The team was established in 1960 as the Lakeland Indians, an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. After a one-year hiatus, the team was restarted in 1962 as the Lakeland Giants, an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
The franchise affiliated with the Detroit Tigers' farm system in 1963 and became known as the Lakeland Tigers before becoming the Flying Tigers in 2007. The relationship with Detroit is one of the two longest unbroken affiliate relationships currently existing.[1]
1996 Lakeland Tigers #47 game worn road jersey
In 1997, playing with the Tigers, Gabe Kapler led the Florida State League in doubles and total bases, and tied for first in extra base hits.[2]
In 2012, the Flying Tigers won their first FSL title in 20 years by defeating the Jupiter Hammerheads, three games to two. It was the fourth league title in club history.[3]
In 2006, the team introduced a new name and colors to pay homage to the Lakeland School of Aeronautics, later the Lodwick School of Aeronautics. The school trained over 8,000 pilots between 1940 and 1945, some of whom later flew with the Flying Tigers in China during World War II,[4] and was actually located at the current site of Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium.[5]
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the Flying Tigers were organized into the Low-A Southeast at the Low-A classification.[6] In 2022, the Low-A Southeast became known as the Florida State League, the name historically used by the regional circuit prior to the 2021 reorganization, and was reclassified as a Single-A circuit.[7]
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