Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane,nicknamed "Black Mike",was an American professional baseball player,manager and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers. Cochrane was considered one of the best catchers in baseball history and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. In his first season as manager,he led the Tigers to 101 wins,which was the most for a rookie manager for 27 years.
William Ashley Freehan was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 1960s into the early 1970s,he was named an All-Star in 11 seasons,the most All-Star seasons for a player to not be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was the MVP runner-up for Tigers' 1968 World Series winning team,handling a pitching staff which included World Series MVP Mickey Lolich and regular season MVP Denny McLain,who went on to become the first 30-game winner in the majors since 1934.
Iván Rodríguez Torres,nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod",is a Puerto Rican former Major League Baseball catcher. A member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum,Rodríguez is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in MLB history. He played for the Texas Rangers,Florida Marlins,Detroit Tigers,New York Yankees,Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett,also nicknamed "Old Tomato Face",was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played almost his entire career in Major League Baseball as a catcher with the Chicago Cubs,from 1922 to 1940. He spent the final season of his career as a player-coach with the New York Giants in 1941. After his playing career,Hartnett continued his involvement in baseball as a coach and as a minor league manager.
Melvin Mora Diaz is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He played for the New York Mets,Baltimore Orioles,Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Lance Michael Parrish,nicknamed "Big Wheel",is an American former baseball catcher who played Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1977 through 1995. Born in Pennsylvania,Parrish grew up in Southern California and excelled in both baseball and football. He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1974,and after four years in the minor leagues,he played for the Tigers for a decade from 1977 to 1986. He later played for the Philadelphia Phillies (1987–1988),California Angels (1989–1992),Seattle Mariners (1992),Cleveland Indians (1993),Pittsburgh Pirates (1994),and Toronto Blue Jays (1995).
Preston Rudolph York was an American professional baseball player,coach,scout,and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between 1934 and 1948,most notably as a member of the Detroit Tigers.
Fury Gene Tenace,better known as Gene Tenace,is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball from 1969 through 1983,most notably as a member of the Oakland Athletics dynasty that won three consecutive World Series championships between 1972 and 1974.
Andrew Auguste Etchebarren was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball as a catcher in 1962 and then from 1965 through 1978,most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1971. A two-time All-Star,Etchebarren also played for the California Angels and the Milwaukee Brewers. After his playing career,he became a coach and managed 16 seasons in the minor leagues.
Gus Triandos was an American professional baseball player and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman,most prominently as a member of the Baltimore Orioles where he was a four-time All-Star player. He also played for the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers of the American League (AL) and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros of the National League (NL). In 1981,he was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame.
Chris Allen Hoiles is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 1998. Although his playing career was shortened by injuries,Hoiles was considered one of the best all-around catchers in Major League Baseball,performing well both offensively and defensively. He was inducted into the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2006.
Richard Garnet Rowland is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a backup catcher for the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox from 1990 to 1995. In addition to catching,he also played sparsely as a designated hitter,first baseman,third baseman,and pinch runner. Prior to playing professional baseball,Rowland attended Mendocino College in nearby Ukiah,California. He also had a longer career in minor league baseball on and off from 1988 to 1997,where he even served as a pitcher in three games.
Henry Lee Foiles Jr. was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball between 1953 and 1964,most prominently as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates with whom he had his most productive years and was selected to play in the 1957 All-Star Game. He was notable for being the first player in major league history to use contact lenses.
The 1991 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing sixth in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 95 losses. Cal Ripken. Jr. would be the first shortstop in the history of the American League to win two MVP awards in a career. This was also the Orioles' last year at Memorial Stadium,as they would move into Oriole Park at Camden Yards the following year.
The Texas Rangers1995 season involved the Rangers finishing third in the American League West with a record of 74 wins and 70 losses. They also hosted the 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
The Oakland Athletics' 1988 season involved the A's winning their first American League West title since 1981,with a record of 104 wins and 58 losses. In 1988,the elephant was restored as the symbol of the Athletics and currently adorns the left sleeve of home and road uniforms. The elephant was retired as team mascot in 1963 by then-owner Charles O. Finley in favor of a Missouri mule. The A's defeated the Boston Red Sox in the ALCS,but lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games,including a dramatic,classic walk-off home run by the Dodgers' Kirk Gibson in game one.
The 1968 Detroit Tigers won the 1968 World Series,defeating the St. Louis Cardinals four games to three. The 1968 baseball season,known as the "Year of the Pitcher," was the Detroit Tigers' 68th since they entered the American League in 1901,their eighth pennant,and third World Series championship. Detroit pitcher Denny McLain won the Cy Young Award and was named the American League's Most Valuable Player after winning 31 games. Mickey Lolich pitched three complete games in the World Series –and won all three –to win World Series MVP honors.
The 1971 Detroit Tigers finished in second place in the American League East with a 91–71 record,12 games behind the Orioles. They outscored their opponents 701 to 645. They drew 1,591,073 fans to Tiger Stadium,the second highest attendance in the American League.
The 1991 Detroit Tigers finished in a tie for second place in the American League East with a record of 84–78 (.519). They outscored their opponents 817 to 794. The Tigers drew 1,641,661 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1991,ranking 12th of the 14 teams in the American League.
The Detroit Tigers' 1993 season was a season in American baseball. The club wasn't expected to do much after a sixth-place finish the previous season. The pitching staff was riddled with inconsistencies,but the Tigers were in first place as late as June 25 before a 10-game losing streak ended their hopes of a turnaround. This would be the Tigers last winning season of the 20th century,the next time the team finished with the winning record was 2006,by then the team had been playing in Comerica Park for 7 years.
