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The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are in the American League Central Division. Since 1992 they have been owned by Mike Ilitch, founder of Little Caesars Pizza and owner of the NHL's Detroit Red Wings.

Franchise history

The early years

The Detroit Tigers are one of the eight charter members of the American League, and one of four (along with the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Cleveland Indians) to have remained in its original city. They are also the only charter member of the Western League to have remained in its original city.

Detroit's first major league entry was the Detroit Wolverines, members of the National League from 1881 through 1888. The nickname came from Michigan's nickname, "The Wolverine State." The nickname "Wolverines" is now associated with the University of Michigan. The Wolverines' best year was 1887, when they won the National League pennant and also won the World Series over the American Association champions, the St. Louis Browns. The Wolverines' top players were Hall of Famers "Big Sam" Thompson and Dan Brouthers. Thompson won the 1887 NL batting championship, and thus is the answer to the trivia question, "Name the only person ever to win the National League batting championship while playing for Detroit."

Despite their championship, the team did not draw enough fans to stay solvent at the major league level, as Detroit had not yet become the large, industrial city it is today. Thus the team was disbanded after the 1888 season, and the city of Detroit was temporarily relegated to minor league status. A new team formed and joined the International League in 1889, and promptly won the league championship. Their fans' joy came to an abrupt end as the league temporarily disbanded in mid-1890, and took the Detroits with them. 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.

When the Western League reorganized for the 1894 season, the Detroit club was a charter member. By 1896, they had acquired the nickname "Tigers" (see below). They had also built a new ballpark, at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, which would remain their base of operations for the next 104 seasons. When the Western reorganized in 1900 as the American League, it was still officially a minor league, but the following year the league broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a major league. The Detroit Tigers played their first game as a major league team on April 25, 1901 at Bennett Park in front of 10,000 fans against the Milwaukee Brewers. After trailing 13-4 entering the ninth inning, the team staged a dramatic comeback to win the game 14-13.

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 have played in Comerica Park.

"The Tigers"

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 then-recently-fought Spanish-American War. The ballclub had informally acquired that nickname as a minor league club, but upon entry into the majors they sought and received formal permission from the Light Guard to use their trademark, and from that day forth the ballclub was officially the Tigers.

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

The Cobb era

In 1905, the team acquired Ty Cobb, a fearless player with a mean streak, 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 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 Forbes Field.

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.

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 walk-off single, scoring Cochrane to seal the victory.

The Tigers returned to the middle of the American League in the late 30s and World War II era before the timely return of Hank Greenberg from the military helped the Tigers to 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.

Glory in '68

The 1968 title, which occurred one year after the 1967 race riots ravaged Detroit, is thought to have helped to heal citywide tensions. The Tigers easily won the American League with many dramatic, come-from-behind victories during the regular season. In the "Year of the Pitcher", the controversial Denny McLain became the first pitcher since Dizzy Dean in 1934 to win 30 games with a 31-6 record.

In Game 1 of the 1968 World Series, McLain was overshadowed by Cardinals' ace Bob Gibson, who struck out 17 Tigers in a 4-0 shutout. The Tiger bats won the day in the second game in St. Louis. Lolich held St. Louis to a single run on six hits and added a home run in his own cause. The Tigers lost badly in Games 3 and 4 at Tiger Stadium, 7-3 and 10-1. In Game 4, some accounts accused Tigers manager Mayo Smith of stalling in hopes that the game would be washed out by an approaching storm. With their backs against the wall, Mickey Lolich took the mound again in Game 5. The Tigers were eight outs away from elimination before a two-run single from Al Kaline and another RBI by Norm Cash gave Detroit a 5-3 lead they would not relinquish. As the series returned to St. Louis, McLain pitched on two days' rest. Any concerns about the Tigers' ace having a sore arm were quickly laid to rest. The Tigers scored 10 runs in the third inning, including a grand slam from Jim Northrup, in a 13-1 laugher. The deciding Game 7 pitted Lolich, pitching on two days rest, against Gibson. The Tigers struck first with a Jim Northrup's triple scoring Cash and Willie Horton to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. Catcher Bill Freehan added a double to give Lolich a 3-0 lead with nine outs to go. Don Wert's RBI single in the ninth added an insurance run, and a ninth-inning solo shot from Mike Shannon of St. Louis was the Cards' only response. Tim McCarver, the next batter, popped up to Freehan in foul territory and the Tigers were Champions of baseball again.

A slow decline

Detroit finished second to the dominant Baltimore Orioles, who won 109 games, in defense of their '68 title. After that, time slowly dismantled the Tigers. Smith was let go after the 1970 season, to be replaced by Billy Martin. After a second-place finish in 1971, the Tigers captured the American League East title in 1972. Oddities of the schedule due to an early-season strike allowed the Tigers to win the division by just 1/2 game, just as they had in 1908.

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 score 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 Game 5 in Oakland, 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.

Martin did not survive the 1973 season and the Tigers spent much of the next decade in the middle or lower ranks of the AL East. 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. Sadly, those Tigers finished next to last and arm troubles ruined Fidrych's career.

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 1984 team started out at a record 35-5 pace (including Jack Morris throwing a no-hitter early in the season against the Chicago White Sox), 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. The team also included Darrell Evans,Dave Bergman, Kirk Gibson, Chet Lemon, Larry Herndon, Morris, Dan Petry, Dave Rozema, Johnny Grubb, the late Aurelio Lopez ("Senior 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 fourth 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 received 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, doubled it on a solo homer by Parrish and then sealed the victory by Gibson's three-run homer off Goose Gossage in the eighth.

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 Gibson came to bat, 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 came in with a fast one, and Gibson was ready. He "swung from the heels", and launched it into Tiger Stadium's right field upper deck.

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

1987
In 1987, the Tigers made a historic rally. Detroit was three and a half games out of first with a week to play. They chased down the Toronto Blue Jays to win what would be their last American League Eastern Division Championship (and to date, the last postseason appearance for Detroit). This charge was fueled 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. Detroit native Smoltz went on to win a Cy Young Award and a World Series title with the Braves.

The Tigers and Blue Jays squared off in seven nail-biting 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 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. 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.

The Tigers lost the ALCS to the underdog, but eventual World Champion, Minnesota Twins in five games.

Tigers declawed - the Randy Smith era

The Tigers' last winning season came in 1993, and only twice since then have they even finished within 5 games of .500 (1997 and 2000). In 1996, the Tigers lost a then-team record 109 games. In 2003, the Tigers shattered that mark of futility, by losing a remarkable 119 games, eclipsing the previous American League record of 116 losses, set by the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. On August 30, 2003, the Tigers lost to the Chicago White Sox, putting them with the 1962 expansion New York Mets as the only modern MLB teams to lose 100 games before September. They avoided tying the 1962 Mets' modern record for losses in one season (120) by winning five of their last six games of the season. They did this when they faced the Minnesota Twins in their final series, as the Twins had already clinched the Central Division and were resting their starters. In the second game of the series they overcame the largest deficit the franchise had overcome in over 30 years to avoid the record.

The man whom many Detroiters blame for the performance of the recent Tigers is former General Manager Randy Smith. Under Smith, the Tigers squandered numerous high draft picks on toolsy, but unskilled players. Smith amassed a dismal trading record, trading quality players such as Luis Gonzalez and Phil Nevin for spare parts. Smith's most controversial move as GM backfired heavily; in an effort to lure a big-name player, he sent Frank Catalanotto, one time All-Star pitcher Justin Thompson, top prospect Gabe Kapler, and future relief ace Francisco Cordero to the Texas Rangers for disgruntled and injury-prone outfielder Juan Gonzalez, plus two role 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. Smith had previous ties to the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres, with whom there were a number of questionable trades. In Smith's defense, though Cordero is the current Rangers closer, Catalanotto was only a "platoon player" with the Rangers before signing with the Toronto Blue Jays as a free agent, Kapler (the planned cornerstone of the trade for the Rangers) was mediocre at best before being traded to the Boston Red Sox, while Thompson continues to struggle with injuries and has never reached the Rangers' major league roster.

Furthermore, Smith hamstrung the franchise by signing mediocre players to lucrative long-term contracts, forcing the team to devote a significant portion of their payroll to players who had long outlived their usefulness. Examples of such long-term signings include Dean Palmer, Damion Easley, and Bobby Higginson.

After the Tigers began 0-6, Ilitch fired Smith and manager Phil Garner in early 2002. Dave Dombrowski, the GM whose Florida Marlins won the 1997 World Series was hired to right the ship. In July 2005, ESPN.com listed Randy Smith as "the most hated man" among Tigers fans.

Stabilization and recovery

2000
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. The argument over Tiger Stadium lasted over a decade, with team management reportedly reviewing options to move to the Detroit suburbs. This speculation was quieted by the purchase of the team by Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Little Caesars pizza franchise. 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.

2004
Under Dombrowski, the Tigers have shown a willingness to go and try to be a player on the free agent market. 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 '04 Tigers had a 29-game improvement over the previous season, one of the greatest improvements in baseball history. In fact, it was the biggest turnaround in the AL since Baltimore's 33-game improvement from 1988 to 1989. However, it was not enough to avoid an 11th consecutive losing season.

2005
In 2005, 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 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 injuries and a lack of player unity doomed them to another losing record and cost Trammell his job.

Dmitri Young got the year started off in impressive fashion, homering three times in an Opening Day blowout of the Royals. But the Tigers suffered a tough blow when slugger Magglio Ordonez, signed to a five-year, $75 million deal in the offseason, suffered a hernia in April that would keep him out until July. Percival tore the flexor pronator in his pitching shoulder in July, an injury that would prove to be career-ending. Shortstop Carlos Guillen and outfielder Rondell White also missed significant amounts of time. Catcher Ivan Rodriguez played valiantly through injuries, but he wasn't able to replicate his numbers from 2004.

The clubhouse atmosphere soured considerably during the season, with Rodriguez being particularly disgruntled. Because of the team's record and lack of success in returning to the American League elite, Trammell was fired at the end of the season.

Among the bright spots were Chris Shelton, who hit .299 with 18 homers after being called up, and Curtis Granderson, who took over the center field job with his strong defensive play and timely hitting. Newcomer Placido Polanco enjoyed a solid season and was named Tiger of the Year for his efforts, and Carlos Pena rebounded from a demotion in a big way. Craig Monroe (team-leading 89 RBIs) and Nook Logan (23 steals) also made big contributions, while Jeremy Bonderman showed in the first half why he's the Tigers' ace and Mike Maroth posted a 14-win season two years after losing 21 games.

Jim Leyland replaced Trammell as manager in October, two months before closer Todd Jones, who spent five seasons in Detroit from 1997-2001, signed a two-year deal with the Tigers. Veteran left-hander Kenny Rogers also joined the Tigers in late 2005, bringing 190 career wins and a 4.21 lifetime ERA to the club's 2006 rotation.

The Tigers hosted the All-Star Game where Ivan Rodriguez reached the finals of the Home Run Derby, losing to the Phillies' Bobby Abreu.

2006: From worst to first (so far)

The 2006 season has held much promise for the franchise. A weak franchise for years, the Tigers surged to the top of the American League standings in the first half of the 2006 season. The signings of starting pitcher Kenny Rogers and closer Todd Jones were thought to bring veteran leadership to a young pitching rotation and bullpen. Manager Jim Leyland has said that he doesn't actually have a "starting lineup" because of the fact that the bench is deep and he can rotate players like Omar Infante, Ramon Santiago, Dmitri Young, and Marcus Thames that can play multiple positions. The overall good health of the team has seemed to make a large impact on the performance this season. The team has held the best record in baseball for most of the first half of the season.

The Tigers are very much in the playoff race. The season has been miraculous to some and has attracted many new fans. Both major Detroit newspapers, the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, have been adoring the Tigers, filling the front pages with such quotes as "The Return of Tigertown." As of the All-Star Break (July 11, 2006), the Tigers are first in the entire MLB, finishing the first half 59-29. They narrowly missed an opportunity to become only the tenth team to have 60 wins by the break in the history of Major League Baseball. The Tigers' closest rival in the MLB is the Chicago White Sox (2005 World Series Champions) who play in the AL Central Division along with the Tigers, and happen to be the only team even close to their record at the break. Many Tigers fans are of the opinion that the Tigers need some kind of powerful left handed hitter. Many big names that have come up include Alfonso Soriano, Bobby Abreu, Jeromy Burnitz, Jacque Jones, and Cliff Floyd. Infante, Monroe and several minor league pitchers, namely Humberto Sanchez and Jordan Tata, have been floated around as possible trade bait. With a confident roster and the already acclaimed manager Jim Leyland at the helm, the Tigers are on a roll and have a chance at the pennant for the first time since the 80s.

All Star Game 2006
For the first time since 1987 (coincidentally the last time Detroit made the postseason), three Tigers were sent to the All-Star game. Rodriguez, Rogers and Ordonez were all named, with Pudge being voted into the starting lineup, while Rogers was named the starting pitcher by rival manager Ozzie Guillen. The battery combination of Rogers and Rodriguez was the first time a Tigers duo has started the Mid-Summer Classic since Lance Parrish and Lou Whitaker in 1986.

Rally Cry

During the 1968 season, the team was cheered on by the phrase, "Go Get 'Em Tigers''".

During the 1984 World Championship Run, the team was cheered on to the well known cry, "Bless You Boys".

For the 2006 season, with the team going into July with the best record in baseball, the phrase "Restore the Roar" began to catch on, referring to the fact that the Tigers have not had a winning season since 1993 and seemed to be returning to their former glory.

A second rally cry has also now begun to catch on in the Tiger's 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 win the game, and the phrase "It's Gum Time" has become a new "Rally-cap" for Tigers nation.

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. People have even been seen wearing homemade shirts with the cheer written on the back as far away as Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI.

Furthermore, the 2006 season has seen many Tigers fans in the ball parks on road games, the chant "Let's Go Tigers!" has also been heard.

Quick facts

Founded: 1893, in the minor Western League. In 1900 that league was renamed the American League, and it became a major league in 1901. Detroit is the only charter member of the Western League to have remained in its original city.
Home ballpark: Comerica Park
Former ballparks: Tiger Stadium, Bennett Park
Mascot: Paws
Uniform colors: Home: Navy Blue Old English "D" on white uniform. Navy is used as an accent color. Road: Detroit script in navy blue outlined in orange and white on a gray background. Navy, orange and white are used as accent colors. The Tigers are, along with the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, one of only a handful of teams that do not wear a colored alternate jersey; this may be due to the fact that the Tigers home uniforms have been virtually unchanged since the 1905 season (with the exceptions of 1918-1920, 1927, 1930-1933 and 1960) and there is no need for them to sport a "new look" because of this consistency and iconic status of the classic navy on white. The 1960 change to a blue script "Tigers" was particularly poorly received by Tigers fans and the "Olde English D," as the club refers to it, has since never been seriously considered for replacement.
Logo design: An Old English font "D" with a roaring tiger walking through it, but that logo has been seen less in recent years. The Old English "D" without the Tiger appears on the home jersey while a slightly different version of the Old English "D" is present on the home cap (white "D" on navy blue) and road cap (orange "D" on navy blue).
Team motto: Who's Your Tiger?
Playoff appearances (11): 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1972, 1984, 1987
Local Television: FSN Detroit, WMYD
Famous Fans: Tom Selleck, Tim Allen, Jeff Daniels, Jerome Bettis, Steve Yzerman, Kid Rock
Spring Training Facility: Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, FL

Baseball Hall of Famers

Elected at least in part on basis of performance with Tigers Other Hall-of-Famers associated with Tigers
 

Retired numbers

Although National Avenue, which ran behind the third-base stands at Tiger Stadium, was renamed Cochrane Avenue for Mickey Cochrane, Cochrane's number 3 has not been retired for him. It has not been retired for Dick McAuliffe or Alan Trammell, either. Cherry Street, which ran behind the left-field stands, was renamed Kaline Drive for Al Kaline.

Current roster

Minor league affiliations

See also

External links

Major League Baseball teams | Sports in Detroit | 1901 establishments

Detroit Tigers | Tigers de Detroit | Detroit Tigers デトロイト・タイガース | 디트로이트 타이거스 | Detroit Tigers | Detroit Tigers | 底特律老虎

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Detroit Tigers".

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