The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are in the Central Division of the American League.
- Founded: 1893, in the minor Western League. In 1900 that league became the American League.
- Home ballpark: Comerica Park
- Mascot: Paws. He's been known to squirt water on fans during hot days, but is always enjoyed by the attendees.
- Uniform colors: Navy blue, White, and Orange
- Logo design: An Old English font "D" with a roaring tiger walking through it
- Division titles won (3): 1972, 1984, 1987 (Note: Divisional play began in 1969.)
- American League pennants won (9): 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984
- World Series championships won (4): 1935, 1945, 1968, 1984
Franchise history
The Detroit Tigers baseball franchise played their first game for the newly established American League on April 25, 1901 at Bennett Park in front of 10,000 fans. After trailing 13-4 entering the ninth inning, the team staged a dramatic comeback to win the game 14-13.
There are various legends about how the Tigers got their nickname. One has to do with the orange stripes they wore on their black stockings. Another has to do with a sportswriter equating that 1901 Detroit club's opening day victory to the ferocity of his alma mater, the Princeton Tigers.
However, 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 a significant role in certain Civil War battles and also in the recently-fought Spanish-American War. The ballclub received permission from the Light Guard to use their trademark, and from that day forth the ballclub was officially the Tigers.
That 1901 team eventually 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. In 1961, Briggs Stadium, as it was then known, was renamed Tiger Stadium. Tiger Stadium was used by the Tigers until the end of the 1999 season. Since 2000, the Tigers played in Comerica Park.
In 1905, the team acquired Ty Cobb, a player who would be considered one of the greatest 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 three consecutive American League Championships from 1907-09. However, the team came up short in the World Series each time, and would not win its first World Series until 1935. The team won additional World Series crowns in 1945, 1968 and 1984. The 1968 title, which occurred one year after a large race riot in Detroit, is thought to have helped to heal citywide tensions. The 1984 team, meanwhile, started out at a record pace (35-5), and cruised to a franchise-record 104 victories. That team featured the great double play combination of shortstop Alan Trammell and second baseman Lou Whitaker; the duo would play together a record 19 seasons. 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. He proved to be as good as his word.
In 2000, the team abandoned legendary Tiger Stadium, then tied with Fenway Park as the oldest active baseball stadium, in favor of the new Comerica Park. Many longtime fans complained that the "CoPa" lacked the charm of its predecessor, while others saw it as a necessary replacement of an aging facility. In 2003, the Tigers avoided the 1962 New York Mets' modern record for losses in one season by winning five out of the last six games of the season. Since the mid-1990s, the team's fortunes have been dismal; they last posted a winning season in 1993.
In 2004, the team signed or traded for several talented but high-risk veterans, such as Iván Rodríguez, Ugueth Urbina, Rondell White, Omar Infante and Carlos Guillén, and the gamble paid off. The '04 Tigers had a 29 game improvement over the previous season, one of the greatest improvements in baseball history.
Players of note
Current 25-man roster (updated on April 18, 2005)
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Pitchers
Catchers
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Infielders
Outfielders
Disabled list
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Manager
Coaches
- 29
Bruce Fields (hitting)
- 22 Kirk Gibson (bench)
- 13 Lance Parrish (bullpen)
- 8
Juan Samuel (third base)
- 54 Bob Cluck (pitching)
- 18 Mick Kelleher (first base)
Not to be forgotten
Awards
- Cy Young
- Denny McLain (1968, 1969)
- Willie Hernández (1984)
Retired numbers
External links
