Bits & Pieces

1981 Tigers Season Replay

The Detroit Tigers took 3 of 4 from the New York Yankees, like they did in real-life that series.

The first two games both went into extras with Jack Morris (Grade B-Y) and Milt Wilcox (Grade B-Z) each going 10 innings, while the Yankees also had a pair of 10-inning pitchers in Ron Guidry (Grade B-XZ) and Rudy May (Grade D-Z). The Tigers would prevail in both, winning 2-1 due to a Alan Trammell sac fly in the 12th of Game 1 & by the same score, 2-1, in Game 2 with a RBI single by Steve Kemp.

Morris only allowed 3 hits, 0 ER & 1 run, with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks, while Wilcox allowed only 2 hits & 1 ER, to go along with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Kevin Saucier logged 3 more saves to bring his season total to 18.


The Yankees won the 3rd game, but should have won the 4th game possibly, stranding 14 men on base, while the Tigers only needed 7 hits all game to pull off the 3-1 victory -- Thanks to RBI doubles by Al Cowens and Steve Kemp.

1916 Tigers Fall Short (Once Again to the Athletics)

The Detroit Tigers who were favored to win the A.L. West before the season, barely did, over the Chicago White Sox, while suffering two untimely injuries in Ty Cobb and Jack Barry. The Tigers would once again fall short to the eventual 1916 Back-to-Back World Champion Philadelphia Athletics, who defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in another all-Philly fall classic. The poor Phillies have now lost three consecutive World Series.

The Tigers didn't waste no time by making changes. Former owner Rocky McQueary sold the Tigers to Jacob Piasecki. I am not going to lie, I was pretty thrilled with this move, McQuery hounded and hounded me to trade Ty Cobb, but I stuck to my guns.

Cobb would reward me with his 5th career batting title (.353).

Last season was the first season that I stepped down from managing the Tigers, while transitioning to full-time General Manager. I signed the great John McGraw to take over the managing duties, who led the Tigers (83-57) to division title, winning by a game.

We made the most trades in one off-season that we can remember, it may be a new rebuilt lineup, but we still have the best rotation in baseball in Walter Johnson, Hugh Bedient, Claude Hendrix & Guy Morton.

• Traded RP-Babe Adams, RP-Dustin Mails & P-Alex Main to reacquire pitcher Carl Mays.

• Traded RF-Sherry Magee to the St.Louis Browns in exchange for RP-Bullet Joe Bush, catching prospect C-John W Peters, RP-Harry Harper & OF-Beals Becker.

• Traded C-Les Nunamaker straight-up to the St.Louis Cardinals in exchange for closer Eddie Cicotte; Cicotte pitched for my Tigers from 1905-to-midway 1910 & has developed into a closer.

• Traded 1B-Fred Merkle and C-Otto Miller to the New York Giants in exchange for 2B-Heinie Groh and catching prospect Muddy Ruel.

• Traded 2B-Jack Barry and 3B-Hans Lobert to the New York Yankees in exchange for 1B-Ossie Vitt, 3B-Tillie Shafer & 2B-Manuel Cueto.

• Traded LF-Greasy Neale, 1B/RF-High Pockets Kelly, LHP-Harry Harper & $3,000 to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for LF-Ken Williams (pictured above).

• Traded RP-Leon Cadore to the St.Louis Cardinals in exchange for C-Pinch Thomas and RP-Elmer Brown.