The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit as a member of the minor league Western League in 1894 and is the only Western League team still in its original city. They are also the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the AL. Ty Cobb, who played his first season with Detroit in 1905, later became the first Tiger to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.
David Andrew Stieb, nicknamed "Sir David", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) starting pitcher who spent the majority of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. A seven-time All-Star, he won The Sporting News' Pitcher of the Year Award in 1982. His 56.9 career wins above replacement are the highest of any Blue Jays player, and he also holds the franchise records for complete games (103), strikeouts (1,658), and innings pitched (2,873).
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies between 1998 and 2013. His nickname, "Doc", coined by Toronto Blue Jays announcer Tom Cheek, was a reference to Wild West gunslinger Doc Holliday. An eight-time All-Star, Halladay was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era and is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of all time. His outstanding durability allowed him to lead the league in complete games seven times, the most of any pitcher whose career began after 1945. He also led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio five times and innings pitched four times.
John Andrew Smoltz, nicknamed "Smoltzie" and "Marmaduke", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1988 to 2009, all but the last year with the Atlanta Braves. An eight-time All-Star, Smoltz was part of a celebrated trio of starting pitchers, along with Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who propelled Atlanta to perennial pennant contention in the 1990s, highlighted by a championship in the 1995 World Series. He won the National League (NL) Cy Young Award in 1996 after posting a record of 24–8, equaling the most victories by an NL pitcher since 1972.
Kenneth Scott Rogers is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, with a 20-year career for six different teams. He won the 1996 World Series with the New York Yankees over the Atlanta Braves, and played in the 2006 World Series with the Detroit Tigers. In addition to being known for his fielding, he pitched the 14th perfect game in MLB history. In 2008, he was the oldest baseball player in the American League.
The 1984 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1984 season. The 81st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Detroit Tigers and the National League (NL) champion San Diego Padres. The Tigers won the series, four games to one. This was the city of Detroit's first sports championship since the Tigers won the 1968 World Series.
Frank John Viola Jr. is an American former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Minnesota Twins (1982–1989), New York Mets (1989–1991), Boston Red Sox (1992–1994), Cincinnati Reds (1995), and Toronto Blue Jays (1996). A three-time All-Star, he was named World Series MVP with the Twins in 1987 and won the AL Cy Young Award in 1988. He is the pitching coach of the High Point Rockers.
Aurelio Alejandro López Rios was a Mexican professional baseball player. After pitching for several years in the Mexican League, he spent eleven seasons with four teams in Major League Baseball — a majority of it spent with the Detroit Tigers. He acquired the nickname "Señor Smoke" in Detroit, while he was known as "El Buitre de Tecamachalco" in Mexico. López was discovered in his hometown by Mexican League scouts and converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher.
Francisco Liriano Casillas is a Dominican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers. Liriano was an MLB All-Star in 2006, and is a two-time winner of the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award; he is the only player to win the award in both leagues.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2006 throughout the world.
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and New York Mets throughout a 19-season career. A three-time Cy Young Award winner as well as an AL MVP recipient, Verlander is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history.
John Eugene Billingham is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from 1968 through 1980, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that won three National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1972 and 1977.
David Taylor Price is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Price was selected first overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in September 2008. He also played for the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Frederick Alfred Porcello III is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.
The 1987 Detroit Tigers season saw the Tigers make a startling late-season comeback to win the American League East on the season's final day. The Tigers finished with a Major League-best record of 98–64, two games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Detroit lost the ALCS to the Minnesota Twins in 5 games.
The 1984 Detroit Tigers won the 1984 World Series, defeating the San Diego Padres, 4 games to 1. The season was their 84th since they entered the American League in 1901.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2011 throughout the world.
The history of the Detroit Tigers, a professional baseball franchise based in Detroit, Michigan, dates back to 1894 when they were a member of the minor league Western League. Becoming a charter member of the American League in 1901, they are the oldest continuous one name, one city franchise in the league.
The 2013 Detroit Tigers season was the team's 113th season. They finished 93–69, first place in the American League (AL) Central Division. During the season, the Tigers finished one game ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians. They became the first Tigers team to win three consecutive titles since the 1907, 1908 and 1909 clubs won three consecutive American League pennants. The Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics in five games in the American League Division Series and advanced to the ALCS for the third straight season, the first time an American League team has done so since the New York Yankees advanced to four straight from 1998 to 2001. They lost the American League Championship Series to the Boston Red Sox, four games to two. Manager Jim Leyland announced his retirement following the American League Championship Series.
In baseball, pitching by position players refers to the act of a position player being used as a pitcher. A position player typically pitches when a game has a lopsided score or when the game has gone so far into extra innings that no other pitchers are available. The term is not used for a two-way player, a baseball player who is skilled at pitching and who plays another position.
