The Detroit Tigers experienced eight winning seasons in the 1940s. They won two pennants and the 1945 World Series. The team fielded its all-time greatest first baseman, third baseman, and left-handed pitcher during this period. Additionally, Tigers won three MVP Awards and the success carried on into the 1950 season. Afterward, the team collapsed because it failed to integrate. The following are the best seasons, by position, for Tiger players from 1940-1949.
First Base: Rudy York (1940):
York began his career as a catcher. However, Birdie Tebbetts emergence prompted his move to first. After displacing Greenberg, York hit 33 home runs, drove in 134, scored 105 runs, 46 doubles, and had a .993 OPS. He finished eighth in the MVP balloting in 1940.
Second Base Eddie Mayo (1945): Eddie Mayo almost won the AL MVP in 1945. His teammate, Hal Newhouser, bested him in the vote. Despite this, he still managed to win the Sporting News MVP Award. Mayo played solid defense and led the Tiger regulars with a .285 average. He hit 10 homers and drove in 54, but his main contributions came on the field as opposed to the plate. “Hotshot” provided leadership and ignited the Tigers World Series drive.
Third Base: George Kell (1949):
Ted Williams won two Triple Crowns; he did not need a third. George Kell denied Williams the 1949 batting title by .0002 points thereby squashing the Splendid Splinter’s Triple Crown. Kell won the batting title on the final day of the season with a 2-for-3 performance while Williams went hitless in essentially a playoff game against New York. For the year, Kell hit .343 with 3 home runs, 59 RBI, 179 hits, 97 runs, 38 doubles, 9 triples, and a .892 OPS. He also struck out 13 times in 522 at bats.
Shortstop: Johnny Lipon (1948):
Lipon played 611 games in Detroit hitting .268. For his career, the shortstop hit .259, but had two seasons of .290 or better. In 1948, he hit .290 with 5 homers and 59 RBI. He was a basic singles hitter. Of his 133 hits, only 31 went for extra bases. Although not a particularly good fielder, he posted a career high .782 OPS for the Tigers. He remained with the team until 1952 and retired after 1954.
Catcher: Birdie Tebbetts (1940):
Mickey Cochrane blocked Birdie Tebbetts from joining the Tigers. They did not need a catcher with the Hall of Famer behind the plate. The situation changed following Cochrane’s beaning. Tebbetts joined Detroit part time in 1937, but Rudy York blocked his ascension to starter. In 1940, Hank Greenberg agreed to move to left to allow York to take over first and Tebbetts finally became a starter. For his career, Tebbetts played All Star caliber baseball. In 1940, he hit .296 for the AL Champs. Although he never hit for much power, Tebbetts often appeared among the league leaders in defense for his position.
Rightfield: Hoot Evers (1948):
Walter Arthur Evers earned one of baseball’s greatest nicknames. As a boy, he loved Hoot Gibson films and the name stuck. In 1948, he made his first All Star Game with a .314 season. He hit 10 home runs, knocked in 103, hit 33 doubles, 6 triples, and finished with a .831 OPS. When he came to bat, Tiger fans let out “Hoooooooot” chants. He left Detroit in 1952 and became something of a journeyman until his career ended in 1956.
Leftfield: Hank Greenberg (1940):
By 1940, Hank Greenberg had won a MVP Award, a World Series, chased Babe Ruth’s home run record, and become a cultural icon. In 1940, he agreed to move to left to make room for catcher Birdie Tebbetts and responded with another MVP season. While leading Detroit to the pennant, Greenberg led the league in home runs (41), RBI (150), doubles (50), slugging (.670), total bases (384), and OPS (1.103). Greenberg also hit .340, scored 129 runs, and rapped 195 safeties. The following season, Greenberg went into the army. He played 19 games for Detroit in 1941 and did not return until 1945.
Centerfield: Barney McCoskey (1940):
Like Greenberg, Barney McCoskey hit .340 in 1940. It proved his career peak. He led the AL in hits (200) and triples (19) while scoring 123 runs, hitting 39 doubles, driving in 57 runs, and walking more than striking out (67-41). He only hit 4 long balls, but finished with a .491 slugging and .899 OPS. He earned MVP votes six times in his career, including 1940. Like many players of his generation, he lost several years to World War II. After hitting .198 in his return, the Tigers traded McCoskey to the A’s where he enjoyed several more fine seasons.
Right Handed Pitcher: Dizzy Trout (1944):
Like Hoot Evers, Paul Howard Trout played with a great nickname. Dizzy dominated the AL in the war years. A hearing impairment left him ineligible for service allowing him to win 77 games from 1942-45. In 1944, Trout won 27 games and led the league in ERA (2.12), game starts (40), complete games (33), shutouts (7), and innings (352.1). Trout teamed with Hal Newhouser to provide Detroit one of its greatest one-two punches in team history.
Left Handed Pitcher: Hal Newhouser (1944):
Prince Hal won the first of back-to-back MVP Awards in 1944. He led the AL in wins (29) and strikeouts (187) while completing 25 of 34 starts, throwing 6 shutouts, and finishing 10 other contests. His 2.22 ERA finished 0.10 points behind teammate Dizzy Trout. Had he won the ERA title, Newhouser would have had back-to-back pitching Triple Crowns.
Comments