10 Best Rivalries in Detroit Sports History
By Zac Snyder
Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins
The Tigers and Twins became rivals upon the formation of the American League Central division in 1998. The two teams have combined for 10 division titles since 2002 with 11 combined playoff appearances in that stretch.
Unfortunately for Detroit, much of the Tigers-Twins rivalry centers around the Twins snatching division titles from the Tigers’ clutches. In 2006, a year of revitalization for the downtrodden franchise, the Tigers tore through the American League and claimed their 95th victory with five games to play in the season. They had led the division every day since May 21. The 100 win threshold was still a possibility. The postseason was looming.
But somehow the wheels slipped off. The Tigers lost each of those final five games (allowing seven or more runs in each) and lost the Division to the Twins by a single game. 95 wins was good enough for the third-best record in the AL (and a Wild Card berth), but the Twins had helped to spoil an otherwise magical worst-to-first story.
The same thing (just about) happened again in 2009. The Tigers finished the month of September with a victory over the Twins in the third game of a four-game series. The win put the Tigers up by three games with four to play. Only a Sunday finale against Minnesota and a three-game set against the White Sox stood between the Tigers and their first division crown since 1987.
The Twins would win their final four regular season games while the Tigers, amidst controversy surrounding their star player, managed just a single victory (on the last day of the season, no less) to force a decisive Game 163 at the Metrodome – a veritable house of horrors.
The thriller of a game lived up to every bit of hype. Rookie Rick Porcello pitched brilliantly into the sixth inning. Miguel Cabrera and Magglio Ordonez blasted home runs. And the game ended up going to extra innings.
The Twins ultimately won on a 12th-inning walkoff single when closer Fernando Rodney was inexplicably sent out for a third inning of relief work. The Tigers wouldn’t get that elusive division championship for another two seasons.
Next: Number 9