January 9th, 1934 - The 1934 Detroit Tigers

The 1934 Detroit Tigers won the AL pennant in 1934 with a record of 101-54. They were "star studded" with hitters such as Charlie Gehringer (2b) and player-manager Mickey Cochrane (c). Hank Greenberg (1b) is in his second year in 1934. Their star pitchers include "Schoolboy" Rowe and Tommy Bridges. The Tigers turned it around in 1934, having finished 5th in 1932 and 1933 under previous manager Bucky Harris. Although they lost the 1934 World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in a seven game series, they won the World Series in 1935. They finished second in 1936 and 1937, before sliding to the middle of the league at the end of the decade.

One of Detroit's strengths in this period was its infield, which historian Bill James calls the best of the decade. Defensively, its anchor is second baseman Charlie Gehringer, who was as great in the field as at the plate. 3rd baseman Marv Owen and Shortstop Billy Rogell were also very solid fielders. The infield's only defensive weakness is first baseman Hank Greenberg. At the plate, however, Greenberg provides the power among the four.