Detroit Tigers on ESPN’s MLB Top 100 All-Time List

Last week, ESPN came out with the top 100 players in MLB history.  There were six Detroit Tigers that made the list including two within the top 40.

There is no doubt that the Detroit Tigers have one of the most historic teams in MLB history. The Detroit Tigers, founded in 1894, are one of the oldest teams, and since they have been founded, they have had some pretty fantastic players. Including some that did not make this list like Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Jack Morris, and most notably, Charlie Gehringer.

The list is definitely flawed and some will disagree  with a majority of the rankings. For instance Bryce Harper is listed at no. 85 already, and that is definitely a stretch. He has only had one dominant season and has struggled often. ESPN also failed to dock players who have taken PED’s. Barry Bonds is number five on the list, among other players who maybe should have an asterisk by their name in the history books.

There are undoubtedly some players left off the list who should be on it, and others that are on the list that should have been left off it. However, this must have been a very difficult process as there have been so many greats in MLB history. What Detroit Tigers players have made the cut as a top 100 player in history?

Next: Who's Highest on the List?

At the top of the list, there are two former Detroit Tigers: “Pudge” Rodriguez at no. 76, and Al Kaline  no. 64.

Now there are some Detroit Tigers that made the list that definitely deserved it, and that starts with Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. He is ranked at 76th all-time, and played for the Tigers for four years from 2004-2008. Tigers remember him best for being part of the 2006 World Series runner-ups. After joining the team, he was an instant fan favorite. He hit .298 as a Tiger over the four years with the club, and had a WAR of 14.2. He was also an All-Star three times, and had just as many Gold Glove awards, and won a Silver Slugger with the Tigers in these years. Pudge is definitely deserving of his spot on this list.

See no. 80-71 here.

Coming in at number 64 is Al Kaline. Kaline is definitely someone who should be ranked higher on the list, but this is where ESPN decided to put him. Kaline is one of the most well respected players in team history, and is still very involved in the Detroit Tigers organization. He played his entire 22 year career with Detroit (1953-1974) and won a championship with the club in 1968. He hit .297, had 1,582 RBI’s, and had a career WAR of 92.5. Kaline was a part of 18 all-star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves, and is a member of the Hall of Fame.

See no. 70-61 here.

Next: Which Detroit Tiger is next?

The next two former Tigers had very different historical impacts on the Detroit Tigers organization.

At no. 56 is a player who played for the Detroit Tigers to end his career. Eddie Matthews is remembered by Tigers fans for being a part of the 1968 World Series championship team. “Although, he only played a total of 67 games with an old English ‘D” on his jersey. Matthews spent most of his career 914 years)  with the Braves where he hit 493 homers and hit .273. He not only won a World Series with the Tigers but also two with the Milwaukee Braves.

Hank Greenberg is next on the list at 52nd all-time. Greenberg was a Detroit Tiger from 1933-1945. Greenberg could have been much higher on the list, but like many baseball players at this time, he was drafted to fight in World War II from 1942-1945. He also got hurt in three of the seasons he was a Tiger and missed considerable amounts of time. Hank was a two-time MVP, a five-time all-star, and is a member of the Hall of Fame. Greenberg hit 331 career home runs, including 58 homers in 1938. Greenberg was one of the best hitters of his generation. Hank also won two World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1935 and 1945. His career batting average was .313 and he had a .670 slugging percentage. He finished his career with Pittsburgh in 1947.

See no. 60-51 here.

Next: What Detroit Tiger is next?

ESPN ranks Ty Cobb at number eight all-time, and deservedly so. Ty Cobb is the best Detroit Tiger of all-time.

The Detroit Tigers player that is ranked the highest is Hall of Famer Ty Cobb. This should be a surprise to no one as he was one of the earliest baseball superstars. His name is thrown in with legends such as Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, Honus Wagner, and Cy Young.

Ty Cobb played 22 years with the Detroit Tigers and was also a player-manager for some of those years. Cobb is truly one of the greatest hitters of all-time.  His career batting average was an astounding .366. Cobb’s career batting average is the best all-time, and almost untouchable. He lead the league in hitting an incredible eight times, and he is second all-time in runs, triples, and hits.  Cobb also has the fourth most doubles of all-time with 724.

Ty is also known as one of the best base runners ever. Cobb is fourth all-time in steals with 897, including 54 steals of home plate. All around, Cobb really will always be remember as one of the greatest Detroit Tigers, and baseball players to ever live.

See no. 10-1 here.

Next: Detroit Tigers: Trade Deadline Lacks Excitement

Fans of all teams should not be disappointed in the list that ESPN provided. It seemed to be pretty thorough, although there were a few minor mistakes. All the Detroit Tigers in the top 100 absolutely deserved to be there. Al Kaline deserves to be a little highers, and Charlie Gehringer was snubbed. However, Tigers fans should be happy to see the rest of these guys go down in history as some of the best players of all-time.