In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The Tigers began the 1940's decade with their sixth pennant in franchise history. They battled the Indians and Yankees (winners of four consecutive pennants) to the wire eliminating both on the final weekend. The clincher came on the third to the last day of the season when obscure rookie Floyd Geibell out dueled future Hall-of-Fame fire baller Bob Feller on the third to last day of the season. The Tigers finished 90-64, a game ahead of Cleveland and two games ahead of New York.
Manager Del Baker juggled the Tigers line-up at the beginning of the season, moving Rudy York from catcher to first base and Hank Greenberg from first base to the outfield and inserting Birdie Tebbets as the full-time catcher. The Tigers had their usual powerful offensive results leading the league with 888 runs scored. Hank Greenberg led the junior circuit with 41 homers, 150 RBI and a 171 OPS+. York added 33 round trippers, 134 RBI and a 145 OPS+. They also received strong contributions from second baseman Charlie Gehringer (119 OPS+) and center fielder Barney McCoskey (124 OPS+).
Detroit finished fourth in an eight-team league with a 4.01 ERA. The colorful and much traveled Bobo Newsom had his finest season finishing second in the AL with a 2.83 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 264 innings. Tommy Bridges (141 ERA+) and School Boy Rowe (137 ERA+) also had strong seasons. None came close to Feller who won the triple crown with 27 wins, 261 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA.
The Tigers then faced the Reds in the World Series, a drama which centered around Newsom. Newsom's father died of a heart attack shortly after watching his son win game one of the series. Despite his tragic loss, Newsom made the decision to keep pitching in the series. Pitching with a heavy heart, the tough-minded Newsom hurled a three-hit shutout in game five putting the Tigers up three games to two.
The Reds proceeded to tie the series at three games apiece thanks to a five-hit shutout by ace right hander Bucky Walters in game six. It would come down to Newsom and Reds starter Paul Derringer in game seven. The Tigers led 1-0 through six, but the Reds broke through with two runs in the seventh to take a 2-1 led. That would be the final score as the Reds took the series four games to three.
It was certainly a sad finish for Newsom and the Tigers. In retrospect, it still ranked as one of the most entertaining seasons ever for Tigers fans.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #9 1907
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In 1907, Hugh Jennings took over as Tigers manager and 20-year-old Tyrus Cobb emerged as the best hitter in the American League. The result was the Tigers first pennant in franchise history. It would also be the first of three consecutive pennants, an accomplishment which has not been seen again in Detroit.
The Tigers finished at 92-58, a game and a half ahead of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. As has so often been the case in team history, they won primarily because of their dominant offense. They led the league with 695 runs scored behind the fearsome duo of Cobb and Sam Crawford. Cobb topped the circuit in batting average (.350), slugging (.468), total bases (283), OPS+ (167) and stolen bases (53). Crawford led the league with 106 runs and finished second with a .323 batting average, .460 slugging average and 160 OPS+.
The Tigers also had pretty strong pitching finishing third in the league with a 2.33 ERA. Big Ed Killian was second in the league with a 1.78 ERA in 314 innings. Their four primary starters - Killian, Bill Donovan, George Mullin and Ed Siever - each pitched over 270 innings and combined for 88 of the team's 98 victories.
Unfortunately, the Cubs completely stopped the Tigers offense in the World Series sweeping them in four games. Chicago outscored Detroit 16-3 and the Tigers batted just .216 with three extra base hits. Even Cobb (.538 OPS) and Crawford (.524 OPS) could not do anything.
They would have two more chances in 1908 and 1909, but came up short in those years as well. It would be a long time before their first world championship.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In 1907, Hugh Jennings took over as Tigers manager and 20-year-old Tyrus Cobb emerged as the best hitter in the American League. The result was the Tigers first pennant in franchise history. It would also be the first of three consecutive pennants, an accomplishment which has not been seen again in Detroit.
The Tigers finished at 92-58, a game and a half ahead of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics. As has so often been the case in team history, they won primarily because of their dominant offense. They led the league with 695 runs scored behind the fearsome duo of Cobb and Sam Crawford. Cobb topped the circuit in batting average (.350), slugging (.468), total bases (283), OPS+ (167) and stolen bases (53). Crawford led the league with 106 runs and finished second with a .323 batting average, .460 slugging average and 160 OPS+.
The Tigers also had pretty strong pitching finishing third in the league with a 2.33 ERA. Big Ed Killian was second in the league with a 1.78 ERA in 314 innings. Their four primary starters - Killian, Bill Donovan, George Mullin and Ed Siever - each pitched over 270 innings and combined for 88 of the team's 98 victories.
Unfortunately, the Cubs completely stopped the Tigers offense in the World Series sweeping them in four games. Chicago outscored Detroit 16-3 and the Tigers batted just .216 with three extra base hits. Even Cobb (.538 OPS) and Crawford (.524 OPS) could not do anything.
They would have two more chances in 1908 and 1909, but came up short in those years as well. It would be a long time before their first world championship.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #10 1987
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The end of the 1987 regular season may have the most fun I've had watching the Tigers in my 43 years as a fan. The Tigers were just a half game back with 11 games to play entering a four-game series with first-place Blue Jays. Toronto won the first three games of the series, all by one run margins. That left the Tigers 3 1/2 games back and it was looking bleak.
The Tigers were down 1-0 in game four and the season seemed to be pretty much over. Then Kirk Gibson blasted a dramatic game-tying solo homer in the ninth. The Tigers went on to win 3-2 with Gibson getting a game-winning single in the top of the 13th inning. There was now a ray of hope for the Tigers.
The Bengals then took just two games in a four-game series versus the Orioles. Fortunately, the Blue Jays were swept by Brewers at the same time. That left the Tigers one game back prior to a season-ending three-game series versus the Blue Jays.
The Tigers took the first game 4-3 behind the pitching of late-season acquisition Doyle Alexander and closer Mike Henneman and home runs by shortstop Alan Trammell and outfielder Scott Lusader. The two teams were now tied for first.
The Tigers then moved into sole possession of first-place by winning the second game 3-2 in 12 innings. They got nine strong innings from right-hander Jack Morris and three innings of scoreless relief from Henneman. Trammell knocked in the game winner with a single in the bottom of the 12th.
The Tigers clinched the division title on the final day of the season when Frank Tanana out dueled Jimmy Key 1-0 in a battle of southpaws. The Tigers scored their only run on a solo homer by Larry Herndon in the first inning. After seven games between the top two teams, ALL decided by one run, the Tigers finished on top.
The Tigers seemingly used up all their energy in winning the division though. The Twins easily eliminated them in the playoffs four games to one. That would be the first of many disappointing series versus the Twins over the next couple of decades.
The Tigers finished with a record of 98-64 and led the league in runs scored thanks, in part, to one of Trammell's best seasons. Trammell batted .343 with a 155 OPS+, but mysteriously finished second in the MVP balloting to Toronto outfielder George Bell. Rookie catcher Matt Nokes , first baseman Darrell Evans, center fielder Chester Lemon and Gibson all contributed OPS+ of 130 or above.
Morris, Tanana and Walt Terrell carried the starting rotation for much of the year and Henneman came out of no where to solidify the bullpen in his rookie season,. The big key though was Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA after being acquired for minor-league pitcher John Smoltz in August.
We know how Smoltz's career went after that, but for those who experienced the greatest divisional race of their lifetime, it seemed worth it. After all, given how bad the Tigers would be over the next 18 years, would Smoltz have made a difference anyway?
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The end of the 1987 regular season may have the most fun I've had watching the Tigers in my 43 years as a fan. The Tigers were just a half game back with 11 games to play entering a four-game series with first-place Blue Jays. Toronto won the first three games of the series, all by one run margins. That left the Tigers 3 1/2 games back and it was looking bleak.
The Tigers were down 1-0 in game four and the season seemed to be pretty much over. Then Kirk Gibson blasted a dramatic game-tying solo homer in the ninth. The Tigers went on to win 3-2 with Gibson getting a game-winning single in the top of the 13th inning. There was now a ray of hope for the Tigers.
The Bengals then took just two games in a four-game series versus the Orioles. Fortunately, the Blue Jays were swept by Brewers at the same time. That left the Tigers one game back prior to a season-ending three-game series versus the Blue Jays.
The Tigers took the first game 4-3 behind the pitching of late-season acquisition Doyle Alexander and closer Mike Henneman and home runs by shortstop Alan Trammell and outfielder Scott Lusader. The two teams were now tied for first.
The Tigers then moved into sole possession of first-place by winning the second game 3-2 in 12 innings. They got nine strong innings from right-hander Jack Morris and three innings of scoreless relief from Henneman. Trammell knocked in the game winner with a single in the bottom of the 12th.
The Tigers clinched the division title on the final day of the season when Frank Tanana out dueled Jimmy Key 1-0 in a battle of southpaws. The Tigers scored their only run on a solo homer by Larry Herndon in the first inning. After seven games between the top two teams, ALL decided by one run, the Tigers finished on top.
The Tigers seemingly used up all their energy in winning the division though. The Twins easily eliminated them in the playoffs four games to one. That would be the first of many disappointing series versus the Twins over the next couple of decades.
The Tigers finished with a record of 98-64 and led the league in runs scored thanks, in part, to one of Trammell's best seasons. Trammell batted .343 with a 155 OPS+, but mysteriously finished second in the MVP balloting to Toronto outfielder George Bell. Rookie catcher Matt Nokes , first baseman Darrell Evans, center fielder Chester Lemon and Gibson all contributed OPS+ of 130 or above.
Morris, Tanana and Walt Terrell carried the starting rotation for much of the year and Henneman came out of no where to solidify the bullpen in his rookie season,. The big key though was Alexander, who went 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA after being acquired for minor-league pitcher John Smoltz in August.
We know how Smoltz's career went after that, but for those who experienced the greatest divisional race of their lifetime, it seemed worth it. After all, given how bad the Tigers would be over the next 18 years, would Smoltz have made a difference anyway?
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Friday, January 13, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #11 1915
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1915 season would be the first of five 100-win seasons for the Tigers. They went 100-54 with a .649 winning percentage which was the second highest in franchise history. Unfortunately, they finished in second place, two and one half game behind the Boston Red Sox. It was a battle between Detroit's batting and Boston's pitching and it was the Red Sox pitching which won out at the end.
In the early decades, the Tigers had some of the best outfields in the history of baseball and 1915 was one of their best. The trio of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Bobby Veach led the league in almost every offensive category. Cobb was tops in batting average (.369), OBP (.486), OPS+ (182), total bases (274), runs (144) and stolen bases (96). Crawford led in RBI (112), triples (19) and was second in total bases (264). Bobby Veach lead the circuit with 40 doubles and finished in the top three in total bases and RBI. The Tigers easily led the American League with 778 runs scored.
The Tigers two top pitchers were Harry Coveleski (124 ERA+ in 313 innings) and Hooks Dauss (121 ERA+ in 309 innings). They would be no match for the Red Sox staff which had fiver starers with ERA+ of 114 or better. One of those pitchers was a 20 year old rookie name George Herman Ruth who also had a 188 OPS+ in 103 plate appearances.
They fell short, but it was a good year for the Tigers. They wouldn't see another one like it for a couple of decades.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1915 season would be the first of five 100-win seasons for the Tigers. They went 100-54 with a .649 winning percentage which was the second highest in franchise history. Unfortunately, they finished in second place, two and one half game behind the Boston Red Sox. It was a battle between Detroit's batting and Boston's pitching and it was the Red Sox pitching which won out at the end.
In the early decades, the Tigers had some of the best outfields in the history of baseball and 1915 was one of their best. The trio of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Bobby Veach led the league in almost every offensive category. Cobb was tops in batting average (.369), OBP (.486), OPS+ (182), total bases (274), runs (144) and stolen bases (96). Crawford led in RBI (112), triples (19) and was second in total bases (264). Bobby Veach lead the circuit with 40 doubles and finished in the top three in total bases and RBI. The Tigers easily led the American League with 778 runs scored.
The Tigers two top pitchers were Harry Coveleski (124 ERA+ in 313 innings) and Hooks Dauss (121 ERA+ in 309 innings). They would be no match for the Red Sox staff which had fiver starers with ERA+ of 114 or better. One of those pitchers was a 20 year old rookie name George Herman Ruth who also had a 188 OPS+ in 103 plate appearances.
They fell short, but it was a good year for the Tigers. They wouldn't see another one like it for a couple of decades.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Day I was Bumped by a Future Hall of Famer
I was going to write a dry statistical post about Jack Morris not belonging in the Hall of Fame, but there's enough of that going on. So, I'm going to tell my personal Jack Morris story instead. I'm not sure why I haven't told this story during my many years on the internet other than I don't usually like to tell personal stories on here.
In the Spring of 1988, my father and I made one of our frequent spring training trips to Florida. We stayed at the Tigers team hotel in Lakeland that particular year, so I figured I might catch a glimpse of some players. When we got there, I found out that most of the major leaguers had their own places and didn't stay at the hotel. So, I didn't see any players the first day, except of course at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The next night, we were in the hotel lobby when I heard a familiar voice. I knew it was Frank Beckman, who I had heard many times doing news and talk about the Tigers on WJR in Detroit. So, we took the opportunity to talk to Beckman for a few minutes. It was nothing deep, just some general light talk about the Tigers.
Beckman then had to leave to do some interviews down the hall. I asked if we could watch the interviews and he said it was OK. The first interview would be with Sparky Anderson. There were no seats left in the small interview room, so my father and I stayed in the hall and watched through the open door.
As I was standing there watching Anderson, I saw minor league catcher Chris Hoiles walk by. I only knew it was him because he had a tee shirt with "Hoiles" hand written on the back of it. While I didn't follow minor leaguers that closely back then, it was still pretty cool to see Hoiles in public. I was more interested in watching Sparky though.
Then I looked up and noticed somebody much more intriguing than Hoiles. The Jack Morris (who was next in line to be interviewed) was right next to me watching the interview too. Apparently, he was also more interested in Sparky than Hoiles. I'm not sure what Hoiles was doing there since he was never interviewed.
Soon a couple of other fans saw what was going on and timidly asked Morris for an autograph. Morris did not look thrilled, but he signed without complaint. As the fans left, Morris backed away and accidentally bumped into me. Yes, future Hall of Famer Jack Morris and I really did collide. He turned around, glared at me and mumbled "scuse me" (He probably wasn't really glaring but he always looks like he's glaring so I'll pretend he was). I mumbled "hi" and smiled nervously at the Tigers ace.
A few moments later, my father then asked Morris if he was ready for the interview. Morris turned around and glared at my father (This time I think he really was glaring) and said "Scuse me?". My father asked him again. Morris responded with "Are you kidding? I own Beckman. I'm going to chew him up.
Then none other than Alan Trammell walked in and Morris starting talking to him, probably relieved to get away from the Panases. Finally, it's time for Morris to go in for the interview. A few fans came over to get autographs from Trammell. You could sense that they were more comfortable with Trammell than Morris. One of them had me to take a picture of her and Trammell.
Trammell eventually went to chat with Sparky who had now left the interview room. Trammell said something about how tough it was for young players just starting out. Then Anderson gave a long rambling tale about something unrelated. What else would you expect from Anderson?
After a while, Morris came out of the interview room and Trammell asked him how it went. Morris said: "I gave Beckman some shit. Then I gave him a little more shit. Then I gave him all the shit." Morris knew there were fans around, but he was going to be his own brash self. It would have been disappointing if he wasn't.
In fact, the great thing about this little interview drama was that there was not a huge crowd around and I could watch players be themselves. There's plenty more to talk about from that interview session - like a glimpse into the secret lives of Willie Hernandez and Gary Pettis - but I'll save that for another time.
For now, I'll stop with future Hall of Famer Jack Morris.
In the Spring of 1988, my father and I made one of our frequent spring training trips to Florida. We stayed at the Tigers team hotel in Lakeland that particular year, so I figured I might catch a glimpse of some players. When we got there, I found out that most of the major leaguers had their own places and didn't stay at the hotel. So, I didn't see any players the first day, except of course at Joker Marchant Stadium.
The next night, we were in the hotel lobby when I heard a familiar voice. I knew it was Frank Beckman, who I had heard many times doing news and talk about the Tigers on WJR in Detroit. So, we took the opportunity to talk to Beckman for a few minutes. It was nothing deep, just some general light talk about the Tigers.
Beckman then had to leave to do some interviews down the hall. I asked if we could watch the interviews and he said it was OK. The first interview would be with Sparky Anderson. There were no seats left in the small interview room, so my father and I stayed in the hall and watched through the open door.
As I was standing there watching Anderson, I saw minor league catcher Chris Hoiles walk by. I only knew it was him because he had a tee shirt with "Hoiles" hand written on the back of it. While I didn't follow minor leaguers that closely back then, it was still pretty cool to see Hoiles in public. I was more interested in watching Sparky though.
Then I looked up and noticed somebody much more intriguing than Hoiles. The Jack Morris (who was next in line to be interviewed) was right next to me watching the interview too. Apparently, he was also more interested in Sparky than Hoiles. I'm not sure what Hoiles was doing there since he was never interviewed.
Soon a couple of other fans saw what was going on and timidly asked Morris for an autograph. Morris did not look thrilled, but he signed without complaint. As the fans left, Morris backed away and accidentally bumped into me. Yes, future Hall of Famer Jack Morris and I really did collide. He turned around, glared at me and mumbled "scuse me" (He probably wasn't really glaring but he always looks like he's glaring so I'll pretend he was). I mumbled "hi" and smiled nervously at the Tigers ace.
A few moments later, my father then asked Morris if he was ready for the interview. Morris turned around and glared at my father (This time I think he really was glaring) and said "Scuse me?". My father asked him again. Morris responded with "Are you kidding? I own Beckman. I'm going to chew him up.
Then none other than Alan Trammell walked in and Morris starting talking to him, probably relieved to get away from the Panases. Finally, it's time for Morris to go in for the interview. A few fans came over to get autographs from Trammell. You could sense that they were more comfortable with Trammell than Morris. One of them had me to take a picture of her and Trammell.
Trammell eventually went to chat with Sparky who had now left the interview room. Trammell said something about how tough it was for young players just starting out. Then Anderson gave a long rambling tale about something unrelated. What else would you expect from Anderson?
After a while, Morris came out of the interview room and Trammell asked him how it went. Morris said: "I gave Beckman some shit. Then I gave him a little more shit. Then I gave him all the shit." Morris knew there were fans around, but he was going to be his own brash self. It would have been disappointing if he wasn't.
In fact, the great thing about this little interview drama was that there was not a huge crowd around and I could watch players be themselves. There's plenty more to talk about from that interview session - like a glimpse into the secret lives of Willie Hernandez and Gary Pettis - but I'll save that for another time.
For now, I'll stop with future Hall of Famer Jack Morris.
Monday, January 09, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons - #12 2011
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
I won't dwell on the 2011 season much because it is still fresh in our minds. The Tigers won their first division title in 24 years finishing 95-67, 15 games ahead of the second place Indians. They separated themselves from the pack with a twelve game winning streak in September, their longest since 1934.
Ace right hander Justin Verlander had one of the most outstanding seasons for a pitcher in team history leading the league in innings (251), ERA (2.51), wins (24) and strikeouts (250). He also pitched his second career no hitter in route to the MVP and Cy Young awards. Closer Jose Valverde was a perfect 49 for 49 in save situations which is an American League record.
First baseman Miguel Cabrera had another excellent season leading the league in batting average (.344), OBP (.448) and doubles 48 and finishing second in OPS (1.033). Catcher Alex Avila emerged as all star at age 24 batting .295 with a .895 OPS. Designated hitter-catcher Victor Martinez batted .330 with a .850 OPS.
The Tigers went on to defeat the Yankees three games to two in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries to Avila, Martinez and Delmon Young put them at a disadvantage in the championship series and they lost to the Rangers four games to two.
Despite the loss to Texas, the Tigers still have a strong core and could very well add another team to the top twenty in the near future.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
I won't dwell on the 2011 season much because it is still fresh in our minds. The Tigers won their first division title in 24 years finishing 95-67, 15 games ahead of the second place Indians. They separated themselves from the pack with a twelve game winning streak in September, their longest since 1934.
Ace right hander Justin Verlander had one of the most outstanding seasons for a pitcher in team history leading the league in innings (251), ERA (2.51), wins (24) and strikeouts (250). He also pitched his second career no hitter in route to the MVP and Cy Young awards. Closer Jose Valverde was a perfect 49 for 49 in save situations which is an American League record.
First baseman Miguel Cabrera had another excellent season leading the league in batting average (.344), OBP (.448) and doubles 48 and finishing second in OPS (1.033). Catcher Alex Avila emerged as all star at age 24 batting .295 with a .895 OPS. Designated hitter-catcher Victor Martinez batted .330 with a .850 OPS.
The Tigers went on to defeat the Yankees three games to two in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, injuries to Avila, Martinez and Delmon Young put them at a disadvantage in the championship series and they lost to the Rangers four games to two.
Despite the loss to Texas, the Tigers still have a strong core and could very well add another team to the top twenty in the near future.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #13 1961
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1961 season was the beginning of a new era in baseball with the American League going from 8 to 10 teams, the first MLB expansion in 60 years. Additionally, the schedules in both leagues were increased from 154 to 162 games. It was also the year of the most famous record in all of sports: Yankees outfielder Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's 34-year-old home run record with 61 blasts. It was controversial then because of the increased number of games. For different reasons, it is still part of a controversy today.
The 1961 season would be a good one for the Tigers as well. After winning just 71 games in 1960, they went 101-61 tying them for the third highest win total in franchise history. They dominated offensively scoring 841 runs, a total eclipsing that of even the powerful Yankees (827). The Tigers were pretty good at run prevention as well finishing third in the league with 671 runs allowed. Unfortunately, the Yankees staff was a little better and the Tigers finished in second place eight games behind.
Detroit's high-octane offense was powered by first baseman Norm Cash, who had arguably the best hitting season in the club's history. Stormin' Norman's 85 Batting Runs was the highest total for a Tiger ever. His 201 OPS+ was surpassed only by the great Ty Cobb with 209 in 1917 and 206 in 1910. Cash led the AL with a .361 batting average, .487 OBP and 1.148 OPS. Right fielder Al Kaline typically dazzled with his all around play batting .324 and finishing third in the league with 8.3 WAR. Another Tigers slugger with an outstanding season was left fielder Rocky Colavito with 45 homers, 140 RBI and a 157 OPS+.
The Tigers pitching staff was led by a trio of excellent starters. Left-hander Don Mossi finished third in the league with a 2.96 ERA in 240 innings. Right-hander Frank Lary had a 127 ERA+ and finished second in the league with 23 wins. Future United States congressman Jim Bunning posted a 129 OPS+ and 194 strikeouts (good for third in the league).
The only thing that was wrong with the 1961 campaign was timing as the the Yankees had an even better season. Other than that, it had all the ingredients of a special season - a great all around team, a high win total and one of the best individual seasons in club history.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1961 season was the beginning of a new era in baseball with the American League going from 8 to 10 teams, the first MLB expansion in 60 years. Additionally, the schedules in both leagues were increased from 154 to 162 games. It was also the year of the most famous record in all of sports: Yankees outfielder Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's 34-year-old home run record with 61 blasts. It was controversial then because of the increased number of games. For different reasons, it is still part of a controversy today.
The 1961 season would be a good one for the Tigers as well. After winning just 71 games in 1960, they went 101-61 tying them for the third highest win total in franchise history. They dominated offensively scoring 841 runs, a total eclipsing that of even the powerful Yankees (827). The Tigers were pretty good at run prevention as well finishing third in the league with 671 runs allowed. Unfortunately, the Yankees staff was a little better and the Tigers finished in second place eight games behind.
Detroit's high-octane offense was powered by first baseman Norm Cash, who had arguably the best hitting season in the club's history. Stormin' Norman's 85 Batting Runs was the highest total for a Tiger ever. His 201 OPS+ was surpassed only by the great Ty Cobb with 209 in 1917 and 206 in 1910. Cash led the AL with a .361 batting average, .487 OBP and 1.148 OPS. Right fielder Al Kaline typically dazzled with his all around play batting .324 and finishing third in the league with 8.3 WAR. Another Tigers slugger with an outstanding season was left fielder Rocky Colavito with 45 homers, 140 RBI and a 157 OPS+.
The Tigers pitching staff was led by a trio of excellent starters. Left-hander Don Mossi finished third in the league with a 2.96 ERA in 240 innings. Right-hander Frank Lary had a 127 ERA+ and finished second in the league with 23 wins. Future United States congressman Jim Bunning posted a 129 OPS+ and 194 strikeouts (good for third in the league).
The only thing that was wrong with the 1961 campaign was timing as the the Yankees had an even better season. Other than that, it had all the ingredients of a special season - a great all around team, a high win total and one of the best individual seasons in club history.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #14 1976
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In 1975, the Tigers had one of the worst seasons in franchise history finishing in dead last 37 1/2 games behind. They lost 102 games and were outscored by opponents by 216 runs. What made things even more frustrating is that the Tigers got worse as the season went along. Starting on July 29, they lost 19 consecutive games and went 11-47 through the end of the season. Something needed to happen to re-invigorate a fan base which had lost confidence in their team. Something did happen in 1976 in a big way.
In the summer of 1976, the Tigers finished in 5th place, 24 games out of first with a 74-87 record. Despite the losing record though, I think anyone who experienced that season understands why it made the top 20. That was the year rookie sensation Mark Fidrych captivated fans all over the country with his innocence and enthusiasm and outstanding pitching talent.
Nicknamed "The Bird" for his resemblance to the Sesame Street character Big Bird, the 21-year-old right hander led the league with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games, started the all-star game and finished runner up in the AL Cy Young balloting to Baltimore's Jim Palmer. Beyond his performance, Fidrych was known for his antics on and off the mound. He would groom the mound with his hands between innings, talk to himself (some thought he was talking to the ball) before each pitch, strut around the mound after each out and shake the hands of teammates after they made great plays.
The Bird was a breath of fresh air and fans loved him. On a team which typically attracted crowds of under 15,000, Fidrych would regularly draw as many as 50,000 fans in his starts. He was so popular that opposing teams would ask the Tigers to start Fidrych in their home parks. The curtain call was born with Fidrych as fans would refuse to leave to park until he made an appearance after the game.
Beyond Fidrych, the Tigers did not have a memorable team, but there were some other highlights. Speedy center fielder Ron Leflore hit in 30 consecutive games, the longest streak in the AL in 27 years. Lefore batted .316 with 58 stolen bases for the season. Right fielder Rusty Staub batted .299 with 46 extra base hits and a 137 OPS+. Both Leflore and Staub joined Fidrych in starting the all-star game that year.
This is the only losing season in the top 20 series, but there was no hesitation in inculding it on a list of great seasons. It had to be there.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In 1975, the Tigers had one of the worst seasons in franchise history finishing in dead last 37 1/2 games behind. They lost 102 games and were outscored by opponents by 216 runs. What made things even more frustrating is that the Tigers got worse as the season went along. Starting on July 29, they lost 19 consecutive games and went 11-47 through the end of the season. Something needed to happen to re-invigorate a fan base which had lost confidence in their team. Something did happen in 1976 in a big way.
In the summer of 1976, the Tigers finished in 5th place, 24 games out of first with a 74-87 record. Despite the losing record though, I think anyone who experienced that season understands why it made the top 20. That was the year rookie sensation Mark Fidrych captivated fans all over the country with his innocence and enthusiasm and outstanding pitching talent.
Nicknamed "The Bird" for his resemblance to the Sesame Street character Big Bird, the 21-year-old right hander led the league with a 2.34 ERA and 24 complete games, started the all-star game and finished runner up in the AL Cy Young balloting to Baltimore's Jim Palmer. Beyond his performance, Fidrych was known for his antics on and off the mound. He would groom the mound with his hands between innings, talk to himself (some thought he was talking to the ball) before each pitch, strut around the mound after each out and shake the hands of teammates after they made great plays.
The Bird was a breath of fresh air and fans loved him. On a team which typically attracted crowds of under 15,000, Fidrych would regularly draw as many as 50,000 fans in his starts. He was so popular that opposing teams would ask the Tigers to start Fidrych in their home parks. The curtain call was born with Fidrych as fans would refuse to leave to park until he made an appearance after the game.
Beyond Fidrych, the Tigers did not have a memorable team, but there were some other highlights. Speedy center fielder Ron Leflore hit in 30 consecutive games, the longest streak in the AL in 27 years. Lefore batted .316 with 58 stolen bases for the season. Right fielder Rusty Staub batted .299 with 46 extra base hits and a 137 OPS+. Both Leflore and Staub joined Fidrych in starting the all-star game that year.
This is the only losing season in the top 20 series, but there was no hesitation in inculding it on a list of great seasons. It had to be there.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons - #15 1908
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In the first decade of their existence, the Tigers won three consecutive pennants from 1907-1909. Each of those seasons will be covered in this top 20 series. I'll start with 1908.
Like the 1972 team, the 1908 Tigers won by a mere half game due to some odd scheduling. The Tigers had a rain out that did not have to be made up and wound up playing one less game than the second place Cleveland Naps (named after team captain Nap Lajoie). The Tigers clinched the pennant on the final day of the season thanks to a two-hit shutout by right hander Wild Bill Donovan. The final records are shown below:
Detroit 90-63
Cleveland 90-64
Chicago 88-64
After the season it was ruled that postponed games potentially impacting a pennant race would have to be made up in the future.
The Tigers scored just 4.2 runs per game and allowed 3.6 runs. At first glance, it would appear that the team was led by their pitching, but remember this was during the Deadball era where runs were scarce. In a league where teams averaged 3.4 runs per game, Detroit scored more runs than any team in the league by a wide margin (Cleveland was second with 3.6 RPG).
As measured by OPS, the Bengals had four of the top five batters in the league - outfielders Ty Cobb (.842), Same Crawford (.812) and Matty McIntyre (.775) and first baseman Claude Rossman (.748). Those are not great numbers by today's standards but, in a league where only nine batters topped .700, they were quite impressive. Cobb also led the league in batting average (.324), slugging average (.475) and RBI (108).
The pitching staff was led by Ed Summers who went 24-12 and finished 4th in the league with a 1.67 ERA in 301 innings pitched. Other key Tigers starters were Donovan (116 ERA+ in 242 IP) and Ed Willett (106 ERA+ in 197 innings). All of these hurlers paled in comparison to Big Ed Walsh of the White Sox who won 40 games and posted a 1.42 ERA in 464 innings!
For the second straight season, the Cubs easily eliminated the Tigers in the World Series four games to one. Ty Cobb had a strong series putting up a .368/.400/.421 batting line-up, but he got little help either offensively or defensively. The Cubs won the first two games 10-6 and 6-2. The Tigers got their only win in game three, an 8-3 decision thanks to a four for five performance by Cobb. Chicago then won the final two games on shutouts by Three Finger Brown and Orval Overall.
The Tigers would get one more shot at the world championship in 1909.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
In the first decade of their existence, the Tigers won three consecutive pennants from 1907-1909. Each of those seasons will be covered in this top 20 series. I'll start with 1908.
Like the 1972 team, the 1908 Tigers won by a mere half game due to some odd scheduling. The Tigers had a rain out that did not have to be made up and wound up playing one less game than the second place Cleveland Naps (named after team captain Nap Lajoie). The Tigers clinched the pennant on the final day of the season thanks to a two-hit shutout by right hander Wild Bill Donovan. The final records are shown below:
Detroit 90-63
Cleveland 90-64
Chicago 88-64
After the season it was ruled that postponed games potentially impacting a pennant race would have to be made up in the future.
The Tigers scored just 4.2 runs per game and allowed 3.6 runs. At first glance, it would appear that the team was led by their pitching, but remember this was during the Deadball era where runs were scarce. In a league where teams averaged 3.4 runs per game, Detroit scored more runs than any team in the league by a wide margin (Cleveland was second with 3.6 RPG).
As measured by OPS, the Bengals had four of the top five batters in the league - outfielders Ty Cobb (.842), Same Crawford (.812) and Matty McIntyre (.775) and first baseman Claude Rossman (.748). Those are not great numbers by today's standards but, in a league where only nine batters topped .700, they were quite impressive. Cobb also led the league in batting average (.324), slugging average (.475) and RBI (108).
The pitching staff was led by Ed Summers who went 24-12 and finished 4th in the league with a 1.67 ERA in 301 innings pitched. Other key Tigers starters were Donovan (116 ERA+ in 242 IP) and Ed Willett (106 ERA+ in 197 innings). All of these hurlers paled in comparison to Big Ed Walsh of the White Sox who won 40 games and posted a 1.42 ERA in 464 innings!
For the second straight season, the Cubs easily eliminated the Tigers in the World Series four games to one. Ty Cobb had a strong series putting up a .368/.400/.421 batting line-up, but he got little help either offensively or defensively. The Cubs won the first two games 10-6 and 6-2. The Tigers got their only win in game three, an 8-3 decision thanks to a four for five performance by Cobb. Chicago then won the final two games on shutouts by Three Finger Brown and Orval Overall.
The Tigers would get one more shot at the world championship in 1909.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #16 1950
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
After very successful runs in the 1930s and 1940s, Tigers fans anticipated another entertaining ten years in the 1950s. It didn't work out as they had hoped, but the decade did get of to a good start. In 1950, they went 95-59 for a .617 winning percentage, the seventh best in franchise history.
The Tigers roared out of the gate and were 54-27 with a 4 1/2 game lead on July 17. They stayed in first most of the summer, but the Yankees caught them by September. In one of the closest pennant races ever, the Bengals and Bronx Bombers exchanged the league lead eight times in September. unfortunately, the Tigers went 7-9 including 1-5 versus the Indians down the stretch and finished in second place, three behind the Yankees.
Detroit had a well balanced team which outscored opponents by 124 runs (837 to 713). Third baseman George Kell had arguably his best season batting .340 with a league-leading 218 hits and 56 doubles. Center fielder Hoot Evers led the team with a 141 OPS+ and finshed third in the AL with a .551 slugging percentage. Right fielder Vic Wertz also had a fine season batting .308 with a 137 OPS+.
The Tigers fiinshed second in the AL with a 4.12 ERA as five starters had ERA+ of 106 or better. Right-hander Art Houtteman had his finest season finishing in the top five in the AL in wins (19), innings (275), ERA (3.54) and complete games (21).
After their strong first season, The Tigers would not win more than 82 games again during the decade.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
After very successful runs in the 1930s and 1940s, Tigers fans anticipated another entertaining ten years in the 1950s. It didn't work out as they had hoped, but the decade did get of to a good start. In 1950, they went 95-59 for a .617 winning percentage, the seventh best in franchise history.
The Tigers roared out of the gate and were 54-27 with a 4 1/2 game lead on July 17. They stayed in first most of the summer, but the Yankees caught them by September. In one of the closest pennant races ever, the Bengals and Bronx Bombers exchanged the league lead eight times in September. unfortunately, the Tigers went 7-9 including 1-5 versus the Indians down the stretch and finished in second place, three behind the Yankees.
Detroit had a well balanced team which outscored opponents by 124 runs (837 to 713). Third baseman George Kell had arguably his best season batting .340 with a league-leading 218 hits and 56 doubles. Center fielder Hoot Evers led the team with a 141 OPS+ and finshed third in the AL with a .551 slugging percentage. Right fielder Vic Wertz also had a fine season batting .308 with a 137 OPS+.
The Tigers fiinshed second in the AL with a 4.12 ERA as five starters had ERA+ of 106 or better. Right-hander Art Houtteman had his finest season finishing in the top five in the AL in wins (19), innings (275), ERA (3.54) and complete games (21).
After their strong first season, The Tigers would not win more than 82 games again during the decade.
Some of data for this article were gathered from Baseball-Reference.com and Retrosheet.org
Tigers Acquire Eric Patterson
The Tigers announced today that they have signed utility man Eric Patterson to a minor league contract. The versatile Patterson has seen action at second base and all three outfield positions in five partial seasons in the majors. The Tigers will be his fifth organization in a career which has included stints with the Cubs, Athletics, Red Sox and Padres.
The 28-year-old left-handed batter has hit .217 with 10 homers and 37 extra base hits in 574 major league plate appearances, which is the equivalent of one full season. He walks in about 10% of his PA which is OK, but has an OBP of .294 because he hasn't hit for average. The one thing he thing is does exceptionally well is run and he has stolen 35 bases in 40 career attempts.
Patterson may compete for the 25th spot on the roster with outfielders Andy Dirks and Clete Thomas and infielder Danny Worth. The one advantage he has over all those players is the ability to play both infield and outfield. Still, the most likely result is that he'll start the season in Toledo serving as organizational depth in case there are injuries at the major league level.
The 28-year-old left-handed batter has hit .217 with 10 homers and 37 extra base hits in 574 major league plate appearances, which is the equivalent of one full season. He walks in about 10% of his PA which is OK, but has an OBP of .294 because he hasn't hit for average. The one thing he thing is does exceptionally well is run and he has stolen 35 bases in 40 career attempts.
Patterson may compete for the 25th spot on the roster with outfielders Andy Dirks and Clete Thomas and infielder Danny Worth. The one advantage he has over all those players is the ability to play both infield and outfield. Still, the most likely result is that he'll start the season in Toledo serving as organizational depth in case there are injuries at the major league level.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #17 1937
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
If there were a time machine which could place me in any period in baseball history, the first teams I would watch would be the Tigers of the mid-1930s. Between 1934-1938, no fewer than six future Hall of Famers would wear the Olde English D. These teams won two pennants, one world championship and had four of the five highest-scoring teams in franchise history. You can be sure that this span will be well represented in the top 20.
The 1937 squad was one of the most explosive Tigers teams ever. They scored 935 runs, a total surpassed only by the 1934 team's 957. They were led by two of the future Hall-of-Famers - second baseman Charlie Gehringer and first basemen Hank Greenberg. Gehringer, won the American League MVP after batting a league-leading .371 with a .458 on-base percentage. Greenberg batted .337 with 103 extra-base hits and an amazing 183 RBI, the third-highest total in MLB history.
The supporting cast was also impressive. Rookie catcher Rudy York belted 18 home runs in the month of August, an MLB single-month record that would stand for 61 years until it was broken by Sammy Sosa in 1998. Big Rudy ended the season with 35 homers and a .651 slugging average in 104 games. In addition, outfielders Pete Fox and Gee Walker each contributed over 200 hits, giving them four players above that milestone.
Unfortunately, the Tigers lacked the pitching depth of their pennant-winning 1934-1935 teams and finished seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.87 ERA. Their top pitchers were Eldon Auker with a 120 ERA+ in 253 innings and Tommy Bridges with a 115 ERA+ in 245 innings, but they had little beyond that. The staff suffered a big blow when the popular Schoolboy Rowe missed most of the season with a sore arm.
The end result was a 89-63 record and a second place finish, 13 games behind the Yankees. Still, this extraordinary offensive team deserves a spot on a list of best Tigers seasons ever.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
If there were a time machine which could place me in any period in baseball history, the first teams I would watch would be the Tigers of the mid-1930s. Between 1934-1938, no fewer than six future Hall of Famers would wear the Olde English D. These teams won two pennants, one world championship and had four of the five highest-scoring teams in franchise history. You can be sure that this span will be well represented in the top 20.
The 1937 squad was one of the most explosive Tigers teams ever. They scored 935 runs, a total surpassed only by the 1934 team's 957. They were led by two of the future Hall-of-Famers - second baseman Charlie Gehringer and first basemen Hank Greenberg. Gehringer, won the American League MVP after batting a league-leading .371 with a .458 on-base percentage. Greenberg batted .337 with 103 extra-base hits and an amazing 183 RBI, the third-highest total in MLB history.
The supporting cast was also impressive. Rookie catcher Rudy York belted 18 home runs in the month of August, an MLB single-month record that would stand for 61 years until it was broken by Sammy Sosa in 1998. Big Rudy ended the season with 35 homers and a .651 slugging average in 104 games. In addition, outfielders Pete Fox and Gee Walker each contributed over 200 hits, giving them four players above that milestone.
Unfortunately, the Tigers lacked the pitching depth of their pennant-winning 1934-1935 teams and finished seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.87 ERA. Their top pitchers were Eldon Auker with a 120 ERA+ in 253 innings and Tommy Bridges with a 115 ERA+ in 245 innings, but they had little beyond that. The staff suffered a big blow when the popular Schoolboy Rowe missed most of the season with a sore arm.
The end result was a 89-63 record and a second place finish, 13 games behind the Yankees. Still, this extraordinary offensive team deserves a spot on a list of best Tigers seasons ever.
Monday, January 02, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #18 1972
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
Under normal circumstances, a Tigers team that won a division title and had an exciting playoff series would rank higher than 18 on a list of best seasons. Unfortunately, 1972 was the year of the first league-wide work stoppage in MLB history. It only lasted from April 1-13, but that seemed like forever to a nine-year-old boy who didn't understand why they weren't playing baseball games. That disappointment knocks this season down a few notches, but it still has to be included in the top 20.
As it turned out, the strike may have helped the Tigers win the American League East division title. Because of games missed to the strike, the Tigers wound up playing one more game than the Red Sox. That one game proved to be the difference in the race as the Tigers beat out the Red Sox by a half a game.
Going into the final weekend, the Red Sox led the Tigers by one half game as the two teams met in a three-game series. The Tigers won the first two games of the series to clinch the division title. The Red Sox won the final game to pull within a half game, but it didn't matter. The final records were:
Detroit 86-70 .551 ---
Boston 85-70 .548 1/2
The 1972 season was the last hurrah for an aging Tigers team which had won a championship in 1968. The offense was led by two players in the twilights of their career - first baseman Norm Cash and right fielder Al Kaline, both 37 years old. Other holdovers from the '68 team included catcher Bill Freehan, second baseman Dick McAuliffe and outfielders Gates Brown, Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Mickey Stanley. They finished only fifth in a twelve team league with 558 runs scored.
The strength of this team was pitching. Fiery manager Billy Martin worked his top starters - left-hander Mickey Lolich and right-hander Joe Coleman - very hard. Lolich won 22 games and posted a 2.50 ERA and 250 strikeouts in 327 innings. Coleman won 19 games and had a 2.50 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 280 innings. The final piece was not added until late in the season though. On August 2, the Tigers acquired pitcher Woodie Fryman off waivers from the Phillies (who thought the southpaw was all done). Fryman was magnificent down the stretch with a 2.06 ERA and 10 wins, including the division clincher.
The Tigers then faced the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the League Championship Series and gave them a good battle. The A's took the first two games of the series at home, but the series then went to Tiger Stadium for three games. The Tigers took the third game of 3-0 behind a complete game, 14 strikeout effort by Coleman.
The fourth game was one of the most memorable in playoff history. The score was tied at one after nine innings, but a two-run tenth put the Athletics in front 3-1. The Tigers then mounted a dramatic three-run rally in the bottom of the inning to win it 4-3. The tying run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Cash by reliever Dave Hamilton. The game winning hit was a single by Northrup scoring Brown.
Oakland eliminated the Tigers with a 2-1 win in game five as Blue Moon Odom and Vida Blue held the Tigers to just four hits. One of the hits was a one-out single by Northrup in the ninth, but the Tigers could not score him.
This would be the Tigers last post-season game for 12 years.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 season can be found here.
Under normal circumstances, a Tigers team that won a division title and had an exciting playoff series would rank higher than 18 on a list of best seasons. Unfortunately, 1972 was the year of the first league-wide work stoppage in MLB history. It only lasted from April 1-13, but that seemed like forever to a nine-year-old boy who didn't understand why they weren't playing baseball games. That disappointment knocks this season down a few notches, but it still has to be included in the top 20.
As it turned out, the strike may have helped the Tigers win the American League East division title. Because of games missed to the strike, the Tigers wound up playing one more game than the Red Sox. That one game proved to be the difference in the race as the Tigers beat out the Red Sox by a half a game.
Going into the final weekend, the Red Sox led the Tigers by one half game as the two teams met in a three-game series. The Tigers won the first two games of the series to clinch the division title. The Red Sox won the final game to pull within a half game, but it didn't matter. The final records were:
Detroit 86-70 .551 ---
Boston 85-70 .548 1/2
The 1972 season was the last hurrah for an aging Tigers team which had won a championship in 1968. The offense was led by two players in the twilights of their career - first baseman Norm Cash and right fielder Al Kaline, both 37 years old. Other holdovers from the '68 team included catcher Bill Freehan, second baseman Dick McAuliffe and outfielders Gates Brown, Willie Horton, Jim Northrup and Mickey Stanley. They finished only fifth in a twelve team league with 558 runs scored.
The strength of this team was pitching. Fiery manager Billy Martin worked his top starters - left-hander Mickey Lolich and right-hander Joe Coleman - very hard. Lolich won 22 games and posted a 2.50 ERA and 250 strikeouts in 327 innings. Coleman won 19 games and had a 2.50 ERA and 222 strikeouts in 280 innings. The final piece was not added until late in the season though. On August 2, the Tigers acquired pitcher Woodie Fryman off waivers from the Phillies (who thought the southpaw was all done). Fryman was magnificent down the stretch with a 2.06 ERA and 10 wins, including the division clincher.
The Tigers then faced the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in the League Championship Series and gave them a good battle. The A's took the first two games of the series at home, but the series then went to Tiger Stadium for three games. The Tigers took the third game of 3-0 behind a complete game, 14 strikeout effort by Coleman.
The fourth game was one of the most memorable in playoff history. The score was tied at one after nine innings, but a two-run tenth put the Athletics in front 3-1. The Tigers then mounted a dramatic three-run rally in the bottom of the inning to win it 4-3. The tying run scored on a bases-loaded walk to Cash by reliever Dave Hamilton. The game winning hit was a single by Northrup scoring Brown.
Oakland eliminated the Tigers with a 2-1 win in game five as Blue Moon Odom and Vida Blue held the Tigers to just four hits. One of the hits was a one-out single by Northrup in the ninth, but the Tigers could not score him.
This would be the Tigers last post-season game for 12 years.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #19 1923
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1920s decade was not one of the Tigers most successful. They won no pennants, finished as high as second place only once, and never won more than 86 games. However there was was no shortage of individual batting stars playing in Detroit during the period. The decade spanned the end of Ty Cobb's legendary career and the beginning of the Charlie Gehringer era. Other Tiger greats during the time included Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush and Bobby Veach. They lacked the pitching required to win championships, but it was an exciting decade for those who love offense.
The Tigers only second place finish was in 1923 when they went 83-71. Unfortunately, it was a distant second, 16 games behind the powerful New York Yankees. A total of 911,377 Navin Field fans watched a team featuring three future Hall of Fame outfielders in Cobb (also the team's manager), Heilmann and Manush. They finished second in the league with 833 runs scored and batted .300 as a team.
This was the year Heilmann took over for Cobb as the team's best hitter and what a season he had. Slug had probably the best year of his fantastic career winning his second of four batting tittles with a .403 batting average. He had incredible numbers across the board finishing in the top five in almost every offensive category - 2nd in on base percentage (.481) and slugging average (.632), third in homers (18), hits (211) and RBI (115), and fourth in doubles (44), runs (121) and total bases (331). It was one of the most amazing individual hitting performances in franchise history.
Heilmann had a good supporting cast on a team which had five batters finish in the top 15 in on base percentage. The 36 year old Cobb slipped from a .401 batting average in 1902 to .340 in 1923, but still managed a .413 OBP and 134 OPS+. Manush started his illustrious career with a .334/.406/.471 batting line in 109 games. Other on-base leaders included catcher Johnny Bassler (.414), first baseman Lu Blue (.402), shortstop Topper Rigney (.389) and Bobby Veach .388 (in 339 at bats).
Like most Tigers teams of the twenties, the 1923 squad was held back by their pitching. All-time franchise wins leader Hooks Dauss won the team pitching triple crown with 21 wins, a 3.62 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 316 innings pitched. Herman Polycarp Pillette was their second best starter with a 3.85 ERA in 250 innings. They had very little beyond that finishing seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.09 ERA.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1920s decade was not one of the Tigers most successful. They won no pennants, finished as high as second place only once, and never won more than 86 games. However there was was no shortage of individual batting stars playing in Detroit during the period. The decade spanned the end of Ty Cobb's legendary career and the beginning of the Charlie Gehringer era. Other Tiger greats during the time included Harry Heilmann, Heinie Manush and Bobby Veach. They lacked the pitching required to win championships, but it was an exciting decade for those who love offense.
The Tigers only second place finish was in 1923 when they went 83-71. Unfortunately, it was a distant second, 16 games behind the powerful New York Yankees. A total of 911,377 Navin Field fans watched a team featuring three future Hall of Fame outfielders in Cobb (also the team's manager), Heilmann and Manush. They finished second in the league with 833 runs scored and batted .300 as a team.
This was the year Heilmann took over for Cobb as the team's best hitter and what a season he had. Slug had probably the best year of his fantastic career winning his second of four batting tittles with a .403 batting average. He had incredible numbers across the board finishing in the top five in almost every offensive category - 2nd in on base percentage (.481) and slugging average (.632), third in homers (18), hits (211) and RBI (115), and fourth in doubles (44), runs (121) and total bases (331). It was one of the most amazing individual hitting performances in franchise history.
Heilmann had a good supporting cast on a team which had five batters finish in the top 15 in on base percentage. The 36 year old Cobb slipped from a .401 batting average in 1902 to .340 in 1923, but still managed a .413 OBP and 134 OPS+. Manush started his illustrious career with a .334/.406/.471 batting line in 109 games. Other on-base leaders included catcher Johnny Bassler (.414), first baseman Lu Blue (.402), shortstop Topper Rigney (.389) and Bobby Veach .388 (in 339 at bats).
Like most Tigers teams of the twenties, the 1923 squad was held back by their pitching. All-time franchise wins leader Hooks Dauss won the team pitching triple crown with 21 wins, a 3.62 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 316 innings pitched. Herman Polycarp Pillette was their second best starter with a 3.85 ERA in 250 innings. They had very little beyond that finishing seventh in an eight-team league with a 4.09 ERA.
Tigers Top 20 Seasons: #20 1991
In reviewing the history of the Detroit Tigers, I often think about the best seasons to be a Tigers fan. So, I am writing a series of posts listing the top 20 seasons in Tigers history. There is no specific formula for determining the best seasons, but there are some criteria which I consider carefully. Playoff appearances, especially those leading to world championships are, of course, important. Team dominance as measured by winning percentage and run differential also carries a lot of weight.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1990s were a tough time for Tigers fans, especially those too young to remember the great teams of the mid-1980s. It was a decade where the Tigers failed to make the playoffs and posted only two winning seasons. However, they did have some exciting offensive teams at the beginning of the decade. In 1990, Cecil Fielder came out of nowhere to become the first major league hitter in 13 years to blast 50 homers. That season almost made the list for that reason alone.
The best team of the decade though was the collection of hitters which led the American League in home runs, walks and strikeouts in 1991. The Tigers finished in second place at 84-78, seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. It wasn't a great team, but the Bengals explosive offense held the attention of fans all year long. They finished second in the league with 817 runs scored and crushed 209 homers which was 32 more than the next highest team, the Rangers at 177.
Fielder had another outstanding season leading the majors with 44 homers and 133 RBI and finishing second in the MVP voting to Baltimore's Cal Ripken. However, he may not have been the best hitter on the team. His 27.1 Batting Runs were only third on the team behind catcher Mickey Tettleton (30.4) and second baseman Lou Whitaker (30.2). The Tigers also had perhaps the best utility player of all time in Tony Phillips. Phillips played at least nine games at every position expect catcher and first base while reaching base at a .371 clip.
Adding to the character of the team was the hit-or-miss duo of Rob Deer and Pete Incaviglia. They could hit the ball a mile but combined to strikeout 267 times in 916 at bats. With 25 homers and 89 walks. Deer may have been the best .179 hitter ever! Many blamed the lack of success of this team on all the strikeouts, but it was actually an offensive machine.
The reason the team did not go further was the pitching. They finished 12th in the league with 794 runs allowed. Their staff was led by right hander Bill Gullickson (3.90 ERA in 226 innings) and Frank Tanana (3.77 ERA in 217 innings), but they had little depth. Gullickson was the last Tigers pitcher prior to Justin Verlander to win 20 games, but much of that was due to some of the best offensive support in baseball.
While most of the teams on the list did win a lot of games, this is not simply a ranking of the best teams statistically. Sometimes, a non-winning season stands out because of great individual achievements or because the team was unique in some way. I wanted every decade to be represented and since the Tigers have had a couple of poor decades, this was a challenge. However, the Tigers have managed to put together at least one campaign each decade which was memorable even if it was not a great year in terms of wins and losses and some of those seasons will also be included.
The entire list of 20 seasons can be found here.
The 1990s were a tough time for Tigers fans, especially those too young to remember the great teams of the mid-1980s. It was a decade where the Tigers failed to make the playoffs and posted only two winning seasons. However, they did have some exciting offensive teams at the beginning of the decade. In 1990, Cecil Fielder came out of nowhere to become the first major league hitter in 13 years to blast 50 homers. That season almost made the list for that reason alone.
The best team of the decade though was the collection of hitters which led the American League in home runs, walks and strikeouts in 1991. The Tigers finished in second place at 84-78, seven games behind the Toronto Blue Jays. It wasn't a great team, but the Bengals explosive offense held the attention of fans all year long. They finished second in the league with 817 runs scored and crushed 209 homers which was 32 more than the next highest team, the Rangers at 177.
Fielder had another outstanding season leading the majors with 44 homers and 133 RBI and finishing second in the MVP voting to Baltimore's Cal Ripken. However, he may not have been the best hitter on the team. His 27.1 Batting Runs were only third on the team behind catcher Mickey Tettleton (30.4) and second baseman Lou Whitaker (30.2). The Tigers also had perhaps the best utility player of all time in Tony Phillips. Phillips played at least nine games at every position expect catcher and first base while reaching base at a .371 clip.
Adding to the character of the team was the hit-or-miss duo of Rob Deer and Pete Incaviglia. They could hit the ball a mile but combined to strikeout 267 times in 916 at bats. With 25 homers and 89 walks. Deer may have been the best .179 hitter ever! Many blamed the lack of success of this team on all the strikeouts, but it was actually an offensive machine.
The reason the team did not go further was the pitching. They finished 12th in the league with 794 runs allowed. Their staff was led by right hander Bill Gullickson (3.90 ERA in 226 innings) and Frank Tanana (3.77 ERA in 217 innings), but they had little depth. Gullickson was the last Tigers pitcher prior to Justin Verlander to win 20 games, but much of that was due to some of the best offensive support in baseball.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tigers Interested in Garza
When Nick Cafardo recently wrote in the Boston Globe about the Tigers possibly being interested in Cubs right hander Matt Garza, it sounded like speculation to me so I didn't take it too seriously. There apparently might be something to it though as Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports is now reporting the same thing. As you might expect, there are several other teams who are interested including the Yankees and Blue Jays.
The 28-year-old Garza posted a 3.32 ERA and impressive 197/63 K/BB ratio in 198 innings last year. He also finished among the National League's top ten pitchers with a 2.95 FIP and 20 Base Runs Saved. More importantly, Garza has maintained consistent success since becoming a regular starter averaging 197 innings and a 3.72 ERA over the last four seasons. Each year, his ERA has been below 4.00.
Garza's arsenal features a fastball with an average velocity of 93.8. For comparison purposes, Max Scherzer averages 93.1 MPH. Garza's second best pitch is his slider and he also throws a curve ball and change up.
Garza is clearly a very solid number two or three starter on a contending team. The catch is that he is just two years away from free agency and will be costly in terms of prospects. The Tigers might not have to gut their entire system for two years of Garza as they would have for four years of Gio Gonzalez. However, the Cubs would likely require Tigers prized righty Jacob Turner as part of the deal.
Should the Tigers give up Turner for Garza? One argument is that they would be trading six years of control over Turner for two years of Garza. On the flip side, Turner may never be as good a Garza already is. I don't worry too much about years of team control when it comes to pitchers, because they are so fragile and unpredictable, you just don't know where they'll be two years from now. Never mind six.
The bigger question for me is, do you want to trade your best prospect trading chip for two years of Garza or do you want to save him for something bigger? It might depend on what else they can do. If they are able to acquire Garza and also make an upgrade or two offensively, this would put them in really good position to win it all the next couple of years. Otherwise, they might be better off waiting to see how things look prior to next season's deadline.
The 28-year-old Garza posted a 3.32 ERA and impressive 197/63 K/BB ratio in 198 innings last year. He also finished among the National League's top ten pitchers with a 2.95 FIP and 20 Base Runs Saved. More importantly, Garza has maintained consistent success since becoming a regular starter averaging 197 innings and a 3.72 ERA over the last four seasons. Each year, his ERA has been below 4.00.
Garza's arsenal features a fastball with an average velocity of 93.8. For comparison purposes, Max Scherzer averages 93.1 MPH. Garza's second best pitch is his slider and he also throws a curve ball and change up.
Garza is clearly a very solid number two or three starter on a contending team. The catch is that he is just two years away from free agency and will be costly in terms of prospects. The Tigers might not have to gut their entire system for two years of Garza as they would have for four years of Gio Gonzalez. However, the Cubs would likely require Tigers prized righty Jacob Turner as part of the deal.
Should the Tigers give up Turner for Garza? One argument is that they would be trading six years of control over Turner for two years of Garza. On the flip side, Turner may never be as good a Garza already is. I don't worry too much about years of team control when it comes to pitchers, because they are so fragile and unpredictable, you just don't know where they'll be two years from now. Never mind six.
The bigger question for me is, do you want to trade your best prospect trading chip for two years of Garza or do you want to save him for something bigger? It might depend on what else they can do. If they are able to acquire Garza and also make an upgrade or two offensively, this would put them in really good position to win it all the next couple of years. Otherwise, they might be better off waiting to see how things look prior to next season's deadline.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Shutdowns and Meltdowns: Tigers Top Relievers Since 1974
Going back to my earlier Shutdown/Meltdown theme, I wanted to look at Tigers relievers historically. Remember that a pitcher gets credit for a shutdown (SD) whenever he substantially enhances his teams chance of winning a game (sum of Win Probability Added for the game is 6% or better). He is charged with a Meltdown (MD) if he significantly hampers his team's chance of winning (sum of Win Probaility Added for the game is less than -6%).
Before I present the historical SD/MD leaders, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, Win Probability Added data are only available back to 1974. So, anybody pitching prior to that year will be excluded.
Another issue is that relievers were used a lot differently back in the 1970s and even into the 1980s. In contrast to today where closers typically enter games with nobody on base and pitch one inning, earlier top relievers would often come into games with runners on base and pitch multiple innings. So, earlier relievers had more opportunities for Meltdowns than contemporary relievers and thus typically didn't do as well on the SD/MD statistic.
Table 1 lists the Tigers SD/MD leaders since 1974. 1984 MVP winner Guillermo Hernandez tops the list with an amazing 10.2 (41/4) ratio. The second best ratio belongs to Jose Valverde with a 7.6 (38/5) ratio in 2011.
Table 1: Tigers Single-season SD/MD Leaders, 1974-2011
Data from: FanGraphs.com
Todd Jones had five of the top 15 seasons - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007. There are a couple of factors involved in Jones' success. First, the Roller Coaster was not used in a lot of situations where he had chances for Meltdowns. Just as importantly, he was very good at his role and therefore was able to get a good number of Shutdowns.
The biggest surprises on the list are Mike Christopher in 1995 and Jose Lima in 1996. Neither was very good according to traditional statistics, but a look at their game logs shows that they pitched well in high leverage situations. It's probably just a fluke that they pitched their best when they were needed the most, but their good SD/MD ratios indicate that they probably had more value to their teams than the more traditional measures indicate.
Before I present the historical SD/MD leaders, there are a couple things to keep in mind. First, Win Probability Added data are only available back to 1974. So, anybody pitching prior to that year will be excluded.
Another issue is that relievers were used a lot differently back in the 1970s and even into the 1980s. In contrast to today where closers typically enter games with nobody on base and pitch one inning, earlier top relievers would often come into games with runners on base and pitch multiple innings. So, earlier relievers had more opportunities for Meltdowns than contemporary relievers and thus typically didn't do as well on the SD/MD statistic.
Table 1 lists the Tigers SD/MD leaders since 1974. 1984 MVP winner Guillermo Hernandez tops the list with an amazing 10.2 (41/4) ratio. The second best ratio belongs to Jose Valverde with a 7.6 (38/5) ratio in 2011.
Table 1: Tigers Single-season SD/MD Leaders, 1974-2011
Pitcher | Year | SD | MD | SD/MD |
Guillermo Hernandez | 1984 | 41 | 4 | 10.2 |
Jose Valverde | 2011 | 38 | 5 | 7.6 |
Todd Jones | 2000 | 35 | 5 | 7.0 |
Mike Christopher | 1995 | 12 | 2 | 6.0 |
Fernando Rodney | 2009 | 35 | 7 | 5.0 |
Jose Valverde | 2010 | 23 | 5 | 4.6 |
Todd Jones | 1999 | 27 | 6 | 4.5 |
Aurelio Lopez | 1979 | 34 | 8 | 4.2 |
Jerry Don Gleaton | 1990 | 21 | 5 | 4.2 |
Todd Jones | 2007 | 29 | 7 | 4.1 |
Todd Jones | 1997 | 32 | 8 | 4.0 |
Joel Zumaya | 2006 | 35 | 9 | 3.9 |
Todd Jones | 1998 | 26 | 7 | 3.7 |
Mike Henneman | 1991 | 29 | 8 | 3.6 |
Jose Lima | 1996 | 14 | 4 | 3.5 |
Todd Jones had five of the top 15 seasons - 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2007. There are a couple of factors involved in Jones' success. First, the Roller Coaster was not used in a lot of situations where he had chances for Meltdowns. Just as importantly, he was very good at his role and therefore was able to get a good number of Shutdowns.
The biggest surprises on the list are Mike Christopher in 1995 and Jose Lima in 1996. Neither was very good according to traditional statistics, but a look at their game logs shows that they pitched well in high leverage situations. It's probably just a fluke that they pitched their best when they were needed the most, but their good SD/MD ratios indicate that they probably had more value to their teams than the more traditional measures indicate.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Regular-Season Performance Versus Post-Season Success - Part 2
In my last post, I looked at the correlation between regular-season win totals and post-season success and found no clear association between the two. Teams seemed to have equal likelihood of winning their divisional series, winning a pennant and winning the World Series regardless of their win totals in the regular season.
A better measure than wins of the dominance of a team is run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed), so I'm going to do a similar analysis using that. Here, the 128 playoff teams between 1996-2011 are divided into approximately equal-sized groups (called quartiles) based on run differential. The first quartile contains the bottom 25 percent of teams, that is, teams with a run differential of 77 or less. The second, third and fourth quartiles include teams with run differentials of 78-114, 115-149 and 150+ respectively.
Table 1 shows the relationship between run differential and post-season performance. The first rows tell us the following: 33 teams had run differentials of 77 or less, 16 (48%) triumphed in the divisional series, 7 (21%) won the pennant, and 5 (15%) were world champions. As we saw with wins, the percent of teams winning in the first round of playoffs does not change very much across quartiles.
However, teams with run differentials of 150 or more were almost three times as likely as the 77 and under group and nearly twice as likely as the middle quartiles to win the pennant. The 150+ quartile was also most likely to win the World Series, but not by much: 18% for 150+ versus 15% for 77 and under. The results are not statistically significant, in part because 16 years is not a large sample.
Table 1: Post-Season Performance by Regular Season Run Differential
Data from Baseball1.com
In Table 2, the teams are divided into groups according to where they finished in run differential among the four teams in their league each year. Here, we see stronger evidence (although still not statistically significant) of more dominant regular-season teams doing better in the post-season. The top-ranked teams had a higher likelihood than the bottom-raked teams of winning the divisional series (66% versus 47%), pennant (38% versus 19%) and World Series (22% versus 9%).
The results of this analysis are more in line with what you might expect. The less dominant teams do have a decent chance of post-season success. Indeed, nearly half (47%) of the fourth-ranked teams got by the first round of the playoffs. Additionally 7 of the 16 World Series winners ranked third or fourth in run differential. Similarly, the strongest teams can fail in the playoffs - about a third (34%) of the top-ranked teams did not get past the first round. However, we are seeing some evidence that teams with the best run differential do have a somewhat better chance at playoff success.
Table 2: Post-Season Performance by Regular Season Run Differential Rank
Data from Baseball1.com
A better measure than wins of the dominance of a team is run differential (runs scored minus runs allowed), so I'm going to do a similar analysis using that. Here, the 128 playoff teams between 1996-2011 are divided into approximately equal-sized groups (called quartiles) based on run differential. The first quartile contains the bottom 25 percent of teams, that is, teams with a run differential of 77 or less. The second, third and fourth quartiles include teams with run differentials of 78-114, 115-149 and 150+ respectively.
Table 1 shows the relationship between run differential and post-season performance. The first rows tell us the following: 33 teams had run differentials of 77 or less, 16 (48%) triumphed in the divisional series, 7 (21%) won the pennant, and 5 (15%) were world champions. As we saw with wins, the percent of teams winning in the first round of playoffs does not change very much across quartiles.
However, teams with run differentials of 150 or more were almost three times as likely as the 77 and under group and nearly twice as likely as the middle quartiles to win the pennant. The 150+ quartile was also most likely to win the World Series, but not by much: 18% for 150+ versus 15% for 77 and under. The results are not statistically significant, in part because 16 years is not a large sample.
Table 1: Post-Season Performance by Regular Season Run Differential
Regular Season Run Diff | Teams | Divisional Series | Pennant | World Series |
<= 77 | 33 | 16(48%) | 7 (21%) | 5 (15%) |
78-114 | 33 | 16 (48%) | 10 (30% | 3 (9%) |
115-149 | 29 | 13 (45%) | 4 (31%) | 2 (7%) |
150+ | 33 | 19 (58%) | 11 (58%) | 6 (18%) |
Data from Baseball1.com
In Table 2, the teams are divided into groups according to where they finished in run differential among the four teams in their league each year. Here, we see stronger evidence (although still not statistically significant) of more dominant regular-season teams doing better in the post-season. The top-ranked teams had a higher likelihood than the bottom-raked teams of winning the divisional series (66% versus 47%), pennant (38% versus 19%) and World Series (22% versus 9%).
The results of this analysis are more in line with what you might expect. The less dominant teams do have a decent chance of post-season success. Indeed, nearly half (47%) of the fourth-ranked teams got by the first round of the playoffs. Additionally 7 of the 16 World Series winners ranked third or fourth in run differential. Similarly, the strongest teams can fail in the playoffs - about a third (34%) of the top-ranked teams did not get past the first round. However, we are seeing some evidence that teams with the best run differential do have a somewhat better chance at playoff success.
Table 2: Post-Season Performance by Regular Season Run Differential Rank
Regular Season Run Diff | Teams | Divisional Series | Pennant | World Series |
Fourth | 32 | 15 (47%) | 6 (19%) | 3 (9%) |
Third | 32 | 16 (50%) | 7 (22% | 4 (12%) |
Second | 32 | 12 (38%) | 7 (22%) | 2 (6%) |
First | 32 | 21 (66%) | 12(38%) | 7 (22%) |
Data from Baseball1.com
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