November 17 in Tigers and mlb history:
1887 - The National League meets and officially recognizes the Brotherhood by meeting with a committee of three players, Monte Ward, Ned Hanlon, and Dan Brouthers.
1965 - Major League Baseball owners unanimously elect William D. Eckert as Commissioner, succeeding Ford Frick, who leaves office after 14 years. Eckert, a retired Lt. General in the United States Air Force, becomes baseball's fourth commissioner. He will serve only one term before being replaced by Bowie Kuhn.
1979 - On a flight to Austin, Texas, Daniel Okrent sketches out the first draft of rules for what will become Rotisserie League Baseball. Had the friends he was seeing not ignored these rules, the Rotisserie League would have been called Pit League, after the Austin barbecue joint where Okrent first unveiled them. Two weeks later in New York, he pitches the idea to a more receptive group with whom Okrent lunches monthly at La R?tisserie Fran?aise.
1987 - George Bell becomes the first Toronto Blue Jays player ever to win the American League MVP Award, edging Alan Trammell of the Detroit Tigers, 332-311. Bell hit .308 with 47 home runs and a league-leading 134 RBI. Trammell hit .343 with 28 home runs, 105 RBI, 205 hits, 329 Total bases, Slugged .551 with an OPS of .953 and an OPS+ of 155.
2004 - After being wined and dined by Detroit Tigers legend Al Kaline and team owner Mike Ilitch, free agent Troy Percival signs a two-year, $12 million deal, surprising everyone, including his agent, by announcing he wants to play in Detroit next season. Before the preliminary meeting in the Motor City, the former Angels closer had been scheduled to meet with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs later in the week. Bothered by arm problems in 2005, Percival will finish 1-3 with eight saves and a 5.76 ERA in just 26 games pitched.
2011: Major League Baseball announces major structural changes for 2013 as a result of its approval of the sale of the Houston Astros to a group headed by Jim Crane. The Astros will move from the NL Central to the AL West, giving both leagues 15 teams split into three five-team divisions. As a result, teams will play a more balanced schedule and there will be interleague play during the entire season to accommodate the odd number of teams in each circuit. There will also be two additional playoff teams, but the new postseason format will be annouced at a later date as it is tied to current negotiations with the Players Association regarding the new collective bargaining agreement.
Tigers players and managers birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/George_Stallings
http://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/stallge01.shtml
George Stallings manager 1901.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jensewi01.shtml
Willie Jensen 1912.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clairda01.shtml
Davey Claire 1920.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weikdi01.shtml
Dick Weik 1953-1954.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/penaor01.shtml
Orlando Pena 1965-1967.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/havenbr01.shtml
Brad Havens 1989.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcmilbi01.shtml
Billy McMillon 2000-2001.
from baseball reference
