Tiger Tales: A Detroit Tigers Blog

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

In a city still troubled by the 1967 riots, the 1968 Tigers gave people something to rally around.  After being eliminated on the last day of the regular season in 1967, they destroyed the competition in 1968 finishing with a 103-59 record, 12 games ahead of the second-place Orioles.  The Tigers then capped the season with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

So, the 1968 season had social significance, one of the most dominant Tigers teams ever and a suspenseful finish.  It was only one of four championship seasons for the franchise, but all those elements together were enough to make 1968 the best year to be a Tigers fan.  In fact, most fans that I have talked to who experienced both the 1968 and 1984 seasons believe that1968 was the more memorable season of the two.

The 1968 season is called "The Year of the Pitcher" for good reason.  The MLB batting average was just .237 and teams averaged 3.42 runs per game, the lowest since 3.38 RPG in 1908.  Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski led the AL with a .301 average and Cardinals fire baller Bob Gibson led the majors with a 1.12 ERA.  There was so little offense that the pitchers mound was lowered and the strike zone was shrunk after the season.  

The Tigers allowed a league low 492 runs and ace right hander Denny McLain led the way.  McLain won 31 games that year making him the only MLB pitcher in the last eight decades with at least 30 wins in a season.  He posted a 1.96 ERA in 336 innings, struck out 280 batters and led the league with 28 complete games.  The Tigers also received strong contributions from Earl Wilson (19 ERA+ in 224 innings), Mickey Lolich (17 wins, 197 K) and swing man John Hiller (126 ERA+).

Offensively, the Tigers led the league with 671 runs scored despite an injury limiting star right fielder Al Kaline to 350 at bats.  They batted just .235 but their total of 185 home runs was about 40% higher than any other team in the league.  Leading the home run parade were outfielder Willie Horton (36), catcher Bill Freehan (25), first baseman Norm Cash (25) and outfielder Jim Northrup (21).  Horton also led the team and finished third in the league with a 165 OPS+. They had enough offense to overcome an anemic .135 batting average and 20+ OPS from starting shortstop Ray Oyler. 

The Tigers faced the Cardinals in the World Series in what would be billed as the battle of aces - McLain versus Gibson.  However, McLain didn't have a great series and Lolich stole the show with three victories.  The series is also remembered as the one where Tigers manager Mayo Smith boldly moved center fielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop so that a healthy Kaline, Northrup and Horton could play the outfield.

The Cardinals toyed with the Tigers in taking a three to one series lead behind a 17-strikeout performance from Gibson in game one and easy wins in game three and four.  Lolich kept the Tigers alive with a win in game two.

The Tigers then made one of the greatest comebacks in World Series history winning the last three games.  In game five, they scored three runs in the seventh to beat the Cardinals 5-3 with Lolich earning his second win of the series.  The Bengals then scored 10 runs in the third inning in a 13-1 rout in game six.  finally, Lolich out pitched Gibson as the Tigers won 4-1 in game seven.

Thus, the Tigers won their third world championship in dramatic fashion to end what was the most memorable season in franchise history.  
 
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

If this was a series about the most dominant Tigers teams, the 1984 squad would finish on top.  Their 35-5 start was the best in baseball history and they went on to win the division, the playoffs and the World Series virtually unchallenged.  They also led the league in runs scored and fewest runs allowed in route to a franchise-best 104 wins.

So, why is this team not number one on the top twenty seasons list?  The reason is because they were so good that it was a season without drama.  After the fast start, fans just waited for the playoffs hoping there would not be an epic collapse.  There would be no collapse.  Instead, they led the AL east division from wire to wire and won by 15 games over the Blue Jays.  The post-season turned out to be as easy as the regular season.  In the end, this season is best remembered for the first forty games.

In 1983, the Tigers had gone 92-70 and finished in second place, six games behind the Orioles.  During the off-season, they made two major moves which put the finishing touch on an already strong roster.  First, they signed free agent first baseman Darrell Evans in December.  Then they obtained reliever Willie Hernandez and first baseman Dave Bergman in a three-team deal with the Phillies and Giants near the end of spring training.

The Hernandez acquisition would prove to be the bigger of the two deals. He emerged into the league's best closer winning nine games and saving 32 and posting a 1.92 ERA in 141 innings.  He earned a Cy Young and MVP Award for his efforts and was the last Tiger prior to Justin Verlander in 2011 to win either honor.

Hernandez had a lot of help.  It was not a team of superstars, but it was an extremely deep roster with absolutely no weaknesses.  They led the AL with a 3.49 ERA with a variety of weapons.  Right handers Jack Morris (109 ERA+ in 240 innings) and Dan Petry (121 ERA+ in 233 innings) led a strong starting rotation.  They also received solid contributions from Milt Wilcox,Juan Berenguer and Dave Rozema.  Beyond Hernandez in the bullpen, they had husky right-hander Aurelio Lopez (10 wins , 14 saves and a 134 ERA+ in 138 innings).

Offensively, Detroit led the league with 829 runs and 187 homers; yet no player had as many as 100 RBI or 100 runs scored.  It was a well-balanced team with four excellent two-way players up the middle - catcher Lance Parrish (33 homers), second baseman Lou Whitaker (112 OPS+), shortstop Alan Trammell (.314 BA and 135 OPS+) and center fielder Chester Lemon (134 OPS+).  It didn't stop there though.  Right fielder Kirk Gibson led the team with a 141 OPS+, no starter had an OPS+ under 98 and they had a seemingly endless bench. 

The Tigers went on to sweep a mediocre Royals team in three games in the playoffs.  In the World Series, they had little trouble with the Padres winning four games to one.  The only loss came in game two when light-hitting Kurt Bevacqua beat them with a three-run homer in the fifth inning.  It was the only bad thing I can remember happening that year. 

With the series tied at one, the Tigers went home and finished off the Padres with three wins in Tiger Stadium.  They eliminated the Padres with an 8-4 victory in game five, a contest best known for Gibson's three-run homer versus Goose Gossage in the eighth.

Many consider the 1984 squad to be the best Tigers team ever.  It was almost a perfect season, but it was too easy and too lacking in suspense to head the list of most memorable seasons. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

We are down to the final three seasons in the Top Twenty and each has a legitimate argument as the number one season.  The 1935 team was the Tigers first world champion.  It came during the Great Depression, a time where the city of Detroit needed positive things to happen anywhere they could get it.  On the field, it was a powerful team with the highest run differential in franchise history.  Finally, the season ended with a dramatic game-winning hit clinching the championship.

What keeps this team from the number one ranking was that they did not win quite enough.  They started slow (5-9 in April) and finished slow (12-14 in September).  They went 93-58 four games ahead of the second place Yankees, but that's not a lot of wins for a team with a run differential of 254.  The problem was they were 19-27 in one-run games, something that was surely a source of frustration for fans throughout the season.     

The Tigers had their typical 1930s offensive powerhouse leading the league with 919 runs scored.  First baseman Hank Greenberg batted .328 with a league leading 389 total bases and 170 RBI in route to the MVP award.  The 1934 MVP Mickey Cochrane batted .319/.452/.450 as a catcher/manager.  Second baseman Charlie Gehringer mechanically batted .330/.409/.502 with 123 runs scored.

Detroit also had a solid staff finishing second in the AL with a 3.82 ERA.  Tommy Bridges had 21 wins an ERA+ of 118 and a league-leading 163 strikeouts.  Schoolboy Rowe had a 112 ERA+ in 275 innings and led the league with six shutouts.

The Tigers went on to defeat the Cubs in six games in the World Series.  They may have had trouble in close games during the season, but they thrived in those situations during the series.  They won game three 6-5 on a 12th inning single by outfielder Jo Jo White.  They took game four 2-1 behind a complete game from right handed General Crowder.  This put them up three games to one in the series. 

After losing game five 3-1, the Tigers returned to Detroit for game six.  They entered the bottom of the ninth tied at three.  Cochrane singled with one out and moved up to second on a ground out by Gehringer.  Finally, outfielder Goose Goslin hit a game-winning single to right and the Tigers had their first world championship.  It was one of the greatest moments in the history of the Tigers.

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

Hundreds of major league players would miss playing time (mostly from 1943-1945) as they served in World War II.  In 1945, the final year of the war, the Tigers won their second pennant thanks, in part, to the efforts of returning hero Hank Greenberg. After missing parts of five seasons due to the war, Hammerin' Hank blasted a dramatic game-winning grand slam on the final day of the season to beat the St. Louis Browns 6-3 and the Tigers clinched the pennant. 

The Tigers finished 88-65, a game and a half ahead of an eccentric Washington Senators team, featuring a starting rotation of four knuckle ballers.  The Tigers finished second in the league behind the Senators with a 2.99 ERA. Left-hander Hal Newhouser achieved the pitching triple crown with 25 wins, a 1.81 ERA and 212 strikeouts.  His efforts earned him a second consecutive MVP award.  The Tigers also received strong seasons from Dizzy Trout (113 ERA+ in 246 innings) and Al Benton (2.02 ERA in 192 innings).

The Tigers did not have the awesome offense of some earlier years, but they finished second in the league with 633 runs scored.  Despite a great deal of missed time, Greenberg showed little rust batting .312 with 35 extra base hits in 78 games.  Outfielder Roy Cullenbine led the league with 113 walks, had a .402 OBP and a 139 OPS+.  Steady Eddie Mayo finished second in the MVP voting after posting a 112 OPS+ as a second baseman. 

The Bengals faced the Chicago Cubs in the World Series and split the first four games. The Tigers went up three games to two with an 8-4 victory in game five as Greenberg pounded three doubles.  The Cubs proceeded to tie the series when third baseman Stan Hack doubled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the twelfth in game six.  The Tigers then scored five runs in the first inning of game seven and crushed the Cubs 9-3 to win the series.

The 1945 team was not a juggernaut, but it was Detroit's second championship and would be their last post-season appearance for two decades. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

With the city of Detroit being hit especially hard by the great depression of the 1930s, fans turned to sports as a source of hope and good news.  The Tigers were not doing their part winning just 75 games and suffering their 24th consecutive season without a pennant in 1933.  Tigers owner Frank Navin attempted to jump start the team by acquiring two future Hall of Famers - catcher Mickey Cochrane (who would also be the manager) and outfielder Goose Goslin.  It worked out quite well.

The Tigers had arguably the best regular season in franchise history going 101-53 and finishing seven games ahead of the second-place Yankees.  Their .656 winning percentage and 957 runs scored are team records and their 250 run differential was second only to the 1935 squad.  After an ordinary 21-18 start, the Tigers went 80-35 from June through September to run away with the pennant.  This included a 14-game winning streak in August.

Their league leading offense finished more than 100 runs ahead of the second highest run-scoring team.  They didn't have great home run power but led the league in batting average (.300), on-base percentage (.376) and doubles (349).  Black Mike Cochrane led the team in the dugout and on the field and was the league MVP..  He batted .320/.411/.412 with a 117 OPS+ and was an excellent catcher.

Detroit had one of the best infields ever with first baseman Hank Greenberg, second baseman Charlie Gehringer, shortstop Billy Rogell and third baseman Marv Owen combining for 25 WAR. They also accumulated 462 RBI with all of them knocking in at least 96.  Gehringer led the league with 134 runs scored, finished second in batting (.356), OBP (.450) and doubles (50).  Greenberg batted .339 with an amazing 63 doubles and a 156 OPS+.

Unlike many of their previous teams, the Tigers had strong pitching to go with their productive offense.  They finished second in the league to the Yankees with a 4.06 ERA.  Schoolboy Rowe won 24 games, including 16 in a row and posted a 128 ERA+.  Tommy Bridges had a 120 ERA+ in 275 innings and finished second in the AL with 151 strikeouts.  Those two led a deep staff which included efficiently used swing men Eldon Auker and Firpo Marberry.

In the World Series, the Tigers faced the St. Louis Cardinals famous Gas House Gang, a cast of characters including pitching brothers Dizzy and Paul Dean, outfielder Duck Medwick and infielders Pepper Martin and Leo Durocher.  The two teams split the first four games of the series.  The Tigers took game five as Gehringer homered and Bridges out dueled Dizzy Dean.  The Tigers were up three games to two heading back to Detroit.

The Cardinals tied the series at three with a 4-3 win in game six.  Paul Dean helped his own cause with a go ahead single in the seventh.

The Cardinals then routed the Tigers 11-0 in game seven, a contest most remembered for an ugly incident.  It all started when Medwick slid unnecessarily hard into third baseman Owen.  The Tigers did not retaliate, but the fans did showering Medwick with garbage when he took his position in left field.  Medwick eventually had to be removed from the game, but the Cardinals were already well on their way to a world championship.

Game seven was a a rough ending to an otherwise outstanding season, but the Tigers would get another opportunity in 1935.    


Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

From 1994 through 2005, the Tigers had the worst stretch in franchise history.  Indeed, it was one of the worst for any organization ever.  They suffered 12 consecutive losing seasons including 109 loses in 1996, 106 in 2002 and an AL-record 119 in 2003.  They also went 19 seasons without a playoff appearance going back to 1988.  They began to make improvements after 2003, but were still 20 games below .500 and a team in turmoil in 2005.

After the 2005 season, the Tigers fired manager Alan Trammell and replaced him with Jim Leyland.  They also added two veteran pitchers - left-handed starter Kenny Rogers and closer Todd Jones.  Finally, they had two promising rookie pitchers Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya make the team out of spring training.

With a nice mix of veterans and youth, the Tigers shocked the baseball world moving into first place in May and staying there most of the summer.  On August 7, they were an amazing 76-36, 10 games up on the defending-champion White Sox and 10 1/2 ahead of the Twins.  It seemed to good to be true and it actually was.

 They went into a tailspin going 10-22 and their lead was down to two games over the Twins on September 10.  They managed to clinch their first playoff spot since 1987 with a victory over the Royals on September 24.  However, they could not win a division title, losing out to Minnesota after five straight losses to end the season.

The Tigers finished 95-67, a 24-game improvement over 2005.  After many many years of generally awful pitching, everything came together perfectly as they posted a league-best 3.84 ERA.  Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Roberston had their best seasons and Rogers solidified the staff  with both his pitching and leadership.  The big key though were the rapid rises of Verlander and Zumaya.  Verlander posted a 126 ERA+ in 186 innings and won the Rookie of the Year award.  Zumaya had a 1.94 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 83 innings. 

Detroit's offense was little better than average finishing fifth in runs scored.  Their hitting was led by shortstop Carlos Guillen (136 OPS+) and right fielder Magglio Ordonez (112 OPS+).  They also got good all around play from center fielder Curtis Granderson, catcher Pudge Rodriguez and third baseman Brandon Inge among others.

The Tigers went on to beat the heavily favored Yankees in the first round of the playoffs three games to one behind some fantastic pitching by Rogers, Bonderman and Zumaya.  They proceeded to sweep the Althletics in four games in the ALCS  outscoring them 22-9.  The climax came when Ordonez blasted a dramatic walkoff in game four to clinch the pennant.  It was one of the most memorable moments in Tigers history.

They were expected to beat the Cardinals (winners of just 83 games in the regular season) in the World Series, but it didn't go as planned. After a full week off, the Tigers appeared to be rusty as they could neither hit nor field.  In particular, their pitchers kept throwing wild to bases.  They lost the series four games to one, the only victory coming thanks to eight innings of scoreless pitching by Rogers in game 2.

The 53 game improvement from just three years earlier made it arguably the greatest turn around story in baseball history.  Despite the disappointing finish, 2006 was one of the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The Tigers 1909 season was similar to their 1907 and 1908 seasons covered earlier in the Top 20 series.  For the third straight year, outfielders Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford dominated the American League, the Tigers won the pennant and then lost the World Series.  The 1909 season ranks the highest of the three as that team had the most wins and put up more of a fight in the World Series.

The 1909 squad went 98-54, 3 1/2 games ahead of the Philadelphia Athletics.  For the third straight season, they led the league in runs scored with 666.  Cobb won the triple crown batting .371 with nine homers (all inside the park) and 107 RBI.  This overshadowed a another fantastic season by Crawford, who finished first in doubles (35) and second in slugging (.452) and RBI (97).  Shortstop Donie Bush also had a fine season finishing in the top three in OBP (.380) and runs (114).

Right-hander George Mullin led the league with 29 wins and posted a 114 ERA+ in 304 innings pitched.  The Tigers had a deep staff with starters Bill Donovan, Ed Killian, Ed Summers and Ed Willett all finishing with an ERA+ of 108 or better.

After winning just one game combined versus the Cubs in 1907 and 1908 World Series, the Bengals would face the Pirates in 1909.  The Tigers managed to split the first six games of the series on the strength of two wins by Mullin and some strong hitting by second baseman Jim Delahanty (.326 BA and four doubles for the series).  However, the Pirates won 8-0 in game seven when right hander Babe Adams notched his third victory of the series.

The three season-run of 1907-1909 has been the only one of its kind in Tigers history, but they would have to wait a quarter of a century before another World Series. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The Tigers began the 1940's decade with their sixth pennant in franchise history.  They battled the Indians and Yankees (winners of four consecutive pennants) to the wire eliminating both on the final weekend.  The clincher came on the third to the last day of the season when obscure rookie Floyd Geibell out dueled future Hall-of-Fame fire baller Bob Feller on the third to last day of the season.  The Tigers finished 90-64, a game ahead of Cleveland and two games ahead of New York.

Manager Del Baker juggled the Tigers line-up at the beginning of the season, moving Rudy York from catcher to first base and Hank Greenberg from first base to the outfield and inserting Birdie Tebbets as the full-time catcher.  The Tigers had their usual powerful offensive results leading the league with 888 runs scored.  Hank Greenberg led the junior circuit with 41 homers, 150 RBI and a 171 OPS+.  York added 33 round trippers, 134 RBI and a 145 OPS+.  They also received strong contributions from second baseman Charlie Gehringer (119 OPS+) and center fielder Barney McCoskey (124 OPS+).

Detroit finished fourth in an eight-team league with a 4.01 ERA.  The colorful and much traveled Bobo Newsom had his finest season finishing second in the AL with a 2.83 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 264 innings.  Tommy Bridges (141 ERA+) and School Boy Rowe (137 ERA+) also had strong seasons.  None came close to Feller who won the triple crown with 27 wins, 261 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA.

The Tigers then faced the Reds in the World Series, a drama which centered around Newsom.  Newsom's father died of a heart attack shortly after watching his son win game one of the series.  Despite his tragic loss, Newsom made the decision to keep pitching in the series. Pitching with a heavy heart, the tough-minded Newsom hurled a three-hit shutout in game five putting the Tigers up three games to two.  

The Reds proceeded to tie the series at three games apiece thanks to a five-hit shutout by ace right hander Bucky Walters in game six.  It would come down to Newsom and Reds starter Paul Derringer in game seven. The Tigers led 1-0 through six, but the Reds broke through with two runs in the seventh to take a 2-1 led. That would be the final score as the Reds took the series four games to three.

It was certainly a sad finish for Newsom and the Tigers.  In retrospect, it still ranked as one of the most entertaining seasons ever for Tigers fans.

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

In 1907, Hugh Jennings took over as Tigers manager and 20-year-old Tyrus Cobb emerged as the best hitter in the American League.  The result was the Tigers first pennant in franchise history.  It would also be the first of three consecutive pennants, an accomplishment which has not been seen again in Detroit.

The Tigers finished at 92-58, a game and a half ahead of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. As has so often been the case in team history, they won primarily because of their dominant offense.  They led the league with 695 runs scored behind the fearsome duo of Cobb and Sam Crawford.  Cobb topped the circuit in batting average (.350), slugging (.468), total bases (283), OPS+ (167) and stolen bases (53).  Crawford led the league with 106 runs and finished second with a .323 batting average, .460 slugging average and 160 OPS+.

The Tigers also had pretty strong pitching finishing third in the league with a 2.33 ERA.  Big Ed Killian was second in the league with a 1.78 ERA in 314 innings.  Their four primary starters - Killian, Bill Donovan, George Mullin and Ed Siever - each pitched over 270 innings and combined for 88 of the team's 98 victories.   

Unfortunately, the Cubs completely stopped the Tigers offense in the World Series sweeping them in four games.  Chicago outscored Detroit 16-3 and the Tigers batted just .216 with three extra base hits.  Even Cobb (.538 OPS) and Crawford (.524 OPS) could not do anything.

They would have two more chances in 1908 and 1909, but came up short in those years as well.  It would be a long time before their first world championship.
 
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The end of the 1987 regular season may have the most fun I've had watching the Tigers in my 43 years as a fan.  The Tigers were just a half game back with 11 games to play entering a four-game series with first-place Blue Jays.  Toronto won the first three games of the series, all by one run margins.  That left the Tigers 3 1/2 games back and it was looking bleak.

The Tigers were down 1-0 in game four and the season seemed to be pretty much over.  Then Kirk Gibson blasted a dramatic game-tying solo homer in the ninth.  The Tigers went on to win 3-2  with Gibson getting a game-winning single in the top of the 13th inning.  There was now a ray of hope for the Tigers.

The Bengals then took just two games in a four-game series versus the Orioles.  Fortunately, the Blue Jays were swept by Brewers at the same time. That left the Tigers one game back prior to a season-ending three-game series versus  the Blue Jays. 

The Tigers took the first game 4-3 behind the pitching of late-season acquisition Doyle Alexander and closer Mike Henneman and home runs by shortstop Alan Trammell and outfielder Scott Lusader.  The two teams were now tied for first.


The Tigers then moved into sole possession of first-place by winning the second game 3-2 in 12 innings.  They got nine strong innings from right-hander Jack Morris and three innings of scoreless relief from Henneman.  Trammell knocked in the game winner with a single in the bottom of the 12th.

The Tigers clinched the division title on the final day of the season when Frank Tanana out dueled Jimmy Key 1-0 in a battle of southpaws. The Tigers scored their only run on a solo homer by Larry Herndon in the first inning.  After seven games between the top two teams, ALL decided by one run, the Tigers finished on top.

The Tigers seemingly used up all their energy in winning the division though.  The Twins easily eliminated them in the playoffs four games to one.  That would be the first of many disappointing series versus the Twins over the next couple of decades. 

The Tigers finished with a record of 98-64 and led the league in runs scored thanks, in part, to one of Trammell's best seasons.  Trammell batted .343 with a 155 OPS+, but mysteriously finished second in the MVP balloting to Toronto outfielder George Bell.  Rookie catcher Matt Nokes , first baseman Darrell Evans, center fielder Chester Lemon and Gibson all contributed OPS+ of 130 or above.

Morris, Tanana and Walt Terrell carried the starting rotation for much of the year and  Henneman came out of no where to solidify the bullpen in his rookie season,.  The big key though was Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA after being acquired for minor-league pitcher John Smoltz in August. 

We know how Smoltz's career went after that, but for those who experienced the greatest divisional race of their lifetime, it seemed worth it.  After all, given how bad the Tigers would be over the next 18 years, would Smoltz have made a difference anyway?

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The 1915 season would be the first of five 100-win seasons for the Tigers.  They went 100-54 with a .649 winning percentage which was the second highest in franchise history.  Unfortunately, they finished in second place, two and one half game behind the Boston Red Sox.  It was a battle between Detroit's batting and Boston's pitching and it was the Red Sox pitching which won out at the end.

In the early decades, the Tigers had some of the best outfields in the history of baseball and 1915 was one of their best.  The trio of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Bobby Veach led the league in almost every offensive category.  Cobb was tops in batting average (.369), OBP (.486), OPS+ (182), total bases (274), runs (144) and stolen bases (96).  Crawford led in RBI (112), triples (19) and was second in total bases (264).  Bobby Veach lead the circuit with 40 doubles and finished in the top three in total bases and RBI.  The Tigers easily led the American League with 778 runs scored.

The Tigers two top pitchers were Harry Coveleski (124 ERA+ in 313 innings) and Hooks Dauss (121 ERA+ in 309 innings).  They would be no match for the Red Sox staff which had fiver starers with ERA+ of 114 or better.  One of those pitchers was a 20 year old rookie name George Herman Ruth who also had a 188 OPS+ in 103 plate appearances.

They fell short, but it was a good year for the Tigers.  They wouldn't see another one like it for a couple of decades.

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

I won't dwell on the 2011 season much because it is still fresh in our minds.  The Tigers won their first division title in 24 years finishing 95-67, 15 games ahead of the second place Indians.  They separated themselves from the pack with a twelve game winning streak in September, their longest since 1934. 

Ace right hander Justin Verlander had one of the most outstanding seasons for a pitcher in team history leading the league in innings (251), ERA (2.51), wins (24) and strikeouts (250).  He also pitched his second career no hitter in route to the MVP and Cy Young awards.  Closer Jose Valverde was a perfect 49 for 49 in save situations which is an American League record. 

First baseman Miguel Cabrera had another excellent season leading the league in batting average (.344), OBP (.448) and doubles 48 and finishing second in OPS (1.033).  Catcher Alex Avila emerged as all star at age 24 batting .295 with a .895 OPS.  Designated hitter-catcher Victor Martinez batted .330 with a .850 OPS.

The Tigers went on to defeat the Yankees three games to two in the first round of the playoffs.  Unfortunately, injuries to Avila, Martinez and Delmon Young put them at a disadvantage in the championship series and they lost to the Rangers four games to two.   

Despite the loss to Texas, the Tigers still have a strong core and could very well add another team to the top twenty in the near future. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The 1961 season was the beginning of a new era in baseball with the American League going from 8 to 10 teams, the first MLB expansion in 60 years.  Additionally, the schedules in both leagues were increased from 154 to 162 games.  It was also the year of the most famous record in all of sports: Yankees outfielder Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's 34-year-old home run record with 61 blasts.  It was controversial then because of the increased number of games.  For different reasons, it is still part of a controversy today. 

The 1961 season would be a good one for the Tigers as well.  After winning just 71 games in 1960, they went 101-61 tying them for the third highest win total in franchise history.  They dominated offensively scoring 841 runs, a total eclipsing that of even the powerful Yankees (827).  The Tigers were pretty good at run prevention as well finishing third in the league with 671 runs allowed.  Unfortunately, the Yankees staff was a little better and the Tigers finished in second place eight games behind.

Detroit's high-octane offense was powered by first baseman Norm Cash, who had arguably the best hitting season in the club's history.  Stormin' Norman's 85 Batting Runs was the highest total for a Tiger ever.  His 201 OPS+ was surpassed only by the great Ty Cobb  with 209 in 1917 and 206 in 1910.  Cash led the AL with a .361 batting average, .487 OBP and 1.148 OPS.  Right fielder Al Kaline typically dazzled with his all around play batting .324 and finishing third in the league with 8.3 WAR.  Another Tigers slugger with an outstanding season was left fielder Rocky Colavito with 45 homers, 140 RBI and a 157 OPS+.

The Tigers pitching staff was led by a trio of excellent starters.  Left-hander Don Mossi finished third in the league with a 2.96 ERA in 240 innings.  Right-hander Frank Lary had a 127 ERA+ and finished second in the league with 23 wins.  Future United States congressman Jim Bunning posted a 129 OPS+ and 194 strikeouts (good for third in the league).

The only thing that was wrong with the 1961 campaign was timing as the the Yankees had an even better season.  Other than that, it had all the ingredients of a special season - a great all around team, a high win total and one of the best individual seasons in club history. 

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

In 1975, the Tigers had one of the worst seasons in franchise history finishing in dead last 37 1/2 games behind.  They lost 102 games and were outscored by opponents by 216 runs.  What made things even more frustrating is that the Tigers got worse as the season went along.  Starting on July 29, they lost 19 consecutive games and went 11-47 through the end of the season.  Something needed to happen to re-invigorate a fan base which had lost confidence in their team.  Something did happen in 1976 in a big way.

In the summer of 1976, the Tigers finished in 5th place, 24 games out of first with a 74-87 record. Despite the losing record though, I think anyone who experienced that season understands why it made the top 20.  That was the year rookie sensation Mark Fidrych captivated fans all over the country with his innocence and enthusiasm and outstanding pitching talent.

Nicknamed "The Bird" for his resemblance to the Sesame Street character Big Bird, the 21-year-old right hander led the league with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games, started the all-star game and finished runner up in the AL Cy Young balloting to Baltimore's Jim Palmer. Beyond his performance, Fidrych was known for his antics on and off the mound.  He would groom the mound with his hands between innings, talk to himself (some thought he was talking to the ball) before each pitch, strut around the mound after each out and shake the hands of teammates after they made great plays.

The Bird was a breath of fresh air and fans loved him. On a team which typically attracted crowds of under 15,000, Fidrych would regularly draw as many as 50,000 fans in his starts.  He was so popular that opposing teams would ask the Tigers to start Fidrych in their home parks.  The curtain call was born with Fidrych as fans would refuse to leave to park until he made an appearance after the game.

Beyond Fidrych, the Tigers did not have a memorable team, but there were some other highlights.  Speedy center fielder Ron Leflore hit in 30 consecutive games, the longest streak in the AL in 27 years.  Lefore batted .316 with 58 stolen bases for the season.  Right fielder Rusty Staub batted .299 with 46 extra base hits and a 137 OPS+.  Both Leflore and Staub joined Fidrych in starting the all-star game that year.   

This is the only losing season in the top 20 series, but there was no hesitation in inculding it on a list of great seasons.  It had to be there.


Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

In the first decade of their existence, the Tigers won three consecutive pennants from 1907-1909.  Each of those seasons will be covered in this top 20 series.  I'll start with 1908.

Like the 1972 team, the 1908 Tigers won by a mere half game due to some odd scheduling.  The Tigers had a rain out that did not have to be made up and wound up playing one less game than the second place Cleveland Naps (named after team captain Nap Lajoie).  The Tigers clinched the pennant on the final day of the season thanks to a two-hit shutout by right hander Wild Bill Donovan.  The final records are shown below:

Detroit 90-63
Cleveland 90-64
Chicago 88-64

After the season it was ruled that postponed games potentially impacting a pennant race would have to be made up in the future.

The Tigers scored just 4.2 runs per game and allowed 3.6 runs.  At first glance, it would appear that the team was led by their pitching, but remember this was during the Deadball era where runs were scarce.  In a league where teams averaged 3.4 runs per game, Detroit scored more runs than any team in the league by a wide margin (Cleveland was second with 3.6 RPG). 

As measured by OPS, the Bengals had four of the top five batters in the league - outfielders Ty Cobb (.842), Same Crawford (.812) and Matty McIntyre (.775) and first baseman Claude Rossman (.748).   Those are not great numbers by today's standards but, in a league where only nine batters topped .700, they were quite impressive.  Cobb also led the league in batting average (.324), slugging average (.475) and RBI (108).  

The pitching staff was led by Ed Summers who went 24-12 and finished 4th in the league with a 1.67 ERA in 301 innings pitched.  Other key Tigers starters were Donovan (116 ERA+ in 242 IP) and Ed Willett (106 ERA+ in 197 innings).  All of these hurlers paled in comparison to Big Ed Walsh of the White Sox who won 40 games and posted a 1.42 ERA in 464 innings!

For the second straight season, the Cubs easily eliminated the Tigers in the World Series four games to one.  Ty Cobb had a strong series putting up a .368/.400/.421 batting line-up, but he got little help either offensively or defensively.  The Cubs won the first two games 10-6 and 6-2.  The Tigers got their only win in game three, an 8-3 decision thanks to a four for five performance by Cobb. Chicago then won the final two games on shutouts by Three Finger Brown and Orval Overall.

The Tigers would get one more shot at the world championship in 1909.  
 
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 season can be found here.

After very successful runs in the 1930s and 1940s, Tigers fans anticipated another entertaining ten years in the 1950s.  It didn't work out as they had hoped, but the decade did get of to a good start.  In 1950, they went 95-59 for a .617 winning percentage, the seventh best in franchise history.

The Tigers roared out of the gate and were 54-27 with a 4 1/2 game lead on July 17.  They stayed in first most of the summer, but the Yankees caught them by September.  In one of the closest pennant races ever, the Bengals and Bronx Bombers exchanged the league lead eight times in September.  unfortunately, the Tigers went 7-9 including 1-5 versus the Indians down the stretch and finished in second place, three behind the Yankees.

Detroit had a well balanced team which outscored opponents by 124 runs (837 to 713).  Third baseman George Kell had arguably his best season batting .340 with a league-leading 218 hits and 56 doubles.  Center fielder Hoot Evers led the team with a 141 OPS+ and finshed third in the AL with a .551 slugging percentage.  Right fielder Vic Wertz also had a fine season batting .308 with a 137 OPS+.

The Tigers fiinshed second in the AL with a 4.12 ERA as five starters had ERA+ of 106 or better.  Right-hander Art Houtteman had his finest season finishing in the top five in the AL in wins (19), innings (275), ERA (3.54) and complete games (21).

After their strong first season, The Tigers would not win more than 82 games again during the decade.

Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.   

The entire list of 20 season can be found here.

If there were a time machine which could place me in any period in baseball history, the first teams I would watch  would be the Tigers of the mid-1930s.  Between 1934-1938, no fewer than six future Hall of Famers would wear the Olde English D.  These teams won two pennants, one world championship and had four of the five highest-scoring teams in franchise history.  You can be sure that this span will be well represented in the top 20.

The 1937 squad was one of the most explosive Tigers teams ever.  They scored 935 runs, a total surpassed  only by the 1934 team's 957.  They were led by two of the future Hall-of-Famers - second baseman Charlie Gehringer and  first basemen Hank Greenberg.  Gehringer, won the American League MVP after batting a league-leading .371 with a .458 on-base percentage.  Greenberg batted .337 with 103 extra-base hits and an amazing 183 RBI, the third-highest total in MLB history.     

The supporting cast was also impressive.  Rookie catcher Rudy York belted 18 home runs in the month of August, an MLB single-month record that would stand for 61 years until it was broken by Sammy Sosa in 1998.  Big Rudy ended the season with 35 homers and a .651 slugging average in 104 games.  In addition, outfielders Pete Fox and Gee Walker each contributed over 200 hits, giving them four players above that milestone.

Unfortunately, the Tigers lacked the pitching depth of their pennant-winning 1934-1935 teams and finished seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.87 ERA.  Their top pitchers were Eldon Auker with a 120 ERA+ in 253 innings and Tommy Bridges with a 115 ERA+ in 245 innings, but they had little beyond that.  The staff suffered a big blow when the popular Schoolboy Rowe missed most of the season with a sore arm.

The end result was a 89-63 record and a second place finish, 13 games behind the Yankees.  Still, this extraordinary offensive team deserves a spot on a list of best Tigers seasons ever.

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included. 

The entire list of 20 season can be found here.

Under normal circumstances, a Tigers team that won a division title and had an exciting playoff series would rank higher than 18 on a list of best seasons.  Unfortunately, 1972 was the year of the first league-wide work stoppage in MLB history.  It only lasted from April 1-13, but that seemed like forever to a nine-year-old boy who didn't understand why they weren't playing baseball games.  That disappointment knocks this season down a few notches, but it still has to be included in the top 20.

As it turned out, the strike may have helped the Tigers win the American League East division title.  Because of games missed to the strike, the Tigers wound up playing one more game than the Red Sox.  That one game proved to be the difference in the race as the Tigers beat out the Red Sox by a half a game.

Going into the final weekend, the Red Sox led the Tigers by one half game as the two teams met in a three-game series.  The Tigers won the first two games of the series to clinch the division title. The Red Sox won the final game to pull within a half game, but it didn't matter.  The final records were:

Detroit 86-70  .551  ---
Boston 85-70 .548  1/2

The 1972 season was the last hurrah for an aging Tigers team which had won a championship in 1968.  The offense was led by two players in the twilights of their career - first baseman Norm Cash and right fielder Al Kaline, both 37 years old.  Other holdovers from the '68 team included catcher Bill Freehan, second baseman Dick McAuliffe and outfielders Gates Brown, Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Mickey Stanley.  They finished only fifth in a twelve team league with 558 runs scored.

The strength of this team was pitching.  Fiery manager Billy Martin worked his top starters - left-hander Mickey Lolich and right-hander Joe Coleman - very hard.  Lolich won 22 games and posted a 2.50 ERA and 250 strikeouts in 327 innings.  Coleman won 19 games and had a 2.50 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 280 innings.  The final piece was not added until late in the season though.  On August 2, the Tigers acquired pitcher Woodie Fryman off waivers from the Phillies (who thought the southpaw was all done).  Fryman was magnificent down the stretch with a 2.06 ERA and 10 wins, including the division clincher.      

The Tigers then faced the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the League Championship Series and gave them a good battle.  The A's took the first two games of the series at home, but the series then went to Tiger Stadium for three games.  The Tigers took the third game of 3-0 behind a complete game, 14 strikeout effort by Coleman.

The fourth game was one of the most memorable in playoff history.  The score was tied at one after nine innings, but a two-run tenth put the Athletics in front 3-1.  The Tigers then mounted a dramatic three-run rally in the bottom of the inning to win it 4-3.  The tying run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Cash by reliever Dave Hamilton.  The game winning hit was a single by Northrup scoring Brown.

Oakland eliminated the Tigers with a 2-1 win in game five as Blue Moon Odom and Vida Blue held the Tigers to just four hits.  One of the hits was a one-out single by Northrup in the ninth, but the Tigers could not score him.

This would be the Tigers last post-season game for 12 years.

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included. 

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The 1920s decade was not one of the Tigers most successful.  They won no pennants, finished as high as second place only once, and never won more than 86 games.  However there was was no shortage of individual batting stars playing in Detroit during the period.  The decade spanned the end of Ty Cobb's legendary career and the beginning of the Charlie Gehringer era.  Other Tiger greats during the time included Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush and Bobby Veach.  They lacked the pitching required to win championships, but it was an exciting decade for those who love offense.

The Tigers only second place finish was in 1923 when they went 83-71.  Unfortunately, it was a distant second, 16 games behind the powerful New York Yankees.  A total of 911,377 Navin Field fans watched a team featuring three future Hall of Fame outfielders in Cobb (also the team's manager), Heilmann and Manush.  They finished second in the league with 833 runs scored and batted .300 as a team.

This was the year Heilmann took over for Cobb as the team's best hitter and what a season he had.  Slug had probably the best year of his fantastic career winning his second of four batting tittles with a .403 batting average.  He had incredible numbers across the board finishing in the top five in almost every offensive category - 2nd in on base percentage (.481) and slugging average (.632), third in homers (18), hits (211) and RBI (115), and fourth in doubles (44), runs (121) and total bases (331).  It was one of the most amazing individual hitting performances in franchise history.

Heilmann had a good supporting cast on a team which had five batters finish in the top 15 in on base percentage.  The 36 year old Cobb slipped from a .401 batting average in 1902 to .340 in 1923, but still managed a .413 OBP and 134 OPS+.  Manush started his illustrious career with a .334/.406/.471 batting line in 109 games.  Other on-base leaders included catcher Johnny Bassler (.414), first baseman Lu Blue (.402), shortstop Topper Rigney (.389) and Bobby Veach .388 (in 339 at bats).

Like most Tigers teams of the twenties, the 1923 squad was held back by their pitching.  All-time franchise wins leader Hooks Dauss won the team pitching triple crown with 21 wins, a 3.62 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 316 innings pitched.  Herman Polycarp Pillette was their second best starter with a 3.85 ERA in 250 innings.  They had very little beyond that finishing seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.09 ERA.

In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan.  So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history.  There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully.  Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important.  Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.  

While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically.  Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way.  I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge.  However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.  

The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.

The 1990s were a tough time for Tigers fans, especially those too young to remember the great teams of the mid-1980s.  It was a decade where the Tigers failed to make the playoffs and posted only two winning seasons.  However, they did have some exciting offensive teams at the beginning of the decade.  In 1990, Cecil Fielder came out of nowhere to become the first major league hitter in 13 years to blast 50 homers.   That season almost made the list for that reason alone.

The best team of the decade though was the collection of hitters which led the American League in home runs, walks and strikeouts in 1991.  The Tigers finished in second place at 84-78, seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. It wasn't a great team, but the Bengals explosive offense held the attention of fans all year long.  They finished second in the league with 817 runs scored and crushed 209 homers which was 32 more than the next highest team, the Rangers at 177.  

Fielder had another outstanding season leading the majors with 44 homers and 133 RBI and finishing second in the MVP voting to Baltimore's Cal Ripken.  However, he may not have been the best hitter on the team.  His 27.1 Batting Runs were only third on the team behind catcher Mickey Tettleton (30.4) and second baseman Lou Whitaker (30.2).  The Tigers also had perhaps the best utility player of all time in Tony Phillips.  Phillips played at least nine games at every position expect catcher and first base while reaching base at a .371 clip. 

Adding to the character of the team was the hit-or-miss duo of Rob Deer and Pete Incaviglia.  They could hit the ball a mile but combined to strikeout 267 times in 916 at bats.  With 25 homers and 89 walks. Deer may have been the best .179 hitter ever! Many blamed the lack of success of this team on all the strikeouts, but it was actually an offensive machine.

The reason the team did not go further was the pitching.  They finished 12th in the league with 794 runs allowed.  Their staff was led by right hander Bill Gullickson (3.90 ERA in 226 innings) and Frank Tanana (3.77 ERA in 217 innings), but they had little depth.  Gullickson was the last Tigers pitcher prior to Justin Verlander to win 20 games, but much of that was due to some of the best offensive support in baseball.