Classic Photos of the Detroit Tigers

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Oct 7, 2011

Classic Photos of the Detroit Tigers

Thomas Bridges, Eldon Auker; Victor Sorrell; Alvin Crowder, Carl Fischer and Luke Hamlin

Tigers' pitchers Thomas Biridges, Eldon Auker, Victor Sorrell, Alvin Chowder, Carl Fischer and Luke Hamlin pose in the Tigers Stadium dugout for a 1934 photo. The Tigers' were AL Champions in 1934 and would win their first World Series the following year.

Ty Cobb

Cobb was a Tigers' outfielder from 1905 to 1926. During his 24-year MLB career he set records for runs scored and RBIS and has a lifetime .366 batting average (he hit over .400 three times). "The Georgia Peach" was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Hank Greenberg

"The Hebrew Hammer" takes a swing at batting practice in 1935. Greenberg was a five-time All-Star and two-time AL MVP. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1955.

Al Kaline and Harvey Kuenn

Al Kaline (left) and Harvey Kuenn appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 1956. Kaline never played in the minor leagues, made 15 All-Star teams and won 10 Gold Gloves. Kuenn was a 10-time All-Star, 1953 AL Rookie of the Year and 1959 AL batting champ. Despite their success, the Tigers didn't make the playoffs from 1946 through 1967.

Al Kaline

Tigers right fielder Al Kaline (center) is awarded the 1955 American League batting championship for his .340 avg. At 20 he was the youngest player ever to receive the award. Tigers vice president Charlie Gehringer, a former AL batting title holder, presented Kaline with the award.

Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers mob pitcher Mickey Lolich after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 4 to 1 in Game 7 of the 1968 World Series. Detroit has won four World Series titles.

Eddie Brinkman

Detroit shortstop Eddie Brinkman opens mail in the clubhouse after missing a 1972 game with an ankle injury. Brinkman played for the Tigers from 1971 to '74 and won a Gold Glove Award in 1973.

Billy Martin and Nestor Chylak

Billy Martin argues with umpire Nestor Chylak during a 1972 playoff game against eventual ALCS champion Oakland.

Mark Fidrych and Big Bird

Mark"The Bird" Fidrych poses with the Sesame Street character during a 1977 photo shoot. Fidrych led the majors with a 2.34 ERA in 1976 and won AL Rookie of the Year.

Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker

Lou Whitaker, Detroit's second baseman from 1979 to 1995, flips the ball to shortstop Alan Trammell during training camp. Whitaker and Trammell played together in Detriot for 18 straight years, making them the longest running double-play combination in Major League history.

Willie Hernandez and Lance Parrish

Ace reliever Willie Hernandez and catcher Lance Parrish celebrate the Tigers' "Roar of '84" World Series-winning season. Hernandez was the 1984 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner.

Jack Morris

Jack Morris thought about throwing Gary Gaetti's back bat at him after it hit him during a 1988 game in Minneapolis. After leading the AL East for most of the season, the Tigers frustratingly finished one game behind Boston with an 88-74 record.

Sparky Anderson

Anderson smokes his pipe in the dugout during a Grapefruit League game in Florida. He was the Tigers' manager from 1979 to 1995 and helped Detroit win the 1984 World Series. The Tigers retired Anderson's number 11 jersey. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Cecil Fielder, Lou Whitaker and Kirk Gibson

Kirk Gibson (right) high fives with Cecil Fielder after his first-inning grand slam on April 9, 1993. Gibson retired in 1995 and became a coach for the Tigers in 2003. He is currently the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Kirk Gibson and Pat Borders

Gibson collides with Kansas City catcher Pat Borders to score a run during his final MLB season.

Dmitri Young and Toby Hall

Dmitri Young slides in to score against Tampa. The Tigers lost an AL-record 119 games in 2003.

Magglio Ordonez

Magglio Ordonez, shown here in spring training, was signed by the Tigers as a free agent in 2005.

Justin Verlander

Verlander pitches against Cleveland during his 2006 rookie-of-the-year season. The Tigers' ace has been a key to their 2011 playoff run.

Ivan Rodriguez

"Pudge" Rodriguez reaches first base safely during a game against the New York Mets. The catcher played for the Tigers from 2004 to 2008. During that stretch the team only reached the playoffs once, in 2006.

Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga

The day after Joyce spoiled Galarraga's perfect game with a blown call at first base, the pitcher and umpire greeted each other at home plate. Galarraga and Joyce co-authored the book Nobody's Perfect about the June 2, 2010, near-perfect game.