I've recently posted a list of the first and second teams of the all-time best Detroit Tigers players and thought I should also make a list of the best Red Wings players of all-time. Here is that list:
First Team:
Goalie: Terry Sawchuk- The greatest goalie in team history, and maybe the greatest ever. Played for the Wings from 1949-1955, 1957-1964 and the 1968-69 season. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1971. Stanley Cup championship (1952, 1954, 1955), Calder Memorial Trophy (1951), Vezina Trophy (1952, 1953, 1955), Lester Patrick Award (1971), First Team All-Star (1951-1953), Second Team All-Star (1954, 1955, 1959), Played in NHL All-Star Game (1950-1956, 1959, 1963, 1964, 1968). Holds the team records for games played, wins and shutouts. His number 1 sweater was retired by the Red Wings in 1994. The Red Wings signed him to a professional contract in 1947, and he quickly progressed through their developmental system, winning honors as the Rookie of the Year in both the U.S. and American Hockey Leagues. Sawchuk also filled in for seven games when the Detroit goalie Harry Lumley was injured in January 1950. Sawchuk showed such promise that the Red Wings traded Lumley to the Blackhawks, though he had just led the team to the 1949–1950 Stanley Cup. Nicknamed "Ukey" or "The Uke" by his teammates because of his Ukrainian ancestry. As the years progressed his personality seemed to change, becoming sullen and withdrawn. He became increasingly surly with reporters and fans, preferred doing crossword puzzles to giving interviews. Also contributing to his moodiness and self-doubt was the pressure of playing day in and day out despite repeated injuries — there were no backup goaltenders. He frequently played through pain, and during his career he had three operations on his right elbow, an appendectomy, countless cuts and bruises, a broken instep, a collapsed lung, ruptured discs in his back, and severed tendons in his hand. Years of crouching in the net caused Sawchuk to walk with a permanent stoop and resulted in lordosis (swayback), which prevented him from sleeping for more than two hours at a time. He also received approximately 400 stitches to his face (including three in his right eyeball) before finally adopting a protective facemask in 1962. In 1966, Life Magazine had a make-up artist apply stitches and scars to Sawchuk's face to demonstrate all of the injuries to his face over the years. The make-up artist did not have enough room for everything.
Defenseman: Nicklas Lidstrom- By far the best defenseman the Wings have ever seen and arguably the best NHL defenseman ever. Played for the Red Wings from 1991 until 2012. Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008), Conn Smythe Trophy winner (2002), seven-time Norris Trophy winner (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011), ten-time First Team All-Star (1998-2003, 2006-2008, 2011), two-time Second Team All-Star (2009, 2010), Played in twelve All-Star games (1996, 1998-2004, 2007-2009, 2011). Holds team records for goals, assists, points, +/- and powerplay goals for defensemen. Lidstrom is considered one of the top defenseman of his generation and a legend of the game, as indicated by his numerous Norris Trophies. He has been nominated for the award a total of twelve times and finished no worse than 6th place in Norris Trophy voting. With the exception of the lockout year, Lidstrom has been on a playoff team in every season since his rookie year of 1991–92, which adds up to an NHL record 20 consecutive playoff seasons (shared with Larry Robinson). On October 22, 2011, in a game against the Washington Capitals, he became the 14th player in the history of the NHL to play 1,500 games. He is the first player not born in North-America and the first player to accomplish this in only his 20th season. Lidstrom played in his 1,550th game on February 12, 2012 against the Philadelphia Flyers, surpassing Alex Delvecchio's previous Red Wings' record of 1,549 games. This also makes him the NHL player who has played the most games while always playing for the same NHL team (Gordie Howe played more games - 1,687 - with the Red Wings but also played for the Hartford Whalers in one season). In this regard, Lidstrom joins former Red Wings Alex Delvecchio and Steve Yzerman as the only 3 players with over 1,500 games having played exclusively for just one team throughout their careers. On June 3, 2012, Lidstrom and his wife took out a full-page ad giving thanks to the city of Detroit for making his family feel at home for the past 21 years. On July 8, 2012, Lidstrom was named a scout for the Detroit Red Wings. During the 2013-14 season, Lidstrom will have his number 5 retired by the Red Wings. It was originally going to be retired on February 5, 2013, but the lockout forced the ceremony to take place during the 2013-14 season, when he will be able to attend the ceremony.
Defenseman: Red Kelly- The second best defenseman in Wings history, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969. Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1950, 1952, 1954, 1955), Norris Trophy winner (1954), Lady Byng Trophy (1951, 1953, 1954), six-time First Team All-Star (1951-1955, 1957), two-time Second Team All-Star (1950, 1956). An exceptional player at both ends of the ice, Kelly was known not only for his great checking skills as a defenceman, but also for his exceptional puck-handling and passing skills as well. Kelly used all these elements to help the Red Wings move the puck down the ice very quickly. When injuries hampered the team, he sometimes played as a forward (a position he adapted to easily when needed). In over 12 years as a Red Wing the team won eight regular-season championships. He started his junior career playing for the St. Michael's Majors, he was encouraged to refine his style by his coach, former Leaf great Joe Primeau. Although the Majors were usually a talent pipeline for the Maple Leafs, the NHL club passed on Kelly after a scout predicted he would not last 20 games in the NHL, and the 19-year old joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1947. In 1954 he was runner-up for the Hart Trophy.
Left Wing:- Ted Lindsay-Known around the NHL as "Scarface" and "Terrible Ted", Lidsay was a fixture at left wing for Detroit from 1944 until 1957 and again in 1964. He amassed 335 goals, 393 assists and 728 points in 862 games as a Wing. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966, he won four Stanley Cups (1950, 52, 54, 55) and won the Art Ross Trophy in 1950. He was a First Team All-Star eight times, a Second Team All-Star once and played in eleven All-Star games. His number 7 was retired by Detroit in 1991. Playing left wing with center Sid Abel and right winger Gordie Howe, on what the media and fans dubbed the "Production Line," Lindsay became one of the NHL's premier players. Although small in stature compared to most players in the league, he was a fierce competitor. His rough play caused the NHL to develop penalties for 'elbowing' and 'kneeing' to discourage hitting between players using the elbows and knees. He appeared with Howe on the cover of a March 1957 Sports Illustrated issue. Lindsay was the first player to lift the Cup and skate around the rink with it, starting a great tradition. During a 2013 signing in the Greater Vancouver area, Lindsay is quoted as telling a fan that he didn't mean to start a tradition, that he only wanted to bring the cup to the rinks edge where the fans could see it. He did not lift the cup above his head at that moment, as was adopted in subsequent years. At a time when teams literally owned their players for their entire careers, the players began demanding such basics as a minimum salary and a properly funded pension plan. While team owners were getting rich with sold out arenas game after game, players were earning a pittance and many needed summer jobs to make a living. Almost all of these men had no more than a high school education and had been playing hockey as a profession all their working life. Superstars in the 1950s earned less than $25,000 a year and when their playing days were over, they had nothing to fall back on and had to accept whatever work they could get in order to survive. Lindsay and star defenceman Doug Harvey of the Montreal Canadiens led a small group in an effort to organize the first National Hockey League Players' Association. In secret, all of the players at the time were contacted and asked for their support to form an "association", not a "union", which was considered going too far. Support was nearly unanimous. Lindsay, one of the league's top players, was first stripped of his captaincy, then was traded to the struggling Chicago Blackhawks. Jack Adams then planted rumours about Lindsay and false defamatory comments by him against his old team in the press, and showed a fake contract to the press, showing an inflated annual salary. The ruse worked and the Red Wings players rejected the union. Harvey suffered a similar fate, being traded from Montreal to the New York Rangers.
Center:- Steve Yzerman- Known as the "Captain" and Stevie Y. Ater Gordie Howe the best forward in Detroit history. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, won four Stanley Cups (1997, 98, 02, 08), Conn Smythe Trophy winner (1997), Selke Trophy winner (2000), Lindsay Trophy winner (1989), Masterton Trophy winner(2003), Patrick Trophy winner (2006), Ten-time All-Star (1984, 1988-93, 97, 99, 00). In 1984 he was the first 18 year old ever named to the All-Star team. Longest serving Captain for one team in NHL history, first in team history in assists, second in goals and points and fourth in games played. Eighth in NHL history in goals, seventh in assists and sixth in points. His number 19 was retired by the Red Wings in January 2007. One-time First Team All-Star (2000). The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was the first for Mike and Marian Ilitch, who had purchased the Detroit Red Wings in the summer of 1982. Jim Devellano, the Red Wings' then-general manager, wanted to draft Pat LaFontaine, who had grown up outside Detroit and played his junior hockey in the area; however, when the New York Islanders took LaFontaine third overall, Devellano settled on Yzerman, drafting him fourth. The Red Wings were prepared to send Yzerman back to Peterborough for one more year, but "after one (training camp) season, you knew he was a tremendous hockey player," said Ken Holland, the current Red Wings general manager who was a minor league goaltender for the Wings during Yzerman's rookie training camp. Yzerman tallied 39 goals and 87 points in his rookie season, and finished second in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. During the 1988–89 season Yzerman recorded 155 points (65 goals/90 assists), a total that only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have surpassed. Yzerman finished third in regular season scoring behind Lemieux and Gretzky, won the Lester B. Pearson Award and was a finalist for the Hart Trophy. When Scotty Bowman took over as coach in 1993, Yzerman initially chafed under Bowman's stern coaching style. Bowman, for his part, felt that Yzerman was not concentrating enough on defence; Bowman had long expected his forwards to be good back-checkers as well. Relations between the two became so strained that at one point, the Red Wings seriously considered trading him to the then-moribund Ottawa Senators. However, Yzerman gradually became a better defender, and is now considered one of the best two-way forwards in the history of the game. In 1997, Yzerman put to rest all doubts of his ability to lead a team to a championship as Detroit won its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers. The following year Detroit repeated the feat, sweeping the Washington Capitals and winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup title. Yzerman earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He handed the Cup first to the wheelchair-bound Vladimir Konstantinov, who had been severely injured in a car accident just six days after the Cup victory in 1997.
Right Wing: Gordie Howe-Mr. Hockey is the greatest Red Wing of all-time and is arguably the best NHL player ever. Played for the Red Wings from 1947 to 1971, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972, his number 9 sweater was retired by Detroit in March 1972. Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1950, 52, 54, 55), six-time Art Ross Trophy winner (1951-1954, 57, 63), six-time Hart Trophy winner (1952, 53, 57, 58, 60, 63), Lester Patrick Trophy winner (1967). 23-time NHL All-Star, twelve-time First Team All-Star, nine-time Second Team All-Star. Howe made his NHL debut in 1946 at the age of 18, playing right wing for the Detroit Red Wings, for which he wore #17 as a rookie. When Roy Conacher moved on to the Chicago Black Hawks after the 1946–47 season, however, Howe was offered Conacher's #9, which he would wear for the rest of his career (although he had not requested the change, Howe accepted it when he was informed that "9" would entitle him to a lower Pullman berth on road trips). He quickly established himself as a great goal scorer and a gifted playmaker with a willingness to fight. In fact, Howe fought so often in his rookie season that coach Jack Adams told him, "I know you can fight. Now can you show me you can play hockey?" The term Gordie Howe hat trick (consisting of a goal, an assist, and a fight) was coined in reference to his penchant for fighting. It should be noted, however, that Howe himself only recorded two Gordie Howe hat tricks in his career, on October 10, 1953, and March 21, 1954. Using his great physical strength, he was able to dominate the opposition in a career that spanned five decades. In a feat unsurpassed by any hockey player, he finished in the top five in scoring for twenty straight seasons. Howe also scored 20 or more goals in 22 consecutive seasons between 1949 and 1971, an NHL record. Howe led Detroit to four Stanley Cups and to first place in regular season play for seven consecutive years (1948–49 to 1955–56), a feat never equaled in NHL history. During this time Howe and his linemates, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay, were known collectively as "The Production Line", both for their scoring and as an allusion to Detroit auto factories. The trio dominated the league in such a fashion that in 1949–50, they finished one-two-three in league scoring. Howe had been in his prime during a defensive era, the 1940s and 1950s, when scoring was difficult and checking was tight. As Howe emerged as one of the game's superstars, he was frequently compared to the Montreal Canadiens' Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Both were right wingers who wore the same sweater number (9), were frequently contenders for the league scoring title, and could also play rough if needed. During their first encounter in the Montreal Forum, when Howe was a rookie, he knocked Richard out cold with a punch after being shoved. The Red Wings and Canadiens faced off in four Stanley Cup finals during the 1950s. When Richard retired in 1960, he paid tribute to Howe, saying "Gordie could do everything." At the time of his retirement, Howe's professional totals, including playoffs, for the NHL and WHA combined, were first. He finished with 2,421 games played, 1,071 goals, 1,518 assists, and 2,589 points. Wayne Gretzky has since passed him in goals (1,072), assists (2,297), and points (3,369), but not games played (1,767) or games played with one team (1,687). It is unlikely that anyone will surpass Howe's total professional games played. Mark Messier retired only 11 NHL games behind Howe at 1,756 (and counting minor league action and playoffs, 2,048 total professional games), but this is over five seasons away from 2,478 total professional games (including minor league action), almost a thousand games ahead of the active career leader at the end of 2012 (Roman Hamrlik).
Coach: Jack Adams- The winningest coach in team history with 413 wins, 390 loses and 161 ties, Most of those wins came without a contract; when James Norris bought the team he'd torn up Adams' contract and given him a year on his job on probation and a handshake. As it turned out, one year became 15 years. Seven-time Stanley Cup champion (1936, 37, 43, 50, 52, 54, 55), elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959. Two-time First Team All-Star coach (1937, 43), Second Team All-Star coach (1945). At first, the team struggled under his leadership, making the playoffs only two times in his first five years at the helm. A name change to the Detroit Falcons in 1930 did not improve the team's performance. Detroit's fortunes changed in 1932, when Norris bought the Falcons and renamed them the Detroit Red Wings. Norris gave the Red Wings the financing they needed to become an NHL power. By 1947, Adams had built a farm team system which trained Alex Delvecchio, Terry Sawchuk, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Sid Abel, and most notably Gordie Howe. It was this core group of players which led the Red Wings to seven straight regular season first-place finishes from 1948 to 1955, along with four more Cups—making Adams the only man to have his name on the Stanley Cup as a player, coach and general manager. Adams was known for being wary of letting his teams get complacent, and was not shy about orchestrating blockbuster trades to keep them on their toes—a philosophy which won him the nickname "Trader Jack." His implulse was slightly restrained after Norris died in 1952 and was succeeded by his daughter, Marguerite Norris. She and Adams never got along very well. While she could have summarily fired Adams since he was still without a contract, she did not do so. In 1957, Adams traded Ted Lindsay to Chicago because of union-organizing efforts and other players affiliated with the effort being sent to the minors. As part of the union busting efforts, Adams spread fake rumours attributing Lindsay as criticizing his former team-mates. Adams also showed a fake contract to Detroit reporters, claiming Lindsay was being paid $25,000 per year, when he was being paid $13,000. The efforts resulted in most of the core of this team leaving town and eventually led to Adams being fired in 1963. His 36-year tenure as general manager is the longest in NHL history. He served 31 of those years on a handshake; after 1932 he never signed a contract with the Wings. Adams had also been involved in an incident in 1942, when he had an outburst due to his belief of biased penalty calling, which led to a fit of rage and ultimately a referee getting punched in game three of the 1942 Stanley Cup Final, becoming the first coach to be suspended in a Final. In 1963, Adams became founding president of the Central Hockey League, a post he held until his death at his desk in 1968.
Second Team:
Goalie: Chris Osgood- I know this could be a controversial choice based on the love/hate relationship Wings fans have had with Osgood but numbers don't lie. Played for the Wings from 1993-2001 and 2005 to 2011. 317 wins, 149 loses, 46 ties, 29 overtime loses, 2.49 goals against average and a .905 save percentage in 565 games. Three-time Stanley Cup champion (1997, 98, 08), Two-time Jennings Trophy winner (1996, shared with Mike Vernon, 2008, shared with Dominik Hasek), Second Team All-Star (1996), Three-time NHL All-Star (1996, 97, 08), First goaltender since Terry Sawchuk to win Stanley Cups ten years or more apart as a starter (Sawchuk in 1955 and 1967), tenth all-time in NHL history for career wins, seventh in GAA. Osgood became the fourth goaltender to man the crease for Detroit that season alongside Tim Cheveldae, Vincent Riendeau, and Peter Ing. Cheveldae, the team's primary starter and a former All-Star, along with Dallas Drake, was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for veteran goaltender Bob Essensa and defenceman Sergei Bautin. Essensa did not have a strong showing in a 13-game stint at the end of the regular season, and Osgood was named the primary goaltender for the playoffs. The heavily favored Red Wings were defeated in seven games by the San Jose Sharks. The most memorable scene of the series occurred in the deciding game. With the game tied 3–3 late in the third period, Osgood went to clear a puck around the boards, but it landed on Sharks forward Jamie Baker’s stick who then scored the winning goal. Overtaken by remorse at his untimely mistake, the young goaltender wept at his stall following the game. Following the season, Detroit management felt that the team needed a strong veteran goaltender with Stanley Cup playoff experience. In the summer of 1994, the Red Wings traded defenceman Steve Chiasson to the Calgary Flames for goaltender Mike Vernon, who had previously helped the Flames to the Stanley Cup title in 1989. In 1997, Osgood and Vernon shared starting goaltender duties in the regular season, but when the playoffs started, virtually all the playing time went to Vernon, who ended up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. In the end, Osgood had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup as the Red Wings swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games to win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years. After the Cup win in 1997, Vernon was traded to the San Jose Sharks, which made Osgood Detroit's number-one goaltender. Again, the Red Wings were able to advance to the Stanley Cup finals and defeated the Washington Capitals in another four game sweep to win back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. On April 1, 1998, he was in a goalie fight with Colorado Avalanche goalie Patrick Roy. Roy had a fight with Vernon the previous year on March 26, 1997. Osgood remained the primary goaltender for Detroit until the summer of 2001, working alongside Ken Wregget, and Manny Legacé before being put on waivers and picked up by the New York Islanders. On August 8, 2005, Detroit brought Osgood back with a two-year, $800,000 USD contract. After Hasek performed poorly in Games 3 and 4 of their 2008 first round series with the Nashville Predators, Red Wings coach Mike Babcock decided to pull him in favor of Osgood midway through Game 4 and named him the starter for game 5 of the series. With Osgood in goal, the Red Wings won their next nine playoff games in a row, defeating the Predators and sweeping the Colorado Avalanche as well as dealing the Dallas Stars a three-game deficit. Though the Stars battled back, winning their next two games, Osgood shone in game 6, stopping all but one shot in a game riddled with Red Wings penalties, sending them to the Stanley Cup Finals to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins. In games one and two of the Stanley Cup finals, Osgood had back-to-back shutouts, making him the fourth goalie in NHL history to start the Finals with back-to-back shutouts. Between the two games, he made a total of 41 saves. His save as time expired in Game Six sealed the Stanley Cup win for the Red Wings and for Osgood, who won his second championship as a starting goaltender.
Defenseman: Black Jack Stewart- Played for the Red Wings from 1938 to 1950. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964. Two-time Stanley Cup champion (1943, 50), three-time First Team All-Star (1943, 48, 49), two-time Second Team All-Star (1946, 47). 30 goal, 79 assists, 109 points, 704 penalty minutes in 502 games. During his career, Stewart was regarded as one of the hardest bodycheckers in the National Hockey League. He also carried the heaviest stick in the league, explaining that "I don't use it for scoring. I use it for breaking arms". Stewart was known for his large grin when hitting opponents; teammate Ted Lindsay noted "when he had that smile, it was time for the opposition to look out". He led the league with 73 penalty minutes in 1945–46, and in the late 1940s, his rivalry with Milt Schmidt of the Boston Bruins was so intense that their physical interactions occasionally overshadowed the games themselves. Stewart hated his nickname of "Black Jack", believing it implied he was a dirty player. Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman King Clancy agreed he was not a dirty, but stated he was the "roughest son of a gun you'd ever want to meet." His style of play resulted in numerous injuries; Stewart had dozens of scars and required over 200 stitches to close various cuts during his career. One year saw him play the entire season with a broken hand. Stewart showed good judgment as a defenceman, rarely taking himself out of position to throw a hit. His coach in Detroit, Jack Adams, called Stewart "one of the best blueliners in the game", and claimed he was the best defenceman in Red Wings history. He was regarded as a good skater, able to clear the puck out of his zone and who rarely turned it over to the other team. A solid work ethic and excellent stamina were also major features of the rugged defender's game. He was a wiry 185 pounds but extremely powerful. Stewart spent his younger days and off-seasons as a pro on the family wheat farm in Pilot Mound, Manitoba. During World War II, he spent a year with the Montreal RCAF and afterward with the Winnipeg detachment. After the war he returned to Detroit and was teamed successfully with Bill Quackenbush on defense. As a unit the two made life difficult for the opposition, but in different ways. Stewart used brute force and strength to nullify opposing forwards while his partner used positioning and subtle clutching and grabbing to defend the goal.
Defenseman: Marcel Pronovost- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978. Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1950, 52, 53, 54), two-time First Team All-Star (1960, 61), two-time Second Team All-Star (1958, 59). Marcel was one of the best defensive defenceman of his era. He was an important member of the 1950s Red Wings winning four Stanley Cups in 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955, known for having a a very good hip check. A player like Pronovost, who delivered hits and took even more on his rushes, could expect to receive a daunting array of injuries. In one three-game stretch with the Red Wings, his face was struck by seemingly every conceivable hard surface in a rink - the puck, when his own goalie attempted to clear it; an opponent's stick, though not on purpose; and, on a memorable dive through two defenders, the ice, the net and then the boards. He had four long cuts requiring stitches and a broken nose from the week's work. He estimated at the end of his career that he had broken his nose 14 times, and the list of his many aches and pains reads like a medical exam for trauma care.
Left Wing: Syd Howe- Played for the Red Wings from 1934 to 1946. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1969), Three-time Stanley Cup champion (1936, 37, 43). The St. Louis Eagles sold Howe in February 1935 to the Detroit Red Wings, where his career could finally get on track. Howe was on the ice in the Montreal Forum at 2:25 a.m. on March 25, 1936, when Mud Bruneteau scored in the sixth overtime period to give Detroit the win in game one of the best-of-five semi-final against the Maroons, the longest game in league history. Detroit went on to win the series and the Stanley Cup that spring and followed up with another Cup victory in 1937. On March 19, 1940, Howe scored 25 seconds into overtime to give the Wings a 2–1 victory over the New York Americans in game one of the quarter-finals. It was Howe's most cherished moment of his career and would stand as the fastest overtime goal scored in NHL history for the next 29 years. He also set the modern-day NHL record by scoring six goals in a game on February 3, 1944, versus the New York Rangers, a record which has since been twice equaled but never bettered in over fifty years of play. In his NHL career, he scored 237 goals and 291 assists for 528 points in 691 games. In the playoffs, he totaled 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 70 games. He won the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1936, 1937 and 1943. In 1934–35, he was runner-up to Charlie Conacher for the scoring title with 47 points in 50 games despite playing much of the season with the last-place St. Louis Eagles. In 1943–44, he racked up 32 goals and 60 points in just 46 games, however, league-wide scoring was inflated due to World War II. In a February 3, 1944 game against the New York Rangers, Howe scored six goals in a single game, a total that has been surpassed only once when Joe Malone scored seven. Howe was an all-around player, shifting between left wing and centre as needed, killing penalties and dropping back to play defence in a pinch. Those who watched the team closely reported that Howe's ice time with Detroit would constitute an amazing total. Although not related, right wing Gordie Howe joined the Red Wings the following season (1946–47) and remained with the club until 1971 thus giving the Wings a star forward named Howe on its roster for 37 consecutive seasons (1934–71).
Center: Sid Abel- Played for the Wings from 1939 to 1952. Inducted inot the Hockey Hall of Fame (1969). Numer 7 sweater retired by Detroit in 1995. Three-time Stanley Cup champion (1943, 50, 52), Hart Trophy winner (1949), two-time First Team All-Star (1949, 50), two-time Second Team All-Star (1942, 51). Along the way, Abel picked up the nickname "Boot Nose" after he taunted Maurice Richard and paid for his insult with a punch that broke his nose. Abel topped the 60-point mark for the second time in his career in 1950-51. "Old Bootnose", as he was known, was the third member of the Red Wings' celebrated "Production line" along with Hockey Hall of Fame teammates Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. Abel was traded from the Red Wings to the Black Hawks in 1952–53, and served as a player-coach for the next two seasons. He returned to the Red Wings in 1957–58 and served as Detroit's coach through the 1969–70 season.
Right Wing:Mickey Redmond- Played for the Wings from 1970-1976, First Team All-Star (1973), Second Team All-Star (1974), became the first Red Wing to score 50 goals in a season (1973). A fan favorite, Redmond was looked at as a slacker by team management, until it was discovered that he had a degenerative disc problem. In the 1974–1975 season Redmond sustained a back injury and played only 29 games. His back woes continued the following year; after 37 games he retired early at the age of 28. After his playing career ended, Redmond became a popular color analyst on television. His television stops include CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, ESPN National Hockey Night, NHL on Fox and for most of his broadcasting career, local television coverage of the Red Wings with play-by-play announcers Dave Strader and (currently) Ken Daniels. His catchphrases include "Holy Jumpin!" and many more, referred to by fans as "Mickeyisms". In one memorable string Mickey used the following to describe a scramble in the crease- "Ten hungry lumberjacks, one pork chop left on the plate, and who should come up with it but Brett Hull!"
Coach: Scotty Bowman- Coached the Red Wings from 1993 to 2002, second in team history in wins (410), coach the team to three Stanley Cup championships (1997,98, 02). In 1993–94, Bowman became coach of the Red Wings, and led them to a first-place finish in the Western Conference, but his Red Wings were ousted in the first round by the young San Jose Sharks. According to an apocryphal story, Bowman had difficulty in the maze-like tunnels of the San Jose Arena, eventually having to be rescued after getting lost and twice locking himself into rooms. In 1995, the Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but were swept by the New Jersey Devils in four straight. This was the Red Wings' first appearance in the finals in 29 years. In the 1995–96 regular season, he won a record 62 games. However, they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals. In the 1997 playoffs, Bowman led the team to its first Stanley Cup in 42 years by sweeping the Philadelphia Flyers 4–0. The Red Wings repeated the feat the following season by sweeping the Washington Capitals. In 1999 and 2000, they lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Semi-Finals, and in 2001 they were eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings in the first round. Bowman decided in February 2002 that he would retire at the end of the season and he went out as a winner as his Red Wings won the Stanley Cup by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4 games to 1. During the presentation of the Cup on the ice, Bowman put on an old pair of skates so he could take a lap with the Cup. He then publicly announced his retirement from coaching. He is second on the Red Wings' all-time wins list behind only Jack Adams.
That is the list. Please feel free to comment with any additions or subtractions.
Showing posts with label All-Time Best. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All-Time Best. Show all posts
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Greatest Tigers Of All Time.
With the exploits of Miguel Cabrera lately I have been think about the all-time great players for the Detroit Tigers. Just to make it a little easier for me I picked a first and second All-Tiger squads. Here is that list:
First Team:
First Base: Hank Greenberg- Greenberg is an easy choice at first, he is a Hall of Famer with a career batting average of .313, 331 homeruns and 1276 RBI's. He. played for the Tigers from 1933-1941 and again in 1945-46. Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. He hit 58 home runs in 1938, equaling Jimmie Foxx's 1932 mark for the most home runs in one season by any player between 1927 and 1961. He was AL MVP in 1935 and 1940 a five time All-Star (1937-1940, 45) and a two time World Series Champion (1935, 1945). He was the heart and soul of those World Series teams and his numbers would be much higher without losing three years to World War II. Greenberg was the first Jewish superstar in all of American professional sports. He attracted national attention in 1934 when he refused to play on Yom Kippur, the holiest of Jewish holidays, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race and he never claimed to be a religiously observant, practicing Jew.
Second Base: Charlie Gehringer- Another easy choice. Played for the Tigers from 1924-1942. Widely regarded as one of the best second basemen of all time, Gehringer was also one of the best-fielding second basemen in history, having led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage and assists seven times. His 7,068 assists is the second highest total in major league history for a second baseman. He also collected 5,369 putouts as a second basemen (the 6th highest total for a second baseman) and 1,444 double plays (the 7th highest total for a second baseman). Known for his consistency as a hitter and fielder, Gehringer was given the nickname "The Mechanical Man" by Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez. Teammate Doc Cramer quipped: "You wind him up Opening Day and forget him.". A durable player, Gehringer had two consecutive game streaks of more than 500 games—one from 1927 to 1931 and the other from 1931 to 1935 Elected to the Hall of Fame (1949) with a batting average of .320, 184 homeruns, 2839 hits and 1427 RBI's. 1937 AL MVP, 1937 batting title 1935 World Series Champion and six-time All-Star (1933-1938)
Third Base: Miguel Cabrera- This will be a controversial choice, George Kell is the Tigers Hall of Fame third baseman but I think Cabrera has better numbers. Kell's numbers, batting average .305, homeruns 78 hits, 2054, 870 RBI's, AL batting title (1949), ten-time All-Star (1947-1957). However Cabrera's numbers are better or will be. Cabrera is hitting .320 with 340 homeruns, 1898 hits, 1194 RBI's, AL Triple Crown (2012), AL MVP (2012), two-time homeun title (2008, 2012), two-time RBI champion (2010, 2012), two-time AL batting title (2011, 2012) and seven-time All-Star (2004-2007, 2010-2012). If he continues on his current pace for eight years he will be 3rd all-time in hits with 3448, 7th all-time in homeruns with 624, 3rd all-time with 2177 RBI's and a batting average of .322 far exceeding Kell's numbers. Of course Kell was a much better defensive third baseman but Cabrera's large lead in offensive numbers gives him the nod.
Shortstop: Alan Trammell- I think this is a pretty safe bet for the all-time shortstop. Trammell has a batting average of .285, 185 homeruns, 2365 hits, 1003 RBI's, four-time Gold Glove winner (1980, 81, 83, 84) World Series Champion (1984), six-time All-Star (1980, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90), AL Comeback Player of the Year (1983) and World Series MVP (1984). Trammell, along with his Tiger teammates, enjoyed a championship-winning season in 1984 when they started the season 35–5 and won the World Series. Despite a season-long battle with tendinitis in his shoulder which caused him to miss 23 regular season games, he finished fifth in AL batting race with .314. ALCS against the Royals, Trammell hit .364 with one home run and three RBI. Finally, in the World Series, he was 9-for-20 against the Padres, including a pair of two-run home runs that accounted for all of Tigers' runs in a Game 4 victory. Detroit won the series 4–1. In 1985 after two consecutive years of batting not lower than .314, Trammell was hampered by injuries and posted only a .258 batting average. He underwent postseason surgery on left knee and right shoulder. The following season, playing without any injuries, Trammell became only the second player in Detroit history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases (Kirk Gibson and Curtis Granderson have since joined the club). Trammell also set a career-high with 75 RBI.
Catcher: Mickey Cochrane- Also known as Black Mickey because of his foul moods. Elected to the Hall of Fame (1947) Cochrane has career numbers of: batting average .320, homeruns 119, 832 RBI's, two-time AL MVP (1928, 34), three-time World Series Champion (1929, 30, 35) and two All-Star (1934, 35). His .419 on base percentage is the best among catchers, he was the first catcher to score 100 runs and get 100 RBI's and hit for the cycle twice (July 22nd 1932, August 2nd 1933. Cochrane's playing career came to a sudden end on May 25, 1937 when he was hit in the head by a pitch by Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley. Hospitalized for seven days, the injury nearly killed him. His accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, but tradition won out at that time. Ordered by doctors not to play baseball again (he was just 34 years old), he returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire. He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season, but was replaced midway through the 1938 season. His all-time managerial record was 348-250, for a .582 winning percentage
Left Fielder: Harry Heilmann- Not a pick the casual fan would think of but another Hall of Famer. Batting average .342 12th highest career average, 183 homeruns, 2660 hits, 1539 RBI's, four-time AL batting champion (1921, 23, 25, 27). For the decade of the 1920's Heilmann averaged 220 hits, 110 runs, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 16 homeruns and 130 RBI's no one averaged a better decade. In 1918, with the United States entered World War I, Heilmann joined the U.S. Navy and served on a submarine causing him to miss half of the 1918 season. When a reporter reminded him that he had won batting titles every other year from 1921 to 1927, Heilmann replied: (Tiger owner) "Mr. [Frank] Navin gives me contracts on a two-year basis. I always bear down real hard when a new contract is coming up. Though primarily a line-drive hitter, Heilmann could also hit for power. He was among the AL leaders in homeruns 11 times. On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a home run in Detroit reported by the New York Tribune at a gargantuan 610 feet – one of the longest ever recorded.
Center Fielder: Ty Cobb- Duh, easy choice, the greatest Tiger ever. Career number that make everybody else look like minor leaguers. Highest batting average (.366), 117 homeruns, second in hits (4191), 1938 RBI's. most steals of home (54), twelve-time AL batting champion (1907, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,17, 18, 19), second in runs scored (2245), hit over .400 three times and hit under .320 only once in his career. Cobb's legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style, which was described by the Detroit Free Press as "daring to the point of dementia." Cobb himself wrote shortly before his death, "In legend I am a sadistic, slashing, swashbuckling despot who waged war in the guise of sport." Cobb was notorious for sliding into bases feet first, with his spikes high. In October 1918, Cobb enlisted in the Chemical Corps branch of the Army and was sent to the Allied Expeditionary Forces headquarters in Chaumont, France. He served approximately 67 days overseas before receiving an Honorable Discharge and returning to the United States. He was given the rank of captain underneath the command of Major Branch Rickey, the president of the St. Louis Cardinals. Other baseball players serving in this unit included Captain Christy Mathewson and Lieutenant George Sisler. All of these men were assigned to the Gas and Flame Division, where they trained soldiers in preparation for chemical attacks by exposing them to gas chambers in a controlled environment, which was eventually responsible for Mathewson's contracting tuberculosis which led to his premature death on the eve of the 1924 World Series.
Right Fielder: Al Kaline- Another easy choice, my favorite player. Hall of Famer, hit .297 with 399 homeruns, 3007 hits, 1583 RBI's, World Series Champion (1968), 1955 batting title, ten-time Gold Glove winner (1957-1959, 1961-1967), 18-time All-Star [1955-1967 (two games in 59, 60 & 61), 1971, 74].
Kaline bypassed the minor league system and joined the team directly from high school as an 18-year-old "bonus baby" signee, receiving $35,000 ($300,330 as of 2013), to sign with the Tigers. He made his major league debut on June 25, 1952 in Philadelphia as a late-inning replacement for outfielder Jim Delsing. Kaline wore No. 25 during his rookie campaign, but asked teammate Pat Mullin for his No. 6 after the 1953 season ended. Kaline, who was also known simply as "Six" in the Tiger clubhouse, wore the number for the rest of his major league playing career.
Right Handed Pitcher (1): Hal Newhouser- Prince Hal would be my first choice for a right handed starter he was 207-150 with a 3.06 ERA and 1796 strikeouts. He was a two-time AL MVP (1944-45), only pitcher to win back to back MVP awards, World Series Champion (1945), won pitching Triple Crown (1945), four time AL wins leader (1944-46, 48), two-time AL strikeout leader (1944-45), two-time ERA leader (1945-46), seven-time All-Star (1942-1948). As World War II got under way, the Tigers moved up in the standings because several of their top players, including Newhouser, were classified as 4-F (ineligible to be drafted). Newhouser was 4-F due to a leaky heart valve; he attempted to join the service anyway but was turned down several times. He blossomed all at once in 1944, becoming a dominant pitcher in wartime baseball. That season, Newhouser rang up a 29–9 record, leading the league in wins and strikeouts (187). His 2.22 ERA was second in the league, as were his 25 complete games and six shutouts. The Tigers jumped into contention, finishing second in the American League, with Newhouser named MVP. Newhouser won the first Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award in 1944. In 1945, he repeated as MVP. This time, he won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins (25, against nine losses), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212). He also led the league in innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts. Newhouser pitched four innings of relief on the season's final day as Detroit rallied for the pennant. He then won two games in the World Series to help his team to the World Championship, including the deciding seventh game. Newhouser won the second Pitcher of the Year Award in 1945. He is currently the youngest player to win the award two consecutive years at the age of 24. Newhouser was the Sporting News Player of the Year. In 1946, he went 26–9 with a 1.94 ERA, again leading the league in wins and ERA. His 275 strikeouts was second in the league. Newhouser was runner-up in the MVP race to Ted Williams. Newhouser continued to rate among the game's best pitchers for the next five years. He won 17 games in 1947, led the AL with 21 wins in 1948 and rang up an 18–11 mark in 1949.
Right Handed Pitcher (2): Justin Verlander- JV would have to be my other choice fora right handed starter. Yes, his career isn't over but I think his body of work so far is enough to include him on this list. He is currently 132-70 with a 3.43 ERA and 1564 strikeouts. He was Rookie of the Year (2006), Cy Young Award winner (2011), AL MVP (2011), AL Pitching Triple Crown (2011), two-time MLB wins leader (2009, 11), three-time AL strikeout leader (2009, 11, 12), five-time All-Star (2007, 2009-2012), two-time TSN pitcher of the year (2011-12), threw two no-hitters (2007, 2011).
Left Handed Pitcher (1): Mickey Lolich- Mickey would have to be the consensus pick for #1 left handed pitcher. He was 217-191 with a 3.44 ERA and 2832 strikeouts which is 2nd most for a AL left hander. He was a World Series champion and World Series MVP (1968), three-time All-Star (1969, 71, 72), leads the Tigers in shutouts (39), 3rd on the team in wins (207). Lolich was consistency itself, winning 14 or more games for ten consecutive seasons climaxing in 1971, when he led the American League with 25 victories (which no subsequent Tiger pitcher has done) and 22 in 1972. He struck out a career-high 308 in 1972, helping the Tigers to the AL East championship that season (before bowing to the eventual world champion Oakland A's three games to two) as runner-up for the Cy Young Award. The 308 strikeouts is still the Tigers record for a single season. He also struck out 200 or more seven times in his career, and ranks third among left-handers (behind Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson) in career strikeouts with 2,832. In 1968 Detroit became only the third team in World Series history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win in seven games. Lolich became the 12th pitcher to win three games in a World Series, and the last with three complete games in a single Series. He was the last pitcher with three wins in the same Series before Randy Johnson in 2001.
Left Handed Pitcher (2): Ed Killian- I had to look long and hard for a second left handed pitcher to put up along with Lolich and I finally found Ed Killian. Killian was a pitcher for the Tigers from 1904 to 1910 and ended his career with a record of 102-78 an ERA of 2.38 (24th best in MLB history) and 516 strikeouts. In his career he surrendered only nine homeruns, including a stretch of 1001 innings, over five seasons, without one. In 1904, Killian had 32 complete games and a 2.44 ERA in 331 innings, but without support from the 7th place Tigers, Killian had the dubious distinction of losing 20 games in his first full season. As proof that his 1904 win-loss record was not indicative of his talents, Killian battled Cy Young in one of the most remarkable pitching duels in history on May 11, 1904. Young and Killian each pitched 14 scoreless innings, before the Red Sox scored a run in the 15th inning, winning 1–0. In 1907 the Tigers were locked in a battle with the Philadelphia A's and Killian won both games of a double header to win the pennant. He pitched in both the 1907 and 1908 World Series.
Relief Pitcher (1): Willie Hernandez- As far as I'm concerned the best reliever in Tigers history. He pitched for the Tigers from 1984 to 1989. He was 70-63 with an ERA of 3.38, 788 strikeouts and 147 saves. AL MVP (1984), AL Cy Young Award (1984), World Series champion (1984), three-time All-Star (1984-86). Hernandez was a key pitcher on the 1984 World Series Championship team. He had a 9–3 record, 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA in 140 innings pitched, while recording 112 strikeouts. In the entire season, Hernandez gave up only six homeruns, 30 runs, 36 walks and 96 hits. His 32 saves came in 33 opportunities.
Relief Pitcher (2): John Hiller- In my opinion the second best reliever in Tigers history and oddly enough both are left handed. Played for the Tigers from 1965 to 1980, except for 1971 when he was recovering from a heart attack. He was 87-76 with a 2.83 ERA, 1036 strikeouts and 125 saves. He was a World Series champion in 1968 and an All-Star in 1974 as well as the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 1973. He recorded 39 saves in 1973 a MLB record for ten years and a team record until 2000.
Manager: Sparky Anderson- Sparky is the best manager in Tiger history. He was the skipper from 1979 to 1995. In 1984 he led the Tigers to their first World Series title since 1968. In his first ten years with the team they had a winning record every year. Two-time Manager of the Year Award (1984, 87). Leads the Tigers in managerial wins (1331). First manager to win 600 games in both leagues. During his managerial career, Anderson was known to heap lavish praise on his ballplayers when talking to the media. He declared Kirk Gibson "the next Mickey Mantle," which he later acknowledged may have put too much pressure on Gibson early in his career. He said Mike Laga, who played for him in 1984, would "make us forget every power hitter who ever lived." He also said Johnny Bench (who played for him in Cincinnati) "will never throw a baseball as hard as Mike Heath" (a catcher who played for him in Detroit).
Second Team:
First Base: Norm Cash- Stormin' Norman has to be the second best first baseman in Tigers history. He anchored the middle of the Tigers lineup for 15 years after being traded first from the White Sox to the Indians for Minnie Minoso and then to the Tigers for Steve Demeter. He hit .271 with 377 homeruns, 1820 hits and 1103 RBI's. Five-time All-Star (1961 (two games), 66, 71, 72), World Series champion (1968), AL batting champion (1961) and two-time AL Comeback Player of the Year (1965, 71)
Second Base: Lou Whitaker- Sweet Lou is the consensus pick of the second best second baseman in Tigers history. He hit .276 with 244 homeruns, 2369 hits and 1084 RBI's. Rookie of the Year (1978), World Series champion (1984), three-time Gold Glove Award winner (1983-1985), five-time All-Star (1983-1987). Four-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1983-1985, 87). One of the best doubleplay combos, along with Alan Trammell. Holds Tigers record for most doubleplays (1527), second in Tigers history in walks (1197) and second in franchise history in assists (6653). In 1985 he was part of an infield where all four players hit at least 20 homeruns.
Shortstop: Bill Rogell- Rogell was the Tigers shortstop from 1930 until 1939. He led the AL in fielding percentage for shortstops (1935-1937) and World Series champion (1935). He hit .267 with 1375 hits and 609 RBI's. Holds the record for walks in consecutive plate appearances (7). He anchored the left side of the infield for the pennant winning 1934 and 1935 Tigers. In the 1934 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, with Cards ace Dizzy Dean acting as a pinch runner Rogell hit him square in the forehead with a throw to first attempting a doubleplay. After the incident Rogell said "If I knew Dean's head was there I would have thrown the ball harder".
Third Base: George Kell- Even though Kell is a Hall of Famer Cabrera got the nod for best third baseman but Kell is definitely number two. Kell hit .305 with 78 homeruns, 2054 hits and 870 RBI's. He won the AL batting title (1949) and was a ten-time All-Star (1947-1957).
Catcher: Bill Freehan- The starting catcher for the 1968 World Championship Detroit Tigers. Ht .262 with 200 homeruns, 758 RBI's and 1591 hits. Caught more games (1774) then any other Tiger catcher. Sixth all-time in MLB history in hit by pitch (114)
Left Fielder: Willy Horton- Left Fielder for the 1968 team, hit .273 for his career with 325 homeruns and 1163 RBI's and 1993 hits. Four-time All-Star (1965, 68, 70, 73).
Center Fielder: Jim Northrup- I'm putting Northrup in as a center fielder because I needed to have Sam Crawford in right and because Northrup played center during the 1968 fall classic
Right Fielder: Sam Crawford- Crawford was the second best hitter on the Tigers from 1905 until 1917. Hall of Famer, holds the MLB record for triples (309). Led the AL in homeruns (1908-7), runs (1907-102), doubles (1909-35), triples (1910, 1913-1915) and RBI's (1910, 14-15). Crawford had a love/hate relationship with Ty Cobb as Cobb became the biggest star in baseball Crawford resented the preferential treatment given Cobb and the two hardly spoke, even though the played next to each other in the outfield and Crawford followed him in the batting order.
Right Handed Pitcher (1): Denny McLain- The star pitcher of the 1968 season, McLain hold the team record for single season wins with 31. He was 131-91 with a 3.39 ERA and 1282 strikeouts. He's reputation suffers because of his off-field exploits and poor World Series performance but is still one of the best pitchers in team history.
Right Handed Pitcher (2): Jack Morris- The star pitcher of the 1984 World Series winning team. five-time All-Star (1981, 84, 85, 87), AL wins leader (1981), AL strikeouts leader (1983), AL shutout leader (1986), Led the Tigers in wins (1997-88, 90), had the most wins of the '80's (162). He is 254-186 with a 3.90 ERA and 2478 strikeouts.
Left Handed Pitcher (1): Earl Whitehill- I had to dip even further to find the two second team left handed pitchers. I managed to come up with Whitehill and Leonard. Whitehill pitched for the Tigers from 1923 until 1932. Averaged 14 wins a season 218-185 with a 4.36 ERA and 1350 strikeouts. Has the highest ERA of any pitcher with at least 200 wins.
Left Handed Pitcher (2): Dutch Leonard- Was a pitcher for the Tigers from 1919-1921 and 1924-1925. 139-113 with a 2.76 ERA and 1160 strikeouts. Leonard was suspended by the American League for signing with a team in the San Joaquin Valley League after a salary dispute with Tigers owner Frank Navin. After returning to the Tigers after his suspension he feuded with Tigers manager Ty Cobb over everything from curfew to how to pitch Tris Speaker and George Sisler. He might not have been the best pitcher the Tigers had but it seems he sure made life interesting.
Relief Pitcher (1): Todd Jones- Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2000). The Tigers leader in games saved with 206 he had a 3.97 ERA and 868 strikeouts. Always made life interesting at the end of games as is the norm in recent years for Tigers closers. Threw the last pitch in Tigers Stadium
Relief Pitcher (2): Aurelio Lopez- Lopez along with Willie Hernandez were the shut 'em down relievers of the 1984 Tigers. He was 62-36 with a 3.56 ERA, 635 strikeouts and 93 saves. In 1984 he was 10-1 with 14 save and an ERA of 2.94. He was a combined 2-0 in the 1984 ALCS and World Series and did not give up a run in six innings of work.
Manager: Hughie Jennings- Hall of Fame (1945). Managed the Tigers from 1907 until 1920, led the Tigers to the pennant in 1907-1909, is second in win as a Tigers manager (1131). Jennings was a vary colorful character in the dugout. 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 "Ee-Yah" when Jennings would appear on the field. He once told Ty Cobb There isn’t anything about baseball I can teach you. Anything I might say to you would merely hinder you in your development. The only thing for you to do is go ahead and do as you please. Use your own judgment.. . . . . Do what you think is best and I’ll back you up.
That is the list, I'm sure everybody has their own opinions as well as additions and deletions, well, that is what sports is all about. Feel free to comment on anything I've posted or if you agree or disagree with this list. Look for a list of the all-time best Red Wings coming soon.
First Team:
First Base: Hank Greenberg- Greenberg is an easy choice at first, he is a Hall of Famer with a career batting average of .313, 331 homeruns and 1276 RBI's. He. played for the Tigers from 1933-1941 and again in 1945-46. Greenberg was one of the premier power hitters of his generation. He hit 58 home runs in 1938, equaling Jimmie Foxx's 1932 mark for the most home runs in one season by any player between 1927 and 1961. He was AL MVP in 1935 and 1940 a five time All-Star (1937-1940, 45) and a two time World Series Champion (1935, 1945). He was the heart and soul of those World Series teams and his numbers would be much higher without losing three years to World War II. Greenberg was the first Jewish superstar in all of American professional sports. He attracted national attention in 1934 when he refused to play on Yom Kippur, the holiest of Jewish holidays, even though the Tigers were in the middle of a pennant race and he never claimed to be a religiously observant, practicing Jew.
Second Base: Charlie Gehringer- Another easy choice. Played for the Tigers from 1924-1942. Widely regarded as one of the best second basemen of all time, Gehringer was also one of the best-fielding second basemen in history, having led all American League second basemen in fielding percentage and assists seven times. His 7,068 assists is the second highest total in major league history for a second baseman. He also collected 5,369 putouts as a second basemen (the 6th highest total for a second baseman) and 1,444 double plays (the 7th highest total for a second baseman). Known for his consistency as a hitter and fielder, Gehringer was given the nickname "The Mechanical Man" by Yankee pitcher Lefty Gomez. Teammate Doc Cramer quipped: "You wind him up Opening Day and forget him.". A durable player, Gehringer had two consecutive game streaks of more than 500 games—one from 1927 to 1931 and the other from 1931 to 1935 Elected to the Hall of Fame (1949) with a batting average of .320, 184 homeruns, 2839 hits and 1427 RBI's. 1937 AL MVP, 1937 batting title 1935 World Series Champion and six-time All-Star (1933-1938)
Third Base: Miguel Cabrera- This will be a controversial choice, George Kell is the Tigers Hall of Fame third baseman but I think Cabrera has better numbers. Kell's numbers, batting average .305, homeruns 78 hits, 2054, 870 RBI's, AL batting title (1949), ten-time All-Star (1947-1957). However Cabrera's numbers are better or will be. Cabrera is hitting .320 with 340 homeruns, 1898 hits, 1194 RBI's, AL Triple Crown (2012), AL MVP (2012), two-time homeun title (2008, 2012), two-time RBI champion (2010, 2012), two-time AL batting title (2011, 2012) and seven-time All-Star (2004-2007, 2010-2012). If he continues on his current pace for eight years he will be 3rd all-time in hits with 3448, 7th all-time in homeruns with 624, 3rd all-time with 2177 RBI's and a batting average of .322 far exceeding Kell's numbers. Of course Kell was a much better defensive third baseman but Cabrera's large lead in offensive numbers gives him the nod.
Shortstop: Alan Trammell- I think this is a pretty safe bet for the all-time shortstop. Trammell has a batting average of .285, 185 homeruns, 2365 hits, 1003 RBI's, four-time Gold Glove winner (1980, 81, 83, 84) World Series Champion (1984), six-time All-Star (1980, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90), AL Comeback Player of the Year (1983) and World Series MVP (1984). Trammell, along with his Tiger teammates, enjoyed a championship-winning season in 1984 when they started the season 35–5 and won the World Series. Despite a season-long battle with tendinitis in his shoulder which caused him to miss 23 regular season games, he finished fifth in AL batting race with .314. ALCS against the Royals, Trammell hit .364 with one home run and three RBI. Finally, in the World Series, he was 9-for-20 against the Padres, including a pair of two-run home runs that accounted for all of Tigers' runs in a Game 4 victory. Detroit won the series 4–1. In 1985 after two consecutive years of batting not lower than .314, Trammell was hampered by injuries and posted only a .258 batting average. He underwent postseason surgery on left knee and right shoulder. The following season, playing without any injuries, Trammell became only the second player in Detroit history to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases (Kirk Gibson and Curtis Granderson have since joined the club). Trammell also set a career-high with 75 RBI.
Catcher: Mickey Cochrane- Also known as Black Mickey because of his foul moods. Elected to the Hall of Fame (1947) Cochrane has career numbers of: batting average .320, homeruns 119, 832 RBI's, two-time AL MVP (1928, 34), three-time World Series Champion (1929, 30, 35) and two All-Star (1934, 35). His .419 on base percentage is the best among catchers, he was the first catcher to score 100 runs and get 100 RBI's and hit for the cycle twice (July 22nd 1932, August 2nd 1933. Cochrane's playing career came to a sudden end on May 25, 1937 when he was hit in the head by a pitch by Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley. Hospitalized for seven days, the injury nearly killed him. His accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, but tradition won out at that time. Ordered by doctors not to play baseball again (he was just 34 years old), he returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire. He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season, but was replaced midway through the 1938 season. His all-time managerial record was 348-250, for a .582 winning percentage
Left Fielder: Harry Heilmann- Not a pick the casual fan would think of but another Hall of Famer. Batting average .342 12th highest career average, 183 homeruns, 2660 hits, 1539 RBI's, four-time AL batting champion (1921, 23, 25, 27). For the decade of the 1920's Heilmann averaged 220 hits, 110 runs, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 16 homeruns and 130 RBI's no one averaged a better decade. In 1918, with the United States entered World War I, Heilmann joined the U.S. Navy and served on a submarine causing him to miss half of the 1918 season. When a reporter reminded him that he had won batting titles every other year from 1921 to 1927, Heilmann replied: (Tiger owner) "Mr. [Frank] Navin gives me contracts on a two-year basis. I always bear down real hard when a new contract is coming up. Though primarily a line-drive hitter, Heilmann could also hit for power. He was among the AL leaders in homeruns 11 times. On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a home run in Detroit reported by the New York Tribune at a gargantuan 610 feet – one of the longest ever recorded.
Center Fielder: Ty Cobb- Duh, easy choice, the greatest Tiger ever. Career number that make everybody else look like minor leaguers. Highest batting average (.366), 117 homeruns, second in hits (4191), 1938 RBI's. most steals of home (54), twelve-time AL batting champion (1907, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,17, 18, 19), second in runs scored (2245), hit over .400 three times and hit under .320 only once in his career. Cobb's legacy as an athlete has sometimes been overshadowed by his surly temperament and aggressive playing style, which was described by the Detroit Free Press as "daring to the point of dementia." Cobb himself wrote shortly before his death, "In legend I am a sadistic, slashing, swashbuckling despot who waged war in the guise of sport." Cobb was notorious for sliding into bases feet first, with his spikes high. In October 1918, Cobb enlisted in the Chemical Corps branch of the Army and was sent to the Allied Expeditionary Forces headquarters in Chaumont, France. He served approximately 67 days overseas before receiving an Honorable Discharge and returning to the United States. He was given the rank of captain underneath the command of Major Branch Rickey, the president of the St. Louis Cardinals. Other baseball players serving in this unit included Captain Christy Mathewson and Lieutenant George Sisler. All of these men were assigned to the Gas and Flame Division, where they trained soldiers in preparation for chemical attacks by exposing them to gas chambers in a controlled environment, which was eventually responsible for Mathewson's contracting tuberculosis which led to his premature death on the eve of the 1924 World Series.
Right Fielder: Al Kaline- Another easy choice, my favorite player. Hall of Famer, hit .297 with 399 homeruns, 3007 hits, 1583 RBI's, World Series Champion (1968), 1955 batting title, ten-time Gold Glove winner (1957-1959, 1961-1967), 18-time All-Star [1955-1967 (two games in 59, 60 & 61), 1971, 74].
Kaline bypassed the minor league system and joined the team directly from high school as an 18-year-old "bonus baby" signee, receiving $35,000 ($300,330 as of 2013), to sign with the Tigers. He made his major league debut on June 25, 1952 in Philadelphia as a late-inning replacement for outfielder Jim Delsing. Kaline wore No. 25 during his rookie campaign, but asked teammate Pat Mullin for his No. 6 after the 1953 season ended. Kaline, who was also known simply as "Six" in the Tiger clubhouse, wore the number for the rest of his major league playing career.
Right Handed Pitcher (1): Hal Newhouser- Prince Hal would be my first choice for a right handed starter he was 207-150 with a 3.06 ERA and 1796 strikeouts. He was a two-time AL MVP (1944-45), only pitcher to win back to back MVP awards, World Series Champion (1945), won pitching Triple Crown (1945), four time AL wins leader (1944-46, 48), two-time AL strikeout leader (1944-45), two-time ERA leader (1945-46), seven-time All-Star (1942-1948). As World War II got under way, the Tigers moved up in the standings because several of their top players, including Newhouser, were classified as 4-F (ineligible to be drafted). Newhouser was 4-F due to a leaky heart valve; he attempted to join the service anyway but was turned down several times. He blossomed all at once in 1944, becoming a dominant pitcher in wartime baseball. That season, Newhouser rang up a 29–9 record, leading the league in wins and strikeouts (187). His 2.22 ERA was second in the league, as were his 25 complete games and six shutouts. The Tigers jumped into contention, finishing second in the American League, with Newhouser named MVP. Newhouser won the first Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award in 1944. In 1945, he repeated as MVP. This time, he won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the AL in wins (25, against nine losses), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212). He also led the league in innings pitched, games started, complete games and shutouts. Newhouser pitched four innings of relief on the season's final day as Detroit rallied for the pennant. He then won two games in the World Series to help his team to the World Championship, including the deciding seventh game. Newhouser won the second Pitcher of the Year Award in 1945. He is currently the youngest player to win the award two consecutive years at the age of 24. Newhouser was the Sporting News Player of the Year. In 1946, he went 26–9 with a 1.94 ERA, again leading the league in wins and ERA. His 275 strikeouts was second in the league. Newhouser was runner-up in the MVP race to Ted Williams. Newhouser continued to rate among the game's best pitchers for the next five years. He won 17 games in 1947, led the AL with 21 wins in 1948 and rang up an 18–11 mark in 1949.
Right Handed Pitcher (2): Justin Verlander- JV would have to be my other choice fora right handed starter. Yes, his career isn't over but I think his body of work so far is enough to include him on this list. He is currently 132-70 with a 3.43 ERA and 1564 strikeouts. He was Rookie of the Year (2006), Cy Young Award winner (2011), AL MVP (2011), AL Pitching Triple Crown (2011), two-time MLB wins leader (2009, 11), three-time AL strikeout leader (2009, 11, 12), five-time All-Star (2007, 2009-2012), two-time TSN pitcher of the year (2011-12), threw two no-hitters (2007, 2011).
Left Handed Pitcher (1): Mickey Lolich- Mickey would have to be the consensus pick for #1 left handed pitcher. He was 217-191 with a 3.44 ERA and 2832 strikeouts which is 2nd most for a AL left hander. He was a World Series champion and World Series MVP (1968), three-time All-Star (1969, 71, 72), leads the Tigers in shutouts (39), 3rd on the team in wins (207). Lolich was consistency itself, winning 14 or more games for ten consecutive seasons climaxing in 1971, when he led the American League with 25 victories (which no subsequent Tiger pitcher has done) and 22 in 1972. He struck out a career-high 308 in 1972, helping the Tigers to the AL East championship that season (before bowing to the eventual world champion Oakland A's three games to two) as runner-up for the Cy Young Award. The 308 strikeouts is still the Tigers record for a single season. He also struck out 200 or more seven times in his career, and ranks third among left-handers (behind Steve Carlton and Randy Johnson) in career strikeouts with 2,832. In 1968 Detroit became only the third team in World Series history to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win in seven games. Lolich became the 12th pitcher to win three games in a World Series, and the last with three complete games in a single Series. He was the last pitcher with three wins in the same Series before Randy Johnson in 2001.
Left Handed Pitcher (2): Ed Killian- I had to look long and hard for a second left handed pitcher to put up along with Lolich and I finally found Ed Killian. Killian was a pitcher for the Tigers from 1904 to 1910 and ended his career with a record of 102-78 an ERA of 2.38 (24th best in MLB history) and 516 strikeouts. In his career he surrendered only nine homeruns, including a stretch of 1001 innings, over five seasons, without one. In 1904, Killian had 32 complete games and a 2.44 ERA in 331 innings, but without support from the 7th place Tigers, Killian had the dubious distinction of losing 20 games in his first full season. As proof that his 1904 win-loss record was not indicative of his talents, Killian battled Cy Young in one of the most remarkable pitching duels in history on May 11, 1904. Young and Killian each pitched 14 scoreless innings, before the Red Sox scored a run in the 15th inning, winning 1–0. In 1907 the Tigers were locked in a battle with the Philadelphia A's and Killian won both games of a double header to win the pennant. He pitched in both the 1907 and 1908 World Series.
Relief Pitcher (1): Willie Hernandez- As far as I'm concerned the best reliever in Tigers history. He pitched for the Tigers from 1984 to 1989. He was 70-63 with an ERA of 3.38, 788 strikeouts and 147 saves. AL MVP (1984), AL Cy Young Award (1984), World Series champion (1984), three-time All-Star (1984-86). Hernandez was a key pitcher on the 1984 World Series Championship team. He had a 9–3 record, 32 saves and a 1.92 ERA in 140 innings pitched, while recording 112 strikeouts. In the entire season, Hernandez gave up only six homeruns, 30 runs, 36 walks and 96 hits. His 32 saves came in 33 opportunities.
Relief Pitcher (2): John Hiller- In my opinion the second best reliever in Tigers history and oddly enough both are left handed. Played for the Tigers from 1965 to 1980, except for 1971 when he was recovering from a heart attack. He was 87-76 with a 2.83 ERA, 1036 strikeouts and 125 saves. He was a World Series champion in 1968 and an All-Star in 1974 as well as the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 1973. He recorded 39 saves in 1973 a MLB record for ten years and a team record until 2000.
Manager: Sparky Anderson- Sparky is the best manager in Tiger history. He was the skipper from 1979 to 1995. In 1984 he led the Tigers to their first World Series title since 1968. In his first ten years with the team they had a winning record every year. Two-time Manager of the Year Award (1984, 87). Leads the Tigers in managerial wins (1331). First manager to win 600 games in both leagues. During his managerial career, Anderson was known to heap lavish praise on his ballplayers when talking to the media. He declared Kirk Gibson "the next Mickey Mantle," which he later acknowledged may have put too much pressure on Gibson early in his career. He said Mike Laga, who played for him in 1984, would "make us forget every power hitter who ever lived." He also said Johnny Bench (who played for him in Cincinnati) "will never throw a baseball as hard as Mike Heath" (a catcher who played for him in Detroit).
Second Team:
First Base: Norm Cash- Stormin' Norman has to be the second best first baseman in Tigers history. He anchored the middle of the Tigers lineup for 15 years after being traded first from the White Sox to the Indians for Minnie Minoso and then to the Tigers for Steve Demeter. He hit .271 with 377 homeruns, 1820 hits and 1103 RBI's. Five-time All-Star (1961 (two games), 66, 71, 72), World Series champion (1968), AL batting champion (1961) and two-time AL Comeback Player of the Year (1965, 71)
Second Base: Lou Whitaker- Sweet Lou is the consensus pick of the second best second baseman in Tigers history. He hit .276 with 244 homeruns, 2369 hits and 1084 RBI's. Rookie of the Year (1978), World Series champion (1984), three-time Gold Glove Award winner (1983-1985), five-time All-Star (1983-1987). Four-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1983-1985, 87). One of the best doubleplay combos, along with Alan Trammell. Holds Tigers record for most doubleplays (1527), second in Tigers history in walks (1197) and second in franchise history in assists (6653). In 1985 he was part of an infield where all four players hit at least 20 homeruns.
Shortstop: Bill Rogell- Rogell was the Tigers shortstop from 1930 until 1939. He led the AL in fielding percentage for shortstops (1935-1937) and World Series champion (1935). He hit .267 with 1375 hits and 609 RBI's. Holds the record for walks in consecutive plate appearances (7). He anchored the left side of the infield for the pennant winning 1934 and 1935 Tigers. In the 1934 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, with Cards ace Dizzy Dean acting as a pinch runner Rogell hit him square in the forehead with a throw to first attempting a doubleplay. After the incident Rogell said "If I knew Dean's head was there I would have thrown the ball harder".
Third Base: George Kell- Even though Kell is a Hall of Famer Cabrera got the nod for best third baseman but Kell is definitely number two. Kell hit .305 with 78 homeruns, 2054 hits and 870 RBI's. He won the AL batting title (1949) and was a ten-time All-Star (1947-1957).
Catcher: Bill Freehan- The starting catcher for the 1968 World Championship Detroit Tigers. Ht .262 with 200 homeruns, 758 RBI's and 1591 hits. Caught more games (1774) then any other Tiger catcher. Sixth all-time in MLB history in hit by pitch (114)
Left Fielder: Willy Horton- Left Fielder for the 1968 team, hit .273 for his career with 325 homeruns and 1163 RBI's and 1993 hits. Four-time All-Star (1965, 68, 70, 73).
Center Fielder: Jim Northrup- I'm putting Northrup in as a center fielder because I needed to have Sam Crawford in right and because Northrup played center during the 1968 fall classic
Right Fielder: Sam Crawford- Crawford was the second best hitter on the Tigers from 1905 until 1917. Hall of Famer, holds the MLB record for triples (309). Led the AL in homeruns (1908-7), runs (1907-102), doubles (1909-35), triples (1910, 1913-1915) and RBI's (1910, 14-15). Crawford had a love/hate relationship with Ty Cobb as Cobb became the biggest star in baseball Crawford resented the preferential treatment given Cobb and the two hardly spoke, even though the played next to each other in the outfield and Crawford followed him in the batting order.
Right Handed Pitcher (1): Denny McLain- The star pitcher of the 1968 season, McLain hold the team record for single season wins with 31. He was 131-91 with a 3.39 ERA and 1282 strikeouts. He's reputation suffers because of his off-field exploits and poor World Series performance but is still one of the best pitchers in team history.
Right Handed Pitcher (2): Jack Morris- The star pitcher of the 1984 World Series winning team. five-time All-Star (1981, 84, 85, 87), AL wins leader (1981), AL strikeouts leader (1983), AL shutout leader (1986), Led the Tigers in wins (1997-88, 90), had the most wins of the '80's (162). He is 254-186 with a 3.90 ERA and 2478 strikeouts.
Left Handed Pitcher (1): Earl Whitehill- I had to dip even further to find the two second team left handed pitchers. I managed to come up with Whitehill and Leonard. Whitehill pitched for the Tigers from 1923 until 1932. Averaged 14 wins a season 218-185 with a 4.36 ERA and 1350 strikeouts. Has the highest ERA of any pitcher with at least 200 wins.
Left Handed Pitcher (2): Dutch Leonard- Was a pitcher for the Tigers from 1919-1921 and 1924-1925. 139-113 with a 2.76 ERA and 1160 strikeouts. Leonard was suspended by the American League for signing with a team in the San Joaquin Valley League after a salary dispute with Tigers owner Frank Navin. After returning to the Tigers after his suspension he feuded with Tigers manager Ty Cobb over everything from curfew to how to pitch Tris Speaker and George Sisler. He might not have been the best pitcher the Tigers had but it seems he sure made life interesting.
Relief Pitcher (1): Todd Jones- Rolaids Relief Man of the Year (2000). The Tigers leader in games saved with 206 he had a 3.97 ERA and 868 strikeouts. Always made life interesting at the end of games as is the norm in recent years for Tigers closers. Threw the last pitch in Tigers Stadium
Relief Pitcher (2): Aurelio Lopez- Lopez along with Willie Hernandez were the shut 'em down relievers of the 1984 Tigers. He was 62-36 with a 3.56 ERA, 635 strikeouts and 93 saves. In 1984 he was 10-1 with 14 save and an ERA of 2.94. He was a combined 2-0 in the 1984 ALCS and World Series and did not give up a run in six innings of work.
Manager: Hughie Jennings- Hall of Fame (1945). Managed the Tigers from 1907 until 1920, led the Tigers to the pennant in 1907-1909, is second in win as a Tigers manager (1131). Jennings was a vary colorful character in the dugout. 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 "Ee-Yah" when Jennings would appear on the field. He once told Ty Cobb There isn’t anything about baseball I can teach you. Anything I might say to you would merely hinder you in your development. The only thing for you to do is go ahead and do as you please. Use your own judgment.. . . . . Do what you think is best and I’ll back you up.
That is the list, I'm sure everybody has their own opinions as well as additions and deletions, well, that is what sports is all about. Feel free to comment on anything I've posted or if you agree or disagree with this list. Look for a list of the all-time best Red Wings coming soon.
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