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1930

5

75

79

1933

5

75

79

1937

2

89

65

Decade

1931

7

61

93

1934

1

101

53

1938

4

84

70

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1932

5

76

75

1935

1

93

58

1939

5

81

73

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1936

2

83

71

Titles:

Top Tigers Players of the Thirties

1934 AL Champs (Lost to Cards)

1935 World Champs

Pitchers:

Tommy Bridges (35.71) - 88

BallPark:

Schoolboy Rowe (16.01) - 47

Navin Field / Briggs Stadium (1938)

Elden Auker (11.87) - 40

Vic Sorrell (18.62) - 37

Team Name:

Earl Whitehill (9.82) - 33

Tigers

George Uhle (13.01) - 17

Firpo Marberry (5.65) - 16

Owner:

Roxie Lawson (2.61) - 12

Frank J. Navin (1930-1935)

Bobo Newsom (7.34) - 12

Walter O. Briggs (1936-1939)

Chief Hogsett (3.89) - 11

George Gill (4.93) - 10

General Managers:

Mickey Cochrane (1936-1938)

Catchers:

Jack Zeller (1938-1939)

Rudy York (10.67) - 36

Mickey Cochrane (11.38) - 21

Managers:

Ray Hayworth (2.45) - 18

Bucky Harris (1930-1933)

Del Baker (1933,1936-1939)

First Basemen:

Mickey Cochrane (1934-1939)

Hank Greenberg (37.21) - 77

Cy Perkins (1937)

Dale Alexander (5.65) - 13

No Hitters:

Second Basemen:

None

Charlie Gehringer (61.14) - 115

Hall of Famers:

ShortStop:

Mickey Cochrane

Billy Rogell (24.85) - 71

Charlie Gehringer

Hank Greenberg

Third Base:

Goose Goslin

Marty McManus (6.08) - 16

Marv Owen (5.15) - 14

MVP:

Mickey Cochrane (1934)

Outfield:

Hank Greenberg (1935)

Gee Walker (11.73) - 66

Charlie Gehringer (1937)

Pete Fox (10.64) - 60

John Stone (9.95) - 29

Notable Events:

Jo Jo White (1.67) - 27

Goose Goslin (9.11) - 24

1930 - A good decade for the Tigers - six winning seasons, two pennants and

Roy Johnson (3.05) - 18

a World Series title. Things didn't look so good at the outset of the Thirties

Barney McCoskey (3.38) - 14

however. Second baseman Charlie Gehringer, 27, was the only player on

the 1930 opening day roster who would play a significant role in the Tigers

Notable Events:

pennant winning team of only four seasons later. What's remarkable about the Tigers

of the Thirties is that they were built on a shoestring. Owner Frank Navin didn't have

1933 - Twenty Two year old righthander, Elden Auker, is obtained

a lot of money and the money he did have wasn't being thrown at ballplayers.

from, you guessed it, Beaumont. He'll have five nice years as a

Nonetheless, Navin had built up a lot of baseball savvy over the years and there

mainstay of Detroit's rotation

wasn't a lot of competition around with big bucks in the Thirties. The Senators and the

A's were strong early on in the decade, but their owners stopped competing midway

1934 - Rudy York, a slugging twenty year old catcher is a rookie.

thru the decade. Cleveland's owner never seemed to be inclined to pony up the extra

He was obtained from Ft. Worth (he had been at Beaumont

bucks to put his team over the top. Chicago's Charles Commiskey died and his heirs

before that). York would later move to first base and be one

weren't savvy enough to build a winner. Boston was a perennial doormat coming into

of the league's top sluggers for over a decade.

the decade and their new owner Tom Yawkey had to build his club up from the bottom.

The Browns were always bad. The Yankees were transitioning from their powerhouse

1934 - The final pieces of the pennant puzzle are added prior to the

Twenties team, to their powerhouse late Thirties team. With all of this going on, Navin

season. Future Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane is purchased

was able to step into the breach.

from the A's in one of Connie Mack's firesales and Future Hall of

Fame outfielder Goose Goslin is purchased from Washington

1930 - One that got away. It takes righthander Whitlow Wyatt another decade to

as Clark Griffith decides to hold a fire sale of his own. Combined with

blossom with the Dodgers, so you can't fault the Tigers on this one.

the likes of Greenberg, Gehringer, Rogell, Fox, Walker, Auker,

Bridges, Rowe and Marberry, these two take Detroit way over the

1930 - Shortstop Billy Rogell, 25, is obtained from St. Paul. He had played

top. The Tigers gain twenty six games and five places in the

several seasons earlier with the Red Sox but never stuck.

standings on their way to a 101 victory season and the pennant.

1930 - Twenty three year old righthander Tommy Bridges is obtained from

1934 - Twenty Four year old Schoolboy Rowe wins a record sixteen

Evansville. He will be the Tigers' ace thru the entire decade.

straight decisions. He had only seven big league wins prior to 1934

1930 - Future Hall of Famer Hank Greenberg, 19, comes up for one at bat. He

1934 - Cardinals' Ducky Medwick is forced off the field by irate bottle

was signed the previous season out of James Monroe HS in the Bronx. First

throwing Tiger fans in the World Series after his hard slide into third.

Baseman Greenberg was the heart of the Tigers championship clubs.

1935 - The Tigers beat the Cubs to take their first World Series

1931 - Twenty three year old outfielder Gee Walker is obtained from Toronto.

title in their fifth try. Detroit had won eight less games than the

previous season, but came back with the big prize

1932 - Another one that got away. Twenty five year old righthander Rip Sewell

is obtained from Toronto. Also, another one you can't fault the Tigers for as

1935 - Owner Frank Navin dies of heart problems in November, only a

Sewell doesn't blossom into a star until eight years hence with the Pirates.

month after Detroit's World title

1933 - Righthander Firpo Marberry, 34, is obtained in a deal with Washington

1936 - Walter Briggs, already part owner of the club, takes over.

for Earl Whitehill. Marberry will be a key member of the 1934 Tigers staff.

Briggs, unlike Navin, is willing to spend to build a winner. Also

unlike Navin, Briggs is not baseball savvy enough to run the

1933 - Big, hard throwing righthander Schoolboy Rowe, 23, is obtained from

day to day operations and he knows it. Briggs makes

Beaumont. He wins forty three games in Detroit's two championship seasons.

Mickey Cochrane his General Manager

Rowe then hurts his arm two years after that before subsequently resurrecting

his career by adjusting to be an effective old guy.

1938 - Jack Zeller, a long time Tiger scout, takes over for Mickey

Cochrane as GM. Jack becomes over-ZELL- ous in building the

1933 - Twenty four year old outfielder Pete Fox is obtained

Detroit farm system and by 1940, commissioner Landis frees 91

from Beaumont.

Tiger minor leaguers from their contracts and orders Detroit to

abide by the rule of a big league team not having more than one

working agreement with minor eague teams in any given league.

Detroit is also fined for their misconduct. Five of the freed minor

leaguers ended up being significant: Danny Gardella,

Johnny Sain, Benny McCoy, Catfish Metkovich and Roy Cullenbine.