Detroit Tigers Tickets

Staff Writer Russell Puntenney
As one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, the Detroit Tigers have welcome plenty of rally cries and team slogans throughout their storied history. Their most recent was a call to action called “Restore the Roar,” referring to their occasional attempts at producing their first winning season since 1993. In 2006, however, the phrase was revived and could not have been more fitting, as the Tigers made a complete reversal from the previous season, turning a club that posted one of the worst records in baseball one year into an American League champion the next.

The Tigers are one of four AL teams that have remained in the same city since the league’s founding in 1901, along with the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians, and the Chicago White Sox. Their first major league game was a thrilling victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in which the Tigers came back from a 13-4 deficit in the ninth inning to win 14-13. Four years later, the club acquired Ty Cobb, one of the greatest players in baseball history, and their first pennant came shortly after in 1907. They would go on to make two more consecutive World Series appearances afterwards but suffered disappointing losses each time, twice to the Chicago Cubs and once to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

In 1934 the Tigers were again AL champions behind catcher “Black Mike” Mickey Cochrane, but lost once again in the World Series, this time in a seven game outing against the St. Louis Cardinals. The following year, however, the team finally won its first championship, earning their revenge against the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2. They would beat the Cubs for the title again in 1945 and avenge their loss to the Cardinals by winning their third World Series in 1968.

After that win, the Tigers went on a steep decline as the league grew, divisions were aligned, and the playoffs were reformed. They made one American League Championship appearance over the next 14 seasons, a loss to the Oakland Athletics in 1972. Their post-season dreams were once again revived, however, in a 1984 World Series win against the San Diego Padres, after finishing the regular season 104-58. This was their fourth championship.

The Tigers again declined after this victory, winning their division in 1987 and virtually nothing else. Their worst stretch in franchise history came between 1994 and 2005, when they could not produce a single winning record, despite having never gone four consecutive years without one before this time. Their manager during most of this period was Randy Smith, who was blamed for Detroit’s demise after several high draft picks proved unsuccessful, and was listed in 2005 as “the most hated man” among Tiger fans on ESPN.com.

For all their disappointment, however, the 2006 season nearly made it all seem worthwhile. The Tigers posted a pathetic 71-91 record in 2005 and seemed doomed to failure just as in years past. The 2006 squad was full of virtually unknowns and veterans who hadn’t produced the way they had for other teams, and the chance to finally change the franchise just didn’t seem reasonable, even with a new, proven manager in Jim Leyland.

To the astonishment of everyone, however, two months later Detroit owned the best record in baseball and did not give it up until late September. In July, the MLB All-Star Game featured three Tigers for the first time since 1987, and in October, when only two teams remained, Detroit was representing the American League once again.

Eight errors, five committed by pitchers, led to the Tigers’ demise in the World Series at the hands of their familiar finals opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals, but the turnaround was cemented with their appearance. Leyland was awarded his third Manager of the Year Award for the season, and pitcher Justin Verlander was named AL Rookie of the Year.

With plenty of talent both young and old, the “new” Tigers have established themselves as a serious World Series contender. Their legions of diehard fans will continue to support them at Comerica Park, a $300 million replacement for Tiger Stadium built in 2000. The facility also draws big name musical acts regularly and seats over 41,000 people.

For more information about the Detroit Tigers, visit www.tigers.mlb.com.