1959 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Tigers
season was the 59th season for the American League
franchise in Detroit
. It involved the Tigers finishing in fourth place with a record of 76-78, eighteen games behind the AL Champion Chicago White Sox
.
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 the 59th season for 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...
franchise in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. It involved the Tigers finishing in fourth place with a record of 76-78, eighteen games behind the AL Champion Chicago White Sox
1959 Chicago White Sox season
The Chicago White Sox season was the team's 59th season in the major leagues, and its 60th season overall. They finished with a record 94-60, good enough to win the American League championship, five games ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians...
.
Offseason
- October 13, 1958: Maury WillsMaury WillsMaurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
was sent to the Tigers by the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
as part of a conditional deal. - November 20, 1958: Billy MartinBilly MartinAlfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
and Al CicotteAl CicotteAlva Warren Cicotte , , nicknamed "Bozo," was a Major League Baseball player....
were traded by the Tigers to the Cleveland IndiansCleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
for Don MossiDon MossiDonald Louis Mossi, , was an American major league pitcher from 1954 to 1965. He was a left-handed control pitcher whose strikeout-to-walk ratio was regularly amongst the league leaders . He retired with a career earned run average of 3.43, 101 wins, and 50 saves.- Biography :Mossi was born in St...
, Ray NarleskiRay NarleskiRaymond Edmond Narleski is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers . He batted and threw right-handed...
, and Ossie ÁlvarezOssie AlvarezOswaldo Álvarez González was a Cuban professional baseball player. He played two seasons in Major League Baseball, 1958 and 1959, for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers....
. - December 1, 1958: Lou SkizasLou SkizasLouis Peter Skizas , is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball primarily as an outfielder and third baseman from 1956-1959.-Fast Facts:* Skizas is of Greek ancestry....
was drafted from the Tigers by the Chicago White SoxChicago White SoxThe Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in the 1958 rule 5 draftRule 5 draftThe Rule 5 draft is a Major League Baseball player draft that occurs each year in December, at the annual Winter Meeting of general managers. The Rule 5 draft aims to prevent teams from stockpiling too many young players on their minor league affiliate teams when other teams would be willing to...
. - Prior to 1959 season: Andy KoscoAndy KoscoAndy Kosco is a former Major League Baseball player who was affiliated at various times with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels, Boston Red Sox, and Cincinnati Reds....
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Tigers.
Notable transactions
- April 2, 1959: Maury WillsMaury WillsMaurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
was returned by the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a conditional deal. - June 13, 1959: Bob Smith was selected off waivers by the Tigers from the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Roster
| 1959 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 114 | 349 | 77 | .221 | 9 | 39 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 0 | 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 249.2 | 17 | 13 | 3.89 | 201 | |
| 34 | 228 | 17 | 9 | 3.36 | 125 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 104.1 | 4 | 12 | 5.78 | 71 | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9.00 | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.89 | 9 | |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8.18 | 10 | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.38 | 3 | |