1911 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
The 1911 Detroit Tigers
had a record of 82-72 and finished in second place in the American League
, 13½ games behind the Philadelphia Athletics
. They outscored their opponents 831-776, and drew 484,988 fans to Bennett Park (4th of 8 teams in attendance).
The 1911 Tigers had two of the best batters in baseball in Ty Cobb
and Sam Crawford
. Cobb led both leagues in batting average (.420), RBIs (127), stolen bases (83), slugging (.621), runs (147), hits (248), total bases (367), doubles (47), and extra base hits (79). Crawford was not far behind, ranking in the top three in the AL in batting average (.378), slugging (.438), hits (217), total bases (302), and RBIs (115).
The team ranked second best in the American League in runs scored but the pitching staff's earned run average of 3.73 was the second worst in the league—a full point above the league leading Red Sox
' team ERA of 2.74. Playing in Bennett Field, with its 8,500-seat wooden grandstand, their home attendance for the entire season was 484,988.
Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included
Ty Cobb
Sam Crawford
George Mullin
Ed Willett
Ralph Works
in 2001:
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...
had a record of 82-72 and finished in second place in 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...
, 13½ games behind the Philadelphia Athletics
1911 Philadelphia Athletics season
The 1911 Philadelphia Athletics season was a season in American baseball. The A's finished first in the American League with a record of 101 wins and 50 losses, then went on to defeat the New York Giants in the 1911 World Series, four games to two, for their second straight World...
. They outscored their opponents 831-776, and drew 484,988 fans to Bennett Park (4th of 8 teams in attendance).
Season summary
The 1911 Detroit Tigers opened the season with a phenomenal 21-2 record. The Tigers set the modern record for home wins to start the season, 12-0, and were 51-25 at home but 38-40 on the road. They were in first place in the American League every day except one until August 3, 1911. After going 59-24, the wheels fell off as the team lost 20 of 30 games in July and were 23-43 in the second half. The Tigers lost 20 of 30 games in July and ended up 13½ games behind the Athletics.The 1911 Tigers had two of the best batters in baseball in 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 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....
. Cobb led both leagues in batting average (.420), RBIs (127), stolen bases (83), slugging (.621), runs (147), hits (248), total bases (367), doubles (47), and extra base hits (79). Crawford was not far behind, ranking in the top three in the AL in batting average (.378), slugging (.438), hits (217), total bases (302), and RBIs (115).
The team ranked second best in the American League in runs scored but the pitching staff's earned run average of 3.73 was the second worst in the league—a full point above the league leading Red Sox
1911 Boston Red Sox season
The 1911 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 78 wins and 75 losses.This was the final season for the Sox at Huntington Avenue Grounds...
' team ERA of 2.74. Playing in Bennett Field, with its 8,500-seat wooden grandstand, their home attendance for the entire season was 484,988.
Roster
| 1911 Detroit Tigers | |||||||||
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| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders | Manager Coaches |
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Season chronology
- April 13: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 4-2, on Opening Day at Bennett Park. George MullinGeorge 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...
was the Opening Day starter for Detroit. - April 18: The Tigers beat Cleveland, 5-1, as Ty CobbTy CobbTyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
stole home on a double steal in the first inning. George Mullin won his second game of the year. - April 20: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 6-3, to open the season with six consecutive wins.
- April 28: The Tigers beat Cleveland, 5-3, for their 12th win against only one defeat to that point in the season.
- May 1: The Tigers beat Cleveland, 14-5. Ty Cobb stole home for the second time in less than a month off Cleveland pitcher George KahlerGeorge KahlerGeorge Runnells Kahler was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Cleveland Naps from 1910 to 1914.Kahler was the second pitcher to use the emery ball, after Russ Ford.-External links:...
. - May 7: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 5-4, as Ty Cobb went 4-for-5.
- May 9: The Tiges beat New York, 10-0, as Ralph WorksRalph WorksRalph Talmadge Works , nicknamed "Judge," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for five seasons, with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds . Born in Payson, Illinois, Works was called "Judge" by teammates for his scholarly countenance. Works had career record of 24-24 with a 3.79 ERA...
pitched his second shutout of the season. Off to a scorching hot start, the Tigers were 21-2 at that point. - May 10: The Tigers lost their first game at Bennett Park in 1911, a 6-2 loss to New York. The Tigers had a 21-2 record and would lead the American League until July 4.
- May 12: The Tigers beat the Yankees, 6-5. Ty Cobb scored a run from first base on a short single to right‚ scored from second base on a wild pitch‚ then doubled home two runs in the 7th inning to tie the game. When New York catcher Ed SweeneyEd SweeneyEdward Francis Sweeney was a Major League Baseball catcher who played for the New York Yankees from 1908–1915 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1919 when he had 4 hits in 42 at bats...
argued the call at the plate‚ the rest of the infield gathered‚ leaving Cobb unattended at second base. With no time out called‚ Cobb strolled to third base‚ and then walked in to observe the continuing argument. When he spotted an opening in the circle of players‚ he slid in with the winning run. - May 13: After taking a 10-1 lead, the Tigers lost to the Red Sox, 13-11, in 10 innings. Ty Cobb hit the first grand slam of his career in the third inning grand slam.
- May 15: The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 5-4. Ty Cobb drew an intentional walk in the 10th inning, and Jim DelahantyJim DelahantyJames Christopher Delahanty was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played thirteen seasons with eight clubs: the Chicago Orphans , New York Giants , Boston Beaneaters , Cincinnati Reds , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , and Brooklyn Tip-Tops...
drove him in for the win. Cobb began a 40-game hit streak. - May 19: The Tigers beat the A's, 9-8. Detroit pitcher Jack LivelyJack LivelyHenry Everett "Jack" Lively was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, playing for the Detroit Tigers during the 1911 season. Born in Joppa, Alabama, he played in 18 games for the 1911 Tigers, compiling a record of 7–5 with 10 complete games, and a 4.59 ERA. He had a .256 batting...
was hit in the head with pitch in the second inning, but woozily continued for several innings. Ty Cobb had a triple, scored two runs, and started a double play from center field. Oscar StanageOscar StanageOscar Harland Stanage was a Major League Baseball catcher. Born in Tulare, California, Stanage played fourteen seasons in the Major Leagues, primarily with the Detroit Tigers...
hit a home run in the 8th inning to win it. - May 20: The Tigers lost to the A's, 14-12. Ty Cobb went 3-for-4. In the 1st inning, Detroit's promising young first baseman, Del GainerDel GainerDellos Clinton Gainer , nicknamed "Sheriff," was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played 10 seasons in the Major Leagues...
broke his wrist when he was hit by a pitch. He would not play again until September. His replacement Jack NessJack NessJohn Charles Ness was a first baseman in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox. He is probably most famous for his 49-game hitting streak in 1915, while playing in the Pacific Coast League....
started a 1-6 triple play to Donie BushDonie BushOwen Joseph "Donie" Bush , was a Major League Baseball shortstop in the American League for the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators...
. - May 23: The Tigers beat the Senators and Walter JohnsonWalter JohnsonWalter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
‚ 9-8. Johnson walked Ty Cobb with the bases loaded in the 8th inning for the winning run. Cobb was 3-for-4 with 3 stolen bases in the game. - June 3: The Tigers again beat the Senators and Walter Johnson, 7-2. Ty Cobb had three hits, including two triples.
- June 18: After falling behind, 13-1, the Tigers staged the biggest comeback in MLB history, defeating the White Sox, 16-15. Ty Cobb had four hits and five RBIs and scored the game-winning run in the 9th inning on an RBI double by 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....
. - June 19: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 8-5, as Ty Cobb scored from first on a single and tied the AL record by getting a hit in his 29th straight game.
- June 20: Ty Cobb broke the AL record by getting a hit in his 30th straight game. The Tigers beat Cleveland, 8-3, as Cobb also stole two bases.
- July 1: The Tigers shut out the Browns, 8-0, behind the pitching of Ed WillettEd WillettRobert Edgar Willett was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played with the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League...
. Ty Cobb beat out a ground ball for an infield single to extend his hit streak to 39 games. - July 2: The Tigers beat Cleveland, 14-6, as Ty Cobb had three hits and three runs to extend his hitting streak to 40 games.
- July 4: Ty Cobb's 40-game hitting streak ended in a 7-3 loss to the White Sox. Cobb hit .491 during his 40-game streak began on May 15.
- July 12: The Tigers shut out the A's, 9-0, behind pitcher "Wild Bill" Donovan. Ty Cobb walked‚ then stole second, third and home on consecutive pitches off Harry KrauseHarry KrauseHarry William "Hal" Krause was a Major League Baseball player. He was a pitcher over parts of five seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics and Cleveland Naps. He led the American League in earned run average in 1909 while playing for Philadelphia...
. Sam Crawford added a home run in the third inning. After Cobb reached on a fielder's choice in the 3rd‚ Sam Crawford homered. In the 7th inning‚ Cobb walked‚ advanced to second on a bunt‚ and scored on a sacrifice fly‚ knocking the ball out of the hands of catcher Paddy LivingstonPaddy LivingstonPatrick Joseph Livingston was a Major League Baseball catcher who played for seven seasons. He played for the Cleveland Blues in 1901, the Cincinnati Reds in 1906, the Philadelphia Athletics from 1909 to 1911, the Cleveland Naps in 1912, and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1917...
. - July 13: The Tigers edged the A's, 8-7, to remain in first place in the AL. With the scored tied 7-7, Ty Cobb scored from first in the 9th inning on a single by Jim Delahanty. Cobb ran through 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...
' hold sign at third base and used his fadeaway slide to elude the tag at the plate. - August 3: The Tigers lost, 3-2, to the Red Sox. "Wild Bill" Donovan was the losing pitcher. With the loss, the Tigers dropped into second place behind the A's. The Tigers had been in first place all but one day up to that point in the season, but the A's would pull away and win the pennant by 13 points.
- August 10: The Tigers announced plans to build a new $300,000 grandstand in the off-season. At the beginning of the 1912 season, Bennett Park would be renamed Navin Field.
- August 13: Ty Cobb‚ having reportedly concluded that the Tigers could not catch up with the A's in the pennant race, began a vacation.
- August 18: The Tigers beat the Red Sox‚ 9-4. Ty Cobb stole home in the first inning on the front end of a triple steal with Jim Delahanty and Delos DrakeDelos DrakeDelos Daniel Drake was a Major League Baseball player who played 83 games in the Detroit Tigers outfield in 1911 beside Ty Cobb and also played in the Federal League in 1914 and 1915 for the St...
. - August 29: The Tigers bet the A's, 9-8, in 11 innings. Detroit third baseman, Jim Delahanty‚ set a MLB record by making an unassisted double play for the second day in a row. Marv OwenMarv OwenMarvin James Owen was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball. He played nine seasons in the American League with the Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , and Boston Red Sox ....
was be the next to do it, in 1934. - September 9: The Tigers shut out the White Sox, 1-0, behind pitcher George Mullin. Left fielder Delos Drake started a triple play, making the catch, throwing to Donie Bush who relayed to first baseman Del Gainer.
- September 26: The A's clinched the pennant with an 11-5 win over the Tigers. "Home Run" Baker had a home run and two doubles. The Tigers had led by 12 games in May, but finished in second place 13½ games behind the A's.
- September 29: Ty Cobb was fined $100 for playing a Sunday game with a semipro club in New York.
- October 4: The Tigers beat Cleveland, 2-0, as George Mullin threw his second shutout in less than a month.
- October 7: The Tigers shut out the Browns, 1-0, behind the pitching of Ralph Works. With inclement weather in St. Louis, the game is played in front of a crowd of 66 fans.
- October 11: With the World Series starting on October 14, the A's played an American League All Star team. Ty Cobb had three hits for the All Stars. On that day, Cobb was also announced as the winner of the first American League Most Valuable Player award. Cobb received a ChalmersChalmers AutomobileChalmers Motor Car Company was a United States based automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. It was named after Hugh Chalmers of the National Cash Register Company. The brand is currently owned by Chrysler.-History:...
automobile for the award.
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 | 141 | 503 | 133 | .264 | 3 | 51 | |
| 1B | 144 | 542 | 184 | .339 | 3 | 94 | |
| 2B | 74 | 256 | 68 | .266 | 0 | 25 | |
| 3B | 130 | 478 | 116 | .243 | 1 | 60 | |
| SS | 150 | 561 | 130 | .232 | 1 | 36 | |
| OF | 146 | 591 | 248 | .420 | 8 | 127 | |
| OF | 146 | 574 | 217 | .378 | 7 | 115 | |
| OF | 98 | 341 | 93 | .273 | 0 | 19 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | 315 | 88 | .279 | 1 | 36 | |
| 70 | 248 | 75 | .302 | 2 | 25 | |
| 26 | 94 | 24 | .255 | 0 | 11 | |
| 40 | 60 | 8 | .133 | 1 | 7 | |
| 28 | 46 | 13 | .283 | 0 | 2 | |
| 29 | 45 | 10 | .222 | 0 | 4 | |
| 12 | 39 | 6 | .154 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | 33 | 5 | .152 | 0 | 3 | |
| 13 | 32 | 6 | .188 | 0 | 3 | |
| 5 | 16 | 3 | .188 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 234.1 | 18 | 10 | 3.07 | 87 | |
| 38 | 231.1 | 13 | 14 | 3.66 | 86 | |
| 29 | 172.1 | 11 | 8 | 3.92 | 63 | |
| 30 | 179.1 | 11 | 11 | 3.66 | 65 | |
| 20 | 168.1 | 10 | 9 | 3.31 | 81 | |
| 18 | 113.2 | 7 | 5 | 4.59 | 45 | |
| 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4.50 | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 167.1 | 11 | 5 | 3.87 | 68 | |
| 17 | 83.2 | 7 | 1 | 4.09 | 29 | |
| 3 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 3.79 | 9 | |
| 5 | 14.1 | 1 | 0 | 8.16 | 4 |
League top five finishers
Donie BushDonie Bush
Owen Joseph "Donie" Bush , was a Major League Baseball shortstop in the American League for the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators...
- AL leader in bases on balls (98)
- AL leader in outs (461)
- #2 in AL in runs scored (126)
- #2 in AL in plate appearances (692)
- #5 in AL in sacrifice hits (30)
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...
- MLB batting crown (.420)
- MLB leader in RBIs (127)
- MLB leader in stolen bases (83)
- MLB leader in slugging percentage (.621)
- MLB leader in OPS (1.088)
- MLB leader in runs (147)
- MLB leader in hits (248)
- MLB leader in total bases (367)
- MLB leader in doubles (47)
- MLB leader in extra base hits (79)
- MLB leader in times on base (300)
- MLB leader in singles (169)
- MLB leader in runs created (169)
- AL leader in triples (24)
- #2 in MLB in on base percentage (.467)
- #2 in AL in home runs (8)
- #2 in Power/Speed Number (14.6)
- #4 in AL in at bats per home run (73.9)
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....
- #3 in AL in batting average (.378)
- #4 in AL in on base percentage (.438)
- #3 in AL in slugging percentage (.526)
- #3 in AL in OPS (.964)
- #4 in AL in runs scored (109)
- #3 in AL in hits (217)
- #3 in AL in total bases (302)
- #3 in AL in home runs (7)
- #2 in AL in RBIs (115)
- #3 in AL in singles (160)
- #3 in AL in runs created (143)
- #4 in AL in extra base hits (57)
- #3 in AL in times on base (278)
- #5 in AL in Power/Speed Number (11.8)
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...
- #5 in AL in complete games (25)
- #4 in AL in home runs allowed (7)
Ed Willett
Ed Willett
Robert Edgar Willett was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played with the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the St. Louis Terriers of the Federal League...
- #4 in AL in hit batsmen (14)
- #5 in AL in hits allowed (261)
- #5 in AL in earned runs allowed (94)
Ralph Works
Ralph Works
Ralph Talmadge Works , nicknamed "Judge," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher for five seasons, with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds . Born in Payson, Illinois, Works was called "Judge" by teammates for his scholarly countenance. Works had career record of 24-24 with a 3.79 ERA...
- #5 in AL in win percentage (.688)
Players ranking among top 100 of all time at position
The following members of the 1911 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 players of all time at their position, as ranked in 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:
- Donie BushDonie BushOwen Joseph "Donie" Bush , was a Major League Baseball shortstop in the American League for the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators...
: 51st best shortstop of all time - 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