DETROIT TIGERS bybCG Joanne C. Gerstner An Imprint of Abdo Publishing www.abdopublishing.com www.abdopublishing.com Published by Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO, PO Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright © 2015 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. SportsZone is a trademark and logo of Abdo Publishing. Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota 052014 092014 Editor: Chrös McDougall Copy Editor: Nicholas Cafarelli Interior Design and Production: Christa Schneider Cover Design: Christa Schneider Photo Credits: Mark Duncan/AP Images, cover, 31; AP Images, 1, 14, 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 42 (top and bottom), 44; Amy Sancetta/AP Images, 4, 43 (bottom); Jeff Roberson/AP Images, 7; Library of Congress, 8, 11, 13, 42 (middle); Focus On Sport/Getty Images, 25; Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated/Getty Images, 29; Ron Heflin/AP Images, 33, 43 (top); John Swart/AP Images, 34; Duane Burleson/AP Images, 37, 43 (middle); Paul Sancya/AP Images, 39; Jim Mone/ AP Images, 41; Carlos Osorio/AP Images, 47 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014932916 Cataloging-in-Publication Data Gerstner, Joanne 1971- Detroit Tigers / by Joanne Gerstner. p. cm. — (Inside MLB) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-62403-469-5 1. Detroit Tigers (Baseball team)—History—Juvenile Literature. I. Title. GV875.D6G47 2015 796.357’640977434—dc23 2014932916 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 .............Restoring the Roar, 4 Chapter 2 .............From Wolverines to Tigers, 8 Chapter 3 .............Ty Cobb, Then a Title, 14 Chapter 4 .............The Al Kaline Era, 20 Chapter 5 .............The Roar of '84, 26 Chapter 6 .............From Low to High, 34 Timeline, 42 Quick Stats, 44 Quotes and Anecdotes, 45 Glossary, 46 For More Information, 47 Index, 48 About the Author, 48 CHAPTER 1 RESTORING THE ROAR O n a beautiful October afternoon in 2006, fans filled Comerica Park in Detroit for a special day of baseball. The fans could barely stay in their seats. The Detroit Tigers were hosting the Oak- land Athletics in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The Tigers led the series 3–0. With one more win, they would advance to the World Series for the first time since 1984. The game stayed close would be going to the World throughout. With two outs in Series. With an out, they would the bottom of the ninth inning, go to extra innings. the Tigers and A’s were tied at Ordonez was one of the 3–3. Two runners were on base top batters for the Tigers in as Tigers outfielder Magglio 2006. He had hit .298 with 24 Ordonez stepped to the plate. home runs and 104 runs batted With a base hit, the Tigers in (RBIs) that season. He had MagglioMagglio OrdonezOrdonez celebrates his three-run homer as he runs around the bases. The home run sent the Tigers to the 2006 World Series.Series. RESTORING THE ROAR 5 already hit a home run in this would have tied them for the game. When he saw a pitch he worst record in major league liked, he hit another one. Just history. like that, the Tigers won 6–3. Tigers’ fans were very The fans went wild. embarrassed by all of the los- Ordonez raised his arms above ing. The once-proud team had his head while he jumped and become a national joke. skipped around the bases. But the Tigers avoided that When he arrived at home plate, 120th loss. Three years later, the entire Tigers team grabbed they were back among the top him in a big hug. teams in baseball. The Tigers have a long his- The Tigers’ dream 2006 tory in Major League Baseball season ended at the World (MLB). But in 2003, they lost Series. They made eight errors 119 games. That was the worst against the National League in team history. One more loss (NL) champion St. Louis Cardi- nals in the World Series. That Stillill the Worsorst was the most in World Series The New York Mets ffinished an MLB- history. worst 40–120 in their firstfirst season,season, The pitchers had the most 1962. NoNo other MLB team has lost trouble. They committed a tthathat manmanyy ggamesames in a season. But thethe 2003 Detroit TigersTigers came close. World Series-record five errors. TheThe TigersTigers had 118 losses with six Pitchers Justin Verlander and gamesgames still to play.play. TheyThey looked likelike theythey would tie or break the record. Fernando Rodney struggled But they won five out of their last six fielding bunts and throwing to ggamesames to avoid beinbeingg a bad partpart ofof bbaseballaseball historhistoryy. first base. Their throws were wild and the errors proved 6 DETROIT TIGERS After a great regular season, outfielder Curtis Granderson and the Tigers struggled in the 2006 World Series. costly. The Cardinals beat the catcher Ivan Rodriguez, and Tigers four games to one. shortstop Carlos Guillen. They Although the Tigers did not teamed with young players win the World Series, the fans in such as pitchers Verlander and Detroit were still happy. After Jeremy Bonderman and out- all, their team was winning fielder Curtis Granderson to once again. And, with a young create a solid core. team, the Tigers appeared The Tigers again showed ready to keep winning. a commitment to winning. The The Tigers had brought proud tradition that is Detroit in established veterans like Tigers baseball lived on. Ordonez, pitcher Kenny Rogers, RESTORING THE ROAR 7 CHAPTER 2 FROM WOLVERINES TO TIGERS B aseball has been a big part of life in Detroit for more than 100 years. The sport has been played professionally in the city since 1879. The Detroit Tigers have become more than the city’s The FamousFamous “D” baseball team. They have been TheT Detroit Tigers Old English D logologo on their cacapsps and jerseysjerseys hashas a source of pride for winning aalsolso become a syyymbol for the city. 10 American League (AL) pen- TheThe main character in a populapopular nants and four World Series ttelevisionelevision show durinduringg the 1980s,1980s, Magn um P.I.., offten wore a Tiigers titles. And at times, the Tigers baseballbaseball cap.cap. Detective ThomasThomas have been an embarrassment Magnum, played by actor Tom Selll- ececk, wore a Tiggers hat even thoughh for losing too many games. the show was set in Hawaii. Selleck Songs have been written grewgrew upup in suburban Detroit andand chosechose toto wearwear thethe hat toto honorhonor the about the team. The famous TTigers—hisg favorite baseball team. Tigers Old English D logo has TheT Tigers baseball cap has alsoo appeared in movies, television been made popularpp by y Detroit musii- cciansians Eminem andd KidK d RockRock.k. shows, and music videos. Detroit Wolverines outfielderoutfielder Ned Hanlon poses forfor a portrait around 1887. HeHe playedplayed forfor the Wolverines fromfrom 1881 to 1888. FROM WOLVERINES TO TIGERS 9 Professional baseball owner George Arthur Vander- started in the Motor City on beck changed the team’s name May 12, 1879. That is when from the Wolverines to the a team from Detroit played a Creams. They also joined the team from Troy, New York, as minor league Western League. part of the National Profes- The Creams played base- sional Baseball Players league. ball on various fields around The Detroit team soon adopted Detroit until 1896. That is a nickname, the Wolverines. when the team developed a per- The name honored Michigan’s manent baseball home called official state animal. Bennett Park. The Creams also The original Wolverines took on a new nickname that team folded during the 1879 season: the Tigers. season. However, a different Bennett Park’s field would club named the Wolverines serve the team for the next 104 was successful after joining years, expanding and changing the National League in 1881. They even won the 1887 World Chaarrlliie Beennennett Series, which was a forerunner CharlieCharlie BennettBennett isis creditedcredited withwith of the modern MLB champion- inventinginventing the chest protector,protector, thethe shield worn byby catchers over theirtheir ship. The Wolverines beat the torsos.torsos. He had 654 hits,, 37 homhomee St. Louis Browns, 10 games to 5. rruns,uns, and 353 RBIs in 625 gamesgames played in eight years with the Woll- The Wolverines were sold verines. He died in 19271927,, in Detroit,Detroit, after winning the Series. New aatt the aagege 72.72. This portrait shows Wolverines catcher Charlie Bennett in 1887. The team later renamed its home ballpark after Bennett. 10 DETROIT TIGERS FROM WOLVERINES TO TIGERS 11 as the Tigers and the game of first pitch on each Opening Day baseball grew. It would eventu- from 1901 through 1926. ally be known as Tiger Stadium. The Tigers joined the newly The original stadium was formed AL in October 1900. named after catcher Charlie They played their first game Bennett. He had played for on April 25, 1901. The Tigers the Wolverines for eight sea- beat the Milwaukee Brewers, sons, starting in 1881. He later 14–13, in front of 10,023 fans at played for the Boston Beaneat- Bennett Park. ers until a train accident ended Soon, a bigger stadium was his career in 1893. Bennett built around the playing field. moved back to Detroit and was Tigers games became the pop- embraced by Tigers fans after ular place in the city to go for his accident. He threw out the fun. Baseball games in Detroit had a carnival-like atmosphere. WildWildcat Bleacherers Elaborate parades were held WildWildcatcat bleachersbleachers areare standsstands built to celebrate Opening Day. The outsidedf of a stadium.