Detroit Tigers (1999)

1999 Regular Season: Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals

     For over 100 years, major league baseball was played at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, whether it was Bennett Park, Navin Field, Briggs Stadium or Tiger Stadium. In 1999, the Tigers played their final year at "The Corner", moving to Comerica Park in 2000.
     1999 was a miserable year for the Tigers on the field. The team was in the middle of a 12-year stretch without a winning season. The rebuilding plan started in 1995 was not materializing, as the Tigers slumped to 69-92, 27-1/2 games behind first place Cleveland in the AL Central. Their only winning record was against last-place Kansas City (7-5).
     Third baseman Dean Palmer slugged 38 home runs that year to lead the team. First baseman Tony Clark joined him with 31 homers, and Damion Easley was the only other Tiger with at least 20 homers. Deivi Cruz led the team with a .284 batting average.
     The Tigers pitching staff that year was brutal. Dave Milicki was the only starter with a record above .500, a pedestrian 14-12.  Brian Moehler was the only other starter with 10 wins (10-16). Milicki's ugly 4.60 ERA was the lowest on the rotation, as every other starter was significantly over 5.00. Detroit did feature a decent back end of the bullpen, with setup man Doug Brocail (4-4, 2.52) and closer Todd Jones (4-4, 3.80, 30 saves).
     As you can tell, this program is from the final game at Tiger Stadium. I didn't go to this one, but got the program as a Christmas gift. That day's opponent was the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers celebrated the final game by having the current Tigers wear the numbers of Tiger greats and brought back numerous former Tigers for a postgame celebration. As for the game, the Tigers led 4-2 in the 8th inning when Robert Fick crushed a grand slam that nearly went over the right field roof to give Detroit an 8-2 win.
     In typical Detroit fashion, Tiger Stadium was left abandoned after the Tigers left. It was used for filming of the movie 61*, but that was about it. Rumors flew about what to do with the ballpark, from tearing it down to minor league baseball. By 2008, the City of Detroit began demolishing Tiger Stadium, with work completed by 2009. The playing surface and original flagpole still stand today.
     This is a 136-page program, mostly in color on glossy paper. Due to the special occasion, there are tons of articles about the historic moments that happened at "The Corner", from legendary Tigers, championships by the Tigers and Lions and construction of Comerica Park. There are even pictures of the domed stadium planned for 1972 that never got off the ground. Local advertisements include KMart, WKBD UPN 50, The Detroit News and DTE Energy.

References:

Baseball-Reference.com: 1999 Detroit Tigers

    

Detroit Tigers (1987, ALCS)

1987 ALCS: Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins

     Just three years after the "Roar of '84", not much was expected of the 1987 Tigers. Detroit had finished 1985 and 1986 in third place in the AL East. In 1987, the Tigers were expected to finish in the second division, and an 11-19 start to the year didn't bring too much optimism.
     Midway through the season, the Tigers started to get hot, and slowly began closing the gap on the first-place Toronto Blue Jays. A late-season trade for veteran pitcher Doyle Alexander solidified the rotation. The Tigers, 3-1/2 games behind Toronto with a week to go, clinched the AL East crown in the season finale. Their 98-64 record was tops in baseball.
     Sparky Anderson's Tigers were led on offense by shortstop Alan Trammell. Trammell had a career season in 1987, batting .343 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI, finishing second in MVP voting. Darrell Evans and Matt Nokes each hit over 30 home runs on the year, while Kirk Gibson and Chet Lemon each hit at least 20.
     On the mound, Jack Morris led the team with an 18-11 record and 3.38 ERA. Walt Terrell (17), Frank Tanana (15) and reliever Mike Henneman (11) also had over 10 wins. Alexander, acquired from the Braves, went a sparkling 9-0 with a 1.53 ERA down the stretch.
     The Tigers were favorites going into the ALCS against the Minnesota Twins, who had the worst record of the four playoff teams (85-77). However, they might have burnt themselves out chasing the Blue Jays the last couple months of the season. Minnesota upset the Tigers in five games (best of seven) to advance to their first World Series since 1965. The Twins then knocked off the St. Louis Cardinals to win their first World Championship. The 1987 ALCS was the final playoff series for Tiger Stadium, as the Tigers would not return to the postseason until 2006.
     This program is 88 pages long, mostly in black and white. There are articles recapping the Tigers season. Plenty of statistics too, as well as a history of the ALCS. Local advertisements include General Motors, River Rock Cafe, Elias Brothers Big Boy Restaurants and Heileman's Old Style (of Frankenmuth).

References

Baseball-Reference.com

Detroit Tigers (1984, ALCS)

1984 ALCS: Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals

     The Detroit Tigers cruised into the 1984 American League Championship Series, thanks to a 104-58 record. It was the first time the Tigers reached the postseason since 1972, when they lost to the Oakland A's in five games. The Tigers were managed by Sparky Anderson, who had been with the team since 1979.
     Detroit stayed in first place from "wire-to-wire" in 1984, the first team to accomplish that since the 1927 Yankees. It was a memorable season, with a 35-5 start and a Jack Morris no-hitter just two of the many highlights. Despite the record-setting year, the Tigers didn't feature any pitchers with 20 wins (Jack Morris had 19), any player with 35+ home runs (Lance Parrish had 33) or 100+ RBI (Parrish had 98). Detroit did feature Willie Hernandez, who had a career year as closer in saving 32 of 33 games and taking home both the AL MVP and Cy Young awards.
     The Tigers would face the Kansas City Royals, led by former Yankees manager Dick Howser. Howser's Royals stumbled into the postseason that year, with a mediocre 84-78, just three games ahead of California and Minnesota. The Royals featured future Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett. Brett batted .284 on the season with 13 home runs and 69 RBI. First baseman Steve Balboni led the team with 28 homers and 77 RBI. Bud Black topped the Royals pitching staff with a 17-12 record and 3.12 ERA. Dan Quisenberry, the closer with a nasty side-arm delivery, saved 44 games, going 6-3 with a 2.64 ERA.
     The Tigers were heavy favorites in the series, and did not disappoint. Detroit swept both games in Kansas City by scores of 8-1 and 5-3, the latter going to 11 innings. Back in Tiger Stadium for Game 3, the Tigers polished off the Royals, 1-0, to win their first American League Pennant since 1968. Kirk Gibson took home the ALCS MVP honors.
     Detroit faced the San Diego Padres in the 1984 World Series. The Tigers crushed San Diego in five games, as no Padres starter made it past the fourth inning. 1984 remains, as of now, the most recent World Championship for the Tigers. As for the Royals, they would return to the postseason in 1985, winning their first-ever championship in a thrilling seven-game series against St. Louis.
     This is a 68-page program, mostly in black and white, loaded with pictures and articles. The articles review the 1984 Tigers season and highlights the team by position. There's also an article about Morris's no-hitter against Chicago early in the season. There's a full-page, color advertisement for Atari, featuring four of the Real Sports games! Local ads include WJR 760 AM (the home of the Tigers), Sibley's Shoes, CKLW 800 AM and Stroh's Beer (still made in Detroit back then).