The 1921
Detroit Tigers finished in sixth place in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
, 27 games behind the
Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
, with a record of 71–82. Despite their sixth-place finish, the 1921 Tigers amassed 1,724
hits and a team
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .316—the highest team hit total and batting average in American League history. Detroit
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
s
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
and
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the American League batting race with batting averages of .394 and .389, and all three Detroit outfielders (Heilmann, Cobb, and
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...
) ranked among the league leaders in batting average and
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
. As early proof of the baseball adage that "Good Pitching Beats Good Hitting", the downfall of the 1921 Tigers was the absence of good pitching. The team ERA was 4.40, they allowed nine or more runs 28 times, and only one pitcher (
Dutch Leonard) had an
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
below 4.24.
The Players
Catcher: Johnny Bassler
Catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
Johnny Bassler
John Landis Bassler (June 3, 1895 – June 29, 1979) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in professional baseball for 26 seasons between 1911 and 1937, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
had a career
on-base percentage of .416 in nine major league seasons, the second highest all time among major league catchers. He was considered the best catcher in baseball from 1921 to 1925, finishing in the top seven in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
voting three straight years: 6th in 1922, 7th in 1923, and 5th in 1924. Bassler was an outstanding offensive and defensive player. Baseball historian
Bill James wrote that, "if his major league career wasn't so short he would rank among the top 20
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
s of all time." Because of the brevity of his major league career, James ranked Bassler as the 47th best catcher of all time. Bassler was a career .304 hitter who
walked 437 times, while
striking out
''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who is ...
only 81 times. That is a ratio of 5.4
walks per strikeout – one of the highest in major league history. His 1925 total of 57.3
at bats per strikeout is one of the highest in American League history.
Infield: Blue, Young, Bush, Jones and Flagstead
First baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
Lu Blue
Luzerne Atwell "Lu" Blue (March 5, 1897 – July 28, 1958) was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers between 19 ...
was a switch-hitter who had a career
on-base percentage of .402. The 1921 season was Blue's first in the major leagues, and he hit .308 with a .416 on-base percentage and 131
runs scored. Blue was the Tigers' starting first baseman from 1921 to 1927, hitting above .300 four times, including a .311 season in 1924. He finished among the top vote getters in the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
Most Valuable Player voting three times for the Tigers: 10th in 1922, 19th in 1924, and 12th in 1925. Blue was among the league leaders in
bases on balls ten times in his career (1921–1923, 1925–1931). With his ability to get on base, Blue was also a top run scorer, with 1151 runs scored in his career, including six seasons with 100 or more runs. Blue was also one of the best fielding first basemen of his era. In 1571 games at first base, Blue had 15,644
putouts and a career
range factor of 10.60 – almost 3.00 full points above the league average of 7.64 for first basemen in his era.
Second baseman Ralph Young played for the Tigers from 1915 to 1921. At 5'5", Young was one of the shortest players ever to wear the Tigers' uniform. His small stature, and correspondingly small
strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike even if the batter does not swing. The strike zone is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter's k ...
, assisted him in both collecting
walks and avoiding
strikeouts. In nine seasons, Young collected 495
bases on balls and struck out only 254 times (in 3,643
at bats). In 1921, he hit .299 and was the only Detroit position player at the end of the season who fell short of the .300 mark.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
Donie Bush
Owen Joseph "Donie" Bush (; October 8, 1887Sources differ as to Bush's date of birth. Sources listing the date as October 8, 1887, include (i) baseball-reference.com, and (ii) findagrave.com. Sources listing the date as October 3, 1887, include ( ...
was Detroit's starting
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
for thirteen seasons from 1909 to 1921. In 1914, Bush had 425
putouts (still the major league record for shortstops) and 969
chances (still the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
record). During the decade from 1910 to 1919, no one had more
bases on balls than Bush. Bush also ranked among the league leaders in stolen bases nine times. With his ability to get on base, Bush was also among the league leaders in runs scored ten times. Bush was released by the Tigers in late August 1921 and signed by the
Washington Senators.
After Bush was released,
Ira Flagstead
Ira James Flagstead (September 22, 1893 – March 13, 1940), sometimes known as "Pete", was an American baseball player. He played 15 years of professional baseball, principally as an outfielder, including 13 years in Major League Baseball with ...
and
Herm Merritt played shortstop for Detroit during the balance of the 1921 season. Despite batting .370 in his rookie season, Merritt did not make the team in 1922 and never played another major league game. Merritt died in 1927 at age 26.
Outfield: Veach, Cobb, Heilmann and Shorten
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
won the first of his four
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
batting crowns in 1921, hitting .394. On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
in Detroit that the
New York Tribune reported measured 610 feet – one of the longest home runs ever hit by a Tiger. In addition to winning the batting crown, Heilmann also led the league with 237
hits and was among the league leaders with a .444
on-base percentage (3rd best), .606
slugging percentage (2nd best), 365
total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, whil ...
(2nd best), 43
doubles (3rd best), 139
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(2nd best), and 76
extra base hit
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...
s (3rd best). Heilmann also won batting crowns in 1923, 1925, and 1927. Heilmann and
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1 ...
are the last two American League players to hit .400, Heilmann having accomplished the feat in 1923 with a
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .403. As of the end of the 2009 season, Heilmann's career batting average of .342 is the 12th highest in major league history.
In 1921, the Tigers' owner,
Frank Navin
Francis Joseph Navin (April 18, 1871 – November 13, 1935) was the president of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball for 27 years, from 1908 to 1935. He was part-owner from 1908 to 1919, and principal owner from 1919 to 1935. He also ser ...
, signed
center fielder Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
to take over for
Hughie Jennings
Hugh Ambrose Jennings (April 2, 1869 – February 1, 1928) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won N ...
as the team's
manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
. The signing caught the baseball world off-guard. Universally disliked (even by the members of his own team) but a legendary player, Cobb's management style left a lot to be desired. He expected as much from his players as he gave, and most of the men did not meet his standard.
As a player, Cobb continued to excel, finishing second in the AL batting race to Heilmann with a .389
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, with a .596
slugging percentage (3rd in the AL), 124
runs (5th in the AL), 22
stolen bases (4th in the AL), 197
hits (8th in the AL), 65
extra base hit
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...
s (7th in the AL), and 101
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(9th in the AL).
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...
was Detroit's starting
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
for eleven years from 1913 to 1923. Despite being one of the most productive hitters in baseball during his years in Detroit, Veach played in the shadows of three Detroit outfielders who won 16 batting titles and were inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame: Ty Cobb,
Sam Crawford
Samuel Earl Crawford (April 18, 1880 – June 15, 1968), nicknamed "Wahoo Sam", was an American outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Crawford batted and threw left-handed, stood tall and weighed . Born in Wahoo, Nebraska, he had a s ...
, and Harry Heilmann. Veach had 128
RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
(4th in the AL) and hit .338 (9th in the AL) in 1921. He led the league in RBIs three times (1915, 1917, and 1918) and was among the league leaders 10 times. Nobody in baseball hit as many RBIs or
extra base hit
In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...
s as Veach did during his prime from 1915 to 1922. Veach also ranked among the league leaders in
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
six times and had a career batting average of .311. Veach was also a superior left fielder. His 384
putouts in 1921 and 26
assists in 1920 are among the highest ever by a left fielder.
In 1921, Veach was the subject of an unusual motivational tactic by new
player-manager
A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the s ...
Ty Cobb. Cobb believed that Veach, who came to bat with a smile and engaged in friendly conversation with
umpires
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
and opposing
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
s, was too easygoing. Detroit Tigers historian,
Fred Lieb, described Veach as a "happy-go-lucky guy, not too brilliant above the ears", who "was as friendly as a
Newfoundland pup with opponents as well as teammates." Hoping to light a fire in Veach, Cobb persuaded Harry Heilmann, who followed Veach in the
batting order, to taunt Veach from the
on-deck circle. "I want you to make him mad. Real mad. . . .
ile you're waiting, call him a
yellow belly, a quitter and a dog. … Take that smile off his face." The tactic may have worked, as Veach had career-highs in RBIs (126) and
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s (16), and his
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
jumped from .308 to .338. Cobb had promised to tell Veach about the scheme when the season was over, but he never did. When Heilmann tried to explain, Veach reportedly snarled, "Don't come sucking around me with that phony line." Veach never forgave Heilmann.
Pitching: Leonard, Dauss, Ehmke, Oldham and Sutherland
Dutch Leonard was the "ace" of the Tigers' pitching staff in 1921 with a 3.75 ERA—the only pitcher with an ERA below 4.00. In 1914, Leonard set the major league record for the lowest single-season
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
of all time–0.96.
Through his years in Detroit, Leonard fought with manager Ty Cobb. Even before their player-manager feud, Leonard and Cobb had a history. In 1914, Leonard hit Cobb in the ribs with a fastball. In the next at bat, Cobb dragged a
bunt down the first base line and ran directly at Leonard who was covering the bag. Cobb later called Leonard a "damned coward" for running toward the dugout to avoid being cut by Cobb's spikes. During a 1922 argument, Leonard cursed Cobb to his face and ended up quitting the team, calling Cobb a "horse's ass." When Leonard returned to the Tigers in 1924, the feud resumed. In 1925, Leonard had an 11–3 record, but Cobb called him shirker. Leonard accused Cobb of over-working him, and Cobb responded in July 1925 by leaving Leonard on the mound for an entire game despite Leonard's giving up 20 hits and taking a 12–4 beating. After that, Leonard refused to pitch for Cobb, and the Tigers put Leonard on waivers, ending Leonard's career.
In 1926, Leonard sought his revenge, accusing Cobb of being involved in
fixing games with
Tris Speaker
Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career ba ...
. To corroborate his story, Leonard produced letters (including one written by Cobb) that obliquely referred to gambling or game fixing. When
Judge Landis made Leonard's letters public, it touched off a scandal. However, Leonard declined to appear and testify at a hearing called by Judge Landis, saying he feared a physical attack from "that wild man." In the absence of Leonard's testimony, Landis found Cobb and Speaker not guilty.
Hooks Dauss played his entire fifteen-year career with the Tigers and is the team's all time
wins leader. Though he was among top five in wins five times, Dauss had a 10–15 record in 1921 with a 4.33
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
. Dauss was an excellent fielding pitcher. His career
range factor of 2.28 is 0.65 points higher than the average pitcher of his era. He had 1128
assists in his career, and is career
fielding percentage of .968 was also 20 points higher than the average pitcher of his era. Dauss committed only one error in the combined 1923 and 1924 seasons in nearly 100 games pitched.
Howard Ehmke
Howard John Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 16 years from 1914 to 1930, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (19 ...
led the 1921 team with 13
wins but had an overall record of 13–14 with a 4.54
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
. Ehmke ranks No. 16 on the all time major league list for hitting batsmen with a pitch. He hit 137 batters in his career and led the AL in the category in 1921 and six other times, including a career-high 23 in 1922. On August 8, 1920, Ehmke shut out the Yankees 1–0 in one of the shortest games in AL history, lasting only 1 hour‚ 13 minutes. In 1923, he was traded to the
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
, where he won 20 games and set the AL record (still standing) for allowing the fewest hits (one) in two consecutive starts.
The team's fourth starter,
Red Oldham, had an 11–14 record. As an indicator of how bad the team's pitching was in 1921, Oldham's 4.27
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
was the second lowest on the team. Shortly after an interview in which new manager
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
told a reporter that "his aim was to use tact and diplomacy" in dealing with players, Cobb publicly embarrassed Oldham, as he called time-out from his position in center field, "ran in, wrested the ball from Oldham's hand, and gave him a dressing-down before calling in a reliever." Oldham appeared in the final inning of the
1925 World Series
The 1925 World Series was the championship series of the 1925 Major League Baseball season. A best-of-seven playoff, it was played between the National League (NL) pennant winner Pittsburgh Pirates and the Washington Senators. The Pirates defe ...
for the
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching a masterful 1–2–3 inning against three future Hall of Famers:
Sam Rice
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Se ...
(strikeout),
Bucky Harris
Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (November 8, 1896 – November 8, 1977) was an American professional baseball second baseman, manager and executive. While Harris played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tiger ...
, and
Goose Goslin
Leon Allen "Goose" Goslin (October 16, 1900 – May 15, 1971) was an American professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers, from until .
Goslin ...
(strikeout). The Pirates won the game and the World Series with Oldham on the mound.
Suds Sutherland was one of the most interesting stories of the Tigers' 1921 season. Sutherland had pitched a no-hitter in the
Pacific Coast League and made the Tigers' team in 1921. One month into the season, he had a record of 5–0. He was 6–2 in his first eight starts. On top of his fine pitching, Sutherland was batting .407 in the first two months of the season. However, Sutherland's career came to an abrupt end in June 1921, as Sutherland found himself in the middle of the
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
–
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
feud. In a game against the Yankees, Babe Ruth reportedly hit a 3–0 pitch off Sutherland into the upper deck. Cobb ran in from center field and took out his anger on the rookie pitcher. Though he had the best record on the pitching staff, Cobb never forgave Sutherland for giving up a mammoth blast to the Babe. As a result, Sutherland did not pitch for the Tigers (or for any major league team) after June 1921.
Regular season
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Roster
Season summary
The 1921 Tigers were one of the best hitting teams in baseball history. Their team
batting average
Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic.
Cricket
In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
of .316 is the highest in
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...
history and the second highest in modern major league history, trailing only the 1930
New York Giants, who had a team batting average of .319. (The American League batting average in 1921 was .302, and the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
batting average in 1930 was .309. So measured against the league batting average for their respective seasons, the 1921 Tigers were 14 points above average, and the 1930 Giants were ten points above league average.)
The Tigers also amassed 1724
hits in 1921—the highest single season total by any team in American League history. Only one other American League team and four National League teams (all during an aberrant 1930 season when the National League batting average was .309) have had 1700 hits in a single season. They are:
*
1930 Philadelphia Phillies – 1783 hits (.315 batting average)
*
1930 New York Giants – 1769 hits (.319 batting average)
*
1930 St. Louis Cardinals – 1732 hits (.314 batting average)
*1921 Detroit Tigers – 1724 hits (.316 batting average)
*
1930 Chicago Cubs – 1722 hits (.309 batting average)
*
1936 Cleveland Indians – 1715 hits (.305 batting average)
The 1921 Tigers had six starters with batting averages of .300 or higher:
* Right fielder
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
led the American League with a .394 average.
* Center fielder
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
was second in the American League with a .389 average.
* Right fielder
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...
was ninth in the American League with a .338 average.
* First baseman
Lu Blue
Luzerne Atwell "Lu" Blue (March 5, 1897 – July 28, 1958) was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers between 19 ...
hit .308 in his rookie season with a .416 on-base percentage.
* Catcher
Johnny Bassler
John Landis Bassler (June 3, 1895 – June 29, 1979) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in professional baseball for 26 seasons between 1911 and 1937, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
hit .307 with a .401 on-base percentage.
* Third baseman
Bob Jones hit .303.
All three Tigers outfielders were among the league leaders in RBIs in 1921.
* Right fielder Harry Heilmann was second in the league behind
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
with 139 RBIs.
* Left fielder Bobby Veach was fourth in the league with 128 RBIs.
* Center fielder Ty Cobb was ninth in the league with 101 RBIs.
Despite having one of the best
batting lineups in baseball history, the 1921 Tigers finished in sixth place with a losing record. As early proof of the baseball adage that "Good Pitching Beats Good Hitting", the downfall of the 1921 Tigers was the absence of good pitching. The team ERA was 4.40, no Detroit pitcher won more than 13 games, and only one pitcher (
Dutch Leonard) had an
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
below 4.24.
Season chronology
* April 14: First baseman
Lu Blue
Luzerne Atwell "Lu" Blue (March 5, 1897 – July 28, 1958) was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers between 19 ...
made his major league debut for the Tigers, as they beat the White Sox, 6–5, on Opening Day at
Navin Field
Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbu ...
.
Dutch Leonard started the game, and relief pitcher
Suds Sutherland got the win.
* May 11: Detroit pitcher Suds Sutherland got off to a hot start, winning his fifth game in the first month of the season, a 2–1 victory over
Waite Hoyt
Waite Charles Hoyt (September 9, 1899 – August 25, 1984) was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for seven different teams during 1918–1938. He was one of the dominant pitchers of the 19 ...
and the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
.
* May 20: The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 12–2. At that point, the Tigers were 2½ games out of first place.
* June 11–14:
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
hit six home runs off Detroit pitching during a four-game series in Detroit. Even though the Tigers scored 28 runs and picked up 47 hits in the four-game series, the Yankees scores 41 runs, picked up 57 hits, and swept the series.
Howard Ehmke
Howard John Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 16 years from 1914 to 1930, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (19 ...
and
Hooks Dauss each gave up two home runs to Ruth, but rookie Suds Sutherland (who gave up a long home run to Ruth) took the brunt of manager
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
's anger. Sutherland had the team's best win–loss record at 6–2, but Cobb never forgave Sutherland for giving up a mammoth blast to the Babe. As a result, Sutherland did not pitch for the Tigers after June 21, 1921.
* June 18: The Tigers lost 11–7 to the Red Sox. AFter being swept by the Yankees, the Tigers were swept by the Bosox in a four-game series. The team's nine-game skid in mid-June marked the turning point for the team. The team trailed by four-and-a-half games on June 10; by June 19 they were 10 games out of first.
* June 24: The Tigers won, 12–0, as Dutch Leonard shut out the Browns. The Tigers' pitching staff had only four shutouts in the 1921 season, a 9–0 win by
Red Oldham on May 5, Leonard's win on June 24, a 10–0 win by
Bert Cole
Albert George Cole (July 1, 1896 – May 30, 1975) was an American baseball pitcher.
A native of San Francisco, he played professional baseball for 17 years from 1919 to 1935, including six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tiger ...
on August 19, and a 5–0 win by Howard Ehmke on August 21.
* July 19: The Tigers lost to Waite Hoyt and the Yankees, 6–5. At that point, the Tigers had lost six straight games to dropped 15 games out of first place.
* July 29: The Tigers scored a season-high 18 runs in an 18–6 win over the Senators. Howard Ehmke got the win for the Tigers, who scored 10 or more runs 24 times during the 1921 season.
* August 20: After the Tigers released shortstop
Donie Bush
Owen Joseph "Donie" Bush (; October 8, 1887Sources differ as to Bush's date of birth. Sources listing the date as October 8, 1887, include (i) baseball-reference.com, and (ii) findagrave.com. Sources listing the date as October 3, 1887, include ( ...
, he was selected off waivers by the Washington Senators. Before his release, Bush had been the Tigers starting shortstop for thirteen years—since the close of the 1908 season.
* August 24: After beating the Senators, 12–3, the previous day, the Tigers beat the Senators again, this time by a score of 15–1, with
Bert Cole
Albert George Cole (July 1, 1896 – May 30, 1975) was an American baseball pitcher.
A native of San Francisco, he played professional baseball for 17 years from 1919 to 1935, including six seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tiger ...
getting the win. The win marked the team's sixth straight win—their longest win streak of the 1921 season.
* September 9: The Tigers lost a slugfest to the White Sox, 20–15, as the two teams combined for 42 hits and 35 runs. The team dropped to 21½ games out of first place.
* September 24: Tigers' shortstop
Jackie Tavener made his major league debut. The Tigers lost, 5–1, to
Walter Johnson
Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
and the Washington Senators. At that point, they were 23 games out of first place.
* October 2: The Tigers closed the 1921 season on a seven-game losing streak. They lost the final two games to the
St. Louis Browns
The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...
, by scores of 11–6 and 12–3. Detroit pitching gave up nine or more runs in 28 games during the 1921 season. They held opponents to less than two runs in only 18 games.
Player stats
Batting
Starters by position
''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''
Other batters
''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''
''Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included.''
Pitching
Starting pitchers
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
Other pitchers
''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
Relief pitchers
''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''
Awards and honors
League leaders
*
Hooks Dauss: American League leader in hit batsmen (13) (tied with
Ehmke)
*
Howard Ehmke
Howard John Ehmke (April 24, 1894 – March 17, 1959) was an American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 16 years from 1914 to 1930, including 15 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Buffalo Blues (1915), Detroit Tigers (19 ...
: American League leader in hit batsmen (13) (tied with
Dauss)
*
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
: American League batting champion (.394)
*
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
: Major League Baseball hits leader (237)
*
Bob Jones: American League leader in
errors by a third baseman (27)
*
Dutch Leonard: American League leader in strikeout to walk ratio (1.90)
*
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...
: American League leader in
putouts by an outfielder (384)
Players ranking among top 100 of all time at position
The following members of the 1921 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 players of all time at their position, as ranked in
The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract
''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' is a reference book written by Bill James featuring an overview of professional baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was publi ...
in 2001:
*
Johnny Bassler
John Landis Bassler (June 3, 1895 – June 29, 1979) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played as a catcher in professional baseball for 26 seasons between 1911 and 1937, including nine seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
: 47th best
catcher
Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...
of all time
*
Lu Blue
Luzerne Atwell "Lu" Blue (March 5, 1897 – July 28, 1958) was an American professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Brooklyn Dodgers between 19 ...
: 77th best
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
of all time
*
Donie Bush
Owen Joseph "Donie" Bush (; October 8, 1887Sources differ as to Bush's date of birth. Sources listing the date as October 8, 1887, include (i) baseball-reference.com, and (ii) findagrave.com. Sources listing the date as October 3, 1887, include ( ...
: 51st best
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...
of all time
*
Bobby Veach
Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...
: 33rd best
left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...
of all time
*
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the ...
: 2nd best
center fielder of all time
*
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), nicknamed "Slug", was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years between 1913 and 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with ...
: 16th best
right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
of all time
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Fort Worth[Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition''. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007]
Notes
References
*
1921 Detroit Tigers at Baseball ReferenceBaseballLibrary.com 1921 Detroit Tigers season summary
External links
1921 Detroit Tigers Game by Game Chronology from BaseballLibrary.comCharlton's Baseball Chronology for 1921
{{DEFAULTSORT:1921 Detroit Tigers Season
Detroit Tigers seasons
Detroit Tigers season
Detroit Tigers
1921 in Detroit