The
Uniforms of the Detroit Tigers!
Titled “The Roar Of Motown” and licensed by Major League Baseball, we present the uniforms history of the Detroit Tigers.
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Framed Version 1
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Here then is the history of the Tigers’ Uniforms …
#1.
1907 The Detroit Tigers, in existence since at least 1894, joined the
new American League when it was formed in 1901. The AL was initially an 8 team
league, and the Tigers are one of four franchises still in existence in the
same city as in 1901 – the other teams are the Red Sox, the White Sox and the
Indians. The name “Tigers” originally came from the yellow and black stockings
they wore in the 1890’s.
The collar on this 1907 jersey is
the standard type of collar found on baseball uniforms at this time – it is a
pointed collar that could be worn folded down or could be stood upright. When
it was folded down, it was a blue collar. When standing upright, it was a white
collar.
Note that the jersey has four
buttons down the front, and is known as a “pullover” style jersey that had to
be pulled over the head – once again, this was common in jerseys throughout
baseball at this time. We believe the first major league team to wear a completely
buttoned front jersey (ie one that didn’t have to be pulled over the head) was
the 1909 Phillies, followed by the 1911 Cubs. The pullover style jersey finally
disappeared after the 1939 season (the A’s were the last team to wear it), but
of course pullovers resurfaced in a big way with the double knit era of the
70’s and 80’s.
If you notice, there is a center
belt loop, which was to secure the belt buckle off to one side. Players of this
era usually wore the belt buckle to one side so they could prevent injury when
sliding into a base.
An old English “D” appears on the
front of the jersey. The Tigers first used the old English style D on their
1904 road uniform – the first appearance of a lone “D” on the Tigers’ uniform
was a plain “D” that they wore on their 1903 home and road uniforms. Although
the monogram has gone through some changes in appearance, an old English “D”
has been used on most Tiger home uniforms since 1905. The 1907 “D” is on a
pocket, something the uniforms had from 1904-1907.
In 1907 the Tigers’ ballpark was
Bennett Park. It opened on April 28, 1896 at the corner of Michigan and
Trumbull, the same location that Tiger Stadium (aka Navin Field, Briggs Stadium
and Tiger Stadium) was built in 1912.
There are great photos in baseball
history books of a young Ty Cobb wearing this very uniform. Cobb, owner of a
lifetime .367 batting average (the best lifetime average in major league
history), played for the Tigers from 1905 -1926.
The 1907 Tigers finished 92-58 and
advanced to the World Series for the first time (the World Series began in
1903, but wasn’t staged in 1904, thus the 1907 Series was the 4th
World Series) where they met the NL Champions Chicago Cubs. The Tinkers-Evers-Chance Cubs beat the Tigers
in 4 straight.
In 1908, the Tigers finished with
a 90-63 record and went to the World Series for a second straight year, and
once again they faced the Cubs. The result was much the same as 1907 – the 1908
Cubs beat the 1908 Tigers 4 games to 1.
And again in 1909 the Tigers made
it to the World Series on the strength of a 98-54 record (can you imagine that
they played 152 games in a season even in this era?). This time they met the
Pirates, and while it was a closely contested series, the Pirates beat the
Tigers 8-0 in Detroit in the 7th and deciding game of the series.
#2.
1917 The home uniform has what is known as a “cadet” collar, a small
upright collar worn by many teams from about 1910 to the mid-late 20’s. The
Detroit monogram has changed slightly since 1907, and it is no longer on a
pocket (as it was in the 1907 painting). The US flag on the left sleeve is a
show of patriotism marking America’s entry into World War I – a number of major
league teams added a flag to their uniform part way through the 1917 season.
By 1917 the Tigers had been
playing at Navin Field for 6 years (it opened in 1912). The ballpark would be
known as Navin Field from 1912 – 1937, then it was known as Briggs Stadium,
then finally known as Tiger Stadium.
In 1917 Ty Cobb was 31 years old
and was in his 13th year with the Tigers. He led the league in
batting average (.383), slugging percentage (.571), at bats (588), hits (225),
doubles (44), triples (23) and stolen bases (55). But from 1915 – 1921 there
was no MVP selection or award, so Cobb didn’t take home the 1917 MVP award
which he surely would have won.
Also in 1917, the great Sam
Crawford retires after 15 seasons with the Tigers. In his 19 year career,
Crawford amassed a remarkable 312 triples, a record that still stands today.
#3.
1927 The tiger on the left breast of this road uniform is one of two
different tiger heads used by the Detroit Tigers on their home and away
uniforms in 1927. This is the only year the Tigers ever used a tiger head on
their jersey, and after this one year experiment the Tigers returned to their
traditional old English “D” for their 1928 home uniforms.
We don’t know why the Tigers had
two different Tiger heads in 1927, nor do we know when they wore each – perhaps
they didn’t like the first style and switched part way through the 1927 season.
I Our sources for the color of the Tigers’ heads are also sketchy, so if you
have a color source, we’d love to hear from you!
1927 was the first year since 1904
that Ty Cobb wasn’t with the team. He signed with the A’s, and played for them
in 1927 and 1928 – hitting .357 and .323 respectively.
#4A.
1928 On this road uniform we see the first appearance of the team
nickname “Tigers” on the jersey. This is the only season that the word “Tigers”
appears on the road uniform. It only appears once on the home uniform as well,
that being in the 1960 season.
#4B.
1931 In 1931 the Tigers added pinstripes to both their home and road
uniforms – pictured here is a home uniform. The Tigers first wore pinstripes in
1912 on their home uniforms, and they wore pinstripes on and off for the next
20 years. They wore pinstripes at home and on the road from 1931 – 1933, but
have never worn pinstripes again.
As best we can tell, the first
instance of pinstriped uniforms in major league baseball was in 1907. The
Boston Braves road uniform were made from a gray flannel with a fine green
pinstripe. Later that same year the Cubs had a new gray uniform with fine pin
striping made for the World Series - they wore it for the World Series opener
in Chicago and were later reprimanded by the league for not wearing a white
uniform at home. The Yankees, most often associated with pinstripe uniforms,
first wore a pinstriped uniform for one year at home in 1912 (the New York
Times wrote about their 1912 home opener “The Yankees presented a natty
appearance in their new uniforms of white with black pin stripes”), then every
year from 1915 to the present.
The scripted “Detroit” on the
front of a Tigers uniform first appeared in 1930 on the home & away
uniforms, and it would be used on the road uniform right up to 1959.
#5.
1935 This is a very simple Tigers road uniform, with blue piping around
the collar and down the front, and a scripted “Tigers” across the front. We
can’t help but see Hank Greenberg when we see this jersey. Greenberg had an
amazing season for the Tigers in 1935 - he batted .328 with 36 home runs and
170 RBI. He was voted the American League MVP after not being picked for the
all-star team.
The 1935 Tigers finished 93-58 and
advanced to the World Series for the second year in a row (they lost 4 games to
3 to the “gas-house gang” St. Louis Cardinals in 1934) and fifth time ever
(they lost 3 consecutive times from 1907-1909). And just like 1907 and 1908,
their opponent was the Chicago Cubs. But the similarities end there – 1935 was
to be a magic year for the Tigers as they beat the Cubs four games to two,
winning their first ever World Series.
Despite losing Hank Greenberg to a
broken wrist in game three, the Tigers won the World Series in dramatic
fashion. The 9th inning of the final game, 3-3 tie. The Cub’s Stan
Hack cracks a triple, but the Detroit pitcher Bridges retires the next 3
batters. In the bottom of the 9th, Mickey Cochrane hits a single and
advances to second base on Charlie Gehringer’s groundout. Another single for Detroit
came from Goose Goslin and the Tigers won their first World Series!
On a sad note, team owner Frank
Navin passed away on November 13th due to a heart ailment at the age
of 64. Walter Briggs Sr., who was a half-owner of the team, bought the
remainder of the team and became Tigers president, paving the way for the 1938
re-naming of the Tigers’ home turf from Navin Field to Briggs Field.
#6.
1945 This is the classic Tigers home uniform that looks remarkably
similar to the uniform of today. It has been written that except for a brief
transgression in 1960, the Tigers’ old English “D” logo “enjoys the longest
continuous usage of any major league uniform insignia” (as per Marc Okkonen in
Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century).
Note the Stars and Stripes patch
on the left sleeve of this uniform. During the Second World War, the question
is raised, should able-bodied athletes of baseball be fighting for their
country rather than playing baseball? Baseball Commissioner Landis asked
President Franklin D. Roosevelt what to do - here is part of Roosevelt’s reply:
“I honestly feel it would be best
for the country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed
and everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before… Here is
another way of looking at it - if 300 teams use 5,000 or 6,000 players, these
players are a definite recreational asset to at least 20,000,000 of their
fellow citizens - and that in my judgment is thoroughly worthwhile.”
Wartime sleeve patches were worn
by all levels of professional baseball teams between 1942 and 1945. A “Health”
patch was worn during the 1942 season, part of a war-time health and fitness
awareness campaign, and from 1943-1945 this “Stars and Stripes” patch was worn.
Bolstered by the return of Hank
Greenberg (he has been in the Armed Forces for 3 ˝ seasons), the Tigers finish
in first, 1 ˝ games ahead of the Senators.
Once again, the Cubs provide the
opposition (this is the Tigers’ 7th World Series appearance and 4th
against the Cubs!).
In a see-saw series that the Cubs
led one game to none and two games to one, the final four games are all played
in Chicago. The Tigers take games 4 and 5 to go up 3 games to 2, then the Cubs
bounce back with a 8-7 12th inning win in game six. In game 7, the
Tigers go up 5-0 in the top of the first, and hold the lead the rest of way for
a 9-3 win and 4-3 series victory. The Tigers were led by Doc Cramer’s 11 hits
and Hank Greenberg’s .304 average and great pitching by Dizzy Trout and Hal
Newhouser.
This is the Cubs’ 7th
World Series loss in a row after having won their 1st two
appearances in 1907-1908.
#7A.
1956 The Tigers added an orange outline to the scripted lettering on
their road uniforms in 1952, as seen in this 1956 road uniform. The scripted
“Detroit” on the front of a Tigers uniform first appeared in 1930 on the home
& away uniforms, and it would be used on the road uniform from 1930 right
up to 1959.
By 1956 young Tigers outfielder Al
Kaline was in his 4th season with the Tigers. He had become a genuine
superstar at 20 years of age in 1955 when he batted.340 and had 200 hits. In
doing this, he became the youngest player in league history to win a batting
title.
A side note: During the 40’s, 50’s
and 60’s many teams used zippered jerseys instead of the more traditional
button front jerseys. The Tigers briefly wore a zippered uniform for part of
the 1938 season, otherwise they would join the Reds, Yankees and A’s as one of
only three pre-1977 major league teams to have never worn zippers. The 1937 Cubs
were the first team to wear a zippered jersey, and as far we can tell the 1988
Phillies were the last to wear one.
#7B.
1960 This is a home jersey, and it marked quite a radical departure for
the Tigers uniform. The team had undergone a change of ownership, and the new
management team decided to make some changes to the Tigers’ uniform.
First of all, numbers appear on
the front of a Tigers’ jersey for the first time in 1960, a one year
experiment, and won’t be seen again until the early 90’s. Uniform numbers first
made their appearance on the front of a uniform in 1952 - the Brooklyn Dodgers
were the first team to do so. The Braves followed suit in 1953, and the Reds
joined in beginning in 1956. The 1916 Cleveland Indians actually wore a uniform
number on their sleeve, but it wasn’t until the ’52 Dodgers that the number
made it to the front.
A second radical difference for
the Tigers was the fact that they replaced the old English “D” on their home
uniform (a tradition since 1934) with a scripted “Tigers”. The only other time
that Detroit used the word “Tigers” on a uniform was their 1928 road uniform.
Note also the underline “swoosh” -
this style was introduced to baseball by the 1932 Cubs, and has been worn by
many teams since then. This 1960 home jersey is the only time that the Tigers
use this design element.
When the Walter Briggs Sr. passed
away in 1952, his son Walter Jr. took on the team presidency. John Fetzer
purchased the team in 1960 and became club president. In keeping with tradition
(see the 1935 write up), Briggs Stadium was renamed Tiger Stadium.
#8.
1968 The 1960 experiment with a uniform number on the front of the
jersey is a distant memory, but as you can see in this 1968 painting the Tigers
did wear a uniform number on the right sleeve of their road uniform for a
while. But the story of 1968 isn’t the road uniform – it was the team itself.
Denny McLain has a record season,
31-6 and is the last pitcher to win 30 games in one season. He was also
honoured with the A.L. MVP award and the Cy Young Award.
After finishing 103-59 under the
leadership of Mayo Smith, the Tigers face the St. Louis Cardinals and powerful
Bob Gibson in the World Series. This is the Tigers’ 8th trip to the
World Series – they won in 1935 and 1945, lost in 1907-08-09, 1934 & 1940.
After falling behind 3 games to
one, the win game 5 at home with 3 runs in the 7th to win the game
5-3. Then it was on to St. Louis for game 6, where Denny McLain pitches on 3
days rest and the Tigers pound the Cards 13-1, setting the stage for a dramatic
7th game in St. Louis.
Going into the 7th it
was a 0-0 – Gibson for the Cards vs Mickey Lolich for the Tigers. Gibson was
pitching on 4 days rest after having won games1 and 4, Lolich pitching on 3
days rest after winning games 2 and 5. Finally Jim Northrup slams a two run
triple in the 7th and the Tigers score 3 in the 7th, add
one more in the 9th and then hang on as the Cards scratch one run in
the bottom of the ninth. Both Lolich and Gibson pitch complete games, with
Lolich emerging as the Series MVP.
Thus the 1968 Tigers become the 3rd
team ever to win the World Series after being down 3 games to 1.
We can’t overlook Detroit slugger
Al Kaline, who pounded out 11 hits for a .379 average. He would go on to retire
in 1974, ending an impressive 22 year career (all with the Tigers) with a total
of 399 home runs, 3007 hits and a lifetime batting average of .297. He was
inducted into the Hall Of Fame in 1980.
#9.
1977 This road jersey is of a double-knit style that most major league
teams succumbed to during the 70’s and early 80’s. It was a pullover style,
made of stretchy, synthetic material. The pants were called “Sans-a-Belt”’s
because the elasticized waistline eliminated the need for a belt. The
“double-knit” era started in 1972 for the Tigers and ended after they won the
World Series in 1984.
Interestingly, the Tigers only
wore the double-knit style on the road, sticking with their traditional
button-down front jersey, belted pants and old English “D” at home. During this
1970’s-80’s period, the Tigers were one of the only teams to have such
contrasting styles at home vs on the road.
#10.
1984 This home uniform is still the same after so many years. The old
English “D” has been on the Tigers’ home uniform since 1934 with the single
exception of the 1960 season. It has been written that except for the brief
1960 transgression, the Tigers’ old English “D” logo “enjoys the longest
continuous usage of any major league uniform insignia” (as per Marc Okkonen in
Baseball Uniforms of the 20th Century).
It’s also interesting to note that
from 1972 – 1984, the Tigers wore this traditional style jersey at home, yet
they wore the buttonless, “sans-a-belt” style uniform on the road, During this
1970’s-80’s period, the Tigers were one of the only teams to have such
contrasting styles at home vs on the road.
The 1984 Tigers had the fastest
start to a season in major league history, jumping out to a record 35 wins
against just 3 losses. Led by Kirk Gibson, Allan Trammell and Lou Whitaker,
pitchers Jack Morris and Guillermo Hernandez, and manager Sparky Anderson, the
Tigers finished the season with a 104-58 record, 15 games ahead of second place
Toronto. The Tigers blew by the Royals in 3 straight games in the ALCS, then
faced the surprising San Diego Padres. This is the Tigers 9th visit
to the World Series, and the Padres first.
After losing game two, the Tigers
make quick work of the Padres and wrap up the Series in 5 games. Sparky became
the first manager ever to win a W.S. in both the National League and the
American League. Jack Morris won both is starts, and Kirk Gibson drove in 7
runs with 6 hits, but Allan Trammell went 9 for 20 for a .450 batting average
and thus won the World Series MVP.
#11.
1999 Compare the 1999 home uniform to the 1907 home uniform – it’s
remarkable how similar they are, and it’s a tribute to good taste and elegant,
simple design that the Tigers recognize a good thing when they see it.
The patch on the left sleeve of
this 1999 home uniform is in honor of the last season played at Tiger Stadium –
in 2000 they moved to Comercia Park. For their entire time in the American
League, from 1901 – 1999, the Detroit Tigers have always played ball in the
same location – at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. At first it was Bennett
Park, then in 1912 their new Navin Field opened, later renamed Briggs Stadium
(in 1937) and later renamed again Tiger Stadium (in 1960). But through it all
there was one constant - the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. And that’s what
is featured on the left sleeve patch, a street sign showing intersecting street
sign with the words “Michigan and Trumbull”.
The patch also honors one other
Navin/Briggs/Tiger Stadium idiosyncrasy - a flagpole. Tiger Stadium had a
flagpole in the field of play, something no other ballpark had. This is the
sort of character lost on many new ballparks, and the sort of thing that will
help keep Tiger Stadium alive in the memories of fans forever.
***************************************
The Detroit Tigers: “The Roar Of
Motown”
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