January 12 in Tigers and mlb history:
1903 - Detroit Tigers pitcher Win Mercer, winner of 15 games in 1902, commits suicide by inhaling gas in a San Francisco hotel. Mercer had recently been named the Tigers' manager.
1921 - Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis takes over his new role as Commissioner of baseball. Landis, who is given wide-ranging powers, replaces the three-man National Commission that had been running the game for nearly two decades.
1924 - Outfielder Bobby Veach is sold by the Detroit Tigers to the Boston Red Sox.
1972: Detroit Tigers owner John Fetzer announces that the Tigers have signed a lease to build a $126 million domed stadium along the river in downtown Detroit. The complex will seat 52,000 for baseball, and 60,000 for football. Lawsuits, a failed bond issue, and the construction of the Silverdome in nearby Pontiac will eventually kill the idea.
1991 - The Detroit Tigers obtain catcher Mickey Tettleton from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher Jeff Robinson.
2010: A devastating earthquake hits the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, located a few hundred miles off the coast of Florida. Major League Baseball quickly pledges $1 million to UNICEF to help with the relief effort. Teams like the New York Yankees and players such as Miguel Tejada also pledge their support. While Haiti is not a traditional source of players, unlike its neighbor to the east the Dominican Republic, there were 13 Haitian-born players in the minor leagues in 2009 and efforts are now directed to ascertain their well-being.
Tigers players birthdays:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Dontrelle_Willis
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willido03.shtml
Dontrelle Willis 2008-2010.
Tigers players who passed away:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Win_Mercer
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mercewi01.shtml
Win Mercer 1902.
from Baseball Reference
