In the first half of the 20th Century, the Tigers flourished like the automobile industry and the city they represented. They were a vital and thriving baseball enterprise, winning seven pennants and more games than any team except the Yankees. They never finished last, and boasted some of the greatest hitters and personalities the game has ever seen.
As the second half of the century progressed, the auto industry, Detroit and the Tigers declined together. They managed only two championship seasons, Their stadium, once considered stately and quaint, seemed tired and charm-less. The team endured long stretches of mediocrity and, like Detroit itself, spent much time searching for the formula that would recapture past glories.
Detroit played in the National League during the 19th Century but the lack of fan support doomed the franchise. Detroit joined the American League as a charter member in 1901. They were known as the Tigers from Day One; old timers said it was due to the orange stripe on their uniform socks. They had an auspicious debut, winning their first-ever game against Milwaukee 14-13 after trailing 13-4.
The Tiger franchise was electrified in 1905 with the arrival of Tyrus Raymond Cobb, a once-in-a-generation ballplayer, who over the next twenty-four seasons (the last two with Philadelphia) would win twelve batting titles, nine of them consecutively. He retired with a slew of records including the highest lifetime average (.367) and most hits ever by a player. Cobb created an enduring legacy as a player and personality, and an unmatched record as a hitter. This was acknowledged when he won the most votes among the five players selected as the initial inductees into the Hall of Fame. Cobb earned more votes than Babe Ruth, Christy Matheson, Walter Johnson or Honus Wagner.
In his earliest seasons, Cobb patrolled center field for an aggressive freewheeling team managed by the colorful and dynamic Hughie Jennings. With Cobb and "Wahoo" Sam Crawford (two-thousand nine-hundred sixty-four career hits and three-hundred twelve lifetime triples — still the all-time record), the Tigers won three straight pennants in 1907-08-09 but lost all three series, the first pair to the Cubs and the third one to the Pirates.
The Tigers came up short during the next decade, despite the slugging of Cobb, and Harry Heilmann, one of the greatest right hand hitters of all time. He owns a lifetime average of .342 (one of the top ten marks of all time) and won four batting titles with averages of .394, .403, .393 and .398.
Detroit Tigers History
