1974 Detroit Tigers season
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Tigers
compiled a record of 72-90. They finished in last place in the American League East
, 19 games behind the Baltimore Orioles
. They were outscored by their opponents 768 to 620.
's final season after 22 years as a Tiger (1953-1974). He became the 12th player to join the 3000 hit club
on September 24.
On September 7, the Yankees' Graig Nettles
hit a home run against the Tigers. The next time up, he hit a broken-bat single. Tigers catcher Bill Freehan
scrambled for the six superballs that came bouncing out. Nettles was called out on the single, but his solo homer was allowed and the made all the difference as the Yankees won 1-0.
Bill Freehan
John Hiller
Al Kaline
Lerrin LaGrow
Mickey Lolich
Aurelio Rodríguez
Gary Sutherland
in 2001:
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...
compiled a record of 72-90. They finished in last place in the American League East
American League East
The American League Eastern Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . This division was created before the start of the 1969 season along with the Western Division...
, 19 games behind the Baltimore Orioles
1974 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing first in the American League East with a record of 91 wins and 71 losses...
. They were outscored by their opponents 768 to 620.
Offseason
- October 25, 1973: Frank Howard was released by the Tigers.
- December 3, 1973: Tony TaylorTony TaylorAntonio Nemesio Taylor is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. From 1958 through , Taylor played for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers...
was released by the Tigers. - March 19, 1974: The Tigers traded Ed FarmerEd FarmerEdward Joseph Farmer is a former Major League relief pitcher with an 11-year career from - and -. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Oakland A's, all in the American League, and the Philadelphia Phillies...
to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
and Jim PerryJim Perry (baseball)James Evan Perry, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for 1959-1975 for four different teams. During a 17-year baseball career, Perry compiled 215 wins, 1,576 strikeouts, and a 3.45 earned run average....
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...
as part of a three-team trade. The Yankees sent Jerry MosesJerry MosesGerald Braheen Moses is a retired American professional baseball player. A catcher, he signed a bonus contract with the Boston Red Sox in and spent his early Major League Baseball career with the Bosox, but over the course of his nine years in MLB Moses would play for seven different teams...
to the Tigers. The Indians sent Walt WilliamsWalt Williams (baseball)Walter Allen Williams is a former American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the Houston Colt .45s , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , and the New York Yankees .-Early life:Williams was nicknamed No-Neck due to his relatively short stature...
and Rick SawyerRick SawyerRichard Clyde Sawyer is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Sawyer pitched in all or part of four seasons in the majors, from until , for the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres.-Sources:...
to the Yankees.
Regular season
1974 was Al KalineAl Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
's final season after 22 years as a Tiger (1953-1974). He became the 12th player to join the 3000 hit club
3000 hit club
In Major League Baseball , the 3,000 hit club is a term applied to the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers. Cap Anson was the first to join the club on July 18, 1897, although his precise career hit total is unclear. Two players—Nap Lajoie and...
on September 24.
On September 7, the Yankees' Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles
Graig Nettles , nicknamed "Puff", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman. During a 22-year baseball career, he played for the Minnesota Twins , Cleveland Indians , New York Yankees , San Diego Padres , Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos .Nettles was one of the best...
hit a home run against the Tigers. The next time up, he hit a broken-bat single. Tigers catcher Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan
William Ashley Freehan is a former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers...
scrambled for the six superballs that came bouncing out. Nettles was called out on the single, but his solo homer was allowed and the made all the difference as the Yankees won 1-0.
Notable transactions
- June 10, 1974: Tim CorcoranTim Corcoran (first baseman)Timothy Michael Corcoran was a Major League Baseball player who played 9 seasons in the major leagues. Born in Glendale, California, Corcoran attended California State University, Los Angeles , and was signed as an amateur free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1974. Corcoran played four seasons...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Tigers.
Draft Picks
- June 5, 1974: 1974 Major League Baseball Draft1974 Major League Baseball draft-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1974 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :With the number one pick of the June regular phase, San Diego tabbed infielder Bill Almon from Brown University, one of six shortstops selected in round one...
- Mark FidrychMark FidrychMark Steven Fidrych , nicknamed "The Bird", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire career for the Detroit Tigers ....
was drafted by the Tigers in the 10th round. - Rob PiccioloRob PiccioloRobert Michael Picciolo is a former Major League Baseball player who currently serves as the bench coach of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He played nine seasons in the major leagues, from 1977–1985, for the Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, and California Angels, the predecessor of his...
was drafted by the Tigers in the 1st round (6th pick) of the secondary phase, but did not sign.
- Mark Fidrych
Roster
| 1974 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 74 | 198 | 47 | .237 | 4 | 19 | |
| 1B | 130 | 445 | 132 | .297 | 18 | 60 | |
| 2B | 149 | 619 | 157 | .254 | 5 | 49 | |
| 3B | 159 | 571 | 127 | .222 | 5 | 49 | |
| SS | 153 | 502 | 111 | .221 | 14 | 54 | |
| LF | 72 | 238 | 71 | .298 | 15 | 47 | |
| CF | 99 | 394 | 87 | .221 | 8 | 34 | |
| RF | 97 | 376 | 89 | .237 | 11 | 42 | |
| DH | 147 | 558 | 146 | .262 | 13 | 64 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 254 | 66 | .260 | 2 | 13 | |
| 92 | 252 | 68 | .270 | 4 | 29 | |
| 53 | 149 | 34 | .228 | 7 | 12 | |
| 43 | 141 | 32 | .227 | 6 | 17 | |
| 60 | 129 | 28 | .217 | 2 | 10 | |
| 50 | 103 | 24 | .233 | 2 | 9 | |
| 26 | 99 | 27 | .273 | 3 | 10 | |
| 13 | 50 | 10 | .200 | 3 | 7 | |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 308 | 16 | 21 | 4.15 | 202 | |
| 41 | 285.2 | 14 | 12 | 4.32 | 177 | |
| 37 | 216.1 | 8 | 19 | 4.66 | 85 | |
| 27 | 141.2 | 6 | 9 | 4.32 | 92 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 92 | 5 | 5 | 4.99 | 52 | |
| 16 | 54.2 | 1 | 3 | 4.77 | 23 | |
| 8 | 35.2 | 0 | 3 | 4.29 | 16 | |
| 5 | 33 | 2 | 0 | 2.73 | 10 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W= Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games Finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | GF | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 52 | 2.64 | 134 | |
| 28 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 4.47 | 26 | |
| 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 4.00 | 52 | |
Records
John HillerJohn Hiller
John Frederick Hiller is a former left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers. After suffering a heart attack in 1971, he returned to the team and recorded 38 saves in – a major league record until 1983, and a team record until 2000...
- American League record, most wins in one season by a relief pitcher (17)
- Major league record (since broken), most saves in one season by a left-handed pitcher (38)
League top ten finishers
Joe Coleman- AL leader in hit batsmen (12)
- #2 in MLB in games started (41)
- #2 in MLB in home runs allowed (30)
- #2 in MLB in bases on balls allowed (158)
- #3 in MLB in earned runs allowed (137)
- #3 in AL in wild pitches (13)
- #6 in MLB in batters faced (1262)
Bill Freehan
Bill Freehan
William Ashley Freehan is a former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers...
- #5 in AL in slugging percentage (.479)
John Hiller
John Hiller
John Frederick Hiller is a former left-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Detroit Tigers. After suffering a heart attack in 1971, he returned to the team and recorded 38 saves in – a major league record until 1983, and a team record until 2000...
- #6 in AL in games finished (52)
- #7 in AL in saves (13)
Al Kaline
Al Kaline
Albert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
- 3rd oldest player in AL (39)
Lerrin LaGrow
Lerrin LaGrow
Lerrin Harris LaGrow was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played 10 seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers , St...
- #3 in AL in losses (19)
- #4 in AL in wild pitches (12)
- #8 in AL in earned runs allowed (112)
Mickey Lolich
Mickey Lolich
Michael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:...
- MLB leader in home runs allowed (38)
- AL leader in losses (21)
- MLB leader in earned runs allowed (142)
- #2 in MLB in games started (41)
- #2 in MLB in hits allowed (310)
- #3 in MLB in complete games (27)
- #4 in AL in strikeout to walk ratio (2.59)
- #5 in AL in strikeouts (202)
- #5 in MLB in batters faced (1263)
- #7 in MLB in innings pitched (308)
Aurelio Rodríguez
Aurelio Rodríguez
Aurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. , was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles...
- AL leader in games at third base (159)
- AL leader in innings at third base (1391-2/3)
- #4 in AL in games played (159)
- #5 in AL in outs (470)
Gary Sutherland
Gary Sutherland
Gary Lynn Sutherland was a Major League Second Baseman and Shortstop for 13 seasons from 1966-1978....
- AL leader in outs (489)
- #2 in AL in at bats per strikeout (16.7)
- #3 in AL in at bats (619)
- #4 in AL in singles (131)
Players ranking among top 100 all time at position
The following members of the 1975 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by The Bill James Historical Baseball AbstractThe Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract is a reference-type book written by Bill James featuring an overview of baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was published in 1985 by Villard Books, followed by The New Bill James...
in 2001:
- Bill FreehanBill FreehanWilliam Ashley Freehan is a former professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball career as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers...
: 12th best catcher of all time - Norm CashNorm CashNorman Dalton Cash was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who spent almost his entire career with the Detroit Tigers...
: 20th best first baseman of all time - Aurelio RodríguezAurelio RodríguezAurelio Rodríguez Ituarte, Jr. , was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the California Angels , Washington Senators , Detroit Tigers , San Diego Padres , New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles...
: 91st best third baseman of all time - Al KalineAl KalineAlbert William "Al" Kaline is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Kaline played his entire 22-year baseball career with the Detroit Tigers. Kaline still works for the Tigers as a front office official. Because of his lengthy career and...
: 11th best right fielder of all time - Willie Horton: 55th best left fielder of all time
- Mickey LolichMickey LolichMichael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:...
: 72nd best pitcher of all time