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1901-1925
1901 On April 24, 1901, the Tigers prepared to take to the field
for their first official American League game. A standing room only
crowd was anticipated at Bennett Park, but unpredictable weather
postponed the opening by a day.
On that historic afternoon, April 25, 1901, in front of 10,000 fans,
the Tigers entered the ninth inning trailing Milwaukee, 13-4. A
series of hits and miscues followed, moving the score to 13-12 with
two runners on. With two out, Tiger Frank "Pop" Dillon faced reliever
Bert Husting, and the lefthanded hitter rapped a two-run double
to complete a 14-13 comeback win.
1905 The 1905 season was a remarkable one for the organization in
that it marked the first in a Detroit uniform for Tyrus Raymond
Cobb, the most famous Tiger of all. Acquired in exchange for pitcher
Eddie Cicotte and $700 from Augusta of the Sally League (plus an
additional $50 for "immediate delivery"), Cobb played the first
of his 3,033 major league games on August 30, 1905. He would remain
with the Tigers for 22 years, and when he retired in 1928, he had
collected more records than any player in major league history.
1907 The 1907 season saw the emergence of two individuals, neither
of them players, who would both play significant roles in turning
the fortunes of the young Tigers. One was Frank Navin, who began
as a bookkeeper with the franchise in 1902 before acquiring a full
half interest ownership in the club and becoming team president.
After Ban Johnson's retirement in 1927, Navin came to be regarded
by many as the most powerful man in the American League. The other
was Hughie Jennings, a keen judge of talent who would lead the club
to three consecutive league championships as one of the most colorful
managers in major league history.
That same 1907 season, the Tigers won their first pennant, taking
the American League by one and one-half games with a mark of 92-58.
A disappointing loss to the Cubs in the World Series followed.
1911 In 1911, Cobb finished with a personal-best batting average
of .420, finishing just short of the all-time American League single-season
record of .422 set by Nap Lajoie in 1901.
1912 In 1912, the club moved into its new ballpark, named after
Frank Navin, but the campaign was marked by a one-game players'
strike in retaliation for a suspension levied on Cobb for taking
a punch at a fan in New York. The May 18 strike forced the Tigers
to put together a team of sandlot players for one game, a 24-2 loss
at Philadelphia.
1915 In 1915, Jennings and his club posted a regular-season record
of 100-54, yet the skipper remembered the campaign as "the biggest
disappointment" of his career after Babe Ruth's Red Sox claimed
the pennant with 101 wins.
1924 By 1920, the Tigers had plunged to seventh place, Jennings
was released and the managerial position fell into the hands of
Cobb. The highlight of Cobb's tenure was 1924, the same season that
Hall-of-Famer Charlie Gehringer first wore the Tiger uniform, when
the club remained in the race until the season's final week with
a record of 86-68.
1926-1950
1934 After five seasons with Bucky Harris at the helm, Navin attempted
to hire Babe Ruth as manager in 1934. Unable to land him, Navin
turned to Mickey Cochrane, purchased from Philadelphia for $100,000.
With Cochrane as catcher/manager, the Tigers soared to a 101-53
record in 1934 for the first of two consecutive league pennants.
Schoolboy Rowe set a record with 16 consecutive pitching wins, but
in the World Series the Tigers once again failed to capture the
post-season magic, dropping a seven-game decision to Frankie Frisch's
St. Louis Cardinals in a series that featured Commissioner Landis
removing St. Louis outfielder Ducky Medwick from Game 7 for his
own safety as Detroit fans pelted the field with debris.
1935 In 1935, the long-awaited title dreams came true for Tiger
fans and players. After winning the American League by three games,
Detroit took six games to mow down the Chicago Cubs in the 1935
World Series, with Cochrane making a daring dash from second in
the ninth inning of Game Six to score the winning run on a single
by Goose Goslin. For their accomplishments, each player was awarded
a share of $6,544.
On November 13, 1935, Frank Navin was stricken by a heart ailment
and died at the age of 64. Walter Briggs Sr., already half-owner
of the club, purchased the remainder of the team and became president.
1940 In 1940 under manager Del Baker, Detroit earned its sixth pennant
with a 90-64 mark and faced Cincinnati in the Fall Classic. A 21-game
winner in the regular season, righthander Bobo Newsom pitched the
Tigers to wins in two games of the Series but fell in Game Seven
as the Reds won the title.
1945 A strange end to the 1945 season marked the Tigers' successful
surge to their eventual second World Series title. With little hope
of making it to the post-season, the Washington Senators scheduled
their season to close a week early to make their park available
for pro football. The Senators, however, played inspired baseball
all the way but were forced to sit and watch during the season's
final week as the Tigers nosed them out of a pennant. In the ensuing
World Series, the Tigers, managed by Steve O'Neill, knocked off
the Cubs in seven games, with Hall-of-Famer "Prince Hal" Newhouser
winning two times.
1950 After a pair of second-place finishes in 1946 and '47 and the
acquisition of Hall-of-Famer George Kell, the Tigers watched as
a fresh influx of talent from the minors matured and nearly captured
the 1950 pennant, falling just three games short after leading the
pack for 119 days and finishing with a 95-59 record.
1951-1975
1955 The 1950s were highlighted by the emergence of young outfielder
Al Kaline who, with a .340 batting average in 1955, became the youngest
player in league history to win a batting title.
1960 The Tiger front office was also seeing sweeping change after
the death of Briggs Sr. in 1952. After a four-year presidency by
his son, Walter Briggs Jr., the Briggs stock was sold to a syndicate
of 11 radio/television executives led by John Fetzer, Fred Knoor
and Kenyon Brown. In 1960, Fetzer purchased the entire team and
became entrenched as club president.
1968 After finishing just one game out of first place in 1967, the
Tigers were poised and loaded with talent entering the 1968 campaign.
Under manager Mayo Smith, the club took the lead on May 10 and never
relinquished it, finishing 12 games ahead of second-place Baltimore.
Denny McLain was the hero of the campaign with a 31-6 record, becoming
the first pitcher since Lefty Grove in 1934 (and remaining the last
currently) to win 30 or more in a season. His efforts earned McLain
unanimous acclaim as MVP and Cy Young winner in the league.
In a tight World Series, Mickey Lolich pitched the club to three
wins, the final win coming on just two days rest as the Tigers captured
the crown.
1972 With divisional play starting in 1969, the Tigers next visited
the post-season by winning the American League East in 1972 under
Billy Martin with a 92-70 mark. The club was unable to capture the
pennant, however, as the Oakland A's won the best-of-five series
in five games.
1976-Present
1979 The late 1970s featured the first of an American League record
1,918 appearances together by Tiger middle infielders Alan Trammell
and Lou Whitaker.
The 1979 season saw another significant change in leadership when
on June 14, Sparky Anderson took over the club's managerial reigns.
For the next 16 seasons, Anderson would lead the Tigers from the
dugout, claiming two division titles and a World Championship along
the way.
1984 After a second-place finish in 1983, success was expected for
a talented Tiger club the following season. With Jack Morris tossing
his first no-hitter on April 7 of 1984, the club vaulted into the
division lead by winning its first nine games and going 35-5 through
May 24, the best 40-game start in major league history. The Tigers
went on to a 104-58 mark, 15 games in front of the pack, and continued
by sweeping the Royals in the Championship Series. After defeating
the Padres, four-games-to-one, in the World Series, the Tigers became
the first major league team since the 1955 Dodgers to hold first
place wire-to-wire and finish by winning the championship. In addition,
a club-record 2,704,794 fans passed through the turnstiles.
1987 The Tigers returned to glory in 1987 in dramatic fashion. The
club struggled to an 11-19 start but closed strong and looked ready
to make a move after first-place Toronto lost four straight entering
the final weekend of play. Trailing the Blue Jays by just one game
with a three-game set in Motown against Toronto to close the regular
season, the Tigers took the first two. With a one-game lead, Detroit's
Frank Tanana out-dueled the Jays' Jimmy Key on Sunday as Larry Herndon's
solo homer proved the only scoring in a 1-0 triumph. After the dramatic
ending to the regular season, Detroit bowed out of the playoffs
to Minnesota, losing a best-of-seven series in five contests.
1992 The 1992 season included the most recent change in ownership
for the team as Mike Ilitch purchased sole interest in the team
from Tom Monoghan, and other structural changes were not far down
the road.
1995 In 1995, Tiger President and CEO John McHale was hired, and
the following off-season, Vice President/General Manager Randy Smith
was brought on board. The organization began a process of rebuilding
the franchise through scouting and player development, and the past
four campaigns have seen the emergence of talented homegrown players
such as Tony Clark, Brian Moehler and Juan Encarnacion.
1999 September 27, 1999, saw the last Detroit Tiger baseball game
played at Tiger Stadium. After an 87 year run, the Corner saw it's
6,783rd-and final-game with a sold-out crowd of 43,356 fans, many
standing at their seats and dabbing tears from their eyes as 63
Tiger greats took the field one last time during the closing ceremonies
of the park. The Tigers took that historic game, beating the Royals
8-2.
2000 April 11, 2000, saw the beginning of a new era as the Tigers
were welcomed into their new home, Comerica Park. Opening Day saw
34-degree weather, a sold-out crowd, and a 5-2 win against Seattle.
Also in 2000, right-hander Todd Jones won the Rolaids Relief Man
Award, making 42 saves in 46 save situations.
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