The 1909

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 ...

won 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 ...

pennant with a record of 98–54, but lost to the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

in the 1909 World Series, 4 games to 3. The season was their 9th since they were charter members of the American League in 1901. It was the third consecutive season in which they won the pennant but lost the World Series. 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 las ...

won the

Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Trip ...

and pitcher George Mullin led the league in wins (29) and winning percentage (.784).

The players

Catchers:
Boss Schmidt Charles "Boss" Schmidt (September 12, 1880 – November 14, 1932) was an American baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) A native of Arkansas, Schmidt played professional baseball from 1901 to 1926, including six ...
and
Oscar Stanage Oscar Harland Stanage (March 17, 1883 – November 11, 1964) was an American baseball catcher. He played professional baseball for 24 years from 1903 to 1926, including 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers. A native of T ...

Catching duties were split between

Boss Schmidt Charles "Boss" Schmidt (September 12, 1880 – November 14, 1932) was an American baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB) A native of Arkansas, Schmidt played professional baseball from 1901 to 1926, including six ...

(81 games) and

Oscar Stanage Oscar Harland Stanage (March 17, 1883 – November 11, 1964) was an American baseball catcher. He played professional baseball for 24 years from 1903 to 1926, including 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers. A native of T ...

(77 games).

Schmidt Schmidt may refer to: * Schmidt (surname), including list of people with the surname * Schmidt (singer) (born 1990), German pop and jazz singer * Schmidt (lunar crater), a small lunar impact crater * Schmidt (Martian crater), a List of craters on ...

hit .265 in 1908, but 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 ...

dropped to .209 in 1909. As a young man, Schmidt worked in the coal mines and was a skilled brawler who fought an exhibition match with the heavyweight champion, Jack Johnson.Boss Schmidt
- Baseballbiography.com Schmidt also beat

in at least two fights. In the second fight, Schmidt knocked Cobb unconscious but admired Cobb's resiliency, and the two became friends until Schmidt's death in 1932. Schmidt never wore shinguards and could force nails into the floor with his bare fists. Stanage played for the Tigers from 1909 to 1920, catching 1,074 games for Detroit—second only to

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

in team history. Stanage was a weak hitter but one of the best defensive catchers of the

dead-ball era In baseball, the dead-ball era was the period from around 1900 to the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919, when he hit a then-major league record 29 home runs; only three players since 1890 had even hit 20. This era was characterized ...

. Known for his strong throwing arm, Stanage threw out more baserunners than any other catcher in the 1910s. Stanage still holds the American League record for most assists by a catcher, with 212 in 1911, and his career average of 1.29 assists per game is the fifth best in major league history. Stanage was not as skilled with the glove; his 41 errors in 1911 was the most by a catcher for the 20th Century.

Infield: Rossman, Schaefer, Bush, Moriarty, Delahanty and O'Leary

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 ...

Claude Rossman Claude R. Rossman (June 17, 1881 – January 16, 1928) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball for 12 years from 1903 to 1914, principally as first baseman, including five years in Major League Baseball with the Cleveland ...

played for the Tigers from 1907 to 1909. In 1908, Rossman had the best year of his career with 33 doubles (2nd in the AL), 219

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, while ...

(3rd in the AL), and 48

extra base hits 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 ...

(3rd in the AL). On August 20, 1909, the Tigers traded him 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 ...

for Tom Jones. Rossman had a peculiar emotional quirk where he sometimes froze and could not throw the ball when he became excited. Runners would lead off first to draw a throw from the pitcher, then run to second when Rossman froze. He was 28 when he played his last major league game and died at age 46 in a New York hospital for the insane where he had been a patient for several years. Second baseman

Germany Schaefer Herman A. "Germany" Schaefer (February 4, 1876 – May 16, 1919) was a second baseman, first baseman and third baseman in Major League Baseball who played 15 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Washington Senators, Newark Pepper, New ...

was traded by the Tigers to the Washington Senators during the 1909 season for

Jim Delahanty James Christopher Delahanty (June 20, 1879 – October 17, 1953) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played thirteen seasons with eight clubs: the Chicago Orphans (1901), New York Giants (1902), Boston Beaneaters (1904–05), Cinci ...

. Schaefer is remembered more for his antics than for his performance on the field, including trying to steal first base (from second base) and, coming to bat in the rain with a raincoat and boots (to persuade the umpire to call the games). Schaefer was a pioneer of baseball clowning, and his

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

act with teammate

Charley O'Leary Charles Timothy O'Leary (October 15, 1875 – January 6, 1941) was an American professional baseball shortstop who played eleven seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1904–1912), St. Louis Cardinals (1913), and St. Louis Browns (1934) of Major Le ...

was inspiration for the

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...

"''

Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...

''" starring

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

and

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

. In 1919, a little over a year after Schaefer played his last game, he died at age 42 of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

at the sanitarium in

Saranac Lake, New York Saranac Lake is a village in the state of New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,406, making it the largest community by population in the Adirondack Park. The village is named after Upper, Middle and Lower Saran ...

took over at second base from

in 1909. He played all seven games of the 1909 World Series, batting .346 with 4

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 ...

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 who ...

for thirteen seasons from 1909 to 1921. As a rookie in 1909, he led the American League in walks (88),

sacrifice hit In baseball, a sacrifice bunt (also called a sacrifice hit) is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball, before there are two outs, in a manner that allows a baserunner to advance to another base. The batter is almost always put out, and ...

s (52), and assists by a shortstop (567), finished second in the AL in runs scored (114), was third in the AL in

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 ...

(.380), and set a major league record for stolen bases by a rookie (53) that stood for 89 years. His 52 sacrifice hits is the fourth highest single season total in major league history. He also led the AL in walks in five times and walked more than any other major league player from 1910 to 1919. Bush was also the surprise hitting star for Detroit in the World Series, hitting .318 with a .438 on-base percentage, picking up 7 hits, 5 bases on balls, 3 sacrifice hits, twice being hit by a pitch, scoring 5 runs and collecting 3 RBIs. Bush played all seven game of the World Series at shortstop, collecting 9

putout In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by ''PO'' or ''fly out'' when appropriate) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an out by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner wit ...

s, 18 assists, and 3

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

s (but also committing 5 errors).

George Moriarty George Joseph Moriarty (July 7, 1884 – April 8, 1964) was an American third baseman, umpire and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1940. He played for the Chicago Cubs, New York Highlanders, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Wh ...

hit .273 and stole 34 bases as the team's

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 ...

. He later became one of the AL's most highly regarded umpires, officiating in the World Series in

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

and

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

. Once while Moriarty was umpiring,

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 ...

stepped out of the batter's box and asked Moriarty to spell his last name. When he had spelled it out, Ruth reportedly replied, "Just as I thought; only one I."

was Detroit's starting shortstop from 1904 to 1907 and became a backup shortstop and utility infielder from 1908 to 1912. In 1908, he shared

duties with Moriarty and hit .202. On September 30, 1934, O'Leary pinch hit for the

at age 51 and became one of the oldest players to collect a

hit Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...

and score a

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

Outfield: McIntyre, Cobb, Crawford and Jones

In 1909,

won the

with a .377

‚ nine

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 (all inside the park)‚ and 107

. (He not only led the AL in all three Triple Crown categories; he led all major league players in all three categories.) Cobb also led the major leagues with 216 hits and 76 stolen bases. Adding the stolen base title, Cobb was the only player ever to win a quadruple crown.

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 ...

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 sh ...

, known as "Wahoo Sam", was one of the greatest sluggers of the

and still holds the major league records for triples in a career (309) and for

inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score a ...

s in a season (12) and a career (51). He finished his career with 2,961

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

and a .309

. Crawford was among the AL leaders in hits, RBIs,

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 ...

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, ...

, and

every year for twelve consecutive years from 1905 to 1915. In 1909, Crawford hit .314 (4th in the AL) with a .452 slugging percentage (2nd in the AL), 97 RBIs (2nd in the AL), 35 doubles (1st in the AL), 14

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

s (2nd in the AL), 266 total bases (2nd in the AL), six

s (3rd in the AL), 55 extra base hits (1st in the American League), and 30

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base to which they are not entitled and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or ...

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 ...

Matty McIntyre Matthew Martin "Matty" McIntyre (June 12, 1880 – April 2, 1920) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball who played ten seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics (1901), Detroit Tigers (1904–10), and Chicago White Sox (1911–12). Born in St ...

played for Detroit from 1904 to 1910. His best season was 1908, when he led the AL in: plate appearances (672), times on base (258), runs (105), and singles (131). McIntyre is also remembered as the leader of the "anti-Cobb" clique on the Tigers during Cobb's early years. Early in Cobb's rookie season, Cobb went after a flyball in McIntyre's left field territory. By cutting in front, Cobb caused McIntyre to drop the ball, infuriating McIntyre. McIntyre and his cohorts led a prolonged hazing campaign, locking Cobb out of an empty washroom, flicking food at Cobb, and nailing his shoes to the clubhouse floor. Davy Jones played for the Tigers from 1906 to 1912. With Cobb and Crawford solidly entrenched in the outfield, Jones was forced to battle for the third outfield spot with McIntyre each year from 1906 to 1910. As a speedy leadoff man, he was a reliable run scorer with Cobb and Crawford following him in the lineup. Jones' speed also made him a fine outfielder, with tremendous range. In 1907, he led the AL with a .357

and finished second in the AL with 101 runs. In his three World Series for the Tigers, Jones played in 18 games, had a .357 on-base percentage, scored 8 runs, and had a home run in the 1909 World Series against the

Pitching: Mullin, Willett, Summers, Killian, Donovan and Works

George Mullin was the Tigers' leading pitcher in 1909, leading the major leagues with 29 wins and leading the AL with a .784 win percentage. Mullin holds the Tigers franchise record for innings pitched (in a career and in a season) and has the second most wins in the team's history. He also pitched the team's first no-hitter; had five 20-win seasons (including a league-leading 29 wins in 1909); helped the Tigers to three straight American League pennants (1907–09); twice hit over .310 as a batter; and ranks 7th in major league history for fielding assists by a pitcher.

Ed Killian Edwin Henry Killian (November 12, 1876 – July 18, 1928), nicknamed "Twilight Ed" and the "Twilight Twirler", was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Killian played professional baseball from 1902 to 1912, including seven ...

led the team (and was 4th in the AL) with a 1.71 ERA. Twice a 20-game winner (including a 25–13 season in 1907), as of the end of the 2009 season Killian's career ERA of 2.38 is 26th-best in MLB history. Killian also holds the record for fewest home runs allowed, giving up only 9 in his entire career. At one point, Killian pitched a record 1001 innings (from September 1903 – August 1907) without allowing a home run.

Ed Willett Robert Edgar Willett (March 7, 1884 – May 10, 1934), sometimes known by the nickname "Farmer", was a right-handed American baseball pitcher. He played professional baseball for 17 years from 1905 to 1921, including ten seasons in Major League Ba ...

had his best season in 1909 when he had a record of 21–10, ranking 3rd in the American League in wins and 5th in winning percentage (.677). He had an earned run average of 2.34 for the season and was among the AL leaders in games (41), innings (), games started (34), complete games (25), bases on balls and hits allowed (88 and 239), as well as wild pitches (10) and hit batsmen (14).

Ed Summers Oren Edgar Summers (December 5, 1884 – May 12, 1953), nicknamed "Kickapoo Ed", was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played five seasons with the Detroit Tigers from 1908 to 1912. Biography Summers was born in Lado ...

had two great seasons for the Tigers, going 24–12 with a 1.64 ERA in his 1908 rookie season, and 19–9 with a 2.24 ERA in 1909. On September 25, 1908, Summers threw two

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 ...

victories in a double header to help the Tigers clinch the AL pennant. On July 16, 1909, Summers pitched 18 scoreless innings of a tie game against the Washington Senators at Bennett Park.

Bill Donovan William Edward Donovan (October 13, 1876 – December 9, 1923), nicknamed "Wild Bill" and "Smiling Bill", was an American right-handed baseball pitcher and manager. Donovan played Major League Baseball for the Washington Senators (1898), Broo ...

was the Tigers ace in 1907 with a 25–4 record (the best win percentage in Tigers' team history), but in 1909 he went 8–7 in 17 starts. On May 7, 1906, Donovan stole second base, third base, and home on the front end of a double steal and also hit a triple in the same game. In June 1923, Donovan died in a train wreck.

Ralph Works Ralph Talmadge Works (March 16, 1888 – August 8, 1941), nicknamed "Judge," was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1909–12) and Cincinnati Reds ...

was a pitcher for Tigers from 1909 to 1912. Works was called "Judge" by teammates for his scholarly countenance. Works had career record of 24–24 with a 3.79 ERA. His best season was 1911 when he went 11–5 in 30 games for the Tigers. He ranked No. 5 in the

in winning percentage (.688) in 1911, No. 7 in shutouts with 3 and No. 8 in games finished with 10. Works died in of a self-inflicted gunshot would in

Pasadena, California Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

in 1941 at age 53. He died with his wife in an apparent double suicide.

Player-manager
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 Nat ...

Hughie "Ee-yah" Jennings led the Tigers to three consecutive

pennants, in 1907–09. Jennings continued to manage the Tigers through the 1920 season, though his team never won another pennant. During his years as Detroit's manager, Jennings became famous for his antics, mostly in the third base coaching box, which variously included shouts of "Ee-Yah", and other whoops, whistles, horns, gyrations, jigs, and grass-plucking. The "Ee-Yah" whoop became his trademark and was accompanied with waves of both arms over his head and a sharp raising of his right knee. In 1907, he was suspended for taunting opponents with a tin whistle. The "Ee-Yah" shouts continued and became such a trademark that Jennings became known as Hughie "Ee-Yah" Jennings, and Detroit fans would shout "Eee-Yah" when Jennings would appear on the field.Hughie Jennings obituary at Deadball Era
Retrieved January 8, 2012Detroit News story
(See also Jack Smile, ''Ee-yah: The Life and Times of Hughie Jennings, Baseball Hall of Famer'') Behind the antics was a great coaching mind.

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

called Jennings one of the three greatest managers in history, along with

John McGraw John Joseph McGraw (April 7, 1873 – February 25, 1934) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager who was for almost thirty years manager of the New York Giants. He was also the third baseman of the pennant-winning 1890 ...

and

Joe McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most vis ...

Regular season

Season summary

The 1909 season was the third straight year the Tigers won the American League pennant. Their 1909 record of 98–54 was the team's best record to that point. Led by

, who won the

and

, who led the league in doubles and extra base hits, they scored 66 more runs than any other team in the American League and outscored their opponents 666 to 493. They led the American League for most of the regular season, but remained in a close race with the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oaklan ...

, finally taking the pennant by 3½ games. The 1909 Tigers' winning percentage ranks as the 3rd best in team history through 2010, as follows:

Season highlights

* April 14: George Mullin pitches a 1-hit shutout as the Tigers beat 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 ...

, 1–0, 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 ...

at Bennett Park. * April 18: The Tigers announced plans to build a new concrete and steel stadium. The team won its fifth straight game to start the season, 5–0, as George Mullin got his second win, a 3–2 victory over

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. * May 2: The Tigers beat the White Sox, 6–5.

was ejected from a game for the first time. He tried stretching a double and was called out at third base. * May 16: The Tigers lost, 3–2, to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

was tagged out in the 9th inning trying to steal home to end the game. After tagging Moriarty, Boston catcher

Bill Carrigan William Francis Carrigan (October 22, 1883 – July 8, 1969), nicknamed "Rough", was a Major League Baseball, Major League baseball catcher and manager. He played for the Boston Red Sox between 1906 and 1916, and he was a player-manager for the la ...

spit tobacco on Moriarty‚ saying‚ "don't try that and pull that on a smart guy." Moriarty then flattened Carrigan. Both players were suspended for fighting. * June 10: The Tigers beat the

New York Highlanders 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 ...

, 2–1, as George Mullin won his 11th straight game. Mullin lost to the A's, 5–4, in his next start on June 15. * June 22: The Tigers bought the rest of the vacant Bennett Field grounds as the site for a new baseball stadium. * June 26: In Detroit‚ the Tigers beat the Browns and

Rube Waddell George Edward Waddell (October 13, 1876 – April 1, 1914) was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-hander, he played for 13 years, with the Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Orphans in the National Le ...

‚ 6–2. It was the 8th straight game between the two teams‚ and the Tigers won all eight. * July 15: Ty Cobb hit two inside-the-park homers to lead the Tigers to a double header sweep of the Senators. Detroit won‚ 9–5 and 7–0. * July 16: At Bennett Field‚ Detroit and Washington played the longest scoreless game in AL history – 18 innings.

pitched the complete game‚ holding the Senators to 7 hits‚ two walks (one intentional)‚ while striking out 10. The Senators' 30-year-old rookie‚ Bill "Dolly" Gray‚ allowed only one hit before leaving with an injury after 8 innings. * July 22: The Tigers beat Boston, 6–0, as Ty Cobb stole second, third and home in the 7th inning‚ against pitcher Harry Wolter. In all, Cobb had three hits and four stolen bases.

got the win for Detroit. * August 20: The Browns and Tigers traded first baseman: Tom Jones went to Detroit for

. * August 24: The Tigers beat the A's, 7–6. A's catcher

Paddy Livingston Patrick Joseph Livingston (January 14, 1880 – September 19, 1977) was a Major League Baseball catcher who played for seven seasons. He played for the Cleveland Blues in 1901, the Cincinnati Reds in 1906, the Philadelphia Athletics from 1909 to ...

threw out Ty Cobb trying to steal 3rd base during an intentional walk to

. Cobb intentionally spiked third baseman

Frank "Home Run" Baker John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 – June 28, 1963) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees. Althoug ...

on his bare hand during the play‚ prompting howls of protest from the A's. A's manager

complained to AL president

Ban Johnson Byron Bancroft Johnson (January 5, 1864 – March 28, 1931) was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League (AL). Johnson developed the AL—a descendant of the mino ...

about Cobb's dirty play, and Cobb received a warning from Johnson. * August 28: The Tigers beat New York, 2–1. The first six New York batters reached base safely‚ and two cross the plate‚ but only one run counted. Engel hit a leadoff single and stayed on first base when Chase chopped a ball in the air and Engel thought it was a pop up. Engel was tagged out. Four more singles drove in one run but the Knight was called back to third base when a hit ball touched an umpire. Ty Cobb had a single‚ double, and triple for Detroit. * September 2: Detroit beat Boston‚ 8–5‚ and completed a sweep of every series against visiting Eastern teams‚ winning their 14th game in a row. The Tigers regained first place by a half game. * September 13: Ty Cobb hit his major league leading ninth home run in a 10–2 Detroit win over the Browns. All of Cobb's home runs in 1909 were inside-the-park. He was the only player in the 20th century to lead the league in home runs without hitting one out of the park. Only Sam Crawford (12 in 1901) hit more inside-the-park home runs in a year. * September 18: Before 35‚409 in Philadelphia‚ the largest paid baseball attendance ever‚ the A's

Chief Bender Charles Albert "Chief" Bender (May 5, 1884There is uncertainty about Bender's birth-date. He was voted the SABR "Centennial Celebrity" of 1983, as the best baseball player or figure born in 1883. However, the SABR ''Baseball Research Journal'' fo ...

beat Detroit's

, 2–0, to keep the A's in the pennant race. The A's were 14–8 against Detroit in 1909‚ setting an AL record for most wins against the pennant winner. * September 21: Detroit was shut out by

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 ...

, 2–0. * September 25: The Tigers swept the Highlanders in a double header, 2–1 and 10–4. During the second game, Detroit manager,

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 Nat ...

, discovered that the Yankees were stealing the catcher's signs, using a telescope and sending signals to the batter by moving a crossbar in a hat advertisement in center field. Jennings sent the team trainer to investigate. The trainer destroyed the crossbar. In the off-season, the AL announced that a manager or player responsible for sign-tipping would be banned from the league for all time.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

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''

Postseason

World Series summary

The Tigers faced the

‚ winners of 110 games‚ in the World Series. The Series matched AL batting champion

against NL batting champion

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...

. Detroit gave up 18 stolen bases in 7 games to the Pirates. In Game 1, 27-year-old rookie

Babe Adams Charles Benjamin "Babe" Adams (May 18, 1882 – July 27, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1906 to 1926 who spent nearly his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Noted for his outstanding control, ...

faced George Mullin. There were only 11 hits in the game‚ but Fred Clarke's home run led the Pirates to a 4–1 win. In Game 2, Tigers' pitcher

led the team to a 7–2 win. Ty Cobb stole home as the Tigers scored three runs in the third inning. In Game 3, the Pirates won, 8–6, behind three hits, three RBIs and three stolen bases by

Nick Maddox Nicholas Maddox (November 9, 1886 – November 27, 1954) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1907 through 1910. Maddox is one of the few pitcher ...

was the winner over

. In Game 4, George Mullin pitched a 5-hit shutout for Detroit, a 5–0 victory. Ty Cobb drove in two runs with a double. Mullin struck out ten batters, and the Pirates committed six errors. In Game 5, Pirates' rookie Babe Adams threw his second complete-game victory, an 8–4 win.

hit a home run and a double, but Fred Clarke's three-run home run gave the win to Pittsburgh. In Game 6, George Mullin led the Tigers to a 5–4 win. The World Series would go to a seventh game for the first time. In Game 7, the Pirates won, 8–0, as Babe Adams got his third complete game victory of the 1909 World Series. Adams was the only rookie pitcher in the 20th century to win a World Series Game 7. (

John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Ch ...

did it in

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

.) Fred Clarke walked four times, and

drove in two runs. The Pirates and Tigers combined for 34 errors (18 by the Tigers), a World Series record.

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''

The Cuban tour

In November 1909, a group of players from the 1909 Tigers (not including Ty Cobb or Sam Crawford) toured

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

and played 12 exhibition games against two integrated Cuban teams,

Habana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

and Almendares. The

Cuban-American Major League Clubs Series The American Series (Spanish: ''La Temporada Americana'') was a set of baseball games played between Cuban and American teams in Cuba. An American team would travel to Cuba and play various professional, all-star and/or amateur Cuban teams throughou ...

drew wide attention in Cuba, where baseball was already very popular. Demonstrating the high level of play in Cuba, the Tigers lost 8 of the 12 games to the integrated Cuban baseball teams. To take advantage of the interest in the tour of the American baseball players, the Cabañas Company printed a series of baseball cards showing the members of the Almendares, Habana and Detroit baseball teams. The Detroit roster, from a game played on November 18, 1909, consisted of the following players: Davy Jones,

, George Mullin,

Heinie Beckendorf Henry Ward "Heinie" Beckendorf (June 15, 1884Baseball-reference.com lists Beckendorf's date of birth as June 15, 1884. A Draft Registration Card completed by "Henry Beckendorf" in September 1918 listed his date of birth as June 15, 1881. A 1900 U ...

, Bill Hopke and W. Lelivelt. In that game, Cuban pitcher, Eustaquio "Bombin" Pedroso no hit the Tigers for 11 innings‚ finally winning‚ 2–1. The only run for Detroit came on an error in the 7th inning. A squeeze bunt against Bill Lelivelt in the 11th inning scored the winner. A collection was taken up for Pedroso and fans‚ including several Tigers‚ contributed 300 dollars.

Awards and honors

League leaders

:MLB walks leader (88) *

:sacrifice hits leader (88) *

:MLB games played leader (157) *

: MLB batting title (.377) *

: MLB batting triple crown *

: MLB on-base percentage leader (.431) *

: MLB slugging percentage leader (.517) *

: MLB

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

leader (.948) *

: AL runs leader (116) *

: MLB: hits leader (216) *

: AL total bases leader (296) *

: MLB home runs leader (9) *

: MLB RBI leader (107) *

: MLB stolen base leader (76) *

: MLB runs created leader (126) *

: AL doubles leader (35) *

: MLB extra base hits leader (55) * George Mullin: MLB wins leader (29) * George Mullin: AL win percentage leader (.784)

Players ranking among Top 100 all time at position

The following members of the 1909 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: *

: 51st best shortstop of all time *

: 18th best shortstop of all time *

: 2nd best center fielder of all time *

: 10th best right fielder of all time

Notes

References

Baseball-Reference.com 1909 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Statistics

BaseballLibrary 1909 Detroit Tigers Season Summary

Baseball-Reference.com 1909 World Series Statistics, Box Scores and Play by Play

Charlton's Baseball Chronology 1909
{{Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers seasons Detroit Tigers season American League champion seasons

1909 in Detroit

The players

Infield: Rossman, Schaefer, Bush, Moriarty, Delahanty and O'Leary

Outfield: McIntyre, Cobb, Crawford and Jones

Pitching: Mullin, Willett, Summers, Killian, Donovan and Works

Player-manager 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 Nat ...

Regular season

Season summary

Season highlights

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Other batters

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Postseason

World Series summary

Postseason player stats

Batting

Pitching

The Cuban tour

Awards and honors

League leaders

Players ranking among Top 100 all time at position

Notes

References

Player-manager
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 Nat ...