1907 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
won the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
pennant
Pennant (sports)
A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...
with a record of 92-58, but lost to the Chicago Cubs
1907 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in first place in the National League with a record of 107-45, 17 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was their second straight NL pennant...
in the 1907 World Series
1907 World Series
The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
, four games to none (with one tie). The season was their 7th since they entered the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in 1901.
Offseason
In March 1907, Detroit manager Hughie JenningsHughie Jennings
Hugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
actually offered Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
to the Cleveland Naps
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in exchange for Elmer Flick
Elmer Flick
Elmer Harrison Flick was an American player in Major League Baseball from until . An outfielder known predominantly for his solid batting and speed, Flick was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963....
. The Naps refused the deal.
Season summary
The 1907 season was the first year the Tigers won the American League pennant. Their 1907 record of 92-58 was the team's best record to that point. Led by Ty CobbTy Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
, who led the American League in batting average (Cobb's first batting crown), RBIs, and slugging percentage, and Sam Crawford
Sam Crawford
Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
, who led the league in runs scored and extra base hits, they scored 89 more runs than any other team in the American League and outscored their opponents 694 to 532. They finished 1½ games ahead of the A's
1907 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 2nd in the American League with a record of 88 wins and 57 losses.- Roster :- Starters by position :...
.
The 1907 Tigers' winning percentage ranks as the 9th best in team history, as follows:
EWLINE
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The players
Catchers: Boss SchmidtBoss SchmidtCharles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers ....
and Fred PayneFred PayneFrederick Thomas Payne was a Major League Baseball player who played 6 seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox ....
CatchingCatcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
duties were split between Boss Schmidt
Boss Schmidt
Charles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers ....
(67 games), Fred Payne
Fred Payne
Frederick Thomas Payne was a Major League Baseball player who played 6 seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox ....
(46 games), and Jimmy Archer
Jimmy Archer
James Patrick Archer was an Irish-born catcher in Major League Baseball who spent nearly his entire career with four National League teams, primarily the Chicago Cubs, for whom he played from 1909 to 1917...
(17 games).
Schmidt
Boss Schmidt
Charles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers ....
hit .244 in 1907. As a young man, Schmidt worked in the coal mines and was a skilled brawler who fought an exhibition match with the heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (boxer)
John Arthur Johnson , nicknamed the “Galveston Giant,” was an American boxer. At the height of the Jim Crow era, Johnson became the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion...
. Schmidt also beat Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
in at least two fights. In the second fight, Schmidt knocked Cobb unconscious but admired Cobb's resiliency, and the two became friends until Schmidt's death in 1932. Schmidt never wore shinguards and could force nails into the floor with his bare fists.
Infield: Rossman, Downs, O'Leary, Coughlin, and Schaefer
First basemanFirst baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
Claude Rossman
Claude Rossman
Claude R. Rossman was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played five seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Naps , Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns...
played for the Tigers from 1907-1909. In 1907, Rossman hit .277 and had 69 RBIs—third most on the team after Cobb and Crawford. Rossman had a peculiar emotional quirk where he sometimes froze and could not throw the ball when he became excited. Runners would lead off first to draw a throw from the pitcher, then run to second when Rossman froze. He was 28 when he played his last major league game and died at age 46 in a New York hospital for the insane where he had been a patient for several years.
Red Downs
Red Downs
Jerome Willis "Red" Downs , was a Major League Baseball player, who gained notoriety later in life as an armed robber during the Great Depression. Downs was born and raised in Neola, Iowa, a small town with a town ball baseball team. Downs played on the Neola team, known as the Neola Erins, as a...
and Germany Schaefer
Germany Schaefer
Herman A. "Germany" Schaefer was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played fifteen seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Newark Pepper, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians....
platooned at the second base position for the Tigers in 1907 and 1908. Downs hit .219 in 1907 with 42 RBIs and 28 runs scored. In March 1932, Downs and another man robbed a jewelry store at the Biltmore Hotel
Biltmore Hotel
Bowman-Biltmore Hotels was a chain created by hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman.The name evokes the Vanderbilt family's Biltmore Estate, whose buildings and gardens within are privately owned historical landmarks and tourist attractions in Asheville, North Carolina, United States. The name has...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Downs was convicted of first-degree robbery and sentenced to five years to life. He was paroled after 3½ years and returned to Iowa.
Germany Schaefer
Herman A. "Germany" Schaefer was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played fifteen seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Newark Pepper, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians....
was a backup second baseman and utility infielder for the 1907 Tigers. He played 74 games at second base, 18 at shortstop, and 14 at third base. Schaefer is remembered more for his antics than for his performance on the field, including trying to steal first base (from second base) and, coming to bat in the rain with a raincoat and boots (to persuade the umpire to call the games). Schaefer was a pioneer of baseball clowning, and his vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
act with teammate Charley O'Leary
Charley O'Leary
Charles Timothy O'Leary was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played eleven seasons with the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Cardinals , and St. Louis Browns ....
was inspiration for the MGM musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
"Take Me Out To The Ball Game" starring Gene Kelly
Gene Kelly
Eugene Curran "Gene" Kelly was an American dancer, actor, singer, film director and producer, and choreographer...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. In 1919, a little over a year after Schaefer played his last game, he died at age 42 of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
at the sanitarium in Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake, New York
Saranac Lake is a village located in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406. The village is named after Upper, Middle, and Lower Saranac Lakes, which are nearby....
.
Charley O'Leary was Detroit's starting shortstop from 1904-1907. In 1907, he hit .241 and scored 61 runs. On September 30, 1934, O'Leary pinch hit for the St. Louis Browns
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
at age 51 and became one of the oldest players to collect a hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and score a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
.
Third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
Bill Coughlin
Bill Coughlin
William Paul Coughlin , was a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers...
, known as "Scranton Bill," was named team captain in 1907 and 1908. He was a light-hitting defensive player, who never hit higher than .252 for the Tigers. His 232 putouts in 1901 is the 8th highest single season total in history by a major league third baseman. He is also one of the few MLB players to have stolen 2nd base, 3rd base and home in a single game. Coughlin was also the maestro of the hidden ball trick
Hidden ball trick
In the game of baseball, the hidden ball trick is a play in which the runner is deceived about the location of the ball, in an effort to have him tagged out.-Execution:...
. Although no known comprehensive list is known to exist of all times when the hidden ball trick has worked, Coughlin reportedly pulled it off seven times (and at three different positions) -- more than any other player in MLB history. In Game 2 of the 1907 World Series
1907 World Series
The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
, Coughlin caught Jimmy Slagle
Jimmy Slagle
James Franklin Slagle was a professional baseball player who played outfield in the major leagues from 1899 to 1908.Slagle started his professional career in 1895, at the age of 21...
with a hidden ball trick
Hidden ball trick
In the game of baseball, the hidden ball trick is a play in which the runner is deceived about the location of the ball, in an effort to have him tagged out.-Execution:...
, the only one in World Series history.
Outfield: Cobb, Crawford and Jones
1907 was Ty CobbTy Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's first season as an every-day starter. He won his first batting crown with a .350 average and led the American League in RBIs (119), slugging percentage (.468), hits (212), total bases (283), stolen bases (49), and runs created (106).
Right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
Sam Crawford
Sam Crawford
Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
, known as “Wahoo Sam,” was one of the greatest sluggers of the deadball era
Dead-ball era
The dead-ball era is a baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 and the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919. In 1919, Ruth hit a then league record 29 home runs, a spectacular feat at that time.This era was characterized by low-scoring games and a lack of home runs...
and still holds the major league records for triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
in a career (309) and for inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
s in a season (12) and a career (51). He finished his career with 2,961 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and a .309 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. Crawford was among the AL leaders in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, RBIs, extra base hits, slugging percentage, and total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
every year for twelve consecutive years from 1905-1915. In 1907, Crawford finished second in the AL in batting average (.323) behind Cobb, and led the league in runs scored (102) and extra base hits.
Davy Jones
Davy Jones (baseball)
David Jefferson "Davy" Jones , nicknamed "Kangaroo", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Rebels...
played for the Tigers from 1906-1912. With Cobb and Crawford solidly entrenched in the outfield, Jones was forced to battle for the third outfield spot with Matty McIntyre
Matty McIntyre
Matthew W. "Matty" McIntyre was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played ten seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , and Chicago White Sox ....
each year from 1906-1910. As a speedy leadoff man, he was a reliable run scorer with Cobb and Crawford following him in the lineup. Jones' speed also made him a fine outfielder, with tremendous range In 1907, he finished second in the AL with 101 runs. In his three World Series for the Tigers, Jones played in 18 games, had a .357 on base percentage, scored 8 runs, and had a home run in the 1909 World Series
1909 World Series
The 1909 World Series featured the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates won the Series in seven games to capture their first championship of the modern Major League Baseball era and the second championship in the club's history....
against the Pittsburgh Pirates
1909 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates won the National League pennant with a record of 110–42. Led by shortstop Honus Wagner and outfielder-manager Fred Clarke, the Pirates scored the most runs in the majors. Wagner led the league in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and runs batted in...
.
Pitching: Mullin, Killian, Siever, and Donovan
"Wild Bill" Donovan was the Tigers ace in 1907 with a 25-4 record—the best win percentage in Tigers' team history. On May 7, 1906, Donovan stole second base, third base, and home on the front end of a double steal and also hit a triple in the same game. In June 1923, Donovan died in a train wreck.Ed Killian
Ed Killian
Edwin Henry Killian , nicknamed "Twilight Ed," was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily of the Detroit Tigers....
led the team (and was 2nd in the AL) with a 1.78 ERA and compiled a 25-13 record. As of the end of the 2009 season, Killian's career ERA of 2.38 is the 26th-best in MLB history. Killian also holds the record for fewest home runs allowed, giving up only 9 in his entire career. At one point, Killian pitched a record 1001 innings (from Sept. 1903 - Aug. 1907) without allowing a home run.
George Mullin
George Mullin (baseball)
George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers...
won 20 games in 1907, but he also lost 20 games. His ERA of 2.59 was the highest among the four Detroit starting pitchers. Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
franchise record for innings pitched (in a career and in a season) and has the second most wins in the team's history. He also pitched the team's first no-hitter; had five 20-win seasons (including a league-leading 29 wins in 1909; twice hit over .310 as a batter; and ranks 7th in major league history for fielding assists by a pitcher.
The fourth Tiger starter was Ed Siever
Ed Siever
Edward Tilden Siever was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Born in Goddard, Kansas, Siever had four good seasons and one phenomenal season in his brief major league career...
who had a 2.16 ERA in 1907 with a record of 18-11. Siever's Adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+
Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average according to the pitcher's ballpark and the ERA of the pitcher's league...
of 191 for the 1902 Tigers
1902 Detroit Tigers season
was the second year for the Detroit Tigers in the newly formed American League. The team finished in seventh place with a record of 58-77 , 30½ games behind the Philadelphia Athletics. The 1902 Tigers were outscored by their opponents 657 runs to 566. The team's attendance at Bennett Park was...
is the second-best (after Hal Newhouser
Hal Newhouser
Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
in Tigers franchise history for a pitcher with more than 150 innings pitched. (See Detroit Tigers award winners and league leaders) Ironically, Siever won fewer games in 1902 than he did any other full season he played.
Player/Manager Hughie JenningsHughie JenningsHugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
Hughie Jennings
Hugh Ambrose Jennings was a Major League Baseball player and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894, 1895, and 1896. During the three championship seasons, Jennings had...
led the Tigers to three consecutive American League pennants, in -08
1908 in baseball
-Statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-January-March:*February 27 - The sacrifice fly rule is adopted. No time at bat is charged if a run scores after the catch of a fly ball...
-09
1909 in baseball
-Champions:*World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Detroit Tigers -MLB statistical leaders:-American League final standings:-National League final standings:-Events:...
. Jennings continued to manage the Tigers through the 1920 season, though his team never won another pennant. During his years as Detroit’s manager, Jennings became famous for his antics, mostly in the third base coaching box, which variously included shouts of “Ee-Yah,” and other whoops, whistles, horns, gyrations, jigs, and grass-plucking. The "Ee-Yah" whoop became his trademark and was accompanied with waves of both arms over his head and a sharp raising of his right knee. In 1907, he was suspended for taunting opponents with a tin whistle. The "Ee-Yah" shouts continued and became such a trademark that Jennings became known as Hughie "Ee-Yah" Jennings, and Detroit fans would shout "Ee-Yah" when Jennings would appear on the field. (See also Jack Smile, Ee-yah: The Life And Times Of Hughie Jennings, Baseball Hall Of Famer)
Behind the antics was a great coaching mind. Connie Mack
Connie Mack
Connie Mack may refer to:* Connie Mack I , Hall of Fame baseball manager, player, owner* Connie Mack III , U.S. Representative , U.S. Senator from Florida * Connie Mack IV , U.S...
called Jennings one of the three greatest managers in history, along with John McGraw
John McGraw
John McGraw may refer to:* John McGraw , , New York lumber tycoon, and one of the founding trustees of Cornell University* John McGraw , , Governor of Washington state from 1893–1897...
and Joe McCarthy.
Season highlights
- September 27: The Tigers beat the A's, 5-4‚ to take over first place.
- September 30: The Tigers and A's, battling for the pennant, play to a 17-inning 9-9 tie in one of the most momorable games of the 1907 season. In the first game of a planned double header‚ the A's got off to a 7-1 lead against "Wild Bill" Donovan. The Tigers came back to tie the game, 8-8, against Rube WaddellRube WaddellGeorge Edward Waddell was an American southpaw pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his thirteen-year career he played for the Louisville Colonels , Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Orphans in the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns in the American League...
, on a two-run home run by Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
. Both teams scored once in the 11th, and an umpire's ruling cost Philadelphia the game in the 14th inning. Harry Davis hit a long fly. Detroit outfielder Sam CrawfordSam CrawfordSamuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
went to the crowd's edge‚ and a policeman stood up and moved‚ either to interfere or to get out of the way. Home plate umpire Silk O'LoughlinSilk O'LoughlinFrancis H. "Silk" O'Loughlin was an American umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1902 to 1918...
ruled there was no interference‚ then reversed his ruling when base umpire Tom ConnollyTom ConnollyThomas Henry Connolly was an English-American umpire in Major League Baseball. He officiated in the National League from 1898 to 1900, followed by 31 years of service in the American League from 1901 to 1931...
offered a different opinion. The game was called because of darkness in the 17th‚ a 9-9 tie. The Tigers‚ in first place‚ left for Washington where they won four games. - October 2: The Tigers swept a double header against Washington‚ winning 9-5 and 10-2. Ty Cobb got his 200th hit.
Roster
| 1907 Detroit Tigers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager | ||||||
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 104 | 349 | 85 | .244 | 0 | 23 | |
| 1B | 153 | 571 | 158 | .277 | 0 | 69 | |
| 2B | 105 | 374 | 82 | .219 | 1 | 42 | |
| 3B | 134 | 519 | 126 | .243 | 0 | 46 | |
| SS | 139 | 465 | 112 | .241 | 0 | 34 | |
| OF | 150 | 605 | 212 | .350 | 5 | 119 | |
| OF | 144 | 582 | 188 | .323 | 4 | 81 | |
| OF | 126 | 491 | 134 | .273 | 0 | 34 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 372 | 96 | .258 | 1 | 32 | |
| 53 | 169 | 28 | .166 | 0 | 14 | |
| 20 | 81 | 23 | .284 | 0 | 9 | |
| 18 | 42 | 5 | .119 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | 37 | 9 | .243 | 0 | 5 | |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | .200 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 4 | 1 | .250 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | 357.1 | 20 | 20 | 2.59 | 146 | |
| 41 | 314 | 25 | 13 | 1.78 | 96 | |
| 39 | 274.2 | 18 | 11 | 2.16 | 88 | |
| 32 | 271 | 25 | 4 | 2.19 | 123 | |
| 1 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5.63 | 6 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 81 | 3 | 3 | 2.67 | 17 | |
| 10 | 48.2 | 1 | 5 | 3.70 | 27 | |
| 4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 5.06 | 9 |
Players ranking among top 100 all time at position
The following members of the 1909 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by The New Bill James Historical Baseball AbstractThe Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was published in 1985 by Villard Books, followed by The New Bill James...
in 2001:
- Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
: 2nd best center fielder of all time - Sam CrawfordSam CrawfordSamuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957....
: 10th best right fielder of all time
World Series summary
In the 1907 World Series, the Chicago Cubs1907 Chicago Cubs season
The Chicago Cubs season was a season in American baseball. The team finished in first place in the National League with a record of 107-45, 17 games ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates. It was their second straight NL pennant...
beat the Tigers 4 games to none (with one tie). With pitching dominance over the Tigers and Cobb, the Cubs allowed only three runs in the four games they won, while stealing 18 bases off the rattled Tigers.
In Game 1, Tigers pitcher Bill Donovan struck out twelve Cubs in 12 innings. The Tigers scored three runs, in part due to three Chicago errors, in the 8th inning and held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. The Cubs loaded the bases on a single, walk and infield error with one out. Detroit conceded a run on a ground ball for the second out and Cub player-manager Frank Chance
Frank Chance
Frank Leroy Chance was a Major League Baseball player at the turn of the 20th century. Performing the roles of first baseman and manager, Chance led the Chicago Cubs to four National League championships in the span of five years and earned the nickname "The Peerless Leader".Chance was elected to...
then used pinch-hitter Del Howard
Del Howard
George Elmer "Del" Howard was a Major League Baseball player from 1905 to 1909. He would play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Beaneaters/Doves, and Chicago Cubs. Howard appeared in 536 games and retired with six home runs and a lifetime .263 batting average.-External links:...
to bat for Joe Tinker
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in...
. Howard struck out against "Wild" Bill Donovan (25–4 in the regular season) but the ball got away from catcher Boss Schmidt
Boss Schmidt
Charles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers ....
, allowing Harry Steinfeldt
Harry Steinfeldt
Harry M. Steinfeldt was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs and Boston Rustlers . Steinfeldt batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St...
to score the tying run. Donovan got the next batter but the damage to Detroit has been done. The teams then played three scoreless innings before the game was called on account of darkness and declared a tie, a first for the World Series.
In Game 2, George Mullin
George Mullin (baseball)
George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers...
, a 20 game winner and loser for Detroit in 1907 and who had walked over 100 batters in each of his last five seasons, issues a bases-loaded walk in the 2nd inning to tie the game at 1-1. Chicago scored two more in the 4th on a single, sacrifice bunt, RBI single, stolen base and double to take a 3-1 lead.
In Game 3, Cubs pitcher Ed Reulbach
Ed Reulbach
Edward Marvin "Big Ed" Reulbach was a major league baseball pitcher for the Chicago Cubs during their glory years of the early 1900s....
scattered six hits as Chicago jumped on Tiger starter Ed Siever
Ed Siever
Edward Tilden Siever was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Born in Goddard, Kansas, Siever had four good seasons and one phenomenal season in his brief major league career...
for four runs on seven hits in only four innings. Johnny Evers
Johnny Evers
John Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
had three hits, including two doubles, as the Cubs took a 2-0 lead in the series.
In Game 4, Detroit held a 1-0 lead on a triple by Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
and an RBI single by Claude Rossman
Claude Rossman
Claude R. Rossman was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played five seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Naps , Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns...
before a rain delay in the 5th inning. When play resumed, Chicago baserunners reached via an error and a walk. After Joe Tinker
Joe Tinker
Joseph Bert Tinker was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He is best known for his years with the Chicago Cubs dynasty which won four pennants between 1906 and 1910; and for his feud with double play partner Johnny Evers. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in...
sacrificed, pitcher Orval Overall
Orval Overall
Orval Overall was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was a member of the Chicago Cubs dynasty of the early 1900s.-Biography:...
drove both runners home on a single to right field. The Cubs scored three more in the 7th without hitting the ball out of the infield on four bunts (two for hits) and two ground balls.
In Game 5, Chicago wrapped up the series with a 2-0 victory as Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Brown
Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown , nicknamed "Three Finger" or "Miner", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher at the turn of the 20th century. Due to a farm-machinery accident in his youth, Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand and eventually acquired his nickname as a result...
pitched a seven-hit shutout. The Cubs scored a run in the first inning on a walk, stolen base and RBI single by Harry Steinfeldt
Harry Steinfeldt
Harry M. Steinfeldt was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs and Boston Rustlers . Steinfeldt batted and threw right-handed. He was born in St...
and scored again in the 2nd on an error, a single, a double-steal and a ground ball out to drive in the final run. Detroit had runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out in the 4th inning, but could not score and never seriously threatened after that.
Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Cobb Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia... |
5 | 20 | 4 | .200 | 0 | 0 |
| Bill Coughlin Bill Coughlin William Paul Coughlin , was a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers... |
5 | 20 | 5 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Crawford Sam Crawford Samuel Earl Crawford , nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1957.... |
5 | 21 | 5 | .238 | 0 | 3 |
| Davy Jones Davy Jones (baseball) David Jefferson "Davy" Jones , nicknamed "Kangaroo", was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He played fifteen seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Rebels... |
5 | 17 | 6 | .353 | 0 | 0 |
| Charley O'Leary Charley O'Leary Charles Timothy O'Leary was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played eleven seasons with the Detroit Tigers , St. Louis Cardinals , and St. Louis Browns .... |
5 | 17 | 1 | .059 | 0 | 0 |
| Claude Rossman Claude Rossman Claude R. Rossman was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played five seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Naps , Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns... |
5 | 19 | 9 | .474 | 0 | 2 |
| Germany Schaefer Germany Schaefer Herman A. "Germany" Schaefer was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played fifteen seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Newark Pepper, New York Yankees, and Cleveland Indians.... |
5 | 21 | 3 | .143 | 0 | 0 |
| Boss Schmidt Boss Schmidt Charles "Boss" Schmidt was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers .... |
4 | 12 | 2 | .167 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Donovan | 2 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 1.71 | 16 |
| George Mullin George Mullin (baseball) George Joseph Mullin was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators of the American League and the Indianapolis Hoosiers/Newark Pepper of the Federal League.-Career Overview:Mullin holds the Detroit Tigers... |
2 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 2.12 | 8 |
| Ed Killian Ed Killian Edwin Henry Killian , nicknamed "Twilight Ed," was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily of the Detroit Tigers.... |
1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 | 1 |
| Ed Siever Ed Siever Edward Tilden Siever was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played seven seasons with the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Browns . Born in Goddard, Kansas, Siever had four good seasons and one phenomenal season in his brief major league career... |
1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4.50 | 1 |