The 1945

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

was the team's 45th since they entered 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 ...

in 1901. The team won the American League pennant, then went on to win the

1945 World Series The 1945 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1945 season. The 42nd edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. T ...

, defeating the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

4 games to 3. It was the second

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

championship for the Tigers. Detroit pitcher

Hal Newhouser Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal," was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he pitched 17 seasons on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, from 1939 through 1 ...

was named the American League's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season.

Offseason

* March 5, 1945: Spring training opens. Due to wartime travel restrictions, the Tigers and six other teams hold spring training in Indiana.

Regular season

The players

Catchers: Swift and Richards

The catching duties were split between

Bob Swift Robert Virgil Swift (March 6, 1915 – October 17, 1966) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, standing tall and weighing . He threw and batted right-handed. ...

(94 games) and Paul Richards (83 games). Swift hit .233, and Richards .256. Richards got the nod as the starting catcher in the World Series. Swift took over as the Tigers' manager in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lyndo ...

after

Chuck Dressen Charles Walter Dressen (September 20, 1894Dressen's birthdate has been revised from 1898, as was commonly reported in ''The Sporting News' Baseball Register'' and ''Macmillan's Baseball Encyclopedia'', to 1894 by both Baseball Reference and Retr ...

was felled by two heart attacks. Later that year, Swift was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in October at age 51. Richards went on to be a manager for the White Sox (1951–54), Orioles (1955–61), and Braves (1966–72).

Infield: York, Mayo, Maier, and Webb

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 ...

Rudy York Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between and , most notably as a member of the ...

was among the

leaders in home runs for 11 consecutive seasons from 1937 to 1947, and his .503

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

as a Tiger ranks #4 in franchise history. In 1945, York hit .264 with 18 home runs and 87 RBIs. York had a poor World Series in 1945, playing in all seven games, but batting only .179 with no home runs. Prior to 1944, second baseman

Eddie Mayo Edward Joseph Mayo (born Edward Joseph Mayoski; April 15, 1910 – November 27, 2006), nicknamed "Hotshot" and "Steady Eddie", was an American professional baseball player. He played as an infielder in the Major League Baseball from to , most no ...

had never hit for 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 ...

higher than .227. Yet in 1945, Mayo hit for a .285 average and .347 on base percentage with 24 doubles and a career-high 10 home runs. Mayo also won his second Gold Glove award in 1945 and led all American League second basemen with a .980 fielding percentage. Selected for the American League All-Star team, he had the highest batting average among Tigers players with at least 300

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

credited Mayo for sparking the Tigers' 1945 pennant drive, calling him the "take-charge guy in our infield." Mayo finished second to Newhouser in the AL MVP voting. Newhouser had 9 first place votes, and Mayo had 7. Traded to the Tigers after the 1944 season,

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 who ...

Skeeter Webb James Laverne "Skeeter" Webb (November 4, 1909 – July 8, 1986) was an American professional baseball infielder in Major League Baseball from 1932 to 1949. He played 12 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, ...

proved to be a liability at bat, as he hit only .199. Though he was a fine fielder, many believed he held onto the starting shortstop job despite his weak hitting because he was married to the daughter of Tigers' manager

Steve O'Neill Stephen Francis O'Neill (July 6, 1891 – January 26, 1962) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, most notably with the Cleveland Indians. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tig ...

. In Game 7 of the World Series, Skeeter had his best performance, scoring two runs and fielding the final out of the Series.

Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system us ...

Bob Maier Robert Phillip Maier (September 5, 1915 – August 4, 1993) was a professional baseball player from 1937 to 1945. He played one season in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Detroit Tigers during their 1945 World Series championship ...

played only one season in the big leagues, but he spent that season on a championship team. Maier played in 132 games for the 1945 Tigers, batting .263 with 58 runs, 34 RBIs, 25 doubles, 7 triples, and 7 stolen bases. Though he was the starting third baseman during the regular season, the starting job went to

Jimmy Outlaw James Paulus Outlaw (January 20, 1913 – April 9, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He played all or part of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Boston Bees, and ...

in the World Series, as Outlaw moved from the outfield to third base to make room for

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

who had returned from military service in July. Maier had a pinch-hit single Game 6 of the

, which turned to be his last major league at bat.

Outfield: Cullenbine, Cramer, Outlaw, and Greenberg

was the

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 the first half of the season, but he was replaced by

when he returned from service in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in July. After Greenberg returned, Outlaw played 21 games at third base, 17 games in center field and 8 games in right field. Outlaw hit .271 in 132 games. Greenberg had missed four seasons to military service, but rejoined the Tigers after his discharge on July 1, 1945. At age 34, Greenberg picked up where he left off, hitting a home run in his first game. Without the benefit of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

, he returned to the Tigers, was again voted to the All-Star Team, and hit a dramatic pennant-clinching grand slam home run in the 9th inning on the last day of the regular season. He also set a major league record with 11 multi-homer games in 1945.

Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

Doc Cramer Roger Maxwell "Doc" Cramer (July 22, 1905 – September 9, 1990) was an American center fielder and left-handed batter in Major League Baseball who played for four American League teams from 1929 to 1948. Career A mainstay at the top of his team ...

, nicknamed "Flit", was a veteran player who had been playing in the major leagues since 1929. He ended his career with 2,705 hits. In 1945, at age 40, he was the oldest player on an old team. He hit .275 with 58 RBIs in the regular season and led the team with a .379 batting average in the

, scoring seven runs and batting in four. Shortly before the 1945 season started,

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 ...

Roy Cullenbine was traded by the Indians to the Tigers. Cullenbine was raised in Detroit and started his career as a Tiger but was declared a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by Judge Landis in 1940. In 1945, Cullenbine led the American League with 113 walks and was 2nd in the AL with a .402

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

. He also hit for power in 1945, with 18

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 (tied with Rudy York for 2nd in the AL), 93 RBIs (2nd in the AL), 51

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 anot ...

s (4th in the AL), and a .444

(3rd in the AL). Despite batting only .227 in the Series, Cullenbine walked 8 times for a .433 on-base percentage and scored five runs.

Pitching: Newhouser, Trout, Benton, Overmire and Trucks

The starting pitchers were

Dizzy Trout Paul Howard "Dizzy" Trout (June 29, 1915 – February 28, 1972) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher from to , most notably as a member of the Detroit Tigers team that finishe ...

Al Benton John Alton Benton (March 18, 1911 – April 14, 1968) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. The right-hand ...

Stubby Overmire Frank W. Overmire (May 16, 1919 – March 3, 1977) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played ten seasons for the Detroit Tigers (1943–1949), St. Louis Browns (1950–1952), and New York Yankees (1951). In ten seasons, Overmire won 58 games ...

, and

Les Mueller Leslie Clyde Mueller (March 4, 1919 – October 25, 2012) was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers in 1941 and 1945. He was born in Belleville, Illinois. In 1940, Mueller played for the Beaumont Export ...

. Hal Newhouser, also known as "Prince Hal", won 25 games and was named the American League's Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season. He was the first pitcher in the history of the American League to win the MVP for two consecutive seasons. Newhouser won the

pitching triple crown In baseball, a player earns a Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories in the same season. The term "Triple Crown" generally refers to the batting achievement of leading a league in batting average, home runs, ...

, leading the

in wins (25, against nine losses),

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 ...

(1.81) and

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s (212). He also led the league in innings pitched (), games started (36),

complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...

s (29), and

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s (8). Newhouser also won two games in the World Series, including the deciding seventh game. Newhouser and Greenberg were the only two players from the 1945 Tigers who were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Al Benton missed the 1943 and 1944 seasons while serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was discharged from the Navy in November 1944 and had his best year in 1945. He compiled a record of 13–8, a career-low 2.02 ERA, five shutouts, and 12 complete games in 191.2 innings. In a remarkable testament to the Tigers' pitching in 1945, Newhouser and Benton were No. 1 and No. 2 in ERA among AL pitchers. Newhouser's

Adjusted ERA+ Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...

in 1945 was 195 and Benton's was 175. The Adjusted ERA+ figures posted by Newhouser and Benton in 1945 rank as the 1st and 5th best seasons all time for a

pitcher with at least 150 innings pitched. (''See

Detroit Tigers team records This is a list of Detroit Tigers single-season, career, and other team records. Single season records *Strikeouts in one game: 17 Aníbal Sánchez (2013) Career records Tigers hitting for the cycle * Bobby Veach, September 17, 1920 * ...

'') After winning 20 games in 1943 and 27 games in 1944, Dizzy Trout won 18 games in 1945 and was a workhorse in the pennant drive. He pitched six games and won four over a nine-game late-season stretch. In Game 4 of the

, Trout beat the Cubs 4–1 on a five-hitter. Trout went 1–1 in the Series with an ERA of 0.66. The Tigers #4 starter in 1945 was Stubby Overmire. He won 9 games and started Game 3 of the 1945 World Series against the

. Despite giving up only 2 runs in 6 innings, Overmire took the loss as the Tigers were shut out 3–0. After service in the Navy,

Virgil Trucks Virgil Oliver "Fire" Trucks (April 26, 1917 – March 23, 2013) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees between 1941 and 1958. He batted ...

returned to the Tigers on the last day of the regular season. He got the start in the final game (allowing 1 run in innings), in which the Tigers clinched the pennant. To help returning veterans, the Commissioner waived the rule requiring a player to be on the roster on September 1 to be eligible for World Series play. Trucks was the winning pitcher in Game 2 of the World Series. Though he had a record of 6–8, pitcher Les Mueller appeared in 26 games and played an important role in the 1945 Tigers season. After missing the 1942–1944 seasons to military service, Mueller gave up a single to

Pete Gray Pete or Petes or ''variation'', may refer to: People * Pete (given name) * Pete (nickname) * Pete (surname) Fictional characters * Pete (Disney), a cartoon character in the ''Mickey Mouse'' universe * Pete the Pup (a.k.a. 'Petey'), a character ...

, 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 ...

' famous one-armed outfielder, in Gray's first major league game in April 1945. Three months later, on July 21, 1945, Mueller pitched the first innings for the Tigers and left having given up only 1 run. No pitcher has thrown as many innings in a major league game since Mueller's feat. The game lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes before the game was called due to darkness. Mueller also pitched 2 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the 1945 World Series. Relief pitching was split between George Caster (who was selected off waivers from the St. Louis Browns on August 8, 1945), Walter Wilson,

Zeb Eaton Zebulon Vance Eaton (February 2, 1920 – December 17, 1989), nicknamed "Red", was an American right-handed pitcher. He played professional baseball for 11 seasons between 1939 and 1956, including two seasons in Major League Baseball with the Det ...

, and

Art Houtteman Arthur Joseph Houtteman (August 7, 1927 – May 6, 2003) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 12 seasons in the American League with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles. In 3 ...

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Season summary

Season highlights

* April 17, 1945: The Tigers lost to the

, 7–1 on

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

. In his first major league game, one-armed outfielder

hit a single off Detroit pitcher

. Gray handled no chances in the outfield. * April 29, 1945: Between games of a doubleheader‚ the Tigers acquired Roy Cullenbine in a trade with the Indians. * May 1, 1945: Light-hitting

was the only Tiger to reach base with a single in the third inning, as the

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

pitcher Joe Haynes missed a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

. The Tigers lost, 5–0. * May 6, 1945:

and

shut out the Browns in a double-header. Newhouser won the opener, 3–0, while Benton took the second game, 1–0. Roy Cullenbine hit a 9th-inning home run to win the second game. * May 9, 1945: The Tigers defeated 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 ...

, 4–1, behind the pitching of

. * May 13, 1945: The Tigers split a double-header with 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 eight ...

. The Tigers won the second game, 2–0, in an Al Benton shutout. Benton had allowed one earned run in his last 45 innings. * May 18, 1945: The Tigers were rained out for the 4th straight day. * May 24, 1945: After starting the season with 5 wins and 3 shutouts‚ Al Benton was injured in the 4th inning after being hit in the ankle by a

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

. The A's beat the Tigers, 7–2. * June 29, 1945: The Tigers lost to the Washington Senators, 8–3, after Detroit pitcher

gave up 5 runs in the 1st inning. The Tigers led the Yankees by a half-game. * July 1, 1945:

played his first game after returning from four years of military service, hitting a home run in front of 47,700 fans at Briggs Stadium.

also hit a three-run home run, as the Tigers won the first game of a double-header against the A's‚ 9–5. The Tigers also won the second game, 5–3‚ to increase their lead over the Yankees to games. * July 9, 1945: In lieu of the All-Star game, which had been cancelled due to wartime travel restrictions, the major leagues scheduled interleague exhibition games. The Tigers were to play at Pittsburgh, although the game was cancelled when the Office of Defense Transportation refused to grant the Tigers permission to detour 62 miles to get to Pittsburgh. * July 15, 1945: Detroit manager

sent in pitcher

to hit with the bases loaded in the 4th against the Yankees'

Hank Borowy Henry Ludwig Borowy (May 12, 1916 – August 23, 2004) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1942 through 1951 for the New York Yankees (1942–45), Chicago Cubs (1945–48), Phila ...

. Eaton hit a grand slam‚ but the Yankees won, 5–4, when Detroit rookie Walter Wilson walked a batter with the bases loaded in the 6th inning. * July 21, 1945: The Tigers and A's play 24 innings in a game which was called due to darkness with the score tied 1–1. Les Mueller pitched innings‚ allowing only one run. In the 10th inning,

threw a runner out at home to preserve the tie. The game lasted an AL-record 4 hours and 48 minutes. Umpire

Bill Summers Bill Summers may refer to: * Bill Summers (car builder) (1935–2011), American car builder and longtime speed record holder * Bill Summers (musician) (born 1948), American jazz percussionist *Bill Summers (umpire) William Reed Summers (November ...

called the game at 7:48 p.m., saying: "I'm sorry, I just can't see the ball anymore." A's third baseman

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943–1946), Detroit Tigers (1947–1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954), Chicago Whi ...

had the worst game of his career, going 0-for-10. * July 27, 1945: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 1–0, behind the shutout pitching of Hal Newhouser.

hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win it for Detroit. * August 6, 1945: The Tigers split a double-header with the White Sox. Al Benton won the opener 6–2, but the Tigers were shut out by

Johnny Humphries John William Humphries (June 23, 1915 – June 24, 1965) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1938 to 1946. Born in Clifton Forge, Virginia, he played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. Humphries play ...

in the second game, 7–0. * August 8, 1945: The Tigers split a double-header with the Red Sox‚ winning the opener, 5–2, losing the second game, 7–4. In the 10th inning of game 2, Hank Greenberg hit a line drive which hit Boston pitcher Jim Wilson in the head. Wilson underwent surgery then did not pitch in another major league game for 11 years. * August 12, 1945: The Tigers swept the Yankees in a double-header. Newly acquired pitcher

Jim Tobin James Anthony Tobin (December 27, 1912 – May 19, 1969), known as "Abba Dabba", was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Bees/ Braves and Detroit Tigers from 1937 to 1945. With the Boston Brav ...

hit a 3-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to win the opener, 9–6. Hal Newhouser got his 18th win in the second game, 8–2. * August 15, 1945: The Tigers lost to the Washington Senators, 8–0, behind the pitching of Dutch Leonard. * August 20, 1945: Hal Newhouser won his 20th game with a 4–0 shutout against the A's. Roy Cullenbine and

both hit home runs for the Tigers. * August 24, 1945: Pitching stars Hal Newhouser and Bob Feller faced off in Cleveland. A sellout crowd of 46‚477 paid to see Feller's first game since being discharged from the Navy. The Tigers lost, 4–2, as Feller struck out 12 batters. * August 25, 1945: The Tigers beat the Browns, 1–0. The only run came in the 3rd inning when

Joe Hoover Robert Joseph Hoover (April 15, 1915 – September 2, 1965) was an American professional baseball player from 1937 to 1946. He played three years in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Detroit Tigers from 1943 to 1945. He also played s ...

stole home as part of a double steal. * September 1, 1945: Pitching stars Hal Newhouser and Bob Feller faced off for the second time in two weeks. This time, the Tigers won 5–4, however Newhouser injured his back in the 7th inning and was out of action for six days. The Tigers were games ahead of the 2nd place Washington Senators. * September 4, 1945: The Tigers crushed the Yankees, 10–0, as Dizzy Trout pitched a shutout. With their pitching depleted, the Yankees' batting practice pitcher

Paul Schreiber Paul Frederick Schreiber (October 8, 1902 – January 28, 1982) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in ten games for the Brooklyn Robins during the 1922 and 1923 baseball season. He returned to the major leagues as a batting prac ...

got the start at age 43. Schreiber's last previous major league pitching appearance had been in 1923. * September 7, 1945: Hal Newhouser got his first start after injuring his back on September 1. The Tigers beat the Yankees, 5–0, as Newhouser held the Yankees to 4 singles. * September 15, 1945: With the Senators trailing the Tigers by a half game, the top two teams faced each other in a 5-game series. The Tigers swept a double-header over the Senators to extend their lead to games. * September 16, 1945: The Tigers and Senators split a double-header—the second in a row between the teams. The Senators beat Hal Newhouser, 3–2, in game 1, while the Tigers took the second game, 5–4. * September 18, 1945: The Tigers lost to the Senators, as the Bengals' lead shrank to games. Dizzy Trout, pitching for the 6th time in 10 days‚ gave up four runs in the first inning. Playing on a muddy field, the Tigers and Senators tied the MLB record at the time by using 35 players in the game. * September 19, 1945: The Tigers were shut out by Bob Feller, 2–0. Jimmy Outlaw had the only hit off Feller, a bloop single in the 5th inning. The Senators did not play, and the Tigers' lead is then only 1 game. * September 20, 1945: The Tigers lost to the Indians 6–1, as the Tigers committed 4 errors. The Yankees beat the Senators, and the Tigers' lead remained at 1 game. * September 22, 1945: The Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns, 9–0, as Hal Newhouser recorded another shutout. * September 23, 1945: The Tigers lost, 5–0, to the Browns. The Senators lost to the A's, as third baseman George Kell drove in the winning run for the A's. * September 26, 1945: The Tigers won the first game of a double-header against Cleveland, 11–0, behind the pitching of Hal Newhouser. They had a chance to clinch the pennant in the second game, but lost 3–2. The Tigers finished the day one game ahead of the Senators. * September 29, 1945: The Tigers could have won the pennant with a victory over the Browns, however the game was rained out. * September 30, 1945: The last day of the regular season, and the Tigers had to beat the Browns to avoid a one-game playoff with the Senators. The Tigers started

, who had not played all year and had been released from the military only three days earlier. Hal Newhouser relieved Trucks in the 5th inning, and allowed a run in the bottom of the 8th inning to put the Browns on top 3–2. Hank Greenberg came to bat with the bases loaded in the top of the 9th inning, and hit a grand slam home run. Al Benton pitched the bottom of the 9th to hold the lead, and the Tigers won the pennant. * October 10, 1945: The Tigers won Game 7 of the World Series in

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...

to win the team's second World Series championship. Only Hank Greenberg and

Tommy Bridges Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges (December 28, 1906 – April 19, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946. During the 1930s, he used an outstanding cu ...

remained from the 1935 championship team. * November 8, 1945: The American League Most Valuable Player award went to Hal Newhouser for the second straight year. Tigers second baseman Eddie Mayo finished second in the MVP voting.

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; GF = Games Finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

1945 World Series

World Series summary

The

featured the Tigers and the

, with the Tigers winning in seven games for their second championship in six World Series appearances. To minimize travel due to wartime restrictions, the first three games were played at

Briggs Stadium Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown, Detroit, Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of U. ...

in Detroit, and the remaining four games at

in Chicago. Because of the depleted talent pool resulting from many players being in the military, the Tigers and the Cubs both fielded teams which would have been considered mediocre before or after the war. Warren Brown, author of a 1946 history of the Cubs, commented on this by titling his chapter on the 1945 World Series, "World's Worst Series". Sportswriter Frank Graham jokingly called this Series "the fat men versus the tall men at the office picnic." In Game 1, Detroit ace

gave up four runs in the first inning and three more in the third. Pitching for the Cubs in his first of four games in the 1945 Series,

threw a six-hit shutout to defeat the Tigers, 9–0. In Game 2,

got the start less than a week after his discharge from the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

. Trucks held the Cubs to 1 run, and

hit a three-run home run in the fifth inning. The Tigers won, 4–1, to even the Series. In Game 3, the Tigers were shut out by Cubs pitcher

Claude Passeau Claude William Passeau (April 9, 1909 – August 30, 2003) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1935 through 1947, Passeau played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1935), Philadelphia Phillies (1936–39) and Chicago Cu ...

. Passeau allowed only one hit—a single by

. The Tigers lost, 3–0. In Game 4,

helped even the Series, allowing only 5 hits and 1 run. The Tigers won, 4–1. In Game 5, Hal Newhouser faced Hank Borowy. Newhouser struck out 9 Cubs, and

hit three doubles off Borowy. The Tigers won 8–4. In Game 6, Hank Greenberg hit a home run in the eighth inning to tie the score, although the Cubs won, 8–7, in extra innings. The game ended in the 12th inning with a line drive by

Stan Hack Stanley Camfield Hack (December 6, 1909 – December 15, 1979), nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top t ...

which took a bad hop past Greenberg in left field. Initially, Greenberg was charged with an error, but the call was reversed the next morning, and Hack was credited with a double. Game 6 is also remembered for

Chuck Hostetler Charles Cloyd Hostetler (September 22, 1903 – February 18, 1971) was a Major League Baseball right fielder for the Detroit Tigers in 1944 and 1945. He is remembered as baseball's oldest rookie, making his debut in 1944 at age 40, and as the pl ...

's baserunning blunder. The 42-year-old Hostetler had debuted the previous year as the oldest rookie in MLB history. He reached base in Game 6 on an error to start the 6th inning. He advanced to second with one out, and when

hit a single to left field, Hostetler ran through manager

's stop sign at third base. He tried to put on his brakes half way home, lost his footing, fell to the ground, and was tagged out while scrambling around on all fours. The Tigers could have avoided extra innings and won the Series in Game 6 if Hostetler had held up, as he would have scored in the following rally. Hostetler did not appear in another major league game. Fifty years later, baseball writer

Joe Falls Joseph Francis Falls (May 2, 1928 – August 11, 2004) was an American journalist. He began his career in his native New York City. At the age of 17 in 1945, he took a job as a copyboy for the Associated Press. After an apprenticeship of eight year ...

recalled Hostetler's blunder in a column in the Detroit News, writing: "If anyone symbolized the futility of wartime baseball —both in Detroit and America — it was outfielder

of the Tigers, the man who fell on his face in the 1945 World Series." In Game 7, Cubs' manager

Charlie Grimm Charles John Grimm (August 28, 1898 – November 15, 1983), nicknamed "Jolly Cholly", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman, most notably for the Chicago Cubs; he was als ...

gave the start to Hank Borowy despite his having pitched in Games 1, 5, and 6. The Tigers scored five runs off Borowy in the 1st inning, while Hal Newhouser struck out 10 and held the Cubs to three runs. Doc Cramer went 3-for-5, and Paul Richards hit a bases-loaded double in the first inning to clear the bases and give Newhouser a lead. In all, Richards had two doubles and four RBIs to lead the Tigers in Game 7. The Tigers won the game, 9–3. The day after the Tigers' Game 7 victory,

H. G. Salsinger Harry George Salsinger (April 10, 1885 – November 27, 1958) was an American sportswriter who served as sports editor of ''The Detroit News'' for 49 years. Biography Salsinger was born in Springfield, Ohio. In 1907, he started writing for ' ...

wrote in the

Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...

that pitching was the key to the Tigers' success: "Detroit beat the Cubs with TNT, meaning Trucks, Newhouser, and Trout, and they beat them twice with 'N.'" ''The Detroit Tigers Reader''" (Univ. Michigan Press 2005), p. 69./ref> A little known fact about the

is teenage boys worked the games as

ushers An usher is a person who welcomes and shows people where to sit, especially at a church, theatre or when attending a wedding. History The word comes from the Latin ''ostiarius'' ("porter", "doorman") through Norman French, and is a cognate of ...

in the stands. With most able bodied men away at war, young teenage boys were allowed to work as ushers. The boys would line up at the gate outside

before the game and would be selected in a fashion similar to how migrant workers are selected to work today. The boys would volunteer their services, but would receive tips.

Postseason player stats

Batting

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Pitching

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Awards and honors

: AL Most Valuable Player Award

League leaders

: AL fielding percentage leader in outfield (.991) * Roy Cullenbine: AL walks leader (113) *

: Youngest player in AL (17) *

: The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award * Eddie Mayo: AL fielding percentage leader at second base (.980) *

: AL pitching triple crown winner * Hal Newhouser: AL wins leader (25) * Hal Newhouser: AL ERA leader (1.81) * Hal Newhouser: AL strikeouts leader (212) * Hal Newhouser: AL complete games leader (29) * Hal Newhouser: AL shutouts leader (8) * Hal Newhouser: AL games started leader (36) * Hal Newhouser: AL innings pitched leader () * Hal Newhouser: AL strikeouts per 9 innings pitched leader (6.09) * Hal Newhouser: AL batters faced leader (1261) * Hal Newhouser: AL fielding percentage leader at pitcher (1.000) *

: AL leader in errors at pitcher (9) *

: AL grounded into double play leader (23) * Rudy York: AL leader in putouts at first base (1464) * Rudy York: AL leader in errors at first base (19)

Players ranking among top 100 of all time at position

The following members of the 1945 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by

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: *

: 8th best first baseman of all time *

: 56th best first baseman of all time *

: 91st best center fielder of all time * Roy Cullenbine: 68th best right fielder of all time *

: 36th best pitcher of all time *

: 61st best pitcher of all time

Farm system

Notes

References

*
Baseball-Reference.com 1945 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Statistics

Baseball-Reference.com 1945 World Series Statistics, Box Scores and Play by Play

Charlton's Baseball Chronology for 1945

External links

Baseball Almanac on 1945 World Series
{{DEFAULTSORT:1945 Detroit Tigers Season Detroit Tigers seasons Detroit Tigers season American League champion seasons World Series champion seasons

1945 in Detroit