Product Description

The Detroit Tigers are one of baseball's most vibrant and beloved franchises. Everything you need to know about the team is in Tigers Essential: the heroes, the villains, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat, the great hitters and pitchers, and the memorable flakes. Looking for a handy reference for milestones in Tigers history? It's here, as are the greatest moments and biggest disappointments, the biggest goats and heroes, and all the personalities that make the Tigers such an endearing and captivating club: Hall of Fame legends like Ty Cobb and Al Kaline, World Series champions like Denny McLain and Alan Trammell, and today's superstars like Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Magglio Ordoñez. They're all here in a fun, fact-filled compilation of Tigers history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1195384 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 168 pages

From the Publisher
"I couldn't wait to get to the ballpark. I'd be the first one there, and I was willing to do anything. I think that's why the veterans liked me." --Al Kaline

"Baseball is a red-blooded sport for red-blooded men. It's no pink tea, and mollycoddles had better stay out. It's a struggle for supremacy, a survival of the fittest. Baseball was 100 percent of my life." --Ty Cobb

From the Inside Flap
From the 22-year reign of Ty Cobb at the start of the 20th century to world championships in 1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984, to the unbelievable season in 2006, the Detroit Tigers have proved to be one of the most storied franchises in sports. Everything any real fan could ever want to know about this beloved ballclub is in Tigers Essential. This fun, fact-filled reference guide tells the complete story of the Motor City's most cherished team.

The Tigers played their first game on April 25, 1901, and they won it in dramatic fashion by scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 14-13 victory at Bennett Park. Detroit fans have embraced the team ever since, cheering for some of the most revered names in baseball history: Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Al Kaline, Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain, Mark Fidrych, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson, and, more recently, today's stars like Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Magglio Ordoñez. Cobb will forever be remembered as one of the pioneers of the game, if not the best player ever to take the field. McLain's 31 wins during the 1968 championship season still haven't been topped in the nearly 40 years since. The 1984 team led by Trammell, Whitaker, Morris, and Gibson is widely regarded as one of the best-assembled teams in baseball history. And the franchise's return to glory in 2006 turned the baseball world on its ear and captivated fans across the nation.

All of these great Tigers players are honored in this book, as are the most memorable moments in the team's rich history. Tigers Essential will take readers on a magical journey from old Bennett Park to the historic Tiger Stadium--the "Corner," which the team called home for 87 years--and into the 21st century and Comerica Park, where a revitalized franchise has now settled in, to the delight of a new generation of fans. Whether you are an old-school Tigers fan looking to relive great memories of the past or a more casual observer simply looking to upgrade your status in Tiger Nation, this book will satisfy your needs through countless anecdotes; insiders' stories; dozens of photographs; and scores of trivia, lists, and statistics. Let the roar be restored.

About the Author
George Cantor was a sportswriter and news columnist in Detroit for more than 40 years. He was the beat writer for the Tigers in 1968 and covered the team again in its 1984 season as a columnist. The author of more than a dozen books on sports, travel, and history, he lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan.