The Detroit Tigers have enjoyed a rich baseball history over more than 100 years. Here is an all-time 25-man roster made up of Tigers through the years.
Oct 5, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; General view of Comerica Park before the game of the Detroit Tigers against the Baltimore Orioles during game three of the 2014 ALDS baseball playoff game at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
As a charter member of the American League, the Detroit Tigers have 115 seasons in their history book. With so many years of history, some of the game’s best have worn the Old English D through the years.
They may not be able to claim the number of world Titles of the New York Yankees, but the Tigers have made World Series appearances in seven different decades.
What if we could take the very best Tigers players from all the years in their storied history to create one ultimate 25-man roster? Through the magic of the interwebs, we can and we did as a joint effort between Detroit Jock City editors Matt Snyder and Zac Snyder.
Some of the decisions were no-brainers while others might be surprising to some. Take a look at this Tigers all-time 25-man roster and let us know what you think by leaving a comment at the bottom of this post or find Detroit Jock City on Facebook and/or Twitter.
Now on to the roster…
Next: Catcher
Catcher – Bill Freehan
As one of the best fielding catchers in MLB history, Bill Freehan was a five time Gold Glove award winner. His .9933 career fielding percentage stood as the Major League record for a catcher until 2002.
A quick look at his batting stats might suggest he was a glove-first catcher but he played in an era of depressed offensive statistics. A batting average below .300 might look pedestrian today, but Freehan’s .282 in 1967 placed him in the top ten in the American League.
He posted the best power numbers of his career during the Tigers’ championship season of 1968, hitting 25 home runs and driving in 84 runs – good enough to rank fifth and sixth respectively in the AL.
In 15 career seasons – all with the Tigers – Freehan was an 11-time All-Star, including a stretch of ten straight from 1964-1973, and finished in the top ten of MVP voting three times. Freehan ended his career as a .262 hitter with 200 home runs.
Next: First Base
First Base – Hank Greenberg
As one of the most prodigious power hitters of his day, Hank Greenberg’s nickname of “Hammerin’ Hank” was well earned.
His 184 runs batted in during the 1937 season remains the Tigers franchise single-season record. In fact, Greenberg holds the Tigers’ top four single-season marks for runs batted in.
Greenberg also holds the franchise record for home runs in a season with 58. He and Cecil Fielder remain the only Tigers in history to hit 50 or more home runs in a season.
Greenberg spent most of his career as a first baseman but holds the distinction of having been named AL MVP at two different positions. Greenberg was voted the league’s Most Valuable Player for the 1935 season during which he played first base, but also won the award in 1940 when he played left field.
His 1941 season was cut short after just 19 games for military service in World War II that would keep Greenberg from returning to baseball until the 1945 season. Greenberg finished with 331 career home runs but had nearly four prime years of his career away from the game because of the war.
Next: Second Base
Second Base – Charlie Gehringer
Charlie Gehringer was known as “The Mechanical Man” for his consistently high level of production on a yearly basis. Former Yankees pitcher Lefty Gomez once said about Gehringer, “You wind him up in the spring, turn him loose, he hits .330 or .340, and you shut him off at the end of the season.”
That statement isn’t entirely correct — Gehringer only hit .330 or better in six of his 16 full seasons — but the general sentiment holds true. He appeared in parts of 19 seasons (all with the Tigers) and accumulated more than 10,000 plate appearances with a .320/.404/.480 slash line.
Gehringer was named to six consecutive All-Star teams from 1933 to 1938 and was named the Most Valuable Player of the American League for the 1937 season. He’s one of only six former players who has his career commemorated with a Comerica Park statue.
Gehringer’s year in, year out excellence earned him the reputation of being one of the best players in the history of the game. He currently ranks fifth all-time in career WAR among major league second basemen.
As far as all-time team rankings go, Gehringer is second in runs scored, third in hits, fourth in runs batted in, and fifth in OPS (.884).
Next: Third Base
Sep 7, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera (24) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Third Base – Miguel Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera has spent most of his Detroit Tigers career at first base, but he put up the two best seasons by a third baseman in franchise history with his back-to-back MVP campaigns of 2012 and 2013.
One of the very best hitters in organizational history, Cabrera’s ability to play a below-average (yet reasonable) third made him one of the most valuable players in all of baseball.
Cabrera no longer has the range to play the position effectively, but his hands have always been good, and his throwing arm is among the strongest and most accurate in the game.
The debate for best Tigers hitter of all time comes down to Cabrera and Ty Cobb, but Cabrera is certainly the best hitter in team history who has also hit for power.
In his career Cabrera led the American League in home runs twice, batting average four times, on-base percentage four times, and total bases twice.
Cabrera’s career batting line as a member of the Tigers stands at an impressive .326/.406/.574 (in an age where offense has been relatively suppressed). His line improves to .338/.417/.620 for those two dominating years he spent playing the third base position full time in Detroit.
Next: Shortstop
Shortstop – Alan Trammell
Alan Trammell isn’t going to get voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA, which is a major shame. The 2015-16 offseason represents his final season on the ballot, but a clogged field has meant he has been somewhere between the 8th and 12th best choice for several years now.
The 10 player ballot limit has prevented him from getting much support despite Hall of Fame standards (such as JAWS) showing him to be a deserving candidate.
But even though the hall will have to wait, he still remains the greatest Detroit Tigers player to ever play the shortstop position.
He appeared with the Tigers in each of his 20 major league seasons and hit for an .800 OPS during his 10-year peak from 1980 to 1990. Along with contemporary Cal Ripken Jr., Trammell helped usher in the age of the offensive shortstop. (They passed the torch to the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter).
But Trammell certainly wasn’t an one-dimensional player. He won four gold glove awards and three silver slugger awards as one of the most well-rounded players of his time.
Tram finished as the runner-up for the 1987 AL MVP award, but modern day metrics (like WAR) reveal that he was a much more valuable player (8.2 WAR) than actual winner George Bell (5.0 WAR).
Next: Left Field
Left Field – Willie Horton
After spending only a portion of the 1963 and 1964 seasons in the Majors, Willie Horton busted out in his first full season with the Detroit Tigers. His 104 runs batted in remained his career high until he drove in 106 late in his career as a member of the Seattle Mariners and his 29 home runs was only topped by his 36 for the Tigers championship team of 1968.
While Horton’s first full season as a Tiger was one of his best, his career was hardly that of a suddenly bright star that quickly faded. By 1968, H0rton was an established veteran and went on to finish fourth in AL MVP voting. In a season dominated by pitching, finished second in the AL in home runs, slugging and total bases, while his .285 batting average was fourth best.
1968 saw Horton make the second of his four career All-Star Games in the 15 seasons he spent as a Tiger. The graduate of Detroit Northwestern High School finished his Tigers career with a .276 batting average, 262 home runs and 886 runs batted in over the course of 1,515 games. His 262 home runs rank fifth on the Tigers all-time list, having been passed by Miguel Cabrera for fourth in 2015.
Next: Center Field
Center Field – Ty Cobb
The Georgia Peach may have been anything but a “peach” on and off the field but Ty Cobb remains one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He played at a time in which the statistics of his day are incongruous with the statistics of today but there is no denying Cobb’s dominance in his era.
Cobb’s career batting average of .367 is the best in Major League history and his list of Tigers franchise records is extensive. Cobb tops the list of all-time Tigers for career runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, runs batted in, stolen bases, batting average and on base percentage.
For all the superlative numbers associated with Cobb, perhaps the most unbelievable is actually a small number. Cobb won the Triple Crown in 1909 by leading the league in batting average, runs batted in and home runs. His home run total that season? Nine.
The numbers are eye-popping but still don’t do Cobb justice. As fellow Hall of Famer George Sisler said, “the greatness of Ty Cobb was something that had to be seen, and to see him was to remember him forever.”
Next: Right Field
Right Field – Al Kaline
Al Kaline’s number 6 was the first number ever retired by the Tigers and earned the nickname “Mr. Tigers” for his great playing career and continued work with the organization following his playing days.
Like another former Tigers outfielder, Ty Cobb, Kaline was an AL batting champion by age 20, taking over the distinction of being the youngest player to ever win the AL batting title, which had been held by Cobb since 1907.
Although not known as a power hitter, Kaline posted respectable home run totals over the years such that he became, and still stands as, the franchise leader in career home runs at 399. He fell one short of the 400 home run mark but it was another milestone he was chasing as his career came to an end. Kaline became the 12th player in MLB history to reach the 3,000th hit mark on September 24, 1974 and announced his intention to retire after the season.
Billy Martin, who managed Kaline during his three seasons in Detroit, was effusive in his praise of Kaline saying, “I have always referred to Al Kaline as ‘Mister Perfection’. He does it all – hitting, fielding, running, throwing – and he does it with that extra touch of brilliancy that marks him as a super ballplayer.”
Having never spent a day in the minor leagues, Kaline’s career stretched 22 seasons – all with the Tigers. He was an All-Star in 15 of those seasons, a ten-time Gold Glove winner and while he was never named the AL’s Most Valuable Player, he finished in the top ten in voting nine times, including runner-up finishes in 1955 and 1963.
Next: Designated Hitter
Designated Hitter – Cecil Fielder
Cecil Fielder’s career wasn’t objectively great when looked at overall, but his thunderous bat brought incredible excitement to the team when he came to town in 1990.
After spending the 1989 season in Japan, Fielder announced his return to the states with a bang. He crushed 51 home runs* in the 1990 season, the first 50+ home runs season the major leagues had seen since George Foster in 1977 and the first the American League had seen since Roger Maris in 1961.
*Fielder’s 51 home runs in 1990 means he has the same number of 50+ home run seasons as Barry Bonds.
Cecil finished as the runner up in the 1990 MVP balloting and then finished second again in 1991 when he belted a league leading 44 home runs.
He never again hit 40 home runs in a season, but remained a fan favorite in the city until he was traded to the New York Yankees in the middle of the 1996 season. Fielder spent a few years with the Yankees then Angels and Indians, but never repeated the level of success he had with the Tigers where he put up a .351 on-base percentage and .498 slugging average with 245 home runs.
Next: Starting Pitcher #1
Starting Pitcher #1 – Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser first appeared in a game for the Detroit Tigers as an 18 year old in 1939 and pitched for the club for the next 15 seasons.
During his peak he was an absolute workhorse for the Tigers, averaging more than 268 innings per season during his eight-year peak from 1942-1949.
Newhouser was at his most dominant in his age 23, 24, and 25 seasons (1944-1946). In those three seasons he pitched a total of 918 innings, was credited with 80 wins, won two American League MVP Awards (and was the runner up in the third season), and posted a 1.99 ERA.
According to modern metrics, Newhouser was worth between eight and nine wins above replacement during that incredible run. That’s basically Justin Verlander’s best four-year stretch condensed into three seasons.
All told, Newhouser “won” 200 games as a member of the Tigers with a career 3.07 ERA. He threw 212 complete games (33 of them shutouts) and also racked up 19 saves for good measure.
He was all but done as a starting pitcher by the age of 31, but he had already compiled a tremendous career’s worth of statistics at that point and was a worthy inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame when the Veteran’s Committee admitted him in 1992.
Next: Starting Pitcher #2
Starting Pitcher #2 – Mickey Lolich
Mickey Lolich’s statistics fit better in the modern day than they did in his own time. In an era in which the average pitcher struck out roughly 15% of the batters he faced, Lolich consistently put up strikeout rates of 20% and above (even peaking at 23.1% in 1969). He currently holds the franchise record for strikeouts at 2,679.
Lolich never won a Cy Young Award, but he did make three American League All-Star teams as a member of the Tigers and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1968 World Series. Teammate Denny McLain had the better regular season and was named the Game 1 starting pitcher for the Tigers, but it was Lolich’s dominance that helped to secure the World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Each of his three World Series starts that year (the postseason consisted of only the World Series in that day) were complete game victories. He allowed a total of five runs (1.67 ERA) and struck out 21 batters (20% of the batters he faced).
For his regular season career in Detroit Lolich pitched a total of 3361.2 innings (fourth most in franchise history) with 207 wins (third most) and a 3.45 ERA.
Next: Starting Pitcher #3
Sep 6, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) pitches in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Starting Pitcher #3 – Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander debuted with the Tigers in 2005 as a 22-year-old kid who could throw the ball 100 mph without hardly trying. His arm remained special for the last decade, but what has made Verlander a truly great pitcher was his ability to harness his raw stuff and become a dominant four-pitch pitcher.
Verlander turns 33 years old in February and seems to be definitively past his peak, but his five-year run from 2009 to 2013 was something to behold. He made the American League All-Star team each year, fished in the top-three of the Cy Young Award voting three times (winning one) and took home an AL MVP Award as well.
During that stretch he averaged 234 innings per season, was credited with a win in two-thirds of his decisions, posted a 3.02 ERA, and struck out more than a batter per inning. He was, quite simply, the best pitcher in the game for a half decade.
Currently third on the Tigers’ all-time strikeout list, Verlander is poised to pass Jack Morris early next season (he’s only 37 strikeouts behind), but from there it would be another 700 to pass Mickey Lolich. With four guaranteed years left on his contract, he stands a good chance of at least challenging that mark.
Now in the third act of his career, it’s not known if Verlander will be able to make another run at a Cy Young award or ever again be known as a shut-down ace, but he doesn’t need to prove anything else to justify his position as one of the top pitchers in franchise history.
Next: Starting Pitcher #4
Starting Pitcher #4 – Jack Morris
Few pitchers can shoulder the type of workload that Jack Morris took on as a the Tigers’ top pitcher of the 1980s. One of only four players in franchise history to eclipse the 3,000 innings mark, Morris was the model of durability and reliability. From the time he joined the rotation full-time in 1979 to his departure following the 1990 season, Morris averaged 33 starts and 241 innings (for context, no pitcher threw even 235 innings in 2015).
Morris won all three of his postseason starts in the 1984 World Series Championship season (Game 1 of the ALCS and Games 1 and 4 of the World Series). In all he threw 25 innings that postseason (two starts were complete games) and posted a stellar 1.80 ERA. He also won 10 of his first 11 decisions that year during the club’s notable 35-5 start to the season.
The Hall of Fame may not have come calling for Morris — he fell 7.3% short in 2013 at the peak of his support in his penultimate year of ballot eligibility — but his career is nothing to be ashamed of and easily stacks up with the best in the history of the Detroit Tigers.
For his career in Detroit Morris was credited with 198 wins (fifth in club history), a 3.73 ERA, and 1980 strikeouts (currently second).
Next: Starting Pitcher #5
Starting Pitcher #5 – Denny McLain
Denny McLain’s inclusion on this all-time team has little to do with longevity and everything to do with peak. He only started 25 or more games in five of his eight years with the Detroit Tigers, but his two-year peak from 1968 to 1969 was about as good as any two-year stretch in team history.
He won the American League Cy Young award in both seasons, and the 1968 campaign saw him take home the AL MVP award as well. All of the accolades were well deserved as McLain racked up more than 660 innings (82 games started) in those two seasons with a 2.37 ERA.
McLain was the Tigers’ Game 1 starter for the 1968 World Series and, although he was the losing pitcher in that game, came back to toss a complete game shutout in Game 6 with his team’s back against the wall. The Tigers went on to win the series over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 7.
All told, McLain pitched 1593 innings with the Tigers, posted a 3.13 ERA, and was named to three All-Star Teams.
Next: Middle Relief
Long/Middle Relief
John Hiller – A closer in long or middle relief? As an “old school” closer, John Hiller finished games but often worked multiple innings to do so. As one of the best relief pitchers in Tigers history and the ability to work more than one inning, Hiller fills in perfectly here.
Hiller’s career spanned from 1965-1980, all with the Tigers, but was interrupted in 1971 because of a heart attack. He not only came back but came back better than he was before. His 38 saves in 1973 stood as the Major League record until 1983 and a Tigers franchise record until 2000 when Todd Jones saved 42. All told, Hiller appeared in 545 games, throwing 1,242 innings with a 2.83 ERA and 1,036 strikeouts.
Aurelio Lopez – Like John Hiller, Aurelio Lopez was a dependable presence at the back-end of the Tigers bullpen as a closer and setup man but was called upon to work more than one inning on many occasion.
The man known as “Señor Smoke” worked 713 innings in 355 appearances over the course of seven seasons with the Tigers, posting an ERA of 3.41. But the greatest testament to Lopez may have come from Sparky Anderson who said the following during the 1984 playoffs: “I’ve had him for five years and believe me, there’s nothing like him. He’s got heart and there is none better. He’s one of the all-time hearts.”
Next: Setup/Closer
Setup/Closer
Willie Hernandez – Willie Hernandez was an eight-year veteran by the time he joined the Tigers but he certainly made his mark in Detroit. In his first season as a Tiger, he helped the team to the 1984 World Series title as the team’s closer and was an All-Star, Cy Young Award winner and American League MVP. For 1984, Hernandez posted a 1.92 ERA over the course of 140 and a third innings in 80 appearances.
Mike Henneman – Mike Henneman burst on the scene in 1987 to earn Rookie of the Year consideration for his 96 and two third innings of relief work in which he posted a sub-3.00 ERA and finished with a record of 11-3. He was an All-Star just one time (1989) but was a steady presence in the Tigers bullpen during his nine years in Detroit. For his Tigers career, Henneman appeared in 491 games, pitching nearly 670 innings with a 3.05 ERA.
Joel Zumaya – He may not have the career accomplishments of others on this roster in terms of success over time and longevity but there is no questioning the effectiveness of Joel Zumaya as an all-time great before the arm injuries set in. Zuamaya’s career leaves many to wonder “what could have been?”
Jose Valverde – He did not always inspire confidence in the fan base, but for one magical year, Jose Valverde was as automatic as a closer could be. In 2011 Papa Grande appeared in 75 games for the Tigers and converted every one of his 49 save opportunities en route to a 2.24 ERA. In his four seasons with the Tigers he saved 119 games with a 3.22 ERA.
Next: Infield Reserves
Infield Reserves
Lou Whitaker – Whitaker was a mainstay in the Tigers’ lineup for the better part of 16 years. From his Rookie of the Year Award in 1978 to his retirement in 1995, he did just about everything that could have been asked of him on the baseball diamond.
A five-time All-Star, four time Silver Slugger, and three time Gold Glove winner, Whitaker was the all-around great that managers (and fans) dream about. His 2,390 games played ranks third in team history (behind only Cobb and Kaline) and his .276/.363/.426 career batting line was more than adequate for the second base position.
Norm Cash – First base is a crowded position for the Detroit Tigers, but Cash certainly deserves a spot somewhere on the all-time roster. Cash spent parts of 15 seasons with the Tigers and did a lot of damage with his big, powerful bat. His best season came in 1961 when he was named an American League All-Star with 41 home runs and won the batting title with a .361/.487/.662 batting line.
Lance Parrish – Parrish broke into the big leagues with the Tigers in 1977 and spent the first 10 years of his career with the club. He became a key contributor for the tremendous mid-1980s teams, including the 1984 World Series championship team. Parrish hit more home runs than any other MLB catcher between the years of 1980 and 1986 and was rewarded with six All-Star nods, five Silver Slugger Awards, and (because he wasn’t only a hitter) three Gold Glove Awards.
Next: Outfield Reserves
Outfield Reserves
Kirk Gibson – Gibby’s most famous moment came as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the bulk of his successful career came with the Detroit Tigers. The Michigan State product spent parts of 12 years with his hometown team.
Gibson broke in with the Tigers as a 22 year old in 1979 and was a middle-of-the-order hitter on the dominant team of the 1980s, including the 1984 World Series Championship team. He spent nine years with the Tigers and then spent five years combined with Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh, before returning to the Motor City for the final three years of his career.
In his 12 seasons with the Tigers he hit .273/.354/.480 with 195 home runs.
Tony Phillips – Phillips didn’t have the longest career as a member of the Detroit Tigers – he played with the club for just five seasons from 1990 to 1994 – but he’s the type of player every manager would love to have on his team.
Phillips could play anywhere on the diamond, making multiple starts at every position except catcher and first base during his tenure in Detroit. Utility players usually carry the stereotype of being poor hitters, but Phillips could rake. In his five seasons with the Tigers he hit for a .281/.395/.405 batting line.
Next: Manager
Manager – Sparky Anderson
A great team needs a great manager. After winning two World Series titles with the Cincinnati Reds, Sparky Anderson cemented his place among the great managers of all-time by leading the Tigers to a title of their own. The 1984 title with the Tigers made Sparky the first manager to win a World Series as the manager of both an NL team and an AL team.
Sparky was twice named AL manager of the year – an honor he never received while in the NL – and his 1,331 wins as manager of the Tigers is a franchise best.
With such a great roster at his disposal Sparky could have put names in a hat and come up with a good lineup, but imagine filling out a lineup card like this:
1. Cobb, CF
2. Gehringer, 2B
3. Cabrera, 3B
4. Greenberg, 1B
5. Kaline, RF
6. Fielder, DH
7. Trammell, SS
8. Horton, LF
9. Freehan, C
Not bad.
With the roster set, where is this hypothetical team to play? Comerica Park has all the comforts of a modern stadium and honestly, the time had come for the Tiger to move from ‘The Corner.’ But even for its warts, it just feels right for this all-time team to call Tiger Stadium home. The center field bleachers. The overhang of the upper deck in right field. The thick grass mowed a little taller than average. The light stanchions on the roof.
Home run target. pic.twitter.com/Rj2aLtjRxx
— MLB Cathedrals (@MLBcathedrals) December 8, 2015
It is where the last World Champion Tigers called home and it will be home for our all-time roster.