Welcome to Detroit Sports Forum!

By joining our community, you'll be able to connect with fellow fans that live and breathe Detroit sports just like you!

Get Started
  • If you are no longer able to access your account since our recent switch from vBulletin to XenForo, you may need to reset your password via email. If you no longer have access to the email attached to your account, please fill out our contact form and we will assist you ASAP. Thanks for your continued support of DSF.

Detroit Tigers Team Notes Over 3 Million Views!!! Thankyou!

January 14 in Tigers and mlb history:

1905: New York Giants owner John T. Brush, who refused to play the American League pennant winners Boston Americans in 1904, proposes rules governing future World Series.

1909: The Detroit Tigers purchased George Moriarty from the New York Highlanders.

1919: John McGraw, Charles A. Stoneham, and Tammany Hall politician Judge Francis X. McQuade buy controlling interest in the New York Giants from the John Brush estate. Having drawn just 265,000 fans in 1918, the club is sold at a bargain price. The three will spend many days in courtrooms fighting among themselves, and fending off government charges about Stoneham's business practices.

1928: Alfred J. Reach, founder of the A.J. Reach sporting goods firm, dies at 87. Before 1860, Reach became the first ballplayer to receive a regular salary when he signed as a catcher with the Philadelphia Athletics for $25 a week.

1932: Babe Ruth rejects a Yankees offer of $70,000, as the major leagues vow to cut salaries by $1 million.

1940: Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis gives free agency to 91 Detroit Tigers players and farm hands.
Citing cover-ups of the movement of players within its organization, Landis hands freedom to Roy Cullenbine, Benny McCoy, Dutch Dietz, and Steve Rachunok from the parent roster and orders $47,250 paid as compensation to 14 players.
Ed Albosta of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Roy Cullenbine of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Guy Curtright of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Dutch Dietz of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Cal Dorsett of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Al Gardella of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Danny Gardella of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Paul Gillespie of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Buddy Hancken of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Jim Hickey of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Johnny Johnson of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Dale Jones of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Pat McLaughlin of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
George Metkovich of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Bill Mueller of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Dee Phillips of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Steve Rachunok of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Johnny Sain of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Bryan Stephens of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Tommy Tatum of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Ed Weiland of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Benny McCoy of the Detroit Tigers granted free agency.
Also;
Johnny Sain is one of the 23 players who will later make it to the major leagues. Landis's edict also nullifies a deal that would have brought the Philadelphia Athletics' Wally Moses to the Tigers.
Both players will later become coaches for the Tigers in the late 1960's on the 1968 World Series Champion Tigers team.

1947: The Detroit Tigers purchased Saul Rogovin from the Washington Senators.

1954: Former Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio marries actress Marilyn Monroe.

1963: In a blockbuster seven-player trade, the Chicago White Sox send shortstop Luis Aparicio and outfielder Al Smith to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm, outfielder Dave Nicholson, third baseman Pete Ward and shortstop Ron Hansen. In the upcoming season, Wilhelm will save 21 games while Aparicio will lead the American League in stolen bases with 40.

1976: Ted Turner completes his purchase of 100% of the Atlanta Braves.

1981: Frank Robinson is named manager of the San Francisco Giants. In 1975, Robinson became the first African-American manager in major league history when he was hired by the Cleveland Indians.

1985: The Detroit Tigers released John Martin.

1986: The Detroit Tigers drafted Jerry Nielsen in the 1st round (26th pick) of the 1986 amateur draft (January Secondary), but was not signed.
1986: The Detroit Tigers drafted Kevin Higgins in the 5th round of the 1986 amateur draft (January), but was not signed.
1986: The Detroit Tigers drafted Wayne Housie in the 8th round of the 1986 amateur draft (January).

1987: Catfish Hunter and Billy Williams are elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA.

1991: The Detroit Tigers signed John Cerutti as a free agent.

1999: The Detroit Tigers traded Mark Persails (minors), Carlos Villalobos (minors), Paul Bako, Dean Crow and Brian Powell to the Houston Astros for Brad Ausmus and C.J. Nitkowski.

2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Bobby Estalella as a free agent.
2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Greg Norton as a free agent.

2006: Dontrelle Willis, Mark Teixeira and Alfonso Soriano are among the 100 players who file for salary arbitration, the often acrimonious negotiating process that rankles baseball management every winter. Mark Prior, Josh Beckett, Brad Lidge, Adam Dunn, Morgan Ensberg, Brian Roberts, Travis Lee and Scot Shields are some of the other players who file before the deadline. Last year, players in arbitration averaged a 123 percent salary increase.

2020: The sign-stealing scandal claims another victim, as one day after Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager A.J. Hinch lost their job, Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was fingered by Major League Baseball for his participation in the scheme when he was Hinch's bench coach in 2017, is let go as well before MLB can complete its investigation on his role in a similar scheme concocted by the Sox in 2018. This does not close the book on the matter, however, as he and the team will also likely be issued harsh penalties at some later date.

Tigers players birthdays:

Ken Johnson 1952.

Dave Campbell 1967-1969.

Mike Pelfrey 2016.

Erick Aybar 2016.

Tigers players who passed away:

Hardy Richardson Detroit Wolverines 1886-1888.

Sam Vico 1948-1949.

Ron Samford 1955, 1957.

Bubba Morton 1961-1963.

Baseball Reference
 
What makes Tarik Skubal elite against Lefties? It's Skubal's sinker: 55% Usage, 73% strikes, 18% ICR with an absurd 5.57 PLV. 0 HR allowed. Yes, change and slider were also great, but the sinker led the way. Skubal allowed just 1 HR to a LHB in '24. Off his changeup.
 
January 15 in Tigers and mlb history:

1927: The St. Louis Browns traded Pinky Hargrave, Bobby LaMotte and Marty McManus to the Detroit Tigers for Otis Miller, Billy Mullen, Frank O'Rourke and Lefty Stewart.

1934: New York Yankees slugger Babe Ruth signs a one-year contract worth $35,000. While the contract is considered a lucrative one for the times, it represents a pay cut of $17,000 for "The Babe".

1936: IRS figures for 1934 show Branch Rickey as the highest-paid man in Major League Baseball at $49,470. Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis had voluntarily taken a cut in 1933 from $65,000 to $40,000 because of the Depression.

1936: Horace Stoneham is elected president of the New York Giants, succeeding his late father, Charles. Stoneham, at age 32, will remain president for the next 40 years, presiding over its move to San Francisco, CA, before selling the team in 1976.

1942: US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt sends his famed "Green Light Letter" to Commissioner Judge Landis, encouraging Major League Baseball to continue playing during World War II. President Roosevelt states that he believes playing the sport would be good for Americans and encourages the owners to have more games at night to give war workers an opportunity to attend games. Despite a loss of many star players to military service, all 16 teams will continue to play regular schedules for the duration of the war.
Ironically, the Chicago Cubs, who had signed an agreement with a contractor to install lights at Wrigley Field, drop their plans because of the military's need for the material. It will take 35 more years before lights are finally installed at the venerable ballpark.

1957: The Brooklyn Dodgers extend their five-year lease on Ebbets Field by signing a new three-year lease with real estate developer Marvin Kratter, who bought the field in 1953. A year later, the Dodgers will call the City of Los Angeles their new home.

1958: The New York Yankees announce that 140 games will be televised this season. The deal is worth over one million dollars. Six days later, the Philadelphia Phillies agree to televise 78 games into the New York City area, which is without National League baseball for the first time since the league's inception in 1876.

1964: Major League Baseball executives vote to hold a free agent draft in New York City. A new TV pact is also signed.

1964: San Francisco Giants outfielder Willie Mays, the highest-paid player in major league baseball, signs for $105,000.

1981: Pitcher Bob Gibson is elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Gibson, who needed 301 votes for election, is named on 337 ballots by the Baseball Writers Association of America. In 17 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Gibson won 251 games, struck out 3,117 batters, compiled a 2.91 ERA, won 20 games five times, and earned two World Championship rings. In 1968, Gibson enjoyed his best season ever, going 22-9 with a 1.12 ERA and captured the Cy Young Award.
Players falling short of the 301 votes needed for election include Don Drysdale (243), Gil Hodges (241), Harmon Killebrew (239), Hoyt Wilhelm (238) and Juan Marichal (233).

1990: Central League star Cecil Fielder signs a contract with the Detroit Tigers. Fielder, who had blasted 38 home runs for the Hanshin Tigers in 1989, will hit 51 home runs this season and become one of the premier power hitters in the American League for most of the 1990's.

1990: The Detroit Tigers signed Ed Romero as a free agent.

1992: The Detroit Tigers signed Jorge Velandia as an amateur free agent.

1996: The Detroit Tigers signed Bob Scanlan as a free agent.

2004: The Detroit Tigers signed Craig Dingman as a free agent.

2014: The Dodgers sign P Clayton Kershaw to the biggest deal in baseball history, as the seven-year, $215 million package averages to $30.7 million per season, making Kershaw the highest-paid player in baseball

2015: At the last owners meeting chaired by outgoing Commissioner Bud Selig, owners decide to use a pitch clock during minor league games at the AA and AAA level this season in an experiment to quicken the pace of games.,

2016: The Detroit Tigers released Rafael Dolis.

2021: In what has been a quiet off-season thus far, the Yankees make a couple of consequential moves. They re-sign free agent 2B D.J. LeMahieu, the reigning American League batting champion, for 6 years and $90 million, and also take a flyer on former Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber, who has missed most of the last two seasons because of injuries, for one year at $11 million. Both deals still await official confirmation.

Tigers players birthdays:

Grover Lowdermilk 1915-1916.

Steve Gromek 1953-1957.

Mike Marshall 1967.

Luis Alvardo 1977.

George Cappuzzello 1981.

Armando Galarraga 2008-2010.

Daz Cameron 2020-2022.

Baseball Reference
 
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers

With just a month until spring training, there are a number of higher-profile free agents who remain unsigned. One of them is Alex Bregman. (duh)
His agent is Scott Boras. He and Bregman turned down a 6-year $156 mill contract for him to stay with the Astros.
It is believed that Boras was asking for a minimum of 7 years and a $200+ mill contract.
But their demands are ageing poorly and experts point to a number of issues that have prevented him from signing with another team.
To his credit, Bregman is one of the best 3Bers in the game. Gold Glove caliber. Impeccable leadership and character. A favorite of Manager A. J. Hinch. Here’ a quick reference to his stats:
Alex Bregman Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com
But he will also be 31 years old this March which make a longer contract a concern.
The Tigers however, don’t have a solid replacement in the minors and Jace Jung was disappointing at 3B for the short time he was there in 2024.
Scott Boras has a reputation of asking for more money and years than other agents. Last year, he flopped for the very first time with 4 of his biggest clients who ended up having to settle for much smaller and shorter contracts.
The free agent market expectations were set almost a month ago and players still languishing are now are starting to downsize their contract demands.
Reports have the Tigers still very much “in the mix” with Boras and Bregman. They are said to be 1 of the last 2 teams remaining in the negotiations.
What do you believe is the primary reason why the Tigers still have not finalized a deal for him?

What do you believe is the primary reason why the Tigers still have not finalized a deal for Alex Bregman?

1. His age coupled with the number of years on the contract.

2. He's been over-valued/over-priced by Boras.

3. The Tigers are using strategy and time in order to land a more favorable team deal.

VOTE
 
Power-hitting No. 4 prospect Rodriguez headlines Tigers' signings.
Tigers official site

Tigers sign outfielder Cris Rodriguez as 2025 international signing period begins.
The 16-year-old from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, signed for $3.2 million on Wednesday.
BYBTB

Tigers make international free agency history and didn't need Roki Sasaki to do it.
MCBTB

Tigers ink 4 as international signing period opens.
Detnews

Detroit Tigers sign international prospect Cris Rodriguez to record $3.2 million bonus.
Freep

Dominican outfielder headlines Tigers’ 2025 international signing class.
Mlive
 
Chris Fetter could be selling point for Detroit Tigers to acquire struggling starter
Chris Fetter was recently named Baseball America's Coach of the Year. Could he have something up his sleeve for a potential Tiger trade target?
MCBTB
 
Back
Top