August 13 in Tigers and mlb history:
1900 - A mechanical pitching machine is used in a game between the Memphis Chicks and the Nashvilles. The invention of Princeton professor Charles Hinton, the early pitching gun strikes out two and allows three hits in two innings.
1902: In the 6th inning of a game with the Tigers, Harry Davis of the A's attempts a double steal with Dave Fultz, who is on third base. But Davis does not draw a throw as he goes into second, and Fultz cannot score. So, on the next pitch, he "steals" first base. The next time he steals second, he does draw a throw and Fultz scores from third. This double steal maneuver will be attempted in later years by Fred Tenney (July 31, 1908), and Detroit's Germany Schaefer (September 4, 1908), before being made illegal.
1908 - Cy Young Day is celebrated by 20,000 in Boston. He pitches briefly against an All-Star team that includes Jack Chesbro, Hal Chase, Willie Keeler, Harry Davis and George Mullin. The game is interrupted several times for presentations to the great hurler, including a great loving cup from the American League for all his accomplishments.
1911: Ty Cobb, apparently believing the Tigers can no longer win the pennant race, begins a vacation.
1934 - In a preview of the World Series, the Cardinals play the Tigers in an exhibition game in Detroit. The Deans refuse to make the trip, having both pitched the day before. Dizzy is fined $100 and Paul $50.
1947 - At Sportsman's Park, pinch-hitter Willard Brown of the Browns becomes the first black player to hit a home run in the American League. The historic homer, a pinch-hit inside-the-parker off future Hall of Fame hurler Hal Newhouser, helps the Browns beat the Tigers 6 - 5.
1969: With a unanimous vote, the major league owners elect Commissioner Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term.
1972 - Bengals manager Billy Martin literally picks his starting lineup out of a hat in an attempt to halt the Tigers' 4-game losing streak. The ploy works as Detroit defeats Cleveland 3 - 2. Using a regular lineup in the nightcap, the Tigers lose 9 - 2.
1984 - At Cooperstown, the Tigers beat the Atlanta Braves, 7 - 5 in the annual Hall of Fame Game.
1995: Flags fly at half-mast at Yankee Stadium as Yankee legend Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer at the age of 63 in Dallas, Texas.
2007 - Placido Polanco plays his 144th consecutive game at second base without an error. This breaks Luis Castillo's record, set earlier this season. The two streaks overlapped for many months. The Tigers still lose 7 - 2, dropping them to 8 wins in their past 25 games and a tie for first place with the Indians.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/washbja01.shtml
Jarrod Washburn 2009.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Roman_Colon
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colonro01.shtml
Roman Colon 2005-2006.
from baseball reference
