The Almanac for the 1930s shows a team finally breaking through in a city struggling to survive...

Briggs Stadium
... a crippling depression. The 1930s Almanac shows a team which struggles early in the decade, much like Detroit, but lifts the spirits of the Motor City with a couple of great teams and a lotta great stars. The "G Men" of Gehringer... Greenberg... Goslin, even Gee Walker grab hold of this town like nothing else ever has and really bond the city to the Tigers and the Tigers to the city!

Year Finish W L Pct GB Manager Attendance
1930 Fifth 75 79 487 27 Bucky Harris 649,450
1931 Seventh 61 93 396 47 Bucky Harris 434,056
1932 Fifth 76 75 503 29½ Bucky Harris 397,157
1933 Fifth 75 79 487 25 Harris,Baker 320,972
1934 First 101 53 656 -7 Mickey Cochrane 919,161
1935 First 93 58 616 -3 Mickey Cochrane 1,034,929
1936 Second 83 71 539 19½ Cochrane,Baker 875,948
1937 Second 89 65 578 13 Cochrane,Baker,Perkins 1,072,276
1938 Fourth 84 70 545 16 Cochrane,Baker 799,557
1939 Fifth 81 73 526 26½ Del Baker 836,279
1930s 818 716 533 193½ 7,339,785
Avg 82 72 533 19 733,979

One of the most exciting of all decades, the almanac presents the THRILLING THIRTIES!
1930(75-79)Earl Whitehill leads the staff in wins with 17... had a 9 game winning streak
Dale Alexander puts another good year up with 135 RBIs and a .326 average
Billy Rogell comes over from Washington... doesn't play or hit much this year, but he'll develop into a fine switch hitter and a great fielding shortstop, forming a great DP combo with Gehringer all during the '30s.
The Almanac says:
In an era of big time hitting, these Tigers don't do enough of it, finishing 5th in the league with the stick... strange for Detroit, but the pitching actually performs better than the bats. The outfield of Liz Funk, John "Rocky" Stone, and Roy Johnson won't make anyone forget the great flyhawks of just a few years ago... Johnson made 31 outfield errors in '29 (a record that still stands) and 16 this year. This is a true .500 club which finishes waaay back of a legendary Athletics team... but the blueprint is being laid for success... Rogell is here, Tommy Bridges breaks in and 19 year old Hank Greenberg appears in one game.
1931(61-93)Gee Walker from Mississippi will become a major part of the big run of the '30s... Gee is probably the most popular of all the Tigers and will be traded amidst howls of outrage in 1938. A very good hitter and fielder he's guilty of a mental lapse from time to time... he once tried to steal 2nd when the batter was being given an intentional walk!
Dale Alexander's last full year as a Tiger... he's traded to Boston in early '32 and wins a batting championship, but twists his knee the following year, is given a newfangled diathermy treatment which burns him... almost loses the leg to gangrene... he's never in the big leagues again.
Marv Owen, who will be the spiked 3rd sacker during the famous vegetable shower of the 1934 World Series, makes his debut
The Almanac says:
Some more key new faces showing up, but this is just not a very good team... a few years away... not enough pitching and a weak offense for those times.
1932(76-75)Pitcher Tommy Bridges wins 14 games but has a perfect game broken up with 2 out in the 9th... Senators manager Walter Johnson sends up a pinch hitter for the pitcher- Dave Harris- who promptly singles, ruining the perfecto
Earl Whitehill's last year in Motown... he and the Sun Maid Raisin Girl are traded to Washington and he wins 22 games- and a pennant- for them in 1933... OUCH!
Charlie Gehringer actually slips below .300-- but only to .298... good power with 19 taters and over 100 ribeyes. On the way to the Hall of Fame!
The Almanac says:
A much improved team which is in 2nd place into July, single digits behind one of those legendary New York teams... things unravel a bit in the second half, but a good improvement for a young squad to finish over .500. The depression is brutal all over... in Detroit attendance for a full season falls to a 25-year low.
1933(75-79)22 year old Hank Greenberg plays his first full season in Detroit and is an immediate smash... hits .301 with 12 homers... he'll go on to a Hall of Fame career in spite of missing almost 5 seasons due to military service
Charlie Gehringer rebounds with a .325 average
Firpo Marberry comes over from Washington in the Earl Whitehill deal to pace the team with 16 wins
The Almanac says:
With most of the pieces in place, this was kind of a disappointing season... Marv Owen at 3rd, Jo Jo White and Pete Fox in the outfield, Schoolboy Rowe and Elden Auker on the mound, but manager Bucky Harris, who many consider to be too easy going resigns in the last week of the season. A lot will depend on his replacement... Babe Ruth was considered the early front-runner.
1934(101-53)

Tigers
Mickey Cochrane
Chicago Daily News negatives collection, SDN-065412
Courtesy Chicago Historical Society
Catcher Mickey Cochrane takes on the dual role of player manager after he's purchased from cash-poor Connie Mack and he's the missing piece so badly needed... the 31 year old hits .320, but more importantly, gives the team the fiery leadership it needs to get over the top. For his efforts, he's named the Most Valuable Player
Goose Goslin comes over from Washington to solidify the outfield and to drive in 100 runs... Goose once hit into 4 double plays in one game!
Tommy Bridges and Schoolboy Roe both win over twenty... Bridges has two more one hitters and Roe won 16 games in a row!
The Almanac says:
A 14 game winning streak in early August really propelled this well-balanced team to its first pennant since 1909, but still not a World's Championship. We will have an in depth report on the '34 AL CHAMPS SOON-- and here's a world series summary!

1935(93-58)

Hank Greenberg
Courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, New York

Hank Greenberg is voted Most Valuable Player... and little wonder... he drives in 170 runs! He'll be paid a princely $20,000 next year for these feats...

Submariner Elden Auker wins 18... he's a good hitter- once hit 2 dingers in 1 game. Elden appeared at the last game at Tiger Stadium in 1999 and gave a moving speech to the crowd... I should know- I was there! (Elden passed away in August of 2006- still a big Tiger fan!)

Player-Manager Mickey Cochrane hits a robust .319... Yankee legend Mickey Mantle's father is such a big fan of Black Mike that he names his son after him!

The Almanac says:
This is another extremely well-balanced team with great pitching, great hitting, and great fans- attendance goes over a million- more than triple what they drew 2 years ago! Another strong second half wins the second pennant in a row... do they win the Series? Check out our detailed report of the '35 season- Well check it out when I'm done with it!... but here's a quick look at the World Series!

1936(83-71)

Goose Goslin
Courtesy National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, New York
Goose Goslin leads the team in homers with 24 and in RBIs... in the '35 series, Goose keeps a rabbit in the clubhouse, figuring if a rabbit's foot is good luck, an entire rabbit would be much better! It must have worked... the Goose drove in the series winning run!
Gee Walker hits for his highest average ever- .353. Gee could steal a base, but he was known for getting picked off... twice in one inning in 1935!
Long time ownerFrank Navin dies after the '35 season... Spike Briggs takes over
The Almanac says:
After acquiring future Hall of Famer Al Simmons from Philadelphia, Tiger fans think they are ready for another 3 pennant run... but things don't usually work out that way. Just 12 games into the season Hank Greenberg breaks his wrist, ending his season and while Simmons puts up good numbers, he can't replace Hank. Age and injury... and an impending mental breakdown also relegate Mickey Cochrane to part-time status. While Bridges and Rowe both pitch very well again, several other guys don't compare to the prior years and the staff is only 5th best in the League. They never contend as the Yankees, led by rookie Joe DiMaggio run away with their first of 4 straight pennants.

1937(89-65)

Charlie Gehringer hits .371 to win the batting championship and is named the league's Most Valuable Player!

Hank Greenberg hits 40 home runs, .337 average... and an astounding 183 RBIS

Rudy York has one of the greatest rookie seasons in history... he hits 35 home runs, and breaks Babe Ruth's one month record of 18 in August... and also sets the one month RBI record of 49.

The Almanac says:
This was one eventful year for a team finishing 13 games behind... Cochrane takes one to the dome in May and is finished as an active player, but returns in a month to resume managing... and Rudy York takes over behind the plate... The G Men both have great seasons as the team scores a ton of runs, but can't overcome poor pitching- a familiar story in Detroit. Schoolboy Rowe is suspended for the first two months for "poor conditioning" and develops arm trouble... he'll never be quite the same.

1938(84-70)

Hank Greenberg has a truly massive year, hitting 58 home runs... but does not win the MVP

The popular Gee Walker is traded to the White Sox in the off season... this causes a huge uproar among Tiger fans

Tommy Bridges paces a mediocre pitching staff with only 13 wins

The Almanac says:
Poor pitching and a diminished hitting attack cost Mickey Cochrane his job in August as the Tigers replace him with Del Baker... they finish very strong playing the best ball in the league, but it still isn't nearly enough, still finishing 16 miles- er, games- behind the Yankees. Briggs Stadium is expanded... now totally enclosed and it's the 2nd biggest park in the league!

1939(81-73)

Rookie outfielder Barney McCosky fills the leadoff spot perfectly... he hits .311 and scores 120 runs... Barney grew up in Detroit, idolizing Gehringer and copying his stance- all the way to big league stardom!

Bobo Newsom wins 17 of his 20 this year with Detroit... he's probably the most traded player ever- over 20 times, and five stints in Washington. Bobo was quite a character- we'll have much more about him in our players page!

...and Tommy Bridges bounces back to win 17 games... Tommy was said to have one of the best curveballs in history... the deuce, the yellow hammer, Uncle Charley

The Almanac says:
Manager Del Baker's squad never does much... starts off slowly and slowly plays a little better as the season went on... Greenberg, again, leads in homers.

Continue on to the FUN 40s!

Go back to the TREMENDOUS 20s!

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