Detroit Tigers

Detroit Tigers
2014 Detroit Tigers season
Established	1894
Team logo Cap insignia
Major league affiliations
American League (1901–present) Central Division (1998–present)
Current uniform
Retired numbers	2 · 5 · 6 · 11 · 16 · 23 · 42
Colors
Navy blue, white, orange
Name
Detroit Tigers (1894–present)
Other nicknames
The Tigs, The Bengals, The Motor City Kitties
Ballpark
Comerica Park (2000–present) Tiger Stadium (1912–1999) a.k.a. Briggs Stadium (1938–1960) a.k.a. Navin Field (1912–1938) Bennett Park (1896–1911) Burns Park (Sundays, 1901–1902) Boulevard Park (1894–1895)
Major league titles
World Series titles (4)	1984 · 1968 · 1945 · 1935
AL Pennants (11)	2012 · 2006 · 1984 · 1968 · 1945 · 1940 · 1935 · 1934 · 1909 · 1908 · 1907
Division titles (6)	Central: 2013 · 2012 · 2011 East: 1987 · 1984 · 1972
Wild card berths (1)	2006
Front office
Owner(s)	Mike Ilitch
Manager	Brad Ausmus
General Manager	Dave Dombrowski

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in 1894 as part of the Western League. They are the oldest continuous one-name, one-city franchise in the American League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships (1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984), 11 American League Pennants (1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, and 2012), and three American League Central Division championships (2011, 2012 and 2013). The Tigers also won Division titles in 1972, 1984 and 1987 while members of the American League 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 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

The club is a charter member of the American League, one of four clubs (with the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians) still located in its original city. Detroit is also the only member of the Western League, the AL's minor league predecessor, that remains in its original city under its original name. It was established as a charter member in 1894.

Western League: 1894–1900

The current Detroit club was a charter member when the Western League reorganized for the 1894 season. 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. 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. 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, 30–3. They played their first Western League game at Bennett Park on April 28, 1896, defeating the Columbus Senators 17–2.^[1]

When the Western renamed itself the American League in 1900, it was still a minor league, but next year it broke with the National Agreement and declared itself major, openly competing with the National League for players, and for fans in three contested cities. For a few years there were rumors of abandoning Detroit to compete for Cincinnati or Pittsburgh but the two leagues made peace in 1903 after similar moves into St. Louis and New York.

American League: 1901–present

The Tigers played their first game as a major league team at home against the Milwaukee Brewers on April 25, 1901, with 10,000 fans at Bennett Park.^[2] After entering the ninth inning behind 13–4, the team staged a dramatic comeback to win 14–13. The team finished third in the eight-team league.

Eleven years later, an elegant stadium was constructed on the site of Bennett Park and named Navin Field for owner Frank Navin. In 1938 it was improved and named Briggs Stadium and renamed "Tiger Stadium" in 1961. Tiger Stadium was used by the Tigers until the end of the 1999 season. Since 2000 they have played in Comerica Park.

The Tigers

There are various legends about how the Tigers got their nickname. One involves the orange stripes they wore on their black stockings. Tigers manager George Stallings took credit for the name; however, the name appeared in newspapers before Stallings was manager. Another legend concerns a sportswriter equating the 1901 team's opening day victory with the ferocity of his alma mater, the Princeton Tigers.

Richard Bak, in his 1998 book, A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium, pp. 46–49, explains 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. The baseball team was still informally called both "Wolverines" and "Tigers" in the news. The earliest known use of the name "Tigers" in the media was in the Detroit Free Press on April 16, 1895. 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 been officially called the Tigers.

The Cobb era (1905–21)

In 1905, the team acquired Ty Cobb, a fearless player with a mean streak, who came to be regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. The addition of Cobb to an already talented team that included Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings, Bill Donovan and George Mullin quickly yielded results, as the Tigers won their first American League pennant in 1907.

1907 American League Champions

Cobb and the Tigers lost in the 1907 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. With the exception of Game 1, which ended in a rare tie, the Tigers failed to score more than one run in any game and lost four straight.

1908 American League Champions

The Cubs would deny Detroit the title again in 1908, holding Detroit to a .209 batting average for the series, which the Cubs again won in five games.

1909 American League Champions

It was hoped that a new opponent in the 1909 Series, Pittsburgh, would yield different results, but the Tigers were blown out 8–0 in the decisive seventh game at Bennett Park.^[3]

1915

In 1915, the Tigers won a then-club record 100 games but narrowly lost the American League pennant to the Boston Red Sox who won 101 games. 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. Cobb also set a stolen base record with 96 steals in 1915 that stood until 1962, when it was broken by Maury Wills. Baseball historian Bill James has ranked the 1915 Tigers outfield as the greatest in the history of major league baseball. 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.

1916–1920

In the teens and twenties, Cobb remained the marquee player on many Tigers teams that would remain mired in the middle of the American League. Cobb himself took over managerial duties in 1921, but during six years at the helm, his Tigers never had a record better than 86–68.

1921

In 1921, the Tigers amassed 1724 hits and a team batting average of .316—the highest team hit total and batting average in American League history. (The Elias Book of Baseball Records, 2008, p. 88) 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. As early proof of the baseball adage that good pitching beats good hitting, the downfall of the 1921 Tigers was the absence of good pitching. The team ERA was 4.40, and they allowed nine or more runs 28 times. Without pitching to support the offense, the 1921 Tigers finished in sixth place in the American League, 27 games behind the Yankees with a record of 71–82.

The Tigers break through (1922–44)

1922–1933

The Tiger teams of the 1930s were consistently among the league's best with "Black Mike" Mickey Cochrane behind the plate, slugger Hank Greenberg at first, and consistent Charlie Gehringer, "The Mechanical Man", at second. All three players are in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1934 American League Champions

The Tigers won the AL Pennant but would lose again in the 1934 World Series in seven games to the "Gashouse Gang" St. Louis Cardinals. Again, when the chips were down in the deciding game, Detroit folded, giving up seven third-inning runs and losing Game Seven 11–0 at Navin Field (Tiger Stadium). The game was marred by an ugly incident. After spiking Tiger third baseman Marv Owen in the sixth inning, the Cardinals' Joe "Ducky" Medwick had to be removed from the game for his own safety by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis after being pelted with fruit and garbage from angry fans in the large temporary bleacher section in left field.

1935 World Series Champions

With a lineup that featured four future Hall of Famers (Hank Greenberg, Mickey Cochrane, Goose Goslin and Charlie Gehringer), the Tigers eventually won the World Series the following year, defeating the Cubs, 4 games to 2. Game 6 concluded with Goslin's dramatic game-ending single, scoring Cochrane to seal a 4–3 victory. After team owner Frank Navin died that year, plumbing fixture manufacturer Walter Briggs, Sr. took control of the team.

1936–1940

Despite being forecast to win the American League title again in 1936^[4] the Tigers returned to the middle of the American League standings in the late 1930s. At the close of the 1938 season, however, the Tigers presciently held out doubts about a pennant in 1939, but figured that 1940 would be their year.^[5]

1940 American League Champions

The Tigers won the American League Championship and reached the World Series once again. But the Tigers lost the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in a seven-game series. This was the third time the Tigers had lost a World Series in a deciding seventh game.

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 took the 1945 American League pennant. With Virgil Trucks, Hal Newhouser and Dizzy Trout on the mound and Greenberg leading the Tiger bats, Detroit responded in a 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. Because many baseball stars had not yet returned from the military, some baseball scholars have deemed the '45 Series to be among the worst-played contests in Series history. For example, prior to the Series, Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown was asked who he liked, and he answered, "I don't think either one of them can win it!"^[6] But the Cubs had no answer to Greenberg, and the Series went Detroit's way.

A long drought: 1946–67

1946–50

After their 1945 Series win, the Tigers continued to have strong seasons for the remainder of the decade, finishing second in the AL three times but never winning the pennant. 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. But 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.

During the 1946 season, the Tigers acquired George Kell, a third baseman who was a 10-time all-star and future Hall of Famer. He batted over .300 in eight straight seasons (1946–53), and finished with a career .306 mark. Kell won a 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, .3429 to .3427.

1951–60

Over the next ten 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. The last-place 1952 team went 50-104 (.325), which was the worst season in Tigers history until the 2003 team lost 119 games. Despite the dismal season, starter Virgil Trucks threw two no-hitters in 1952, only the third time in major league history that a pitcher had accomplished that feat.^[7] 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.

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 became the youngest-ever batting champion in major league history.^[8]

1958 saw the Tigers become the 15th of the then 16 MLB teams to field an African-American player. In the Tigers' case, it was an Afro-Caribbean player, Ozzie Virgil, Sr. who finally broke the team's color barrier. Only the Boston Red Sox trailed the Tigers in integrating their roster.

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. This marked one of the few times a team had failed to reach the postseason despite winning over 100 games. First baseman Norm Cash had the best batting average in the American League, a remarkably high .361, while teammate Al Kaline finished second. Cash never hit over .286 before or after the '61 season, and would later say of the accomplishment: "It was a freak. Even at the time, I realized that."^[9] Cash's plate heroics, which also included 41 home runs and 132 RBI, might have earned him MVP honors that season were it not for New York's Roger Maris bashing a record 61 homers the same year. Cash also drew 124 walks that season for a league-leading .487 on-base percentage.

The 1961 club featured two nonwhite starters, Jake Wood and Bill Bruton, 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.

1962–66

As a strong nucleus developed, Detroit repeatedly posted winning records throughout the 1960s. Pitchers Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain entered the rotation during the middle of the decade, with outfielders Willie Horton (1963), Mickey Stanley (1964) and Jim Northrup (1964) also coming aboard at this time.

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. Thereafter, Frank Skaff took over the managerial reins until the end of the season. Both Dressen and Swift died during the year – Dressen in August because of a kidney infection, Swift in October due to cancer. Skaff was replaced by Mayo Smith in 1967, perhaps the last step before World Series contention.

1967

Indeed, 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. They needed to sweep the doubleheader on the last day of the season to force a one-game playoff with the Boston Red Sox. The Tigers won the first game but lost the second, giving the Red Sox the flag with no playoff. Detroit finished the season at 91–71, a single game behind Boston. 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.

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. 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 the St. Louis Cardinals' Dizzy Dean accomplished the feat in 1934; no pitcher has accomplished it since. McLain was unanimously voted American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winner for his efforts.

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 record 1.12 ERA during the regular season) and speedy outfielder Lou Brock. This was the first time the Tigers and Cardinals had met in the World Series since 1934, when as it was said, they were choked by the Gashouse Gang. 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. Stanley had never played shortstop before, but was a gold glover in the outfield and an excellent athlete. Smith started him at short for the final nine games of the regular season and all seven World Series games, with Oyler only appearing as a late-inning defensive replacement. This allowed Smith to play an outfield of Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Al Kaline in every Series game.

In Game 1, Gibson completely shut down the Detroit lineup, striking out 17 batters, still a World Series record, en route to an easy 4–0 win. However, due in no small part to pitcher Mickey Lolich's victories in Games 2 and 5, the Tigers climbed back into the Series. Many fans believe the turning point in the Series 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. The Tigers came back with three runs in the seventh to win that game, 5–3, and stay alive in the Series. 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 Series, a 13–1 blowout, despite pitching on only two days' rest.

In Game 7 at Busch Memorial Stadium, Lolich, also pitching on two days' rest, faced Gibson. Both men pitched brilliantly, putting zeros up on the scoreboard for much of the game. 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 first base by Lolich. One out later, Curt Flood followed with another single, and was also picked off first by Lolich. In the top of the seventh, an exhausted Gibson finally cracked, giving up two-out singles to Norm Cash and Willie Horton. Jim Northrup then struck the decisive blow, lashing a triple to center field over the head of Flood, who appeared to mis-judge how hard the ball was hit. That scored both Cash and Horton; Northrup himself was then brought home by a Bill Freehan double. Detroit added an insurance run in the ninth. 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 Series, 4–3. For his three victories that propelled the Tigers to the World championship, Lolich was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. Through 2013, Lolich is the last player to have three complete-game victories in a single World Series.^[10]

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. That year, Detroit failed to defend its '68 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). The Tigers' 90 wins placed them a distant second in the division to a very strong Baltimore Orioles team, which had won 109 games.

McLain, suspended three times in 1970, was only 3-5 that season and was traded after the season was done. Mayo Smith was also let go after a disappointing fourth-place finish in 1970, to be replaced by Billy Martin. In the final year of his playing career, which 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. 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.^[11] He would spend the 1970 season out of baseball.

After the 1970 regular season, Denny McLain was part of a seven-player deal with the Washington Senators in what would turn out to be a heist for Detroit. The Tigers acquired pitcher Joe Coleman, shortstop Eddie Brinkman and third baseman Aurelio Rodríguez. Coleman paid immediate dividends for Detroit, winning 20 games in 1971, while McLain went 10-22 for the Senators and was out of baseball by age 29.

Martin's Tigers posted 91 wins in 1971, but again had to settle for a second-place finish behind the Orioles, who won 101 games to take their third straight AL East Division crown. The season was highlighted by Mickey Lolich's 308 strikeouts, which led the AL and is still the Detroit Tigers single-season record as of 2012. Lolich also won 25 games and posted a 2.92 ERA while throwing an incredible 376 innings and completing 29 of his 45 starts.

1972 AL East Champions

The Tigers post-1970 acquisitions (Joe Coleman, Eddie Brinkman and Aurelio Rodríguez) all played critical roles in 1972, when the Tigers captured their first AL East division title. Oddities of the schedule due to an early-season strike allowed the 86-70 Tigers to win the division by just ½ game, just as they had won the pennant in 1908. 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.^[12] 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. 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. Fryman was also the winning pitcher in the division-clinching game against the Boston Red Sox, a 3-1 victory on October 3.

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. 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, and the game went into extra innings. 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. Blue Moon Odom shut down Detroit 5–0 in Game 2. 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 flung 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 thought (and years later confirmed by Lagrow) that Martin had ordered the pitch that hit Campaneris, who had three hits, two stolen bases and two runs scored in the game.^[13]

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 Tiger victory. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.^[14] Thanks to that play and four innings of scoreless relief from Vida Blue, the A's took the American League pennant and a spot in the World Series.

A slow decline (1973–78)

The 1973 season saw the Tigers drop to third place in the division, with an 85-77 record. Joe Coleman posted another 23 wins, but the other Tiger starters had subpar seasons. Willie Horton hit .316, but injuries limited him to just 111 games. 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."^[14] 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. Base coach Joe Schultz served as interim manager for the final 28 games of the season.

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. 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 Jose Valverde's 49 saves in 2011.)

The Tigers spent the remainder of the 1970s in the middle or lower ranks of the AL East. In 1974, Ralph Houk, who managed the dominant Yankee teams of the early 1960s, was named manager of the Tigers. "The Major" served in that capacity for five full seasons, through the end of the 1978 season. The roster of players who played under Houk were mostly aging veterans from the 1960s, whose performance had slipped from their peak years. 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. 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. Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1980.

1976

Tiger fans were provided a glimmer of hope when 21-year old rookie Mark Fidrych made his debut in 1976. Fidrych, known as "The Bird", was a colorful character known for talking to the baseball and other eccentricities. 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. Fidrych was the starting pitcher for the American League in the All Star Game played that year in Philadelphia to celebrate the American Bicentennial. He finished the season with a record of 19–9 and an American League-leading ERA of 2.34. 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.

Aurelio Rodríguez won the Gold Glove Award for 1976 at third base, snapping a 16-season streak in which Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson had won every award at the position.

Injuries to his knee, and later his arm, drastically limited Fidrych's appearances in 1977–78, as the Tigers remained in the lower ranks of the AL East. Perhaps more important, however, was the talent coming up through the Tigers farm system at the time.

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. 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. 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.^[15]

Acerbic sports anchor Al Ackerman of Detroit's WXYZ-TV (and later WDIV-TV) initiated the phrase "Bless You Boys" whenever the Tigers would win a game—sarcastically at first, because the team still wasn't winning enough to be respectable. But the Tigers became steadily competitive, with winning records in each of Anderson's first four full seasons (1980–83), and Ackerman's phrase would take on a new meaning in 1984.

"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.

The first major news of the 1984 season actually came in late 1983, when broadcasting magnate John Fetzer, who had owned the club since 1957, sold the team to Domino's Pizza founder and CEO Tom Monaghan.^[16] The sale of the franchise caught everyone by surprise, as the negotiations culminating in the sale of the franchise were conducted in total secrecy. There were no rumors or even speculation that Fetzer had put the franchise up for sale.

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. 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. 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. Closer Willie Hernández, acquired from the 1983 NL champion Philadelphia Phillies in the offseason, won both the AL Cy Young and AL Most Valuable Player awards, a rarity for a relief pitcher.

1984 ALCS

The Tigers faced the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series, which would prove to be no contest, not surprising given the fact the Royals won 20 fewer games during the season. In Game 1, Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish and Larry Herndon went deep to crush the Royals 8–1 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium). 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. 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.

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 in Trammell's hometown.

In Game 1, Larry Herndon hit a two-run home run that gave the Tigers a 3–2 lead. Morris pitched a complete game with 2 runs on 8 hits, and Detroit drew first blood. The Padres evened the series the next night despite pitcher Ed Whitson being chased after pitching two-thirds of an inning and giving up three runs on five Tiger hits. Tiger starter Dan Petry exited the game after four and one-third innings when Kurt Bevacqua's three-run homer gave San Diego a 5–3 lead they would hold onto.

When the series shifted to the Motor City, the Tigers took command. In Game 3, a two-out rally in the second inning led to four runs and the yanking of Padre starter Tim Lollar after one and two-thirds innings. The Padres, plagued by poor starting pitching throughout the series, never recovered and lost 5–2. Eric Show continued the parade of bad outings in Game 4, getting bounced after two and two-thirds innings after giving up home runs to Series MVP Trammell in his first two at-bats. Trammell's homers held up with the help of another Morris complete game, and the Tigers held a commanding lead.

In Game 5, Gibson's two-run shot in the first inning would be the beginning of another early end for the Padres' starter Mark Thurmond. Though the Padres would pull back even at 3–3, chasing Dan 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 doubled it on a solo homer by Parrish.

A "Sounds of the Game" video was made during the Series by MLB Productions and played on TV a number of times since then. When Kirk Gibson came to bat in the eighth inning with runners on second and third and the Tigers clinging to a 5–4 lead, a situation that might call for San Diego reliever Goose Gossage to pitch around him, Padres manager Dick Williams was summoned to the mound. Anderson was seen and heard yelling to Gibson, "He don't want to walk you!" and making a swing-the-bat gesture.^[17] As Anderson had suspected, Gossage threw a 1–0 fastball on the inside corner, and Gibson was ready. He launched a hard smash into Tiger Stadium's right field upper deck, effectively clinching the game and the series.

Aurelio López pitched 2-1/3 innings of relief without putting a runner on base for the win. Despite allowing a rare run in the top of the 8th inning, Willie Hernandez got the save as Tony Gwynn flied out to Larry Herndon to end the game, sending Detroit into a wild victory celebration.

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 1927 New York Yankees. With the win Sparky Anderson became the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues.

1987 AL East Champions

After a pair of third-place finishes in 1985 and 1986, the 1987 Tigers faced lowered expectations – which seemed to be confirmed by an 11–19 start to the season. However, the team hit its stride thereafter and gradually gained ground on its AL East rivals, eventually finishing with the best record in the Majors. 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, winning the Cy Young Award in 1996. The Tigers won the division this year but possibly gave up some of their future. The Tigers had a great season but despite their improvement, 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.

The Tigers entered the final week of the 1987 season 3.5 games behind. After a series against the Baltimore Orioles, the Tigers returned home trailing by a game and swept the Blue Jays. Detroit clinched the division in a 1–0 victory over Toronto in front of 51,005 fans at Tiger Stadium on Sunday afternoon, 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 a Major League-best 98–64, two games ahead of Toronto.

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 Minnesota Twins (who in turn won the World Series that year) four games to one. The Twins clinched the Series in Game 5 at Tiger Stadium, 9–5.

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 at 88–74, one game behind division-winning Boston.

In 1989, the team collapsed to a 59–103 record, worst in the majors. 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).^[18] 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 Most Valuable Player. He hit 44 home runs and collected 132 RBI in 1991, again finishing second in the AL MVP balloting, and would hit at least 28 HR in each of the next four seasons. 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). 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. Their minor league system was largely barren of talent as well, producing only a few everyday players (Travis Fryman, Bobby Higginson) during the 1990s. 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. The announcement was met with resounding protests from fans, both in Michigan and around the baseball world.

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). But 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. Following the 1992 season, the franchise was sold to Mike Ilitch, the President and CEO of Little Caesars Pizza who also owns the Detroit Red Wings. Ilitch made it one of his first priorities to re-hire Ernie Harwell. The team also responded with an 85-77 season in 1993, but it would be their last winning season for a number of years.

On October 2, 1995, manager Sparky Anderson chose to not only end his career with the Tigers, but retire from baseball altogether.^[19]

Declawed: The Randy Smith era (1996–2002)

From 1994 to 2005, the Tigers did not post a winning record. This is by far the longest sub-.500 stretch in franchise history; prior to this, the team had not gone more than four consecutive seasons without a winning record. In fact, the only team in the majors to have a longer stretch without a winning season during this time is the Pittsburgh Pirates (now the Tigers "natural rival" in interleague play), which did not have a winning record in the years spanning 1993 and 2012. The Tigers' best record over this span was 79–83, recorded in 1997 and 2000. In 1996, the Tigers lost a then-team record 109 games, under new general manager Randy Smith, who served the team from 1996 to 2002.

In 1998, the Tigers moved from the American League's Eastern Division, where they had been since divisions were created in 1969, to the Central Division, as part of a realignment necessitated by the addition of the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Tigers were not an original member of the Central, which had been created in 1994.

In 2000, the team left Tiger Stadium, then tied with Fenway Park as the oldest active baseball stadium, in favor of the new Comerica Park. This capped an argument among Detroiters, lasting more than a decade, about whether or not a new stadium was needed to keep the club competitive.

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."^[20] The team made a successful bid to bring in slugger Juan Gonzalez from the Texas Rangers for the inaugural 2000 season at Comerica Park. Gonzalez hit a meager (for him) 22 home runs that season, and many cited Comerica Park's dimensions as a major reason he turned down multi-millions to re-sign with the club in 2001. 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. In 2005, the team moved the bullpens to the vacant area beyond the left-field fence and filled the previous location with seats.

In late 2001, Dave Dombrowski, former general manager of the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, was hired as team president. 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. The team finished 55–106. After the season was over, Pujols was let go.

Most losses in American League history (2003)

Dombrowski hired popular former shortstop Alan Trammell to manage the team in 2003. With fellow '84 teammates Kirk Gibson and Lance Parrish on the coaching staff, the rebuilding process began. In 2003, still playing with mostly players Smith had drafted or acquired, the Tigers shattered their 1996 mark for team futility by losing an American League-record 119 games. This eclipsed the previous AL record of 117 losses set by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, and was just .030 ahead of the 1916 A's .235 win percentage.^[21] 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 club) as the only modern MLB teams to lose 100 games before September. 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 Central Division (into which the Tigers had moved in 1998), and were resting their stars.

Mike Maroth went 9–21 for the 2003 Tigers and became the first pitcher to lose 20 games in more than 20 years.^[22] Tigers' pitchers Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman (6–19), and Nate Cornejo (6–17) were #1, #2, and #3 in the major leagues in losses for 2003—the only time in major league history that one team has had the top three losers.

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. The Tigers went 43–119 that season, 47 games behind division-winner Minnesota.

Rebuilding the franchise (2004–06)

Although the 2003 season was a complete morass, Dombrowski gave Trammell a chance to finish the remaining two years of his contract over the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Under Dombrowski, the Tigers demonstrated a willingness to sign marquee free agents. In 2004, the team signed or traded for several talented but high-risk veterans, such as Fernando Viña, Iván Rodríguez, Ugueth Urbina, Rondell White and Carlos Guillén, and the gamble paid off. The 2004 Tigers finished 72–90, a 29-game improvement over the previous season, and the largest improvement in the American League since Baltimore's 33-game improvement from 1988 to 1989. However, the team was still sub-.500.

Prior to the 2005 season, the Tigers spent a large sum for two prized free agents, Magglio Ordóñez and Troy Percival. On June 8, 2005, the Tigers traded pitcher Ugueth Urbina and infielder Ramón Martínez to the Philadelphia Phillies for Plácido Polanco (and later signed him for 4 years). The Tigers stayed on the fringes of contention for the American League wild card for the first four months of the season, but then faded badly, finishing 71–91. The collapse was perceived as being due both to injuries and to a lack of player unity; Rodriguez in particular was disgruntled, taking a leave of absence during the season to deal with a difficult divorce. 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.

A highlight of the 2005 campaign was Detroit's hosting of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, its first since 1971. In the Home Run Derby, Rodriguez finished second, losing to the Phillies' Bobby Abreu.

In October 2005, Jim Leyland, who managed Dombrowski's 1997 World Series–winning Marlins club, replaced Trammell as manager; two months later, in response to Troy Percival's '05 arm problems, closer Todd Jones, who had spent five seasons in Detroit (1997–2001), signed a two-year deal to return to the Tigers. Veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers also joined the Tigers from Texas in late 2005. These offseason additions set the stage for the resurgence of "Tiger Fever" in Detroit and its environs the following year.

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 American League 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. 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. On August 27, a 7–1 victory over the Cleveland Indians gave the Tigers their 82nd victory and their first winning season since 1993. On September 24, the Tigers beat the Kansas City Royals 11–4 to clinch their first playoff berth since 1987. 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 and the division title went to the Minnesota Twins. The Tigers were the AL wild card winner, the first time a team from the AL Central had won the honor.

The playoffs saw the Tigers beat the heavily favored New York Yankees 3 games to 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. They advanced to the World Series, where they lost to the underdog St. Louis Cardinals in five games.

Falling short (2007-2010)

The Tigers would field competitive teams over the next four years, but struggles in the second half of all four years kept them from repeating their 2006 playoff appearance.

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. 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.^[23] The Tigers suffered from injuries in the 2007 season, especially to their pitching staff. Kenny Rogers did not start until late June because of surgery to remove a blood-clot in his throwing arm. Other pitchers who were injured included Tim Byrdak, Fernando Rodney, Jair Jurrjens and Joel Zumaya.

The 2007 Tigers had the best record in baseball in mid-July, but lost a few players to injuries and started to play poorly in the second half and fade from contention. This pattern of good starts followed by a poor second half would be repeated over the next three seasons. The Tigers gave up their division lead to the Cleveland Indians in early September and were officially eliminated from playoff competition on September 26, 2007, when the New York Yankees clinched a wild card berth. The Tigers, at 88-74, finished second in the AL Central.

2008

Going into the 2008 season, the franchise traded for prominent talent in Edgar 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^[24]) 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.^[25]

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.^[26] 2010 also saw the debut of Brennan Boesch, who was named the AL Rookie of the Month for May and June.^[27][28]

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^[29] and finishing second in the AL MVP race (earning 5 of 28 first-place votes).^[30] 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."^[31] 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.

2011: First AL Central Championship

The Tigers returned much of their roster from 2010, with four notable departures. The team chose not to re-sign catcher Gerald Laird, outfielder Johnny Damon and pitcher Jeremy Bonderman. They also traded pitcher Armando Galarraga to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two minor league pitching prospects. Notable offseason additions included 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.^[32] 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.^[33]

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.^[34] 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.^[35] 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.^[36] In a much closer vote six days later, Verlander also won the AL MVP Award.^[37] 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).

2011 Postseason

On October 6, the Tigers beat the New York Yankees 3–2 in Game 5 of the ALDS, winning the series 3–2. They advanced to the ALCS, which they lost to the defending AL Champion Texas Rangers, 4 games to 2.

2012

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,^[38] the fourth-richest contract in baseball (and sports) history.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[39] Coupled with Miguel Cabrera's move back to his original position of third base, veteran Brandon Inge's performance began to decline and it became apparent that he would no longer be a valuable asset to the Tigers; on April 26, he was released after 12 seasons.^[40] Inge was subsequently acquired by the Oakland Athletics.^[41] 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.^[42]

At the midway point of the 2012 season, the Tigers were three games under .500 (39-42).^[43] 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.^[44] 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.^[45] 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.^[46] On the mound, starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer finished first and second among the American League strikeout leaders, with 239 and 231, respectively.^[47]

2012 Postseason

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.^[48]

On October 18, 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, their first Series appearance since losing to the Cardinals in 2006.

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. This gave the Tigers back-to-back AL MVP winners, after Justin Verlander won the award in 2011.^[49]

2013: 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,^[50] while also signing their 2012 trade deadline acquisition, pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, to a five-year, $80 million deal.^[51] The Tigers also signed free agent catcher Brayan Peña to a one-year contract.^[52] Moreover, ace starter Justin Verlander signed a $180 million contract extension, which will keep him on the Tigers until at least 2019.^[53]

The team chose not to re-sign outfielder/DH Delmon Young, relief pitcher José Valverde, and utility player Ryan Raburn, letting all three become free agents. The team was also unable to re-sign backup catcher Gerald Laird, as he chose instead to sign with the Atlanta Braves. With three left-handed batting outfielders vying for one position (left field), the Tigers later released Brennan Boesch during the 2013 spring training season.^[54]

Finding no takers as a free agent, José Valverde signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers shortly after the start of the regular season. He returned to the Tigers on April 24 and recorded a save against the Kansas City Royals,^[55] then went on to successfully convert his next six save opportunities. But after blowing three of his next five save chances, Valverde was optioned back to Toledo on June 21. Joaquin Benoit became the Tigers closer from that point forward. The Tigers gave Valverde his outright release on August 7.^[56]

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.^[57] Cabrera was voted in as the starter at third base in the fan balloting; Fielder, Peralta, Hunter and Scherzer were selected as reserves in the player voting; Verlander was added by manager Jim Leyland. The Tigers had a chance to put seven players in the All-Star Game this season, as Joaquin Benoit was one of the five finalists for the "Final Selection" fan vote. But Benoit was beaten out by pitcher Steve Delabar of the Toronto Blue Jays.

On July 29, the Tigers traded outfield prospect Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later to the Houston Astros, in exchange for relief pitcher José Veras.^[58][59] On July 30, the Tigers traded outfielder Avisail García to the Chicago White Sox and pitcher Brayan Villarreal to the Boston Red Sox in a three-team deal to obtain infielder José Iglesias from the Red Sox.^[60]

On August 5, 2013, shortstop Jhonny Peralta was among 13 players suspended by Major League Baseball for ties to the Biogenesis clinic in South Florida. As a first-time offender of the league's drug policy, Peralta received a 50-game suspension.^[61]

On September 25, the Tigers clinched their third consecutive AL Central Division title. The last time the Tigers won three consecutive regular-season titles was 1907–1909.^[62]

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.^[63]

Miguel Cabrera (.348 average, 44 HR, 139 RBI) was voted the AL Most Valuable Player for the second straight season,^[64] while Max Scherzer (21-3, 2.90 ERA, 240 strikeouts) won the AL Cy Young Award.^[65]

2013 Postseason

The Tigers played the Oakland Athletics for the second straight year in the ALDS. Opening the series in Oakland, the Tigers won Game 1 by a score of 3-2, behind a strong pitching performance from Max Scherzer. Sonny Gray and Justin Verlander traded pitch-for-pitch in Game 2, both leaving with shutouts intact, but Oakland scored in the 9th inning to pull out a 1-0 victory over the Tigers and even the series. The Tigers then fell down 2-1 in the series with a 6-3 loss at Comerica Park, in which Aníbal Sánchez surrendered three home runs for the first time all season. In Game 4, Oakland again went out to an early 3-0 lead, but Jhonny Peralta tied the game with a three-run homer. The A's went up 4-3, but Víctor Martínez tied the game again with a controversial home run in the seventh that was touched by a fan in right-center but was upheld after umpires reviewed replays. The Tigers went up 5-4 later in the inning on an Austin Jackson RBI single. In the top of the 8th inning, Max Scherzer (appearing in relief) loaded the bases with no outs, but proceeded to get out of the jam by striking out Josh Reddick and Stephen Vogt, then getting Alberto Callaspo to fly out. The Tigers added three runs in the eighth and eventually won 8-6 to force Game 5. Verlander and Gray dueled once again in Game 5, but the Tigers eventually got to the rookie pitcher for three runs in his second ever postseason start, while Verlander pitched 8 innings of shutout baseball. Joaquín Benoit came on to earn the save and 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 Championship to the Red Sox in Game 6.

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).^[66]

2014: Changes at the Top

On October 21, 2013, Jim Leyland stepped down from his managerial position after eight years with Detroit.^[67] He will stay with the Tigers organization as a Special Assistant to the General Manager.^[68] On November 3, the Tigers announced that Brad Ausmus, a former catcher for the Tigers (1996 and 1999-2000), was named Leyland's successor, and was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for 2017.^[69] On November 5, the Tigers' hitting coach, Lloyd McClendon, was named the new manager of the Seattle Mariners.^[70] Ausmus retained Gene Lamont as his bench coach and Jeff Jones as his pitching coach, but otherwise brought in an all new "cutting edge" coaching staff.^[71]

On November 20, 2013, the Tigers traded Prince Fielder to the Texas Rangers after he'd played only two years of his nine-year/$214 million contract. In return, the Tigers received three-time All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler, with the Rangers picking up all but $30 million of Fielder's remaining contract amount.^[72] The Tigers later traded starting pitcher Doug Fister to the Washington Nationals for infielder Steve Lombardozzi, Jr. and pitchers Ian Krol and Robbie Ray.^[73]

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,^[74] and later signed Joba Chamberlain to a one-year, $2.5 million deal.^[75]

The biggest offseason free agent losses were shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals,^[76] and reliever Joaquin Benoit, who inked a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres.^[77]

Best seasons in Detroit Tigers history

Best Seasons in Detroit Tigers history Rank Year Wins Losses Win %   Finish 1 1934 105 53 .656 Lost 1934 World Series to Cardinals 3 1915 100 54 .649 2nd in AL behind Red Sox 4 1909 98 54 .645 Lost 1909 World Series to Pirates 5 1984 104 58 .642 Won 1984 World Series over Padres 6 1968 103 59 .636 Won 1968 World Series over Cardinals 7 1961 101 61 .623 2nd in AL behind Yankees 8 1950 95 59 .617 2nd in AL behind Yankees 9 1935 93 58 .616 Won 1935 World Series over Cubs 10 1907 92 58 .613 Lost 1907 World Series to Cubs 11 1987 98 64 .605 Lost 1987 ALCS to Twins 12 1946 92 62 .597 2nd in AL behind Red Sox 13 1908 90 63 .588 Lost 1908 World Series to Cubs 14 2006 95 67 .586 Lost 2006 World Series to Cardinals 15 2011 95 67 .586 Lost 2011 ALCS to Rangers 16 1940 90 64 .584 Lost 1940 World Series to Reds 17 1911 89 65 .578 2nd in AL behind A's 18 1937 89 65 .578 2nd in AL behind Yankees

Worst seasons in Detroit Tigers history

Worst seasons in Detroit Tigers history Rank Year Wins Losses Win % 1 2003 43 119 .265 2 1952 50 104 .325 3 1996 53 109 .327 4 2002 55 106 .342 5 1975 57 102 .358

Detroit Tigers Payroll

Total team payroll Year Amount 2007 $ 95,180,369 2008 $ 137,685,196 2009 $ 115,085,145 2010 $ 122,864,928 2011 $ 105,700,231 2012 $ 132,300,000 2013 $ 148,414,500

Rivalries and fan base

The Tigers' rivalries with other baseball franchises have changed throughout the years, with no one rivalry standing out. Some rivalries are with nearby teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and 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, 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' AA affiliate Erie SeaWolves in northwestern Pennsylvania. The Detroit Tigers have their AAA affiliate Toledo Mud Hens in Toledo, Ohio and had a AA affiliate in London, Ontario. The cities of Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario, have large fanbases of loyal Detroit Tiger 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 Tiger 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, the Chicago Cubs (four times) and St. Louis Cardinals (three times). Had the Cubs beaten the 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 and has become a popular rivalry for fans of both teams, due to Tigers manager Jim Leyland having managed the Pirates from 1986-1996 (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, are 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 (radio announcer) 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 1-2 in the AL Central standings. Many Tiger fans who made the short trip to Cleveland attended the game, and 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.^[78] The Tigers ended up defeating the Indians 6-5 in 14 innings.^[79]

Home attendance

Home Attendance at Comerica Park Year Total Attendance 2001 1,921,305 2002 1,503,623 2003 1,368,245 2004 1,917,004 2005 2,024,485 2006 2,595,937 2007 3,047,139 2008 3,202,645 2009 2,567,185 2010 2,461,237 2011 2,642,045 2012 3,028,033 2013 3,083,397

^[80]

Rally cry

During the 1968 season, the team was cheered on by the phrase, "Go Get 'Em Tigers." 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 Championship Run, the team was cheered on to the well known cry, "Bless You Boys," a phrase coined (in sarcasm) by Al Ackerman, a Detroit sports anchor legend.^[81]

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,^[82] 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.^[83]

During the 2006 playoffs the phrase "Team of Destiny" appeared on several home made 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

The Tigers have worn essentially the same home uniform since 1934 — solid white jersey with navy piping down the front and an Old English "D" on the left chest, white pants, navy 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.^[84] 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 with the team's alternate logo (a tiger stepping through the "D") on the chest. It was worn a few times and then abandoned.^[85]

The Tigers use slightly different versions of the initial logo on the cap and jersey.^[86]

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).^[87]
• The Tigers are the only MLB team that does not wear batting practice jerseys during spring training, instead electing to wear their normal uniforms in lieu of the colored tops that most teams wear for batting practice.^{[citation needed]}
• 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.^{[citation needed]}

Baseball Hall of Famers

Detroit Tigers Hall of Famers
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Detroit Tigers Sparky Anderson Earl Averill Ed Barrow Jim Bunning Ty Cobb Mickey Cochrane Sam Crawford Larry Doby Charlie Gehringer Goose Goslin Hank Greenberg Bucky Harris Harry Heilmann Whitey Herzog Waite Hoyt Hughie Jennings Al Kaline George Kell Heinie Manush Eddie Mathews Hal Newhouser Al Simmons Sam Thompson Rick Ferrell Players listed in bold are depicted on their Hall of Fame plaques wearing a Tigers cap insignia.

Ford C. Frick Award recipients

Detroit Tigers Ford C. Frick Award recipients
Affiliation according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
Ernie Harwell Names in bold received the award based primarily on their work as broadcasters for the Tigers.

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:

Willie Horton OF   Retired July 15, 2000 Ty Cobb OF Mgr Honored 2000 Hank Greenberg 1B   Retired June 12, 1983 Charlie Gehringer 2B Coach, GM Retired June 12, 1983 Hal Newhouser P   Retired July 27, 1997 Al Kaline OF   Retired August 17, 1980

In right field:

Harry Heilmann OF   Honored 2000 Heinie Manush OF   Honored 2000 Hughie Jennings Mgr   Honored 2000 Sam Crawford OF   Honored 2000 Mickey Cochrane C Mgr Honored 2000 George Kell 3B Broadcaster Honored 2000 Ernie Harwell Broadcaster   Honored 2000 Sparky Anderson Mgr   Retired June 26, 2011 Jackie Robinson – All MLB Honored April 15, 1997

• 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.^[88]
• Ernie Harwell spent 42 years (in two stints) calling Tigers games on the radio.
• 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 Tiger organization. They also have all entered the Baseball Hall of Fame as Detroit Tigers, and their plaques in the Hall show them wearing the Tiger 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.

While Cochrane was honored in 2000, the ceremony honoring Cochrane and Kell did not include the retirement of Cochrane's number 3; the number 3 has not been retired for Dick McAuliffe or Alan Trammell either, although number 3 has only been issued three times since Trammell retired as a player after the 1996 season: to Trammell himself when he managed the Tigers from 2003–2005, Gary Sheffield (after Trammell approved of it from 2007 until he was released prior to the 2009 seasons). Sheffield had previously worn the numbers 1, 5, 10, and 11.^[89] Presently the number is being worn by Ian Kinsler, who was acquired after the 2013 season in a trade with the Texas Rangers for Prince Fielder. Similarly, 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. Sparky Anderson's number 11, which also was last issued in 1995 when he himself retired from managing, was formally retired during the 2011 season on June 26, 2011.^[90] The number 47, last worn by Jack Morris, has also not been retired, but has not been issued since 1990, Morris' last year with the Tigers.

Award winners

Current roster

Detroit Tigers 2014 spring training roster view talk edit
40-man roster				Non-roster invitees		Coaches/Other
Pitchers 62 Al Alburquerque 52 José Álvarez 44 Joba Chamberlain 40 Phil Coke 45 Casey Crosby 46 Ian Krol 31 Kyle Lobstein 54 Melvin Mercedes 53 Justin Miller 36 Joe Nathan 56 José Ortega 21 Rick Porcello 39 Luke Putkonen 57 Evan Reed 43 Bruce Rondón 19 Aníbal Sánchez 37 Max Scherzer 33 Drew Smyly 58 José Valdez 35 Justin Verlander		Catchers 13 Alex Avila 55 Ramón Cabrera 50 Bryan Holaday Infielders  9 Nick Castellanos 24 Miguel Cabrera  1 José Iglesias  3 Ian Kinsler 28 Jordan Lennerton  4 Steve Lombardozzi, Jr. 38 Francisco Martinez 26 Hernán Pérez 27 Eugenio Suarez Outfielders 20 Rajai Davis 12 Andy Dirks 34 Daniel Fields 48 Torii Hunter 14 Austin Jackson 32 Don Kelly 30 Steven Moya Designated hitters 41 Víctor Martínez		Pitchers 64 Duane Below 65 Blaine Hardy 66 Jhan Mariñez 49 Luis Marte 70 Robbie Ray 73 Eduardo Sánchez 75 Drew VerHagen Catchers 60 Craig Albernaz 68 Luis Exposito 71 James McCann 67 John Murrian Infielders 74 Devon Travis 29 Danny Worth Outfielders 61 Ezequiel Carrera 72 Tyler Collins 63 Trevor Crowe		Manager  7 Brad Ausmus Coaches 17 Mick Billmeyer (bullpen) 25 Dave Clark (third base) 59 Darnell Coles (assistant hitting) 51 Jeff Jones (pitching)  8 Wally Joyner (hitting) 22 Gene Lamont (bench) 18 Omar Vizquel (first base) 40 active, 0 inactive, 16 non-roster invitees 7- or 15-day disabled list * Not on active roster † Suspended list Roster and NRIs updated January 10, 2014 Transactions • Depth Chart → All MLB rosters

Minor league affiliations

Level	Team	League	Location
AAA	Toledo Mud Hens	International League	Toledo, Ohio
AA	Erie SeaWolves	Eastern League	Erie, Pennsylvania
Advanced A	Lakeland Flying Tigers	Florida State League	Lakeland, Florida
A	West Michigan Whitecaps	Midwest League	Comstock Park, Michigan
Short Season A	Connecticut Tigers	New York–Penn League	Norwich, Connecticut
Rookie	GCL Tigers	Gulf Coast League	Lakeland, Florida
	VSL Tigers	Venezuelan Summer League	Venezuela
	DSL Tigers	Dominican Summer League	San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic

Broadcasters

Radio

The Tigers' current flagship radio stations are Detroit sister stations WXYT-AM (1270 AM) and WXYT-FM (97.1 FM).^[91] Dan Dickerson does play-by-play and former Tigers catcher Jim Price does color commentary.^[92] Games are carried on both stations unless a conflict with Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons or Detroit Red Wings coverage arises, in which case only WXYT-AM serves as the Tigers' flagship.

Television

The Tigers' current exclusive local television rights holder is Fox Sports Detroit.^[93] Mario Impemba does play-by-play with former outfielder Rod Allen handling color commentary.^[92]

Former

Franchise records

Season records

• Highest Batting Average: .420, Ty Cobb (1911)
• Most Runs: 147, Ty Cobb (1911)
• Most Hits: 248, Ty Cobb (1911)
• Highest Slugging %: .683, Hank Greenberg (1938)
• Most Doubles: 63, Hank Greenberg (1934)
• Most Triples: 26, Sam Crawford (1914)
• Most Home Runs: 58, Hank Greenberg (1938)
• Most Grand Slams: 4, Rudy York (1938), Ray Boone (1953) and Jim Northrup (1968)
• Most RBIs: 183, Hank Greenberg (1937)
• Most Stolen Bases: 96, Ty Cobb (1915)
• Most Wins: 31, Denny McLain (1968)
• Lowest ERA: 1.63, Ed Summers (1908)
• Strikeouts: 308, Mickey Lolich (1971)
• Complete Games: 42, George Mullin (1904)
• Saves: 49, José Valverde (2011)

See also

• List of Detroit Tigers seasons
• Tigers all time roster
• Managers and ownership of the Detroit Tigers
• Detroit Tigers Nicknames: some of the colorful Tiger nicknames from the past and present

References

Further reading

• Anderson, William (1999). The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers' History, Updated Edition . Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2826-1. 
• Pattison, Mark (2002). Detroit Tigers Lists and More Runs, Hits and Eras . Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3040-1. 
• Eldridge, Grant (2001). Willie Horton: Detroit's Own Willie the Wonder . Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3025-8. 
• Bak, Richard (1991). Cobb Would Have Caught It: The Golden Age of Baseball in Detroit . Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2356-1. 
• 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

v t e Detroit Tigers Based in Detroit, Michigan Franchise History Seasons Records No-hitters Award winners and league leaders Players Managers Owners and executives Opening Day starting pitchers Ballparks Boulevard Park Bennett Park Tiger Stadium Comerica Park Spring Training: Whittington Park Plant Field Bosse Field Henley Field Joker Marchant Stadium Culture Paws "Detroit Rock City" "The Bird" Tiger Town For Love of the Game Lore 1910 Chalmers Award Disco Demolition Night 28-out perfect game Important figures Hall of Fame members Sparky Anderson Ty Cobb Mickey Cochrane Sam Crawford Charlie Gehringer Hank Greenberg Harry Heilmann Hughie Jennings Al Kaline George Kell Heinie Manush Hal Newhouser Frick Award recipient Ernie Harwell Retired numbers 2 5 6 11 16 23 42 Minors Player overview AAA: Toledo Mud Hens AA: Erie SeaWolves A: Lakeland Flying Tigers West Michigan Whitecaps Connecticut Tigers Rookie: Gulf Coast League Tigers DSL Tigers Key personnel Owner: Mike Ilitch General Manager: Dave Dombrowski Manager: Brad Ausmus World Series championships (4) 1935 1945 1968 1984 League pennants (11) American League: 1907 1908 1909 1934 1935 1940 1945 1968 1984 2006 2012 Division titles (6) East: 1972 1984 1987 Central: 2011 2012 2013 Wild card berths (1) 2006 Broadcasters TV: Fox Sports Detroit Mario Impemba Rod Allen Radio: Detroit Tigers Radio Network WXYT WXYT-FM Dan Dickerson Jim Price History: List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters   Seasons (112) 1900s 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910s 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920s 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930s 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940s 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Links to related articles Achievements Preceded by Chicago White Sox 1906 American League Champions Detroit Tigers 1907 and 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 and 1937 and 1938 and 1939 Preceded by St. Louis Cardinals 1934 World Series Champions Detroit Tigers 1935 Succeeded by New York Yankees 1936 and 1937 and 1938 and 1939 Preceded by New York Yankees 1936 and 1937 and 1938 and 1939 American League Champions Detroit Tigers 1940 Succeeded by New York Yankees 1941 and 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 and 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 Incumbent v t e Detroit Tigers managers Bob Glenalvin (1894) Con Strouthers (1895–1896) George Stallings (1896) Bob Allen (1897) Frank Graves (1897–1898) Ollie Beard (1898) Tony Mullane (1898) George Stallings (1898-1901) Frank Dwyer (1902) Ed Barrow (1903–1904) Bobby Lowe (1904) Bill Armour (1905–1906) Hughie Jennings (1907–1920) Ty Cobb (1921–1926) George Moriarty (1927–1928) Bucky Harris (1929–1933) Del Baker (1933) Mickey Cochrane (1934–1937) Del Baker (1936) Cy Perkins (1937) Del Baker (1937) Mickey Cochrane (1938) Del Baker (1938–1942) Steve O'Neill (1943–1948) Red Rolfe (1949–1952) Fred Hutchinson (1952–1954) Bucky Harris (1955–1956) Jack Tighe (1957–1958) Bill Norman (1958–1959) Jimmy Dykes (1959–1960) Billy Hitchcock (1960) Joe Gordon (1960) Bob Scheffing (1961–1963) Chuck Dressen (1963–1964) Bob Swift (1965) Chuck Dressen (1965–1966) Frank Skaff (1966) Bob Swift (1966) Mayo Smith (1967–1970) Billy Martin (1971–1973) Joe Schultz (1973) Ralph Houk (1974–1978) Les Moss (1979) Dick Tracewski (1979) Sparky Anderson (1979–1995) Buddy Bell (1996–1998) Larry Parrish (1998–1999) Phil Garner (2000–2002) Luis Pujols (2002) Alan Trammell (2003–2005) Jim Leyland (2006–2013) Brad Ausmus (2014–) v t e Detroit Tigers retired numbers Ty Cobb #2 Charlie Gehringer #5 Hank Greenberg #6 Al Kaline #11 Sparky Anderson #16 Hal Newhouser #23 Willie Horton   Championship Navigation Boxes v t e Detroit Tigers 1935 World Series Champions 2 Charlie Gehringer 3 Mickey Cochrane 4 Goose Goslin 5 Hank Greenberg 6 Gee Walker 7 Billy Rogell 8 Marv Owen 9 Pete Fox 10 Tommy Bridges 13 Elden Auker 14 Schoolboy Rowe 16 Alvin Crowder 17 Chief Hogsett 18 Vic Sorrell 19 Joe Sullivan 23 Ray Hayworth 24 Flea Clifton 25 Jo-Jo White Manager 3 Mickey Cochrane Coaches Del Baker Cy Perkins Regular season v t e Detroit Tigers 1945 World Series Champions 1 Bob Swift 2 Ed Mierkowicz 3 Eddie Mayo 4 Rudy York 5 Hank Greenberg 6 Roy Cullenbine 7 Joe Hoover 8 Doc Cramer 9 Paul Richards 10 Tommy Bridges 11 Dizzy Trout 12 John McHale 14 Jim Tobin 15 Les Mueller 16 Hal Newhouser 17 Zeb Eaton 18 Stubby Overmire 19 Al Benton 20 Billy Pierce 21 Art Houtteman 22 Virgil Trucks 22 Bob Maier 23 Hack Miller 24 Walter Wilson 25 George Caster 26 Chuck Hostetler 27 Jimmy Outlaw 28 Skeeter Webb 30 Red Borom 34 Hub Walker Manager 32 Steve O'Neill Regular season v t e Detroit Tigers 1968 World Series Champions 1 Ray Oyler 2 Tom Matchick 3 Dick McAuliffe 5 Jim Northrup 6 Al Kaline 7 Eddie Mathews 8 Don Wert 11 Bill Freehan 12 Jim Price 15 Fred Lasher 16 Earl Wilson 17 Denny McLain 18 John Hiller 21 Joe Sparma 22 Pat Dobson 23 Willie Horton 24 Mickey Stanley 25 Norm Cash 26 Gates Brown 27 Wayne Comer 29 Mickey Lolich (World Series MVP) 39 Jon Warden 43 Daryl Patterson 44 Dick Tracewski 47 Don McMahon Manager 10 Mayo Smith Coaches 50 Tony Cuccinello 51 Wally Moses 52 Hal Naragon 53 Johnny Sain Regular season v t e Detroit Tigers 1984 World Series Champions 1 Lou Whitaker 3 Alan Trammell (World Series MVP) 8 Marty Castillo 9 Doug Baker 13 Lance Parrish 14 Dave Bergman 15 Rusty Kuntz 16 Tom Brookens 17 Bill Scherrer 19 Dave Rozema 20 Howard Johnson 21 Willie Hernández 23 Kirk Gibson (ALCS MVP) 27 Bárbaro Garbey 29 Aurelio López 30 Johnny Grubb 31 Larry Herndon 32 Ruppert Jones 34 Chet Lemon 39 Milt Wilcox 40 Doug Bair 41 Darrell Evans 44 Juan Berenguer 46 Dan Petry 47 Jack Morris Manager 11 Sparky Anderson Coaches 26 Gates Brown 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