1944 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Tigers
season was a season in American baseball
. The team finished second in the American League
with a record of 88-66, just one game behind the first place St. Louis Browns
.
Rudy York
recorded his 1,000th career hit.
On September 18th, the Tigers found themselves in first place for the first time all season. The Yankees
lost two games to the Athletics
, while the Browns
split two games with the White Sox
. With the Tigers sweeping Cleveland
, the Tigers jumped over the Yankees and Browns for first place. The Browns were a half game back, while the Yankees were two games back.
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...
season was a season in American baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. The team finished second 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...
with a record of 88-66, just one game behind the first place St. Louis Browns
1944 St. Louis Browns season
The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns finishing first in the American League with a record of 89 wins and 65 losses...
.
Offseason
- October 11, 1943: Rip RadcliffRip RadcliffRaymond Allen Radcliff was a Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played mainly for the Chicago White Sox, but also played for the St. Louis Browns and the Detroit Tigers. His best season came in when he batted .342 and finished 9th in AL MVP voting...
was traded by the Tigers to the Philadelphia AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Don HeffnerDon HeffnerDonald Henry Heffner was an American second baseman, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.Born in Rouzerville, Pennsylvania, Heffner entered baseball in 1929. After all or parts of four seasons with the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles, Heffner joined the New York Yankees for the 1934...
and Bob SwiftBob SwiftRobert Virgil Swift was an American catcher, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball.Swift is pictured in one of the most famous photographs in American sporting history. He was the catcher for the Detroit Tigers on August 19, 1951, when St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck sent midget...
. - Prior to 1944 season: Joe GinsbergJoe GinsbergMyron Nathan "Joe" Ginsberg was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and New York Mets...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Tigers.
Regular season
On April 19, 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...
Rudy York
Rudy York
Preston Rudolph York was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics . York was born in Ragland, Alabama...
recorded his 1,000th career hit.
On September 18th, the Tigers found themselves in first place for the first time all season. The Yankees
1944 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 42nd season in New York, and its 44th season overall. The team finished in third place in the American League with a record of 83-71, finishing 6 games behind the St. Louis Browns. New York was managed by Joe McCarthy...
lost two games to the Athletics
1944 Philadelphia Athletics season
The Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 5th in the American League with a record of 72 wins and 82 losses.- Spring training :...
, while the Browns
1944 St. Louis Browns season
The St. Louis Browns season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Browns finishing first in the American League with a record of 89 wins and 65 losses...
split two games with the White Sox
1944 Chicago White Sox season
The 1944 Chicago White Sox season was the White Sox's 44th season in the major leagues, and their 45th season overall. They finished with a record 71-83, good enough for 7th place in the American League, 18 games behind the first place St...
. With the Tigers sweeping Cleveland
1944 Cleveland Indians season
- Roster :- Starters by position :Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in- Other batters :Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg...
, the Tigers jumped over the Yankees and Browns for first place. The Browns were a half game back, while the Yankees were two games back.
Roster
| 1944 Detroit Tigers | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 | 247 | 63 | .255 | 1 | 19 | |
| 6 | 19 | 4 | .211 | 0 | 1 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.89 | 25 | |
| 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.45 | 7 | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.74 | 4 | |
Awards and honors
1944 MLB All-Star Game1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1944 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 12th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1944, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the home...
- Pinky HigginsPinky HigginsMichael Franklin "Pinky" Higgins was an American third baseman, manager, front office executive and scout in Major League Baseball who played for three teams and served as manager or general manager of the Boston Red Sox during the period of through . He batted and threw right-handed.-Playing...
- Hal NewhouserHal NewhouserHarold "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...
- Dizzy TroutDizzy TroutPaul Howard "Dizzy" Trout was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily for the Detroit Tigers. Born in Sandcut, Indiana, he first played professionally in 1935 with the Terre Haute Tots in the Three-I League before signing with Detroit in 1939.Trout played for the Tigers for fourteen seasons,...
- Rudy YorkRudy YorkPreston Rudolph York was a Major League Baseball first baseman who played for the Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Athletics . York was born in Ragland, Alabama...