Detroit Tigers: Ranking the World Series wins

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.