Detroit Tigers: Difference between revisions

Detroit Tigers
2025 Detroit Tigers season
File:DetroitTigersD.jpg File:DET 778.gif Logo Cap insignia
Established in 1894
Major league affiliations
American League (1901–present) Central Division (1998–present)
Retired numbers	2, 5, 6, 16, 23, 42
Name
Detroit Tigers (1901–present)
Other nicknames
The Bless You Boys
Ballpark
Comerica Park (2000–present) Tiger Stadium (1912-1999) Briggs Stadium (1938-1960) 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 (10)	2006 • 1984 • 1968 • 1945 1940 • 1935 • 1934 • 1909 1908 • 1907
Central Division titles (0)	None
East Division titles (3)	1987 • 1984 • 1972
Wild card berths (1)	2006
Front office
Principal owner(s)	Mike Ilitch
General manager	Dave Dombrowski
Manager	Jim Leyland

The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers are in the American League Central Division and are the current American League Champions. Since 1992 the team, operating as Detroit Tigers, Inc., a subsidiary of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., has been owned by Mike Ilitch.

The Tigers are the reigning American League champions, having defeated Oakland, 4 games to 0 in the 2006 ALCS. They lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1 in the 2006 World Series.

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 founding city. Detroit is also the only member of the Western League, the AL's minor league predecessor, that remains in its original city. It was established as a charter member in 1894.

Early baseball in Detroit

Detroit's first major league entry was the Detroit Wolverines, a member of the National League from 1881 through 1888. The nickname, now associated with the University of Michigan, came from Michigan's nickname, "The Wolverine State".

The Wolverines' best year was 1887. They won the National League pennant and an exhibition World Series, defeating the American Association champion St. Louis Browns, 10 games to 5. All fifteen scheduled games of the series were played, as the clubs toured ten different cities.

The leading players were Hardy Richardson, Jack Rowe, Deacon White, pitcher Charlie Getzein, and Hall of Famers "Big Sam" Thompson and Dan Brouthers. Thompson won the 1887 NL batting championship, making him the only NL batting titleist from the traditionally AL city.

Despite the championship, the team did not draw enough fans to stay solvent at the major league level, as Detroit was at the time one of the smallest cities in the National League and its rapid industry-fueled growth was still several years in the future. Hall of Fame manager Ned Hanlon played all eight seasons in center field but there was high turnover otherwise. After the 1888 season, the team disbanded and the city was relegated to minor league status. One new club formed and joined the International League in 1889, and promptly won the league championship. Their fans' joy came to an abrupt end when the league temporarily disbanded in mid-1890 and took the Detroits with it. An attempt was made to revive the old Northwestern League in 1891, but it also collapsed in mid-season, and Detroit professional baseball took a short hiatus.

Another 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, at the corner of East Lafayette and Helen 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, by a score of 30-3. They played their first Western League game at Bennett Park on April 28, 1896, defeating the Columbus Senators 17-2.

When the Western renamed itself the American League for 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.

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. After entering the ninth inning behind 13-4, the team staged a dramatic comeback to win 14-13. That team finished third in the eight-team league.

Detroit's blue laws prevented baseball from being played at Bennett Park on Sundays. Owner James D. Burns built a ballpark on his own property named Burns Park where the Tigers played their Sunday home games for the 1901 and 1902 seasons.

Eleven years later, an elegant stadium was constructed on the site of Bennett Park and named Navin Field for owner Frank Navin. It was later named "Briggs Stadium" and renamed "Tiger Stadium" in 1961. Tiger Stadium was used by the Tigers until the end of the 1999 season; from 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. The earliest known use of the name "Tigers" in the news was in the Detroit Free Press on April 16, 1895.

The truth is revealed in Richard Bak's 1998 book, A Place for Summer: A Narrative History of Tiger Stadium. In the 19th century, the city of Detroit had a military unit called the Detroit Light Guard, who were known as "The Tigers". They had played significant roles in certain Civil War battles and in the 1899 Spanish-American War. The baseball team was still informally called both "Wolverines" and "Tigers" in the news. Upon entry into the majors the ballclub sought and received formal permission from the Light Guard to use its trademark and from that day forth it is officially the Tigers.

In short, the Tigers most likely wore stripes because they were already Tigers, rather than the other way around which is the conventional story.

The Cobb era

Ty Cobb

In 1905, the team acquired Ty Cobb, a fearless player with a mean streak, who according to many baseball fans and writers is the greatest player 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.

Cobb and the Tigers disappointed in the 1907 Fall Classic 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. The Cubs would deny Detroit the title again in '08, holding Detroit to a .209 batting average for the series, which the Cubs again won in five games. 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. [1]

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.

He is known throughout the entire country as arguably the greatest baseball player to ever play the game.

The Tigers break through

The Tiger teams of the 1930s were consistently among the league's best with "Black Mike" Mickey Cochrane behind the plate, Hank Greenberg, one of the greatest Jewish baseball players of all time, at first, and Charlie Gehringer, "The Mechanical Man" at second.

They would be denied again in the 1934 World Series in seven games by 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.

The Tigers finally reached the Promised Land the following year, defeating the Cubs 4 games to 2 to win the 1935 World Series, which concluded with Goose Goslin's dramatic game-ending single, scoring Cochrane to seal the victory.

The Tigers returned to the middle of the American League in the late 30s except in 1940 when they again won the pennant but lost the world series to the Cincinnati Reds. With ther 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 and Hall of Famer Hal Newhouser 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. 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!" But the Cubs had no answer to Greenberg, and the Series went Detroit's way.

Building a champion

After their 1945 Series win, the Tigers sank back to the middle of the pack in the American League for most of the 1950s. Notwithstanding Detroit's fall in the standings, the decade saw the debut of outfielder Al Kaline, who won the batting crown in 1955 at age 20—the youngest player ever to do so. He would hit over .300 eight times in his career, and featured one of the league's best arms in right field. But the Tigers suffered on the field because they were the 15th of the then-16 MLB teams to field an African-American player – in the Tigers' case, an Afro-Caribbean player, Ozzie Virgil, Sr., who debuted in 1958. Only the Boston Red Sox trailed the Tigers in integrating their roster. This racial policy contributed to Detroit's struggles during the 1950s.

However, Detroit began its slow ascent back to success with an outstanding 1961 campaign, which saw them win 101 games. Unfortunately, they still finished eight games behind the Yankees, 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. He never hit over .286 before or after the '61 season. The 1961 club would feature 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.

Pitchers Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain would also enter the rotation during the middle of the decade. As this winning nucleus developed, they would repeatedly post winning records throughout the 1960s. The team even 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. Both men died during the year, Dressen in August because of a kidney infection, Swift in October due to lung cancer. The team was managed by Frank Skaff for the second half of the season. Skaff was replaced by Mayo Smith in 1967, perhaps the last step before World Series contention.

Glory in '68

The Tigers again reached the pinnacle of baseball in 1968. The team grabbed first place away 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, 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.

In the 1968 World Series, the Tigers met the defending World 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. In Game 1, Gibson completely shut down the Detroit lineup, striking out 17 batters, still a World Series record. However, due in no small part to pitcher Mickey Lolich's victories in Games 2 and 5, the Tigers climbed back into the Series and forced a seventh game. In that Game 7 at Busch Memorial Stadium, Lolich faced Gibson, and both men pitched brilliantly, putting zeroes up on the scoreboard for much of the game. However, in the top of the seventh, an exhausted Gibson finally cracked, giving up singles to Norm Cash and Willie Horton. Jim Northrup then struck the decisive blow, lashing a triple to center field 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, and a 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.

1969 saw both leagues realign into two divisions, and the Tigers were placed in the American League East. That year, Detroit failed to defend its '68 title, finishing second in the division to a very strong Baltimore team which had won 109 games. Smith was let go after the 1970 season, to be replaced by Billy Martin. After another second-place finish in 1971, the Tigers captured their first AL East title in 1972. Oddities of the schedule due to an early-season strike allowed the Tigers to win the division by just ½ game, just as they had in 1908.

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, Lolich, the hero of '68, took the hill and went nine innings. Al Kaline hit a solo homer to break a 1-1 tie in the 11th inning, only to be charged with an error on Gonzalo Marquez's game-tying single that allowed Gene Tenace to score the winning run. Blue Moon Odom shut down Detroit 5-0 in Game 2. As the series returned to Detroit, the Tigers caught their stride. Joe Coleman held the A's scoreless on seven hits in Game 3, a 3-0 Tiger victory. In Game 4, Oakland scored two runs in the top of the 10th 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 and evened the series at 2 games apiece. A first-inning run on a Gene Tenace passed ball gave Detroit an early lead in the deciding fifth and final game in Detroit but Reggie Jackson's steal of home in the 2nd tied it up. A Gene Tenace single to left field gave Oakland a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning, and thanks to four innings of scoreless relief from Vida Blue they took it all the way to the World Series.

A slow decline

Martin did not survive the 1973 season as manager and the Tigers spent much of the next decade 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. Unfortunately, the roster of players who played under Houk were mostly aging veterans from the 1960s, whose performance had slipped from their peak years.

Tiger fans were provided a glimmer of hope when rookie phenom Mark Fidrych made his debut in 1976. Fidrych, known as "the Bird," was a crazy character known for talking to the baseball. 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. Sadly, Fidrych was the lone bright spot that year, with those Tigers finishing next to last in the AL East in 1976.

The "Bless You Boys"

From 1979 to 1995, the team was managed by the colorful, eccentric George "Sparky" Anderson, one of baseball's winningest managers. When Sparky came on board, he made the bold move of predicting a pennant winner within 5 years.

1984

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. 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 started out at a record 35-5 pace (including Jack Morris throwing a no-hitter early in the season against Chicago en route to the Tigers' 9-0 start) and cruised to a franchise-record 104 victories. They featured the great double play combination of shortstop Alan Trammell and second baseman Lou Whitaker; the duo would play together a record 19 seasons. The team also included Darrell Evans, Dave Bergman, Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon, Tom Brookens, Larry Herndon, Morris, Dan Petry, Dave Rozema, Johnny Grubb, Aurelio Lopez ("Señor Smoke"), and relief ace Willie Hernandez, who won the 1984 American League Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player just one year after pitching on the Philadelphia Phillies' National League championship club.

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 and had won the AL West by a mere three games over both the California Angels and Minnesota Twins. 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 the late 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 up to third, the Tigers were returning to the Fall Classic. (Note: At that time, the team with home field advantage in the ALCS and NLCS, played the first two games on the road. This changed in 1985 when the format was changed from best-of-five to best-of-seven.)

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 home town (had the Cubs won the NLCS, Detroit would have been awarded home-field advantage in the World Series, as NBC insisted on all midweek games starting at night, something that would have been impossible at the time at Wrigley Field).

In Game 1, Larry Herndon hit a two-run dinger that gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Morris pitched a complete game with 2 runs on 8 hits, and Detroit took first blood. The Padres evened the series the next night despite pitcher Ed Whitson being chased after two-thirds of an inning after giving up three runs on five Tiger hits. Tiger starter Dan Petry didn't last long either, exiting the game after four and one-third innings when light-hitting veteran Kurt Bevacqua's three-run homer gave San Diego a 5-3 lead they would hold onto.

When the series returned to the Motor City, the Tigers took charge. 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, chasing Dan Petry in the fourth inning in the process, the Tigers retook the lead on a Rusty Kuntz sacrifice fly, 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, in a situation that might call for Gossage to pitch around him, Anderson was seen and heard yelling to Gibson, "He don't want to walk you!" and making a swing-the-bat gesture. As Anderson had suspected, Gossage threw a fastball inside, and Gibson was ready. He "swung from the heels", and launched it into Tiger Stadium's right field upper deck, effectively clinching the series.

Tony Gwynn flied out to Larry Herndon to end the game and send Detroit into a wild victory celebration.

After acquiring the team, Monaghan told reporters that buying the team fulfilled his childhood dream. The pizza magnate probably didn't think that he would win a World Series the first year he owned the team. But the 1984 Tigers did just that, going beyond Monaghan's wildest fantasies. The team led its division wire-to-wire, from opening day and every day thereafter, culminating in the World Series championship.

1987

After a pair of disappointing 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. The team hit its stride thereafter and gradually gained ground on its AL East rivals. 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 9 wins without a loss and a 1.53 ERA. The deal came at a price. Smoltz, a Lansing, Michigan native, went on to have a long, productive career with the Braves and would later win a Cy Young Award.

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 lost the 1987 American League Championship Series to the underdog Minnesota Twins (who would go on to win the World Series) in five games.

A new approach

Despite their dramatic 1987 division title victory, the Tigers proved unable to build on their success. In 1988, the team spent much of the season in first place in the AL East, only to slump late in the season and finish 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)[2]. In 1990, Fielder led the American League with 51 home runs (becoming the first player to hit 50 since George Foster in 1977), and finished second in the voting for AL Most Valuable Player. He hit 44 home runs in 1991, and would hit at least 28 in the next four seasons. Behind the hitting of Fielder and others, the Tigers improved, posting winning records in 1991 (84-78) and 1993 (85-77). 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.

The Randy Smith era

From 1994 to 2005, the Tigers did not post a winning record. This was 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. The team's best record over that time was 79-83, recorded in 1997 and 2000. In 1996, the Tigers lost a then-team record 109 games. In 2003, the Tigers shattered that mark, losing an American League-record 119 games, eclipsing the previous record of 116 losses set by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. On August 30, 2003, the Tigers' defeat at the hands of the Chicago White Sox caused them to join the 1962 New York Mets as the only modern MLB teams to lose 100 games before September. They avoided tying the 1962 Mets' modern MLB record for losses (120) 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).

The collapse of the franchise was blamed by many on then-general manager Randy Smith. Under Smith, the Tigers squandered numerous high draft picks in trades for players who did not fulfill their potential, and the high draft picks that the team made resulted in no noteworthy players. As a consequence, the franchise's minor-league system struggled, providing little help to the major-league club. In addition, Smith traded away numerous quality players, such as Luis Gonzalez and Phil Nevin, without receiving comparable talent in return. Smith's most controversial move as GM backfired heavily; in an effort to acquire a star player that would draw fans to new Comerica Park in 2000, he sent six players—including Frank Catalanotto, Justin Thompson, Gabe Kapler and Francisco Cordero—to the Texas Rangers for outfielder Juan González, plus two unheralded players. Gonzalez played only 115 games in a Tigers uniform before suffering a season-ending injury, and he left the team as a free agent in the offseason.

Furthermore, Smith hamstrung the franchise by signing a number of players to lucrative long-term contracts, forcing the team to devote a significant portion of its payroll to players who had long outlived their usefulness. Examples of such long-term signings include Dean Palmer, Damion Easley, and Bobby Higginson. The signing of Palmer to play 3rd base was particularly criticized, as Smith had the previous season refused to offer a similar deal to fan favorite 3rd baseman Fryman. Smith and then-manager Phil Garner were fired by the club on the same day in 2002, only six games into the season, all of which were Tiger losses.

In July 2005, ESPN.com listed Randy Smith as "the most hated man" among Tigers fans.

Rebuilding the franchise

The entrance sign of Comerica Park

In 2000, the team left legendary Tiger Stadium, then tied with Fenway Park as the oldest active baseball stadium, in favor of the new Comerica Park. This capped an argument lasting more than a decade about whether or not a new stadium was needed to keep the club competitive. Many longtime fans complained that the new stadium lacked the charm of its predecessor, while others saw it as a necessary replacement for an aging facility.

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 feet), in particular, was seen as unfair to hitters. This led to the nickname "Comerica National Park." In 2003, the franchise largely quieted the criticism by moving in the left-center fence to 370 feet, 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. The move was thought to signify owner Mike Ilitch's dissatisfaction with the team's direction. 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 and 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. The 2003 season was a complete morass; Dombrowski gave Trammell another chance the following season.

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 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 Ramon Martinez 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 with the Tigers. Veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers also joined the Tigers from Texas in late 2005, bringing 190 career wins and a 4.21 lifetime ERA to the club's 2006 rotation. These offseason additions set the stage for the resurgence of "Tiger Fever" in Detroit and its environs the following year.

"Restore the roar!": The return of the Tigers

Main article: 2006 Detroit Tigers season

After years of futility, the 2006 season had the Tigers surging to the top of the AL standings and advancing all the way to the World series before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals.

2007: Building on success

Tigers opening day 2007; view from section 326

Main article: 2007 Detroit Tigers season

In the offseason, the Tigers traded for outfielder Gary Sheffield, who had been a part of the 1997 Marlins team managed by Jim Leyland, acquired 40-year old veteran pitcher José Mesa (who was subsequently released), claimed pitcher Edward Campusano as a Rule 5 draft selection, and signed third baseman Brandon Inge, starting pitcher Jeremy Bonderman and shortstop Carlos Guillen to four-year contracts.

The Tigers returned 22 of 25 players from the World Series roster. Of those three, two are gone from the organization. The three that left were pitcher Jamie Walker, who signed with the Orioles as a free agent, outfielder Alexis Gómez, whom the Tigers did not tender a contract for, and infielder Ramón Santiago, who began the season in the Tigers' AAA affiliate Toledo.

In addition to free-agent acquisitions, Dombrowski has developed a productive farm system, Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya being the most notable rookie contributors to the 2006 team. The Tigers are well positioned with two other players ranked in the top-10 of Baseball America's 2007 Top-100 Prospects . Andrew Miller, a 6'6" power lefty pitcher, made a brief appearance at the big leagues in 2006 and is expected to see more time in the near future (ranked #10). Cameron Maybin, an athletic five-tool outfielder, who may still be a full year or two away from the Tigers' line-up is ranked #6 overall.

The Tigers have suffered from injuries in the 2007 season. Kenny Rogers did not start until late June because of a blood-clot removal in his throwing arm. Other players that have been injured are Tim Byrdak, Edward Campusano, Fernando Rodney, Marcus Thames, Vance Wilson and Joel Zumaya.

Wilfredo Ledezma and Mike Maroth were traded to Atlanta and St. Louis, respectively.

On June 12, Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. The most current no-hitter pitcher before that was Mark Buehrle. It was the first Tiger no-hitter since Jack Morris in 1984 against the Chicago White Sox on the year the Tigers won the 1984 World Series. It was also the first in Comerica Park history.

Five players, second only to Boston's six, represented Detroit in the 2007 MLB All-Star Game. Carlos Guillén, Magglio Ordóñez, Plácido Polanco, Iván Rodríguez and Justin Verlander joined American League manager Jim Leyland in the All-Star game.

As of July 18, the Tigers had sold 2,712,393 tickets at Comerica Park for the 2007 season, setting a new single-season home attendance record for the team. The previous record had been 2,704,794 customers at Tiger Stadium in 1984.

Rivalries

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, and Toronto Blue Jays. 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).

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," adopted after the phrase was used sarcastically by Al Ackerman, a local sportscaster on the air early that season.

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 second rally cry has also now begun to catch on in the Tigers' dugout. In a June game vs. 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 has 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" has become a new "Rally-cap" for all of Tigertown.

Additionally, the chant of a local panhandler who patrols 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 homemade shirts with the cheer written on the back as far away as Miller Park in Milwaukee.

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 old English "D" in place of the standard "D" in destiny.

Another chant heard around the Comerica Park crowd is chanted for the popular player Magglio Ordonez. This chant, based on the Wicked Witch of the West's soldiers chant from The Wizard of Oz, goes: "O-E-O, Maaagglio." It was started at US Cellular Field, when Ordonez was a member of the Chicago White Sox. Tiger fans who remembered the cheer brought it to Detroit where it has gained a new popularity.

Baseball Hall of Famers

Elected at least in part on basis of performance with the Tigers Sparky Anderson, MGR, 1979-1995 Jim Bunning, P, 1955-1963 Ty Cobb, OF, 1905-1926 Mickey Cochrane, C, 1934-1937; MGR, 1934-1938 Sam Crawford, OF, 1903-1917 Charlie Gehringer, 2B, 1924-1942 Goose Goslin, OF, 1934-1937 Hank Greenberg, 1B, 1930-1946 Harry Heilmann, OF, 1914-1929 Hughie Jennings, MGR, 1907-1920 Al Kaline, OF, 1953-1974 George Kell, 3B, 1946-1952 Heinie Manush, OF, 1923-1927 Hal Newhouser, P, 1939-1953

Other Hall-of-Famers associated with the Tigers Earl Averill, OF, 1939-1940 Ed Barrow, MGR, 1903-1904 Larry Doby, OF, 1959 Bucky Harris, 2B, 1929, 1931; MGR, 1929-1933, 1955-1956 Waite Hoyt, P, 1930-1931 Eddie Mathews, 3B, 1967-1968 Al Simmons, OF, 1936 Sam Thompson, OF, 1906

Retired numbers

This is how the Retired and Honored names are displayed at Comerica Park:

(2000) Willie Horton, OF: 1963-77	Ty Cobb OF: 1905-26 Manager: 1921-26	(1983) Hank Greenberg 1B: 1930-46	(1983) Charlie Gehringer 2B: 1924-42 Coach: 1942 General Manager: 1951-53	(1997) Hal Newhouser P: 1939-53	(1980) Al Kaline OF: 1953-74
Harry Heilmann OF: 1914-29	Heinie Manush OF: 1923-27	Hughie Jennings Manager: 1907-20	Sam Crawford OF: 1903-17	Mickey Cochrane C: 1934-37 Manager: 1934-38 George Kell 3B: 1946-52	Ernie Harwell Broadcaster: 1960-2002	(1997) Jackie Robinson Retired by Major League Baseball

• 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.
• Ernie Harwell spent 42 years (in two stints) calling Tigers Games.
• 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.

Cochrane's number 3 has not been retired for him nor has it been retired for Dick McAuliffe or Alan Trammell. The number 3 was taken out of circulation after Alan Trammell's retirement, and again after his dismissal as manager, but Gary Sheffield began wearing #3 with Trammell's public approval upon joining the team before the 2007 season. [3] The number 1, last worn by Lou Whitaker, has also not been retired nor has it been issued since Whitaker retired in 1995. Number 11, last worn by former manager Sparky Anderson, has not been retired nor reissued since his 1995 retirement.

Current roster

Detroit Tigers roster
Active roster				Inactive roster		Coaches / other
Pitchers Starting rotation  9 Jack Flaherty 66 Sawyer Gipson-Long 12 Casey Mize 54 Keider Montero 29 Tarik Skubal Bullpen 49 John Brebbia -- Matt Gage 75 Brenan Hanifee 87 Tyler Holton 48 Brant Hurter 43 Tommy Kahnle 53 Chase Lee 19 Will Vest		Catchers 13 Dillon Dingler 34 Jake Rogers Infielders 28 Javier Báez 33 Colt Keith 27 Trey Sweeney 20 Spencer Torkelson 25 Gleyber Torres Outfielders 30 Kerry Carpenter 31 Riley Greene 18 Jahmai Jones 39 Zach McKinstry 22 Parker Meadows 46 Wenceel Pérez		Pitchers  4 Beau Brieske 73 Sean Guenther 67 Bailey Horn 15 Matt Manning 59 Tyler Mattison 45 Reese Olson 62 Tyler Owens 58 Dylan Smith Infielders 77 Andy Ibáñez 17 Jace Jung 32 Ryan Kreidler Outfielders 50 Brewer Hicklen 44 Justyn-Henry Malloy  8 Matt Vierling		Manager 14 A. J. Hinch Coaches 37 Keith Beauregard (hitting) 90 Michael Brdar (hitting) 98 Chris Chinea (bullpen catcher) 56 Joey Cora (third base) 41 Chris Fetter (pitching) 76 Anthony Iapoce (first base) 86 Gary Jones (major league coach) 26 George Lombard (bench) 63 Robin Lund (assistant pitching) 61 Juan Nieves (assistant pitching) 97 Tim Remes (bullpen catcher) 83 Ryan Sienko (catching) 91 Lance Zawadzki (assistant hitting) 60-day injured list 38 Alex Cobb 68 Jason Foley 21 Jackson Jobe 55 Alex Lange 36 Ty Madden 65 José Urquidy 26 active, 14 inactive 7-, 10-, or 15-day injured list # Personal leave Roster and coaches updated June 12, 2025 Transactions • Depth chart → All MLB rosters

Minor league affiliations

• AAA: Toledo Mud Hens, International League
• AA: Erie SeaWolves, Eastern League
• Advanced A: Lakeland Flying Tigers, Florida State League
• A: West Michigan Whitecaps, Midwest League
• Short A: Oneonta Tigers, New York-Penn League
• Rookie: GCL Tigers, Gulf Coast League

See also

• Detroit Tigers seasons
• Tigers all time roster
• Tigers award winners and league leaders
• Tigers statistical records and milestone achievements
• List of Detroit Tigers broadcasters
• Managers and ownership of the Detroit Tigers
• Detroit Tigers Nicknames: some of the colorful Tiger nicknames from the past and present

Further reading

• Anderson, William (1999). The Detroit Tigers: A Pictorial Celebration of the Greatest Players and Moments in Tigers' History, Updated Edition[4]. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2826-1. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
• Pattison, Mark (2002). Detroit Tigers Lists and More Runs, Hits and Eras [5]. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3040-1. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
• Eldridge, Grant (2001). Willie Horton: Detroit's Own Willie the Wonder [6]. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3025-8. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
• Bak, Richard (1991). Cobb Would Have Caught It: The Golden Age of Baseball in Detroit [7]. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-2356-1. {{cite book}}: External link in |title= (help)
• Anderson, William (2005). The Detroit Tigers. Easton Press. 1446 leatherbound.

External links

• Detroit Tigers official web site
• Detroit Tigers history
• Ilitch Holdings, Inc. official web site
• Detroit News Online
• Sports E-Cyclopedia
• Detroit Tigers at Baseball Reference
• Detroit Tigers Weblog
• Tigers Central
• Tigers Results
• Play As Tigers

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