Detroit Tigers - Turn of the Century (1901-1909)

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1900

1901

1904

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Titles:

Top Tigers Players of the Naughts

AL Champs (1907 lost to Cubs)

AL Champs (1908 lost to Cubs)

Pitchers:

AL Champs (1909 lost to Pirates)

George Mullin (25.65) - 102

Wild Bill Donovan (28.06) - 62

BallPark:

Ed Killian (24.55) - 51

Bennett Park

Ed Siever (18.11) - 31

Ed Summers (7.73) - 24

Team Name: Tigers

Frank Kitson (2.17) - 22

Ed Willett (4.43) - 19

Owner:

Roscoe Miller (8.47) - 19

James D. Burns (1901)

Win Mercer (6.03) - 11

Samuel F. Angus (1902-1903)

Red Donahue (4.41) - 7

William H. Yawkey (1904-1907)

Frank J. Navin (1908-1909)

Catchers:

Boss Schmidt (3.31) - 23

General Managers:

None

First Basemen:

Claude Rossman (4.3) - 17

Managers:

Charlie Carr (2.72) - 12

George Stallings (1901)

Frank Dwyer (1902)

Second Basemen:

Ed Barrow (1903-1904)

Germany Schaeffer (4.94) - 27

Bobby Lowe (1904)

Kid Gleason (1.04) - 11

Bill Armour (1905-1906)

Hughie Jennings (1907-1909)

ShortStop:

Kid Elberfeld (8.08) - 24

No Hitters:

Charley O'Leary (0.69) - 21

None

Donie Bush (7.01) - 14

Hall of Famers:

Third Base:

Hughie Jennings

Doc Casey (4.09) - 15

Sam Thompson

Bill Coughlin (3.05) - 11

Ty Cobb

Joe Yeager (4.07) - 0

Sam Crawford

Outfield:

Notable Events:

Sam Crawford (33.58) - 86

Ty Cobb (25.57) - 74

1900 - Bennett Park is named after catcher Charlie Bennett, a former

Jimmy Barrett (13.8) - 49

Detroit player who lost both legs in a train accident six years earlier.

Matt McIntyre (15.98) - 48

Davy Jones (5.65) - 22

1901 -The Tigers come into existence in the newly formed American

Ducky Holmes (2.42) - 16

League and will play in Bennett Park. George Stallings, who had previously

Billy Lush (4.22) - 8

managed the Philadelphia National League franchise, initially bought the

Detroit franchise, but then sold it to James D Burns prior to the start of

Notable Events:

the 1901 season. Stallings stayed on as Detroit manager in 1901.

George had managed the Detroit minor league club earlier in the

1906 - Twenty four year old righty Ed Willett, 22, is purchased from Witchita

late Eighteen Nineties.

He will be a solid member of Detroit's rotation for six years including one

big season.

1901 - Outfielder Jimmy Barrett jumps from the Reds

1907 - After floundering around for the first six seasons of the decade

1902 - Twenty one year old righthander George Mullin is obtained from

under several managers, Detroit turns it around.

Ft. Wayne. Mullin will be the ace of the Tigers staff for the next decade.

They hire on thrty eight year old Hughie Jennings. Jennings was the

beneficiary of being hired at the right time as the Tigers were a talented

1903 - Sam Crawford. 23, jumps to the Tigers from the NL Reds.

young team just about to blossom into a powerhouse. Jennings gets the

This was a major salvo in the battle between the leagues.

credit for leading Detroit to a pennant by gaining twenty one games and

However, Reds owner Gary Herrman did not contest the move as part

six spots in the standings, altho' he just happened to be there when

of an agreement between the two leagues to halt their animosities.

Detroit matured. Hughie will be Detroit's manager for the next fourteen years.

Herrmann was more interested in ensuring that the leagues functioned

Aside from Jennings, the improvement is due to the coming of age of

smoothly than he was in his own team's individual fortunes.

outfielders Cobb and Crawford who form a lethal one-two punch in the

His forward looking attitude was certainly in evidence in this deal as

middle of the lineup. Cobb is twenty years old. Crawford twenty seven.

Crawford was a future Hall of Famer.

On the mound, Wild Bill Donovan and Ed Killian, who are both thirty years

old, go from nineteen combined wins in 1906 to fifty combined wins in 1907.

1903 - Righthander Wild Bill Donovan, 26, jumps from Brooklyn. He will

The 1907 pennant is the first of a run of three for the Tigers. On offense,

be a major part of the Tigers championship clubs later in the decade.

the combo of Cobb and Crawford is unmatched in baseball. On the mound,

the Tigers have a stable of good to very good starters who take turns

1904 - William H Yawkey, only 28 years old, heir to a lumber and

having huge years during the three year run.

mining fortune, buys the club and employs Frank Navin as his

Bookkeeper / General manager. Yawkey will own an interest in the

1908 - Frank Navin, who had been running the club since 1904,

club until he dies of tuberculosis in 1919. His estate went to his

buys 50% ownership of the Tigers from William Yawkey

nephew, Tom, who later bought the Boston Red Sox

1908 - The Tigers win the pennant over Cleveland by half a game.

1904 - Lefthander Ed Killian, 27, is obtained in a trade from Cleveland.

They did not have to make up a rained out game, which if they had

Ed will have a couple of huge seasons for the Tigers and will be a

lost would have forced a tie, according to the rules at the time.

solid member of the rotation for seven years.

The rule was changed that winter. to force relevent makeups.

1904 - Outfielder Matty McIntyre, 24, is obtained from Buffalo. A solid

1908 - Twenty three year old righty Ed Summers is obtained from

player, he will be part of the excellent Detroit outfield for the rest

Indianapolis. He will have a couple of big years helping the Tigers to two

of the decade.

titles. Unfortunatley his career is very brief as he contracts rheumatism

and retires at twenty seven.in '09.

1905 - Ty Cobb, 18, is a rookie.

The Georgia Peach is obtained from Augusta.

1908 - Twenty year old shortstop Donie Bush is a rookie. He will have

a stellar career with the Tigers

1909 - The Tigers win their third straight pennant and lose their

third straight World Series