, 2006. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals Box Score, September 24, 2006". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Detroit rejoices in its first postseason since 1987". ESPN.com. September 25, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers blow six-run lead, lose AL Central title in extras". ESPN.com. October 2, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Detroit rocks NY: Bonderman, Tigers eliminate Yanks". ESPN.com. October 8, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Ordonez's walk-off blast puts Tigers in World Series". ESPN.com. October 15, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ "Cards roll past Tigers for first Series win since '82". ESPN.com. October 28, 2006. Retrieved October 10, 2018.
- ↑ Blum, Ronald (November 10, 2006). "Yankees Trade Gary Sheffield to Tigers". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "2007 Top 100 Prospects". Baseballamerica.com. February 28, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Tigers' Verlander throws no-hitter against Brewers". Reuters. June 12, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ Knobler, Danny (March 30, 2007). "Rogers out for 3 months after surgery to remove blood clot". MLive. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Extensive torque on ball causes Zumaya's injury". ESPN.com. May 9, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ Knobler, Danny (August 26, 2007). "Jurrjens heads to DL, but it doesn't look too serious". MLive. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ Lage, Larry (August 28, 2007). "Game of the Day | Tigers hammer Yankees 16-0". The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
- ↑ "Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers Box Score, September 26, 2007". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Tigers win in 5, but eliminated from posteason". ESPN.com. September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "2007 American League Season Summary". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ "Ordonez becomes 2nd Tiger to win AL batting title since 1961". ESPN.com. September 30, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
- ↑ Fox Sports. "Fox Sports on MSN: 2008 MLB team payrolls". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Matuszewski, Erik (October 6, 2009). "Tigers Face Historic Collapse in Baseball Tiebreaker With Twins". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Jackson is AL Rookie of Month for April". MLB. May 24, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Boesch named AL's top rookie for May MLB June 2, 2010
- ↑ "Boesch is AL Rookie of the Month for June". MLB. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Cabrera wins third Silver Slugger, first in Detroit". MLB. November 11, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
- ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports. ""Rangers' Hamilton wins AL MVP award." Article at". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Blown call costs Galarraga perfect game in 9th". The Victoria Advocate. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
- ↑ Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander tosses second career no-hitter in win over Blue Jays MLive.com May 7, 2011
- ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports. "wire reports, August 27, 2011". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Miller, Scott. September 14, 2011. Tigers roar to longest winning streak since 1934 Archived July 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Tigers clinch AL Central with win over Athletics CBS Sports September 17, 2011
- ↑ Brunell, Evan. "Verlander wins AL Cy Young Award unanimously." Article at www.cbssports.com on November 15, 2011. Archived January 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Snyder, Matt. "Justin Verlander wins AL MVP." Article at cbssports.com on November 21, 2011. Archived January 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Source - Detroit Tigers land Prince Fielder with nine-year, $214 million deal - ESPN". Espn.go.com. January 25, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Victor Martinez of Detroit Tigers tears ACL, likely needs season-ending surgery - ESPN". ESPN.go.com. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ↑ Detroit Tigers sever ties with Brandon Inge, but 'heart will always be in Detroit' MLive.com, April 26, 2012
- ↑ Rosecrans, C. Trent. "Tigers land Anibal Sanchez, Omar Infante from Marlins." Article at cbssports.com on July 23, 2012.
- ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports (July 3, 2012). "Tigers-Twins game summary at". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports. "Tigers-Royals game summary at". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Drew Sharp: Patience pays as Tigers celebrate AL Central title in Kansas City | Drew Sharp | Detroit Free Press". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
- ↑ "BBC News – Venezuela's Miguel Cabrera wins baseball's Triple Crown". Bbc.co.uk. October 4, 2012. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
- ↑ "AL Strikeout Leaders at". CBS Sports. June 11, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports. "Tigers-A's Game 5 ALDS Summary at www.cbssports.com". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Perry, Dayn. "Miguel Cabrera wins 2012 American League MVP Award." cbssports.com on November 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Sources: Hunter, Tigers reach deal". Fox Sports. November 14, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
- ↑ Sanchez, Tigers agree to five-year, $80 million deal MLB, December 14, 2012
- ↑ Tigers add veteran Pena as backup catcher MLB, December 10, 2012
- ↑ Verlander agrees to five-year extension MLB, March 28, 2013
- ↑ All-Star Rosters MLB, on July 14, 2013.
- ↑ Party Central: Tigers clinch division title MLB, September 25, 2013
- ↑ Detroit Tigers' pitching staff sets strikeout record, breaks Chicago Cubs' 10-year-old record Schmehl, James at mlive.com on September 30, 2013.
- ↑ Tigers' Miguel Cabrera named 2013 AL Most Valuable Player Axisa, Mike at cbssports.com on November 14, 2013
- ↑ Stellar season earns Scherzer AL Cy Young Award MLB, November 13, 2013
- ↑ Verlander sends Tigers past A's in Game 5 gem cbssports.com wire reports on October 10, 2013.
- ↑ Leyland steps down after eight years with Tigers MLB, October 21, 2013
- ↑ Tigers tab Ausmus as club's next skipper MLB, November 3, 2013
- ↑ Kinsler joins Tigers as Fielder dealt to Texas MLB, November 21, 2013
- ↑ Tigers send Fister to Nats for three players MLB, December 2, 2013
- ↑ Tigers, Nathan announce two-year pact MLB, December 4, 2013
- ↑ "Tigers come to terms with reliever Joba Chamberlain on one-year, $2.5 million deal". Blessyouboys.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Report: Tigers announcing Hanrahan signing". The Sports Xchange. May 2, 2014. Archived from the original on May 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Tigers land All-Star reliever Soria from Rangers". MLB. July 23, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (July 31, 2014). "Tigers land biggest Deadline prize in Price". MLB. Retrieved July 31, 2014.
- ↑ Newman, Mark (August 1, 2014). "Don't Cy: Can hardware help Detroit in postseason?". MLB. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (September 28, 2014). "Tigers top Twins for fourth straight division title". MLB. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
- ↑ Berry, Adam (October 3, 2014). "Tigers go back-to-back in second straight game". MLB.com.
- ↑ Gleeman, Aaron (March 16, 2015). "2015 Preview: Detroit Tigers". NBC Sports: Hardball Talk. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
- ↑ Gregorius goes to Yanks, Ray to Arizona, Greene to Tigers MLB.com, December 5, 2014
- ↑ Detroit 8, Cleveland 5: Tigers sweep Tribe, still unbeaten freep.com, April 12, 2015
- ↑ Slonksnis, Catherine (July 29, 2015). "MLB trade rumors: Tigers 'rebooting,' willing to deal David Price, Yoenis Cepedes". Bless You Boys. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Slonksnis, Catherine (July 29, 2015). "Tigers trade David Price to Blue Jays, per reports". Bless You Boys. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ↑ Sipple, George (August 1, 2015). "Tigers' top prospects with latest additions". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- ↑ Simon, Andrew (August 4, 2015). "Avila replaces Dombrowski as Tigers GM". MLB.com. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ↑ Rogacki, Rob (July 6, 2015). "Tigers send 4 players to MLB All-Star Game, Yoenis Cepedes in final vote". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ Rogacki, Rob (July 14, 2015). "MLB All-Star Game 2015: David Price notches win for American League". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ Fenech, Anthony (October 5, 2015). "Tigers end dismal 2015 season with 6-0 win". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ O'Kennedy, Patrick (October 14, 2015). "Tigers don't need a proven closer to fix the bullpen". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ Slonksnis, Catherine (October 24, 2015). "5 things that went well for the Tigers in 2015". Bless You Boys. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ Fenech, Anthony (October 4, 2015). "Tigers' Cabrera locks up 4th batting title in 5 years". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ↑ Fielder's Choice (January 22, 2016). "Detroit Tigers approval poll: GM Al Avila, January 2016". Bless You Boys. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- ↑ Adams, Steve (January 20, 2016). "Tigers Sign Justin Upton". Mlb Trade Rumors. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
- ↑ Merkin, Scott (November 25, 2015). "White Sox sign catcher Avila to one-year deal". MLB.com. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
- ↑ Fordin, Spencer; Kruth, Cash (December 17, 2015). "Tribe signs Davis; Napoli reportedly near deal". MLB.com. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (October 2, 2016). "Tigers' comeback story has unhappy ending: In contention until final day, club on outside looking in". MLB.com. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (November 14, 2016). "Fulmer named BBWAA's AL Rookie of Year". MLB.com. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ↑ John Gallagher, Bill McGraw (February 10, 2017). "Tigers, Red Wings owner and pizza titan Mike Ilitch dead at 87". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
- ↑ Jim Lynch (February 14, 2017). "Son Christopher rises to fill Ilitch's big shoes". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
- ↑ Bill Shea (April 7, 2017). "Opening Day: Sunny skies as Tigers honor 'Mr. I'". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved April 13, 2017.
- ↑ Adler, David (July 18, 2017). "D-backs get J.D. from Tigers in 4-player deal". MLB.com. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (July 31, 2017). "Tigers acquire prospect Candelario from Cubs". MLB.com. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (August 31, 2017). "Tigers deal Upton to Angels for prospect Long". MLB.com. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ↑ Ashley MacLennan and Kurt Mensching (September 22, 2017). "Tigers will not renew manager Brad Ausmus' contract after 2017". blessyouboys.com. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ↑ Rob Rogacki (October 1, 2017). "Tigers will have No. 1 overall pick in 2018 MLB draft". blessyouboys.com. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ↑ Beck, Jason (October 20, 2017). "Tigers, Gardenhire finalize skipper's 3-year deal". MLB.com.
- 1 2 Bentley, Kristen (March 19, 2016). "Detroit Tigers: Why Are the Tigers the Tigers?". Motor City Bengals. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 Bak, Richard (1998). A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. Wayne State University Press. pp. 46–49. ISBN 978-0814325124.
- ↑ Holmes, Dan (June 29, 2016). "10 things most fans don't know about the Detroit Tigers". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ↑ Meyer, Zlati (April 11, 2015). "Detroit baseball team 1st called Tigers in 1895 Freep". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
- ↑ Michael Brookbank, Kimberlee Rohrer (August 9, 2013). "VIDEO: Indians fans' 'Detroit's bankrupt' chant goes viral". Newsnet5.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Associated Press (August 8, 2013). "Tigers outlast Indians in 14 innings". USA Today. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ ESPN MLB Attendance Report
- ↑ "Download a hot Motown ringtone". Major League Baseball.
- ↑ "Bless You Boys: A Celebration of the '84 Tigers". MLB. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ Solano, David (July 27, 2013). "Known for 'Eat 'em up Tigers' shouts, James Van Horn carved out niche, Tigers style". WXYZ-TV (ABC affiliate).
- ↑ "Eat Em Up Detroit". Eat Em Up Detroit. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ USAToday.com, "Tigers' historic D emblematic of pride"
- ↑ Paul Lukas (August 23, 2007). "ESPN.com: UniWatch, "One and done"". Sports.espn.go.com. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ ESPN.com Page 2 UniWatch, "The cap that killed the Cardinals?"
- ↑ Detroit Tigers change Old English 'D' on iconic home uniforms The Detroit Free Press, January 25, 2018
- ↑ Woodberry, Evan (January 25, 2018). "Check out Tigers' new 2018 jerseys with Old English D logo". MLive.com. MLive. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
The Tigers are also enlarging the size of the D on the caps to make it more comparable to other Major League clubs.
- ↑ Gagnier, Sean. "It's time to change the Detroit Tigers' road uniforms". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ↑ Lukas, Paul (June 8, 2012). "Uni Watch: MLB's top 10 uniform oddities". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
Most MLB pants have wide belt tunnels. But not in Detroit, where the Tigers use conventional belt loops -- lots and lots of them (and as you can see, they're not just for plus-sized guys like Prince Fielder).
- ↑ "Hall of Famers: Sparky Anderson". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ↑ See List of Major League Baseball retired numbers#Similar honors.
- ↑ https://apnews.com/ea9891d7abbf886cc6ddf273c98bef0f
- ↑ http://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/archives/doug-brocail-talks-about-state-of-detroit-tigers/article_1083cea3-3f95-5313-9a5b-02f609e3cc99.html
- ↑ https://apnews.com/ea9891d7abbf886cc6ddf273c98bef0f
- ↑ http://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/archives/doug-brocail-talks-about-state-of-detroit-tigers/article_1083cea3-3f95-5313-9a5b-02f609e3cc99.html
- ↑ https://apnews.com/ea9891d7abbf886cc6ddf273c98bef0f
- ↑ http://www.shorelinemedia.net/ludington_daily_news/archives/doug-brocail-talks-about-state-of-detroit-tigers/article_1083cea3-3f95-5313-9a5b-02f609e3cc99.html
- ↑ "Detroit Tigers Radio Affiliates". MLB. May 24, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "Detroit Tigers Broadcasters' Biographies". MLB. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ↑ "FSN Detroit Nets Pro Sports 3 pointer". Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2010. Multichannel News March 19, 2008
- ↑ Here Are The 2016 MLB Prime Time Television Ratings For Each Team - Maury Brown, Forbes SportsMoney, September 28, 2016
Further reading
- Anderson, William (1999). The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers' History (Updated ed.). Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2826-1. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007.
- Pattison, Mark (2002). Detroit Tigers Lists and More Runs, Hits and Eras. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3040-1. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007.
- Eldridge, Grant (2001). Willie Horton: Detroit's Own Willie the Wonder. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3025-8. Archived from the original on April 21, 2007.
- Bak, Richard (1991). Cobb Would Have Caught It: The Golden Age of Baseball in Detroit. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2356-1. Archived from the original on November 10, 2007.
- Anderson, William (2005). The Detroit Tigers. Easton Press. 1446 leatherbound.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Detroit Tigers. |
- Detroit Tigers official website
- Detroit Tigers at Baseball Reference
- Sports E-Cyclopedia Detroit Tigers Page
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chicago White Sox 1906 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1907, 1908 and 1909 |
Succeeded by Philadelphia Athletics 1910 and 1911 |
| Preceded by Washington Senators 1933 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1934 and 1935 |
Succeeded by New York Yankees 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939 |
| Preceded by St. Louis Cardinals 1934 |
World Series champions Detroit Tigers 1935 |
Succeeded by New York Yankees 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939 |
| Preceded by New York Yankees 1936, 1937, 1938 and 1939 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1940 |
Succeeded by New York Yankees 1941, 1942 and 1943 |
| Preceded by St. Louis Browns 1944 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1945 |
Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 1946 |
| Preceded by St. Louis Cardinals 1944 |
World Series champions Detroit Tigers 1945 |
Succeeded by St. Louis Cardinals 1946 |
| Preceded by Boston Red Sox 1967 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1968 |
Succeeded by Baltimore Orioles 1969, 1970 and 1971 |
| Preceded by St. Louis Cardinals 1967 |
World Series champions Detroit Tigers 1968 |
Succeeded by New York Mets 1969 |
| Preceded by Baltimore Orioles 1983 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 1984 |
Succeeded by Kansas City Royals 1985 |
| Preceded by Baltimore Orioles 1983 |
World Series champions Detroit Tigers 1984 |
Succeeded by Kansas City Royals 1985 |
| Preceded by Chicago White Sox 2005 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 2006 |
Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 2007 |
| Preceded by Texas Rangers 2010 and 2011 |
American League champions Detroit Tigers 2012 |
Succeeded by Boston Red Sox 2013 |
