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Detroit Tigers: Ranking the World Series wins

By Adam McIntosh |
DETROIT- AUGUST 23: Manager Alan Trammell #3 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the game against the Anaheim Angels at Comerica Park on August 23, 2003 in Detroit, Michigan. The Angels defeated the Tigers in 10 innings 14-8. (Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
DETROIT- AUGUST 23: Manager Alan Trammell #3 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the game against the Anaheim Angels at Comerica Park on August 23, 2003 in Detroit, Michigan. The Angels defeated the Tigers in 10 innings 14-8. (Photo by Tom Pidgeon/Getty Images)
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DETROIT- SEPTEMBER 27: A general view of Tiger Stadium prior to the final baseball game played at the 87 year old Tiger Stadium as the Detroit Tigets host the Kansas City Royals on September 27, 1999 in Detroit, Michigan. There was 6,873 games played at the corner of Michigan and Trumbul streets. The Tigers won the game 8-2. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Gettyimages)
DETROIT- SEPTEMBER 27: A general view of Tiger Stadium prior to the final baseball game played at the 87 year old Tiger Stadium as the Detroit Tigets host the Kansas City Royals on September 27, 1999 in Detroit, Michigan. There was 6,873 games played at the corner of Michigan and Trumbul streets. The Tigers won the game 8-2. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Gettyimages) /

The Detroit Tigers have four World Series titles in the franchise’s history. Some of Tigers fans have never witnessed a World Series Title, others remember the ’84 Bless You Boys. There are even some of us who remember the ’68 Championship.

The Detroit Tigers are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 World Championship. The Tigers came back from a 3-1 deficit, winning with the help of Mickey Lolich. The Tigers are rebuilding so an extra emphasis on the 50th anniversary wouldn’t surprise me at all. But that made me wonder, which World Series title is actually the best in Tigers history?

1968 saw the Tigers come back from a 3-1 deficit behind a complete three-game performance from Mickey Lolich. No one has repeated that since. Randy Johnson came close in 2001 but he only started in two of his three wins.

1984 is more well known amongst the younger fans. That season adopted the catchphrase ‘Bless You Boys’ and Sparky Anderson used the phrase as the title to his published diary about the ’84 season.  What about the other two seasons? Where do those rank on this list? After all ’35 saw the first World Series win in the current franchise. I say current franchise because the Detroit Wolverines won a World Series title in 1887. Almost fifty years before the first Tigers World Series and fourteen years before the founding of the Tigers.

To rank this list we are going to rate the impact of the win on Detroit. We aren’t concerned with wins or dominance. The greater the impact the win had on the city the higher on the list. You’re more than welcome to disagree with this list.

Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers /

The 1945 World Series saw the Detroit Tigers face off against the Chicago Cubs in a rematch of the 1935 World Series.

It also saw the Detroit Tigers bring home their second World Series title in franchise history.

It was the last war-time fall classic and thus didn’t have some of the games’ best stars. The 1945 series didn’t seem to have a big impact on the city of Detroit. World War II was still going on, so that certainly had an impact on the feel for the series. Still, the ’45 Fall Classic featured Hank Greenberg, Hal Newhouser, Phil Cavaretta, Stan Hack, and Andy Pafko.

Through the first four games the series was tied 2-2. But, at the start of game four the Curse of the Billy Goat began for the Chicago Cubs.

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the curse of the Billy Goat is a supposed curse placed on the Cubs after William Sianis was asked to leave Wrigley Field. Other fans were bothered by the smell of his pet goat, and thus he claimed that the Cubs weren’t going to win anymore. The Cubs wouldn’t play in another World Series game for another 71 years following the ’45 series.

Initially, it seemed like the path to a world series would be tough for the Tigers.  They had to go through Cubs ace Hank Borowy, who won ten games with the Yankees before being traded to the Cubs. He’d then win eleven more with the Cubs.

While the impact of a second World Series title wasn’t all that great, the first World Series title in Tigers history wasn’t all that much greater.

Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers /

The 1935 World Series saw the Tigers bring home their first fall classic title. It was also the Tigers fifth appearance in the fall classic since the founding of the team.

Coming off 21 consecutive wins in September the Cubs were the heavy favorite to win it all in ’35. The Tigers losing Hank Greenberg didn’t help their chances either.  1935 arguably was a great year for the city of Detroit outside of sports.

Despite the Great Depression hitting the city hard, the Tigers won the Fall Classic. The Detroit Lions followed that by winning the NFL Championship in ’35. Then the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup in ’35-’36. The accolades earned the city of Detroit the title of “City of Champions”. That’s not to say that the Tigers win didn’t have an impact on Detroit.

It did, however, it seems like the combination of all the major sports teams winning championships did more for the city than just the Tigers winning their first fall classic. The City of Detroit set aside a day in 1936 to commemorate the wins that had occurred the previous year. In addition to the Tigers winning their first World Series, the Lions had their first NFL Championship, and the Red Wings won their first NHL Championship. The rise of Joe Louis as a heavyweight boxer was also commemorated on this day.

April 18 was designated as Champions Day in Michigan, and reportedly no other city has had winners in three out of the four major North American Sports.

For many modern-day Detroit Tigers fans, the next World Series on the list holds the greatest impact.

DETROIT, MI – JUNE 30: Former Detroit Tigers player Lou Whitaker speaks to the fans during the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 World Series Championship team prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park on June 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 5-4. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 30: Former Detroit Tigers player Lou Whitaker speaks to the fans during the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the 1984 World Series Championship team prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Comerica Park on June 30, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers defeated the Athletics 5-4. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

The 1984 World Series is arguably the most well-known World Series Wins for many of the younger Tigers fans.

The ’84 Detroit Tigers started off the season going 35-5, and eventually finish the season with a franchise record 104 wins. Just one win more than the ’68 Tigers. There are so many great things about the 1984 team. Lance Parrish, Trammell, and Whitaker. Jack Morris and his glorious mustache. Kirk Gibson became an iconic figure in the ’84 series. Although he bolted to the Dodgers in 1988 after a controversy concerning owner collusion.

The heart of the 1984 season lies with skipper Sparky Anderson, who was at the helm for the Tigers until 1995. The Reds fired him in 1978 after he won back to back World Series in ’75 and ’76.  During the season Sparky kept a journal that would be published following the season. The title of the book that resulted was “Bless You Boys: Diary of the Detroit Tigers 1984 season”. The Bless You Boys moniker was adopted by sportscaster Al Ackerman and has become synonymous with the 1984 season.

Sparky’s journal notably creates a note that is critical after of the Reds. Following the World Series win he reportedly said:

“I have to be honest. I’ve waited for this day since they fired me in Cincinnati. I think they made a big mistake when they did that. Now no one will ever question me again.”

However, the 1968 World Series win had the greatest impact on the city of Detroit. It served as a rallying point for the city of Detroit.

DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: A detail of a Detroit Tigers hat with an official postseason logo is seen on the bat rack in the udgout againstthe New York Yankees during game four of the American League Championship Series at Comerica Park on October 18, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: A detail of a Detroit Tigers hat with an official postseason logo is seen on the bat rack in the udgout againstthe New York Yankees during game four of the American League Championship Series at Comerica Park on October 18, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Tigers won the fall classic in 1968, in what turned out to be a rallying point for the City of Detroit amidst riots.

In 1967 the city of Detroit broke out in riots. Tigers Slugger Willie Horton infamously went to the corner where he grew up (at 12th and Clairmont) and stood on the hood of his car in full uniform to try and quell rioters. He was unsuccessful. The city of Detroit needed something to help them heal, 1968 saw the Tigers win 103 games en route to a World Series win against the Cardinals. ’68 was known as the year of the pitcher, as the Tigers had AL CY Young and MVP winner Denny McLain.

McLain finished the regular season with a 31-6 record. He is the last pitcher to win 30 games in MLB. He posted 41 starts, 28 complete games, with a 1.96 ERA, and 280 Ks. McLain seemed destined to be the dominant pitcher in the World Series.

However, Mickey Lolich would be what many thought McLain would be during the World Series. Lolich won three straight games in the fall classic, including a decisive game seven. Behind three brilliant games from Lolich, the Tigers rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win it all.

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Lolich recalled his efforts years later according to the Detroit Athletic Co.

“Pitching three complete games in a World Series is, you know, is sort of a great feat,” Lolich said in recalling his 1968 effort in an interview with George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.”

The Tigers became a rallying point in 1968 and as MLive.com pointed out, they helped the city heal after the riots of 1967. Something that the other four wins didn’t do and thus why we think it’s the greatest World Series in Tigers history.

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