Detroit Tigers Top 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2016

#1. J.D. Martinez returns with a bang

After missing some of June and all of July, J.D. Martinez showed the fans why they love him so much. This moment will go down in Tigers’ lore as one of the most iconic events ever to occur at the home stadium.

On August 3, the Tigers were facing a tough Chris Sale and a 1-1 tie with the Chicago White Sox. In a bold move, Brad Ausmus chose to put Martinez in the game to pinch hit. Martinez had been on the DL since June 16 after fracturing his elbow in a game at Kauffman Stadium against the Kansas City Royals.

As soon as Martinez walked out of the dugout, the crowd went wild giving him a standing ovation. The plan for Martinez was just to get on base, but the power of the crowd put a little extra something into his bat. He stepped up to the plate, pinch-hitting in the 8th inning for James McCann. Sale threw the pitch and Martinez swung.

The rest is history.

As Martinez rounded the bases, the fans went crazy. The team ran from the dugout to congratulate the return of J.D. Ian Kinsler captured the feeling of the moment perfectly when he said the hit was “almost like a movie tonight. That was special. That was something I probably never seen before.”

Next: Top 10 Wishlist for 2017

We, fans, agree with Kinsler. It was the moment that makes baseball the best game ever. It was also the most memorable moment for the Detroit Tigers in 2016.