Authentic Thursday
World Series Programs – 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984
The Tigers have won four division titles and 10 American League pennants, but it is the World Series Championship title that has always been their ultimate goal. We reached that goal four times by winning the World Series in 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984.
1935
For the fifth time the Tigers earned a spot in the World Series, and we were facing the Chicago Cubs for the third time. The Cubs had twice before crushed their hopes. In game one, the Cubs shut out the Tigers 3-0 at home and they feared another disappointment at the hands of the Cubs. But the Tigers tied the series in Game 2 with an 8-3 win. The Tigers won Games 3 and 4, but the Cubs came back in Game 5 to stay alive. The Tigers won Game 6 with a score of 4-3 to become the World Champions for the first time.
1945
Once again the Tigers faced their rival the Chicago Cubs. The World Series used the 3-4 wartime set-up for the home field sites. Game 1 was a disaster with the Cubs clubbing the Tigers 9-0 at Briggs Stadium. The Tigers came back in Game 2 with Virgil Trucks on the mound, who had only recently returned from serving in the U.S Navy and gave up only seven hits. Chicago shut out Detroit again in Game 3 with a score of 3-0. It would appear the Cubs now had the advantage by returning to Wrigley Field for the final games in the series. Detroit took Game 4 and Game 5, but Chicago sneaked out a victory in Game after 12 innings of play with a score of 8-7. Tiger pitcher Hal Newhouser went the distance in the deciding game, while the Cubs needed to go to the bullpen five times when starter Hank Borowy was removed in the first inning. The Tigers won their second World Series title by beating the Cubs 9-3 in the final game of the seven-game series.
1968
During the regular season, the Tigers set a new club record with 103 wins, and pitcher Denny McLain won 31 games, becoming baseball’s first 30-game winner since Dizzy Dean in 1934. It was “The Year of the Tiger “and “The Year of the Pitcher,” and the media-inspired slogan “Sock it to ‘em, Tigers” became their rally call. Their opponent in the World Series was the defending world champions St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals took Game 1, but the Tigers evened the series by winning Game 2 with a score of 8-1. St. Louis stormed back in Games 3 and 4. The turning point came in Game 5 with the Tigers losing 3-2 and down three games to one in the series. In the fifth inning, Lou Brock tried to score standing up on a single to left but was tagged out by catcher Bill Freehan at the plate. The play gave Detroit new life and they went on to win the final three games of the series and became only the third team in World Series history to rally back from a 3-1 deficit. The Tigers were one again World Series Champions.
1984
From the start of the 1984 season, the Tigers were World Series bound. They won 35 of their first 40 games and never looked back. They easily won the East Division by fifteen games over the Toronto Blue Jays and beat the Kansas City Royals three games to one in the American League Championship Series. The 1984 World Series was a rematch between Tigers’ manager Sparky Anderson and Padres’ manager Dick Williams. The two had previously faced off when Sparky managed the Cincinnati Reds and Williams led the Oakland Athletics to victory in 1972. Game 1 was held at Jack Murphy Stadium and marked the first World Series game played at that ballpark. With Jack Morris on the mound, the Tigers won Game 1 by a score of 3-2. The Padres won Game 2, but that would be their only win of the series. The Tigers won the final three games and for the fourth time were World Champions. Sparky Anderson became the first skipper to win World Series titles in both Leagues. Game 5 of the series was the last World Series game played at Tiger Stadium.
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nicoleblaszczyk
