2006 Detroit Tigers season

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2006 Detroit Tigers
American League Champions
File:DetroitTigersD.jpg
DivisionCentral Division
BallparkComerica Park
CityDetroit, Michigan
OwnersMike Ilitch
ManagersJim Leyland
TelevisionFSN Detroit
WDWB
(Mario Impemba, Rod Allen)
RadioThe Detroit Tigers Radio Network
(Jim Price, Dan Dickerson)
← 2005 Seasons 2007 →

The 2006 Detroit Tigers won the American League Pennant. They represented the AL in the World Series before falling to the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 1. The season was their 106th since they entered the AL in 1901. It was their 7th season since opening Comerica Park in 2000.

Regular season

The Detroit Tigers were baseball's surprise success story of 2006.[1] After years of futility, including an AL-record 119 losses in 2003, the 2006 season had the Tigers surging to the top of the major league standings in May, a position they did not relinquish until the final day of the season.[2] The play of veterans like Kenny Rogers and Todd Jones, the emergence of previously unestablished players Curtis Granderson, Brandon Inge, Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames, and significant production from erstwhile All-Stars Iván Rodríguez, Magglio Ordóñez and Carlos Guillén all contributed to the team's success.

A great deal of credit was also given to manager Jim Leyland. On April 17, after an uninspiring 10-2 loss at home to the Cleveland Indians dropped the team's record to 7-6, the manager launched into a tirade against the team about its lack of effort, telling the media, "We stunk. They [the players] were already on the plane to Oakland." It appeared to light a fire under the players, spurring them on to a stretch in which they won 28 of 35 games.[3] Leyland repeatedly preached the concept of playing hard for nine full innings, and the players took up that mantra, as evidenced not just by their words but also by the team's propensity for late-inning clutch hits, rallies and comebacks.[4]

Statistically, the biggest factor in the team's success was its pitching, which led the major leagues in ERA and shutouts.[5] Rookie Justin Verlander won the AL Rookie of the Year Award, and fellow starters Kenny Rogers, Jeremy Bonderman and Nate Robertson, as well as rookie reliever Joel Zumaya, all had noteworthy seasons. There was concern when starter Mike Maroth had to undergo surgery early in the season, but his replacement Zach Miner proved to be adequate.

The Tigers' newfound success attracted a new generation of fans, many of whom who had never seen winning baseball in Detroit before.[6] Detroit hit 16 home runs in their first four games, the most ever by any team in their first four games of the season. Tigers fans traveled to road games in large numbers, most notably at the interleague series with the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field from June 16–18. The crowd could be heard chanting "Let's Go Tigers!" throughout all three games, all of which were Detroit victories.[7]

The major doubt many fans and pundits had was whether the Tigers could compete against other top-tier American League teams. Early in the season, the team lost series to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, and lost five of six games to the reigning World Series champion (and AL Central rival) Chicago White Sox.[8] However, on July 20, at a game which featured a particularly stirring rendition of the national anthem by local opera singer Eugene Zweig,[9] and a standing-room-only crowd that included actor Tom Hanks and director Ron Howard,[10] the Tigers beat White Sox pitching ace José Contreras to take the series two games to one from the White Sox, the team's first series victory against an upper-echelon AL team in 2006. In their next two series, against the AL West division-leading Oakland Athletics, and the red-hot Minnesota Twins, who were 34-8 over their previous 42 games, the Tigers also won two out of three.

On July 31, Tigers management traded minor-league pitcher Brian Rogers to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed hitting and three-time All Star first baseman Sean Casey.[11] The move added a left-handed bat to the lineup, especially necessary after Dmitri Young was released in September.

On August 7, the Tigers were 40 games above .500 (76-36) and cruising. They would lose their next five games, and the last six weeks of the season were punctuated by a nosedive, as Plácido Polanco's separated shoulder and suddenly silent bats led to a 19-31 record in the last 50 games of the season.

Only the big cushion built in the summer saved the Tigers from what would have been baseball's most statistically infamous collapse, as they clinched a playoff berth on September 24 with an 11-4 win over the Kansas City Royals. But even that cushion couldn't save a division title. On October 1, despite a rare relief appearance from Kenny Rogers, the Tigers fell out of the top spot in the American League Central with a 10-8 extra-inning loss to the Royals in their last regular season game. Detroit lost their last five games, all at home, against the Toronto Blue Jays and the Royals.

The final loss gave the Twins the AL Central title, and made the Tigers the wild card entrant in the American League Playoffs. Their opening-round opponent would be the New York Yankees. The Tigers ended the regular season with a 95-67 record.

Highlights

There were many memorable moments during the regular season. Some of the highlights:

  • On April 16, Chris Shelton became the fastest player to eight home runs in American League history, and the Tigers won a 1-0 game behind a sparkling three-hitter by Mike Maroth and one-hit relief by Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney.[12]
  • On April 20, the Tigers came into the ninth down 3-1, but clutch hits tied the game, and Brandon Inge's resolute 15-pitch walk (Jim Leyland called it a "1½ Marlboro" at-bat, in reference to his noted chain-smoking when in the dugout) forced in the winning run.[13]
  • On May 3, in the eighth inning of a tense pitching duel, Brandon Inge beat a throw to second to avoid a double play, then Alexis Gómez singled him in for a 2-1 comeback victory.[14]
  • On May 20, Cincinnati's Ken Griffey, Jr. hit a grand slam that put the Reds up, 6-5, but with two outs in the ninth inning, Curtis Granderson hit a home run that tied the game, and the Tigers won in extra innings.[15]
  • On June 1, hits by Ivan Rodríguez and Magglio Ordóñez (and gum-chewing by Nate Robertson) set up Carlos Guillén's game-winning ("walk-off") single, completing a five-run comeback and defeating the Yankees.[16]
  • On June 18, Kenny Rogers won his 200th game, becoming only the 26th left-hander in baseball history to do so.[17]
  • On June 27, Roger Clemens hurled a three-hitter, but Nate Robertson outpitched him and the Tigers won, 4-0.[18]
  • On July 11, the 2006 All-Star Game featured three Tigers—Rodríguez, Kenny Rogers and Ordóñez—for the first time since 1987. Rodríguez was voted as a starter, while Rogers was named the starting pitcher.[19] The battery combination of Rogers and Rodríguez was the first time a Tigers pitcher threw to a Tigers catcher to start the Mid-Summer Classic since Denny McLain threw to Bill Freehan in 1966.
  • On July 14, in a tie game, with two out and two on in the top of the ninth, reliever Todd Jones faced dangerous slugger Mark Teahen, who had already hit two home runs in the game. Jones threw Teahen every pitch he could, and Teahen repeatedly fouled each pitch off. Finally Jim Leyland walked to the mound—where he told Jones his visit was a ruse, designed to fool Teahen into thinking Jones would be throwing anything but a fastball. Leyland walked off the field, Jones threw a fastball, and Teahen swung and missed for strike three. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Carlos Guillén hit the Tigers' first walk-off home run of the season for the victory. After the game, Jones said of Leyland's visit to the mound: "I thought, 'Wow, you're a really good manager.[20]'"
  • On July 19, Craig Monroe hit a grand slam in a Tigers victory over the Chicago White Sox.[21]
  • On July 20 (see above), the Tigers essentially beat the White Sox on a Marcus Thames slide into second. The slide broke up a seemingly sure double play, which allowed the winning run to score later that inning.[22]
  • On July 24, the Tigers became the first team since the 1891 St. Louis Cardinals to score 5 runs or more in the first inning in three consecutive games.[23]
  • On July 28, the Tigers weathered 12 strikeouts by rookie Twins phenom Francisco Liriano, and won another tight game with a 10th-inning single by Craig Monroe.[24]
  • On August 1, Carlos Guillén hit for the cycle, becoming the first Tiger since Damion Easley did it in 2001, and the third since 1950, to do so.[25]
  • On August 5, Iván Rodríguez hit a walk-off home run with two outs in the ninth inning to complete a comeback against the Cleveland Indians.[26]
  • On August 27, a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians secured the Tigers an 82nd victory—and their first winning season since 1993.
  • On August 30, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Craig Monroe blasted a dramatic three-run home run, erasing a one-run deficit, stunning the crowd at Yankee Stadium, and giving the Tigers a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the Yankees.[27]
  • On September 12, Craig Monroe tied a club record with three outfield assists, including throwing two runners out at the plate, and Carlos Guillén slugged two home runs, one from each side of the plate, the second being a walk-off in the bottom of the ninth that won the game, 3-2, over the Texas Rangers.[28]
  • On September 23, the Tigers scored ten runs in the first inning in a 15-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals. The game marked Plácido Polanco's return from the disabled list; he had three hits.[29]
  • On September 24, the Tigers scored nine runs in the second inning en route to an 11-4 victory. The win secured their first playoff appearance since 1987.[30]

Season standings

AL Central 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Minnesota Twins 96 66 0.593 — 54–27 42–39
Detroit Tigers 95 67 0.586 1 46–35 49–32
Chicago White Sox 90 72 0.556 6 49–32 41–40
Cleveland Indians 78 84 0.481 18 44–37 34–47
Kansas City Royals 62 100 0.383 34 34–47 28–53


Record vs. opponents

2006 American League record

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
Team BAL BOS CWS CLE DET KC LAA MIN NYY OAK SEA TB TEX TOR NL 
Baltimore — 3–15 2–5 4–2 3–3 5–1 4–6 3–6 7–12 2–4 4–6 13–6 3–6 8–11 9–9
Boston 15–3 — 4–2 3–4 3–3 4–5 3–3 1–5 8–11 3–7 4–6 10–9 5–4 7–12 16–2
Chicago 5–2 2–4 — 8–11 12–7 11–8 6–3 9–10 2–4 3–3 5–4 3–3 5–5 5–4 14–4
Cleveland 2–4 4–3 11–8 — 6–13 10–8 4–5 8–11 3–4 3–6 4–5 6–1 5–4 4–2 8–10
Detroit 3–3 3–3 7–12 13–6 — 14–4 3–5 11–8 2–5 5–4 6–3 5–3 5–5 3–3 15–3
Kansas City 1–5 5–4 8–11 8–10 4–14 — 3–7 7–12 2–7 4–5 3–5 1–5 3–3 3–4 10–8
Los Angeles 6–4 3–3 3–6 5–4 5–3 7–3 — 4–2 6–4 11–8 10–9 7–2 11–8 4–6 7–11
Minnesota 6–3 5–1 10–9 11–8 8–11 12–7 2–4 — 3–3 6–4 5–3 6–1 4–5 2–5 16–2
New York 12–7 11–8 4–2 4–3 5–2 7–2 4–6 3–3 — 3–6 3–3 13–5 8–2 10–8 10–8
Oakland 4–2 7–3 3–3 6–3 4–5 5–4 8–11 4–6 6–3 — 17–2 6–3 9–10 6–4 8–10
Seattle 6–4 6–4 4–5 5–4 3–6 5–3 9–10 3–5 3–3 2–17 — 6–3 8–11 4–5 14–4
Tampa Bay 6–13 9–10 3–3 1–6 3–5 5–1 2–7 1–6 5–13 3–6 3–6 — 3–6 6–12 11–7
Texas 6–3 4–5 5–5 4–5 5–5 3–3 8–11 5–4 2–8 10–9 11–8 6–3 — 4–2 7–11
Toronto 11–8 12–7 4–5 2–4 3–3 4–3 6–4 5–2 8–10 4–6 5–4 12–6 2–4 — 9–9


Roster

2006 Detroit Tigers
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Other batters

Manager

Coaches

Game log

2006 Game Log
April
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
1 April 3 @ Royals 3–1 Rogers (1–0) Elarton (0–1) Rodney (1) 41,054 1–0
2 April 5 @ Royals 14–3 Bonderman (1–0) Mays (0–1) 11,265 2–0
3 April 6 at Texas 10–6 Robertson (1–0) Dickey (0–1) 21,713 3–0
4 April 7 at Texas 5–2 Maroth (1–0) Koronka (0–1) Rodney (2) 21,155 4–0
5 April 8 at Texas 7–0 Verlander (1–0) Millwood (0–2) 35,066 5–0
6 Sun. 9 at Texas 5–3 Padilla (2–0) Rogers (1–1) Cordero (1) 31,032 5–1
7 Mon. 10 Chicago Sox 5–3 Garcia (1–1) Bonderman (1–1) Jenks (2) 44,179 5–2
8 Wed. 12 Chicago Sox 4–3 Contreras (1–0) Robertson (1–1) Jenks (3) 12,601 5–3
9 Thu. 13 Chicago Sox 13–9 Garland (1–1) Verlander (1–1) 14,027 5–4
10 Fri. 14 Cleveland 5–1 Rogers (2–1) Westbrook (2–1) 27,358 6–4
11 Sat. 15 Cleveland 7–2 Carmona (1–0) Bonderman (1–2) 30,107 6–5
12 Sun. 16 Cleveland 1–0 Maroth (2–0) Lee (1–1) Rodney (3) 14,303 7–5
13 Mon. 17 Cleveland 10–2 Byrd (2–1) Robertson (1–2) 19,126 7–6
14 Tue. 18 at Oakland 4–3 Duchscherer (1–0) Verlander (1–2) Street (4) 16,857 7–7
15 Wed. 19 at Oakland 11–4 Rogers (3–1) Blanton (1–2) 18,309 8–7
16 Thu. 20 at Oakland 4–3 Rodney (1–0) Duchscherer (1–1) 15,489 9–7
17 Fri. 21 at Seattle 2–1 Maroth (3–0) Washburn (1–3) Jones (1) 35,237 10–7
18 Sat. 22 at Seattle 2–0 Robertson (2–2) Meche (1–1) Rodney (4) 27,893 11–7
19 Sun. 23 at Seattle 6–4 Verlander (2–2) Hernandez (0–3) Jones (2) 28,659 12–7
20 Mon. 24 at LA Angels 3–0 Santana (2–0) Rogers (3–2) Rodriguez (8) 39,776 12–8
21 Tue. 25 at LA Angels 5–2 Bonderman (2–2) Carrasco (0–1) Jones (3) 40,007 13–8
22 Wed. 26 at LA Angels 4–0 Lackey (3–1) Maroth (3–1) 37,532 13–9
23 Fri. 28 Minnesota 9–0 Robertson (3–2) Radke (2–3) 23,263 14–9
24 Sat. 29 Minnesota 18–1 Verlander (3–2) Silva (1–4) 24,258 15–9
25 Sun. 30 Minnesota 6–0 Rogers (4–2) Lohse (1–2) 24,323 16–9
May
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
26 Mon. 1 Kansas City 3–2 Bonderman (3–2) Hernandez (1–1) Jones (4) 9,597 17–9
27 Tue. 2 Kansas City 4–1 Maroth (4–1) Redman (0–2) Jones (5) 12,415 18–9
28 Wed. 3 LA Angels 2–1 Zumaya (1–0) Weaver (1–4) Rodney (5) 17,171 19–9
29 Thu. 4 LA Angels 7–2 Gregg (2–0) Verlander (3–3) 24,879 19–10
30 Fri. 5 at Minnesota 9–6 Rogers (5–2) Lohse (1–3) Jones (6) 23,892 20–10
31 Sat. 6 at Minnesota 7–6 Rincon (2–0) Jones (0–1) 20,907 20–11
32 Sun. 7 at Minnesota 4–2 Santana (3–3) Maroth (4–2) Nathan (4) 20,548 20–12
33 Tue. 9 at Baltimore 7–6 Hawkins (1–1) Rodney (1–1) Ray (8) 16,566 20–13
34 Wed. 10 at Baltimore 6–3 Verlander (4–3) Lopez (1–5) Jones (7) 15,548 21–13
35 Fri. 12 at Cleveland 5–4 Rogers (6–2) Lee (2–4) Jones (8) 23,588 22–13
36 Sat. 13 at Cleveland 3–0 Bonderman (4–2) Sabathia (2–1) Jones (9) 24,051 23–13
37 Sun. 14 at Cleveland 3–2 Maroth (5–2) Johnson (2–3) Rodney (6) 21,875 24–13
38 Tue. 16 Minnesota 7–4 Robertson (4–2) Lohse (2–4) Jones (10) 18,115 25–13
39 Wed. 17 Minnesota 2–0 Verlander (5–3) Santana (4–4) Jones (11) 16,669 26–13
40 Thu. 18 Minnesota 5–3 Rogers (7–2) Radke (4–5) Jones (12) 26,732 27–13
41 Fri. 19 Cincinnati 9–4 Claussen (3–4) Bonderman (4–3) 26,933 27–14
42 Sat. 20 Cincinnati 7–6 Rodney (2–1) Weathers (1–2) 43,128 28–14
43 Sun. 21 Cincinnati 1–0 Rodney (3–1) Harang (5–3) Jones (13) 31,515 29–14
44 Mon. 22 at Kansas City 8–0 Verlander (6–3) Affeldt (2–4) 9,746 30–14
45 Tue. 23 at Kansas City 8–5 Zumaya (2–0) Dessens (2–4) Jones (14) 15,556 31–14
46 Wed. 24 at Kansas City 6–3 Bonderman (5–3) Gobble (0–1) Jones (15) 10,745 32–14
47 Thu. 25 at Kansas City 13–8 Zumaya (3–0) Dessens (2–5) 11,488 33–14
48 Fri. 26 Cleveland 8–3 Robertson (5–2) Westbrook (4–3) 31,241 34–14
49 Sat. 27 Cleveland 3–1 Verlander (7–3) Byrd (4–4) Jones (16) 37,102 35–14
50 Sun. 28 Cleveland 9–0 Johnson (3–4) Rogers (7–3) 37,908 35–15
51 Mon. 29 NY Yankees 4–0 Johnson (7–4) Bonderman (5–4) 39,759 35–16
52 Tue. 30 NY Yankees 11–6 Rivera (3–3) Jones (0–2) 24,765 35–17
53 Wed. 31 NY Yankees 6–1 Mussina (7–1) Robertson (5–3) 23,757 35–18
June
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
54 Thu. 1 NY Yankees 7–6 Rodney (4–1) Farnsworth (1–3) 27,231 36–18
55 Fri. 2 Boston 3–2 Seanez (1–0) Jones (0–3) Papelbon (20) 35,531 36–19
56 Sat. 3 Boston 6–2 Bonderman (6–4) Wakefield (4–7) Rodney (7) 40,872 37–19
57 Sun. 4 Boston 8–3 Clement (5–4) Miner (0–1) 35,764 37–20
58 Tue. 6 at Chicago Sox 4–3 McCarthy (3–3) Rodney (4–2) Jenks (16) 37,192 37–21
59 Wed. 7 at Chicago Sox 4–3 Contreras (6–0) Verlander (7–4) Jenks (17) 37,612 37–22
60 Thu. 8 at Chicago Sox 6–2 Rogers (8–3) Garland (4–3) 37,354 38–22
61 Fri. 9 at Toronto 10–5 Frasor (2–1) Jones (0–4) 21,425 38–23
62 Sat. 10 at Toronto 5–3 Miner (1–1) Lilly (5–7) Jones (17) 27,021 39–23
63 Sun. 11 at Toronto 10–5 Robertson (6–3) Taubenheim (0–3) Zumaya (1) 30,404 40–23
64 Mon. 12 Tampa Bay 4–3 Jones (1–4) Meadows (1–1) 16,302 41–23
65 Tue. 13 Tampa Bay 7–1 Rogers (9–3) McClung (2–9) 20,935 42–23
66 Wed. 14 Tampa Bay 5–1 Meadows (2–1) Jones (1–5) 25,265 42–24
67 Thu. 15 Tampa Bay 6–2 Miner (2–1) Fossum (2–3) 28,269 43–24
68 Fri. 16 at Chicago Cubs 5–3 Robertson (7–3) Rusch (2–7) Jones (18) 40,683 44–24
69 Sat. 17 at Chicago Cubs 9–3 Verlander (8–4) Marmol (1–1) 41,459 45–24
70 Sun. 18 at Chicago Cubs 12–3 Rogers (10–3) Prior (0–1) 39,938 46–24
71 Mon. 19 at Milwaukee 3–1 Bonderman (7–4) Wise (4–4) Jones (19) 29,623 47–24
72 Tue. 20 at Milwaukee 10–1 Miner (3–1) Helling (0–1) 33,119 48–24
73 Wed. 21 at Milwaukee 4–3 Capuano (8–4) Zumaya (3–1) Turnbow (21) 31,222 48–25
74 Fri. 23 St. Louis 10–6 Verlander (9–4) Carpenter (6–4) 42,238 49–25
75 Sat. 24 St. Louis 7–6 Zumaya (4–1) Johnson (0–1) 42,535 50–25
76 Sun. 25 St. Louis 4–1 Ledezma (1–0) Ponson (4–3) Jones (20) 40,644 51–25
77 Mon. 26 Houston 10–4 Miner (4–1) Rodriguez (8–5) 24,285 52–25
78 Tue. 27 Houston 4–0 Robertson (8–3) Clemens (0–2) 39,852 53–25
79 Wed. 28 Houston 5–0 Verlander (10–4) Pettitte (6–9) 29,249 54–25
80 Fri. 30 at Pittsburgh 7–6 Colon (1–0) Wells (0–3) Jones (21) 27,318 55–25
July
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
81 Sat. 1 at Pittsburgh 9–2 Capps (3–1) Grilli (0–1) 37,111 55–26
82 Sun. 2 at Pittsburgh 9–8 Miner (5–1) Snell (7–6) Jones (22) 28,136 56–26
83 Mon. 3 at Oakland 5–3 Blanton (8–7) Robertson (8–4) Street (19) 35,077 56–27
84 Tue. 4 at Oakland 2–1 Gaudin (1–2) Rodney (4–3) 21,096 56–28
85 Wed. 5 at Oakland 10–4 Rogers (11–3) Saarloos (3–5) Colon (1) 22,210 57–28
86 Fri. 7 at Seattle 6–1 Bonderman (8–4) Pineiro (6–8) 31,727 58–28
87 Sat. 8 at Seattle 2–1 Miner (6–1) Washburn (4–9) Jones (23) 32,404 59–28
88 Sun. 9 at Seattle 3–2 Meche (8–4) Robertson (8–5) Putz (16) 37,364 59–29
89 Thu. 13 Kansas City 6–4 Bonderman (9–4) Duckworth (1–2) Jones (24) 31,967 60–29
90 Fri. 14 Kansas City 10–9 Jones (2–5) Affeldt (4–6) 38,442 61–29
91 Sat. 15 Kansas City 6–0 Verlander (11–4) Gobble (3–3) 40,210 62–29
92 Sun. 16 Kansas City 9–6 Elarton (4–9) Miner (6–2) MacDougal (1) 37,893 62–30
93 Tue. 18 Chicago Sox 7–1 Garland (9–3) Robertson (8–6) 39,153 62–31
94 Wed. 19 Chicago Sox 5–2 Bonderman (10–4) Vazquez (9–5) 39,593 63–31
95 Thu. 20 Chicago Sox 2–1 Zumaya (5–1) Contreras (9–2) Jones (25) 41,075 64–31
96 Fri. 21 Oakland 7–4 Verlander (12–4) Haren (6–9) 40,687 65–31
97 Sat. 22 Oakland 9–5 Blanton (10–8) Ledezma (1–1) 38,923 65–32
98 Sun. 23 Oakland 8–4 Robertson (9–6) Loaiza (4–6) 40,355 66–32
99 Mon. 24 at Cleveland 9–7 Bonderman (11–4) Lee (9–8) Jones (26) 19,045 67–32
100 Tue. 25 at Cleveland 12–7 Davis (3–1) Rogers (11–4) 28,085 67–33
101 Wed. 26 at Cleveland 4–1 Verlander (13–4) Sabathia (7–7) Jones (27) 31,220 68–33
102 Fri. 28 at Minnesota 3–2 Rodney (5–3) Rincon (3–1) Jones (28) 45,478 69–33
103 Sat. 29 at Minnesota 8–6 Robertson (10–6) Radke (9–8) Jones (29) 45,496 70–33
104 Sun. 30 at Minnesota 6–4 Neshek (1–0) Bonderman (11–5) Nathan (22) 43,204 70–34
105 Mon. 31 at Tampa Bay 7–3 Fossum (5–4) Rogers (11–5) 15,065 70–35
August
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
106 Tue. 1 at Tampa Bay 10–4 Verlander (14–4) Howell (0–1) 13,808 71–35
107 Wed. 2 at Tampa Bay 8–3 Grilli (1–1) Switzer (2–2) 13,126 72–35
108 Thu. 3 at Tampa Bay 2–1 McClung (3–10) Robertson (10–7) Meadows (7) 12,665 72–36
109 Fri. 4 Cleveland 7–6 Colon (2–0) Cabrera (1–2) Jones (30) 41,502 73–36
110 Sat. 5 Cleveland 4–3 Zumaya (6–1) Carmona (1–7) 43,015 74–36
111 Sun. 6 Cleveland 1–0 Ledezma (2–1) Sabathia (8–8) Jones (31) 39,178 75–36
112 Mon. 7 Minnesota 9–3 Miner (7–2) Liriano (12–3) 34,870 76–36
113 Tue. 8 Minnesota 4–2 Radke (11–8) Robertson (10–8) Nathan (24) 35,624 76–37
114 Wed. 9 Minnesota 4–3 Santana (13–5) Zumaya (6–2) Nathan (25) 36,339 76–38
115 Fri. 11 at Chicago Sox 5–0 Contreras (11–4) Verlander (14–5) 39,378 76–39
116 Sat. 12 at Chicago Sox 4–3 MacDougal (1–0) Rogers (11–6) Jenks (32) 38,873 76–40
117 Sun. 13 at Chicago Sox 7–3 Garcia (11–7) Miner (7–3) Jenks (33) 38,931 76–41
118 Mon. 14 at Boston 7–4 Robertson (11–8) Beckett (13–7) Jones (32) 36,392 77–41
119 Tue. 15 at Boston 3–2 Rodney (6–3) Timlin (5–2) Jones (33) 36,179 78–41
120 Wed. 16 at Boston 6–4 Wells (2–2) Verlander (14–6) Papelbon (32) 36,304 78–42
121 Thu. 17 Texas 4–2 Rogers (12–6) Volquez (1–2) Jones (34) 34,756 79–42
122 Fri. 18 Texas 2–1 Millwood (12–8) Miner (7–4) Otsuka (24) 39,327 79–43
123 Sat. 19 Texas 3–1 Tejeda (2–3) Robertson (11–9) Otsuka (25) 41,643 79–44
124 Sun. 20 Texas 7–6 Benoit (1–1) Grilli (1–2) Otsuka (26) 39,071 79–45
125 Mon. 21 Chicago Sox 7–1 Verlander (15–6) Contreras (11–6) 39,278 80–45
126 Tue. 22 Chicago Sox 4–0 Rogers (13–6) Buehrle (10–11) 39,361 81–45
127 Wed. 23 Chicago Sox 7–5 Garcia (12–8) Miner (7–5) Jenks (36) 40,187 81–46
128 Thu. 24 Chicago Sox 10–0 Garland (15–4) Robertson (11–10) 41,565 81–47
129 Fri. 25 at Cleveland 4–2 Sowers (6–3) Bonderman (11–6) Betancourt (1) 33,416 81–48
130 Sat. 26 at Cleveland 8–5 Westbrook (11–8) Verlander (15–7) Mastny (3) 29,138 81–49
131 Sun. 27 at Cleveland 7–1 Rogers (14–6) Lee (10–10) 28,342 82–49
132 Wed. 30 at NY Yankees 2–0 Wang (16–5) Robertson (11–11) Rivera (32) 52,585 82–50
133 Wed. 30 at NY Yankees 5–3 Grilli (2–2) Proctor (5–4) Jones (35) 54,509 83–50
134 Thu. 31 at NY Yankees 6–4 Johnson (15–10) Bonderman (11–7) Rivera (33) 54,771 83–51
September
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
135 Fri. 1 LA Angels 9–0 Rogers (15–6) Santana (13–7) 37,509 84–51
136 Sat. 2 LA Angels 7–2 Rodriguez (2–2) Jones (2–6) 37,826 84–52
137 Sun. 3 LA Angels 2–1 Escobar (10–12) Ledezma (2–2) Rodriguez (38) 38,688 84–53
138 Mon. 4 Seattle 6–2 Robertson (12–11) Washburn (8–13) 32,948 85–53
139 Tue. 5 Seattle 4–3 Pineiro (8–11) Miller (0–1) Putz (30) 23,583 85–54
140 Wed. 6 Seattle 5–4 Huber (1–0) Zumaya (6–3) Putz (31) 23,066 85–55
141 Thu. 7 at Minnesota 7–2 Verlander (16–7) Baker (4–8) 21,229 86–55
142 Fri. 8 at Minnesota 9–5 Neshek (4–1) Ledezma (2–3) 29,042 86–56
143 Sat. 9 at Minnesota 2–1 Bonser (5–5) Robertson (12–12) Nathan (30) 39,160 86–57
144 Sun. 10 at Minnesota 12–1 Santana (18–5) Bonderman (11–8) 40,158 86–58
145 Tue. 12 Texas 3–2 Rodney (7–3) Mahay (1–3) 24,196 87–58
146 Wed. 13 Texas 11–3 Millwood (15–10) Verlander (16–8) 24,672 87–59
147 Fri. 15 Baltimore 17–2 Bonderman (12–8) Penn (0–3) 38,261 88–59
148 Sat. 16 Baltimore 2–0 Robertson (13–12) Benson (10–11) Jones (36) 39,030 89–59
149 Sun. 17 Baltimore 12–8 Ray (3–4) Grilli (2–3) 37,464 89–60
150 Mon. 18 at Chicago Sox 8–2 Rogers (16–6) Buehrle (12–13) 39,427 90–60
151 Tue. 19 at Chicago Sox 7–0 Garcia (15–9) Verlander (16–9) 38,850 90–61
152 Wed. 20 at Chicago Sox 6–2 Bonderman (13–8) Garland (17–6) 38,971 91–61
153 Thu. 21 at Baltimore 4–3 Benson (11–11) Rodney (7–4) Ray (33) 17,877 91–62
154 Fri. 22 at Kansas City 7–3 Ledezma (3–3) Hudson (7–6) 13,151 92–62
155 Sat. 23 at Kansas City 15–4 Rogers (17–6) Redman (10–10) 15,459 93–62
156 Sun. 24 at Kansas City 11–4 Verlander (17–9) Hernandez (6–10) 10,922 94–62
157 Tue. 26 Toronto 4–3 Bonderman (14–8) McGowan (1–2) Jones (37) 27,908 95–62
158 Wed. 27 Toronto 7–4 Lilly (15–13) Robertson (13–13) Ryan (36) 26,430 95–63
159 Thu. 28 Toronto 8–6 Burnett (10–8) Rogers (17–7) Ryan (37) 28,670 95–64
160 Fri. 29 Kansas City 9–7 Greinke (1–0) Walker (0–1) Peralta (1) 37,243 95–65
161 Sat. 30 Kansas City 9–6 Wellemeyer (1–2) Miner (7–6) Gobble (2) 40,071 95–66
October
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
162 Sun. 1 Kansas City 10–8 Gobble (4–6) Rogers (17–8) 40,155 95–67
Postseason
# Date Opponent Score Win Loss Save Attendance Record
American League Division Series
1 Oct. 3 at New York 8–4 Wang (1–0) Robertson (0–1) 56,291 0–1
2 Oct. 5 at New York 4–3 Walker (1–0) Mussina (0–1) Jones (1) 56,252 1–1
3 Oct. 6 New York 6–0 Rogers (1–0) Johnson (0–1) 43,440 2–1
4 Oct. 7 New York 8–3 Bonderman (1–0) Wright (0–1) 43,126 3–1
American League Championship Series
1 Oct. 10 at Oakland 5–1 Robertson (1–1) Zito (1–1) 35,655 1–0
2 Oct. 11 at Oakland 8–5 Verlander (1–0) Loaiza (0–1) Jones (2) 36,168 2–0
3 Oct. 13 Oakland 3–0 Rogers (2–0) Harden (0–1) Jones (3) 41,669 3–0
4 Oct. 14 Oakland 6–3 Ledezma (1–0) Street (0–1) 42,967 4–0
World Series
1 Oct. 21 St. Louis 7–2 Reyes (1–0) Verlander (1–1) 42,479 0–1
2 Oct. 22 St. Louis 3–1 Rogers (3–0) Weaver (2–2) Jones (4) 42,533 1–1
3 Oct. 24 at St. Louis 5–0 Carpenter (3–1) Robertson (1–2) 46,513 1–2
4 Oct. 26 at St. Louis 5–4 Wainwright (1–0) Zumaya (0–1) 46,470 1–3
5 Oct. 27 at St. Louis 4–2 Weaver (3–2) Verlander (1–2) Wainwright (4) 46,638 1–4

Player stats

Batting

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

Player Pos G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Carlos Guillén SS 153 543 174 .320 19 85
Iván Rodríguez C 136 547 164 .300 13 69
Magglio Ordóñez RF 155 593 177 .298 24 104
Plácido Polanco 2B 110 461 136 .295 4 52
Vance Wilson C 56 152 43 .283 5 67
Brent Clevlen OF 31 39 11 .282 3 6
Omar Infante 2B 78 224 62 .277 4 25
Chris Shelton 1B 115 373 102 .273 16 47
Alexis Gómez LF 62 103 28 .272 1 6
Curtis Granderson CF 159 596 155 .260 19 68
Marcus Thames LF 110 348 89 .256 26 60
Craig Monroe LF 147 541 138 .255 28 92
Brandon Inge 3B 159 542 137 .253 27 83
Dmitri Young DH 48 172 43 .250 7 23
Sean Casey 1B 53 184 45 .245 5 30
Matt Stairs DH 14 41 10 .244 2 8
Ramón Santiago SS 43 80 18 .225 0 3
Neifi Pérez 2B 21 65 13 .200 0 5
Jack Hannahan 1B 3 9 0 .000 0 0
Mike Rabelo DH 1 1 0 .000 0 0

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

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Justin Verlander 30 186 17 9 3.63 124
Kenny Rogers 34 204 17 8 3.84 99
Nate Robertson 32 208⅔ 13 13 3.84 137
Jeremy Bonderman 34 214 14 8 4.08 202
Mike Maroth 13 53⅔ 5 2 4.19 24
Zach Miner 27 93 7 6 4.84 59
Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched, W = Wins, L = Losses, SV = Saves, HLD = Holds, ERA = Earned run average, SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV HLD ERA SO
Chad Durbin 3 0 0 0 0 1.50 3
Joel Zumaya 62 6 3 1 30 1.94 97
Jamie Walker 56 0 1 0 11 2.81 37
Colby Lewis 2 0 0 0 0 3.00 5
Chris Spurling 9 0 0 0 0 3.18 4
Fernando Rodney 63 7 4 7 18 3.52 65
Wilfredo Ledezma 24 3 3 0 2 3.58 39
Todd Jones 62 2 6 37 0 3.94 28
Jason Grilli 51 2 3 0 9 4.21 31
Román Colón 20 2 0 1 3 4.89 25
Andrew Miller 8 0 1 0 1 6.10 6
Jordan Tata 8 0 0 0 0 6.14 6
Bobby Seay 14 0 0 0 0 6.46 12

Playoffs

American League Division Series

The New York Yankees were heavy favorites over the Tigers to win the series because of their "modern-day Murderers' Row" lineup. All nine batters were current or former All-Stars. The Yankees won the first game, 8-4.

In Game 2, the Tigers took an early 1-0 lead before Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer for New York in the 4th inning. The Tigers came back with single runs in the 5th, 6th, and 7th, including a game-tying home run by Carlos Guillén and a go-ahead RBI triple by Curtis Granderson, to come from behind to win, 4-3.

In Game 3, which was the first postseason game played in Detroit since 1987, the Tigers shut out the Yankees, 6-0. Kenny Rogers pitched 7⅔ scoreless innings and struck out eight in winning for the first time in his postseason career[31] and defeated the Yankees for the first time since 1993.

In Game 4, the Tigers defeated the Yankees 8-3 to win the American League Division Series, 3 games to 1. Jeremy Bonderman threw a perfect game through five innings, and allowed just one run on five singles over his 8⅓ innings in giving the Tigers a second straight dominating starting pitching performance.

The final out kicked off a joyous celebration of players and fans throughout Comerica Park and Downtown Detroit. The celebration even included Kenny Rogers pouring champagne over a police officer's head (he can be seen on video clearly asking permission before doing so). In the process of winning the final three games, the Tigers held the fearsome Yankees lineup scoreless for 20⅔ consecutive innings (from the 4th inning of Game 2 until the 7th inning of Game 4) while scoring 17 runs in that span.

American League Championship Series

The Tigers faced the Oakland Athletics, winners of the American League Western Division. The A's had defeated the Minnesota Twins in a three-game sweep in the ALDS.

The Tigers won Game 1, 5-1, as Nate Robertson scattered six hits and three walks over his five shutout innings. In the fourth inning, with men on second and third and nobody out, Robertson memorably struck out the side to preserve his own victory.[32]

Detroit also won Game 2, 8-5. Oakland had an early two-run lead before the Tigers' four-run fourth inning gave them the lead for good. Seldom-used outfielder Alexis Gómez got the surprise start as the designated hitter. Gómez hit a homer and drove in four runs, providing another example of Jim Leyland pushing all the right buttons this season.[33]

Returning to Comerica Park for Game 3, the Tigers shut out the A's, 3-0. Kenny Rogers was masterful again, allowing only two singles and running his scoreless streak to 15 innings, and the A's did not get a hit off relievers Fernando Rodney and Todd Jones. The two hits were the fewest allowed in a post-season game in franchise history.[34]

In Game 4, Oakland jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. Detroit, looking to sweep the A's, fought back with two runs in the fifth inning, on RBI doubles by Curtis Granderson and Craig Monroe, before Magglio Ordóñez tied it at 3-3 with a solo home run in the sixth. In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and runners on first and second base, Ordóñez hit his second home run of the night, a three-run walk-off home run off of A's closer Huston Street that sent the Tigers to their first World Series since 1984. The American League Pennant was the tenth in Tigers history, and the pennant was won with a walk-off home run for only the third time ever.[35] (The last team to do so was the 2003 New York Yankees, when Aaron Boone hit a walk off home run to defeat Boston.)

World Series

Regardless of the outcome for the 2006 World Series, one manager would join Sparky Anderson as the only skippers in history to manage teams from both the AL and NL to a title. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who considers Anderson his mentor, won the 1989 World Series with the Athletics, while Tigers manager Jim Leyland had won the 1997 World Series with the Marlins.

The Cardinals won the first game of the World Series in Detroit 7-2, behind excellent pitching from unheralded Cardinals starter Anthony Reyes.

In Game Two, Kenny Rogers continued his astounding postseason, allowing two hits and no runs through eight innings, as the Tigers triumphed 3-1.

But the Tigers lost the next three games. They were shut out 5-0 in game three by Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter; they lost a 5-4 heartbreaker in game four; and in game 5, the Tigers committed two costly errors, lost a 2-1 lead, and fell 4-2. In the first inning rookie pitcher Justin Verlander threw two wild pitches, tying the Series record (AP); this was in sharp contrast to the five total that he had thrown in all of his previous games. Verlander would go on to commit a throwing error in the fourth inning, allowing the tying run to score.[36]

In the series, the Tigers committed eight errors, five by the pitching staff alone, the most in World Series history. While the Tigers' 4-1 World Series loss to the Cardinals was a complete disaster, it did not diminish the team's remarkable turnaround after 12 straight losing seasons.

Postseason player stats

Batting

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

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Sean Casey 10 37 16 .432 2 9
Carlos Guillén 13 47 17 .362 1 4
Alexis Gómez 6 12 4 .333 1 4
Omar Infante 2 3 1 .333 0 0
Plácido Polanco 13 51 16 .314 0 4
Brandon Inge 13 44 12 .273 1 4
Craig Monroe 13 50 12 .240 5 9
Marcus Thames 8 21 5 .238 0 1
Curtis Granderson 13 53 12 .226 3 7
Magglio Ordóñez 13 51 10 .196 3 8
Iván Rodríguez 13 48 8 .167 1 5
Ramón Santiago 6 12 1 .083 0 0
Neifi Pérez 3 4 0 .000 0 0
Jeremy Bonderman 3 2 0 .000 0 0
Justin Verlander 4 2 0 .000 0 0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Kenny Rogers 3 23 3 0 0.00 19
Jeremy Bonderman 3 20⅓ 1 0 3.10 11
Nate Robertson 3 15⅔ 1 2 5.17 8
Justin Verlander 4 21⅔ 1 2 5.82 23
Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched, W = Wins, L = Losses, SV = Saves, HLD = Holds, ERA = Earned run average, SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV HLD ERA SO
Todd Jones 7 0 0 4 0 0.00 4
Jason Grilli 5 0 0 0 1 0.00 1
Zach Miner 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0
Wilfredo Ledezma 4 1 0 0 1 2.25 2
Fernando Rodney 7 0 0 0 2 2.35 9
Joel Zumaya 6 0 1 0 1 3.00 6
Jamie Walker 5 1 0 0 0 4.15 3

Farm system

See also: Minor League Baseball
Level Team League Manager
AAA Toledo Mud Hens International League Larry Parrish
AA Erie SeaWolves Eastern League Duffy Dyer
A Lakeland Tigers Florida State League Mike Rojas
A West Michigan Whitecaps Midwest League Matt Walbeck
A-Short Season Oneonta Tigers New York–Penn League Tom Brookens
Rookie GCL Tigers Gulf Coast League Kevin Bradshaw

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Toledo, West Michigan[37]

References

  1. ^ Tigers Have Baseball's Surprise Tale - washingtonpost.com Archived January 18, 2010, at WebCite
  2. ^ http://www.startribune.com/179/story/579907.html [dead link]
  3. ^ Detnews.com | This article is no longer available online Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  4. ^ Tigers rally past Cards, first to 50 wins - Baseball - MSNBC.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  5. ^ USATODAY.com - Tigers could stand to solidify place on food chain Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  6. ^ Detnews.com | This article is no longer available online Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  7. ^ USATODAY.com - Telling tales of the Tigers Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  8. ^ Article not found | February 11, 2008 | AHN Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  9. ^ Raskin, D. "Trash the Tuxes", page 51. The Detroit Jewish News, August 3, 2006.
  10. ^ ESPN - Tigers beat Contreras, win series from White Sox - MLB Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  11. ^ ESPN - Tigers get Pirates 1B Casey, send Shelton to minors - MLB Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  12. ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Detroit Tigers News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  13. ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Detroit Tigers News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  14. ^ Los Angeles Angels, Alexis Gómez, Brandon Inge, Jeff Weaver, Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  15. ^ MLB - Cincinnati Reds/Detroit Tigers Recap Saturday May 20, 2006 - Yahoo! Sports
  16. ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Detroit Tigers News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  17. ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Detroit Tigers News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  18. ^ Houston Astros vs. Detroit Tigers - Box Score - June 27, 2006 - ESPN
  19. ^ Tigers' stars live up to their big contracts [dead link]
  20. ^ The Official Site of The Detroit Tigers: News: Detroit Tigers News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  21. ^ Chicago White Sox, Craig Monroe, Todd Jones, Jeremy Bonderman, Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers, Hanshin Tigers - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  22. ^ Chicago White Sox, Marcus Thames, Chris Shelton, Jose A. Contreras, Major League Baseball, Detroit Tigers - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  23. ^ MLB - Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Indians Recap Monday July 24, 2006 - Yahoo! Sports
  24. ^ Detroit Tigers, Craig Monroe, Zach Miner, Francisco Liriano, Major League Baseball, Minnesota Twins - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  25. ^ Detroit Tigers, Carlos Guillen, Justin Verlander, Sean Casey, Major League Baseball, Tampa Bay Devil Rays - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  26. ^ Rodriguez makes Carmona pay with walk-off in ninth - MLB - CBSSports.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  27. ^ The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (C4,20060831,SPORTS02,608310410,AR) Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Seattle Post-Intelligencer: MLB Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  29. ^ Tigers reduce playoff magic number to 1 - Baseball - MSNBC.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  30. ^ ESPN - Win and in: Tigers clinch first playoff berth since 1987 - MLB Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  31. ^ Rogers, Tigers shut down Yankees - Baseball - MSNBC.com Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  32. ^ The Official Site of Major League Baseball: News: Major League Baseball News Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  33. ^ ESPN - Gómez HR, four RBI spark Tigers to 2-0 ALCS lead - MLB Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  34. ^ Tigers move one step closer Archived December 20, 2010, at WebCite
  35. ^ The article requested can not be found! Please refresh your browser or go back. (C4,20061015,SPORTS02,610150666,AR) Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Yahoo! Sports - Sports News, Scores, Rumors, Fantasy Games, and more
  37. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2006 Detroit Tigers season.
  • Game Logs:
1st Half: Detroit Tigers Game Log on ESPN.com
2nd Half: Detroit Tigers Game Log on ESPN.com
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