Detroit Tigers - The Obama / Trump Years (2010-2019)

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2010

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2017

Decade

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2016

Titles:

Top Tigers Players of the Twenty Teens

2011 - Won Division; Won ALDS (NY); Lost ALCS (Texas)

2012 - Won Division; Won ALDS (Oak); WonALCS (NY); Lost WS (SF)

Pitchers:

2013 - Won Division; Won ALDS (Oak); Lost ALCS (Boston)

Justin Verlander (40.51) - 80

2014 - Won Division; Lost ALDS (Balt);

Max Scherzer (21.27) - 52

Rick Porcello (8.12) - 29

BallPark:

Jose Valverde (3.62) - 25

Comerica Park

Anibal Sanchez (8.09) - 18

Matthew Boyd (7.5) - 18

Team Name:

Shane Greene (1.44) - 16

Tigers

Michael Fulmer (9.71) - 16

Doug Pfister (9.82) - 14

Owner:

Jordan Zimmerman (1.12) - 12

Mike Ilitch (2010-2016)

Francisco Rodriguez (0.26) - 11

Chris Ilitch (2017-2019)

Joaquin Benoit (4.98) - 7

David Price (5.31) - 6

General Managers:

Francisco Liriano (0) - 3

Dave Dombrowski (2010-2015)

Al Alburquerque (4.67) - 1

Al Avila (2015-2019)

Catchers:

Managers:

Alex Avila (12.31) - 42

Jim Leyland (2010-2013)

Victor Martinez (8.08) - 23

Brad Ausmus (2014-2017)

James McCann (2.72) - 21

Ron Gardenhire (2018-2019)

First Basemen:

No Hitters:

Miguel Cabrera (43.3) - 81

Justin Verlander (2011)

Prince Fielder (6.57) - 19

Hall of Famers:

Second Basemen:

Justin Verlander (pending)

Ian Kinsler (19.89) - 32

Miguel Cabrera (pending)

Ryan Raburn (-0.02) - 12

Max Scheraer (pending)

Omar Infante (3.21) - 10

Rookie of the Year:

ShortStop:

Michael Fulmer (2016)

Jhonny Peralta (9.05) - 34

Jose Iglesias (7.12) - 23

MVP:

Ramon Santiago (4.46) - 10

Justin Verlander (2011)

Miguel Cabrera (2012)

Third Base:

Miguel Cabrera (2013)

Nick Castellanos (5.37) - 32

Cy Young:

Outfield:

Justin Verlander (2011)

Austin Jackson (20.53) - 45

Max Scherzer (2013)

JD Martinez (12.69) - 33

Justin Upton (7.03) - 20

Notable Events:

Torii Hunter (2.95) - 15

Rajai Davis (3.06) - 13

2010 - After twelve years of misery for Tigers fans, Detroit broke the

Niko Goodrum (3.02) - 12

schneid in a big way in 2006 making it to the world series.

Brennan Boesch (2.4) - 11

With the ship righted, the Bengals finished second well over 500 in both

Andy Dirks (3.83) - 11

2007 and 2009. Therefore, things looked positive coming into the Twenty

Yoenis Cespedes (4.01) - 10

Teens. The optimism was well founded despite a slight hiccup in 2010.

The keepers on the 2010 roster moving forward:

Notable Events:

□ C - Alex Avila, 23, 5th round pick in 2008

□ 1B - Miguel Cabrera, 27, the best hitter in the game

2015 - The Tigers collapse. The two ace pitchers who had been responsible

□ CF - Austin Jackson, 23, rookie obtained from NY in exchange

for Detroit's run at the top, were absent. Scherzer left for Washington

for Curtis Granderson

as a free agent. Verlander got hurt and lost his effectiveness.

□ OF Brennan Boesch, 25, 3rd round pick in 2006

Also, Rick Porcello, who had turned the big two into the big three was

□ SS - Jhonny Peralta, 28, picked up from Cleveland at the 2010 trade

dealt away to Boston as he was entering his contract walk season.

deadlne

Detroit got back OF Yoenis Cespedes who was in a similar contract

□ RHP - Justin Verlander, 27, as good as any pitcher in the game

situation in return. The Porcello deal ended up OK for Detroit as they

□ RHP - Max Scherzer, 25, flamethrower stolen from Arizona in the

obtained a pretty good young pitcher from the Mets for Cespedes when

Granderson trade

the dust settled in 2015. The end result of all of the manueverings

□ RHP - Rick Porcello, 21, first round pick in 2007

is that the Tigers get the 2016 Rookie of the Year in Michael Fulmer, 23,

□ RHP Jeremy Bonderman, 27, still young but, as it turns out,

while Boston gets the 2016 Cy Young winner in Rick Porcello.

his best days were behind him

At the end of the day, it was the pitching, not the hitting, that caused

□ Reliever - Jose Valverde, 32, Free agent signed in 2010 from Houston

the decliine.

2011 - C Victor Martinez, 32, is signed from Boston as a free agent

2016 - The Bengals bring in several high profile veterans in an attempt to

get their mojo back. They only partially restore their mojo-icity, not

2011 - Detroit begins a four year run of Division titles and postseason

nearly enough to get to the post season, however:

appearances. The 2010 core leads the club. Justin Verlander and Max

□ RHP Jordan Zimmerman, 30, FA from Washington

Scherzer are two of the best pitchers in baseball and Miguel Cabrera

□ Closer Francisco Rodriguez, 34, FA from Milwaukee

is the best hitter in the sport. These three carry the club. Behind them,

□ OF Justin Upton, 28, FA from the Braves

GM Dave Dombrowski has assembled a good enough supporting

□ C - Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 31, FA from Arizona

cast to keep the Tigers among the top teams in baseball.

□ SS - Erick Aybar, 32, trade with the Braves

□ OF Cameron Maybin, 29, trade from the Braves,

2012 - Slugger Prince Fielder, 28, is signed as a free agent. He is one

Maybin was a Tiger phenom years earlier who was the big

of the top power hitters in baseball and along with Miguel Cabrera gives

piece going to Florida in the Miguel Cabrera deal

the Tigers a one-two punch on the offensive end which rivals the quality

At the end of the day, Detroit's offense continued to be OK, but with the

of the Verlander - Scherzer one-two punch on the mound. The Tigers

return from injury of Justin Verlander and the addition of ROY Michael

were THE team to watch. Fielder's father, Cecil, was a big and very

Fullmer, the pitching improves enough to make the Tigers respectable.

popular star with the Tigers in the Nineties. The big issue with Prince

was that he was very overweight - an injury waiting to happen.

2017 - The one year fix wears off and Detroit free falls nineteen games

to a 67-95 mark. It's the pitching as Verlander's fastball deserts him and

2012 - In a trade deadline deal RHP Anibal Sanchez, 28, is obtained

closer Francisco Rodriguez falls off a cliff. The offense is still OK,

from Florida

All that being said, it's time to retool. Outside of Righthander Michael

2013 - In a three team trade deadline deal, the Tigers send outfielder

Fulmer, 24, and 3B Nick Castellanos, 25, there's not much in the

Avisail Garcia, 22, to Chicago and get SS Jose Igelsias, 23, from

cupboard moving forward on the big league level and middling talent

Boston in return

on the minor league level.

2013 - 3B Nick Castellanos, 22, is a rookie. He was a first round draft

2018 - Still not much to cheer about in Detroit. It doesn't help that

pick in 2010

Michael Fulmer had elbow surgery following the 2017 season and

knee surgery following the 2018 season and that he ended up 3-12 4.69.

2014 - RHP Doug Pfister, 30, is dealt to Washington for three nobodies.

Verlander was dealt off to Houston at the 2017 trade deadline.

He had been obtained from Seattle two years earlier for another three

No bounceback year this time, the Tigers officially stink.

nobodies. This is a guy who the Tigers should have held onto.

Easy come, easy go, I guess.

2019 - Detroit trades their best player, 3B Nick Castellanos, 27, to the

Cubs at the trade deadline.

2014 - 2B Ian Kinsler, 32, is obtained from Texas for Prince Fielder.

This was a quality for quality deal with the big elephant in the room,

2019 - The Tigers go into freefall winning only 47 games. Their worst season,

unfortunately for Texas, being the big elephant in the room, Fielder.

by far, since the nightmare 2003 43 win team. As bad as the pitching still is,

the reason for this precipitous drop from a bad 64 win team is that Detroit

2014 - OF JD Martinez, 26, is picked up off the scrap heap after being

completely stops hitting. They score 200 runs less than the league average.

released by Houston

Altho' there's not much young talent on the big league roster,

Detroit's minor league system is ready to blossom. They've got five top fifty

2014 - LHP David Price, 28, is obtained from Tampa for the stretch run -

prospects in their system.

a salary dump by the Rays. In 2015, when the Tigers are out of it,

they trade Price to stretch Toronto for the run as Price would be a

2019 - The Bengals were competitive for the initial two thirds of the decade,

free agent at the end of the year.

making it to the post season four times. GM Dave Dombrowski was the

architect of these good teams. A turning point occurred when Boston spirited

Dombrowski away late in the 2015 system. Alex Avila was Dombrowski's

replacement and, thus far, has been an abject failure.

That being said, let's see how Avila's farm system does moving forward.