1968 Year of The Detroit Tigers
Pennant-Winning Lineup Led by Horton, Brown, Wert, Pitcher McLain
The 1968 Detroit Tigers began winning their first pennant in 23 years in the second game of the season in a ninth-inning comeback that was to become a seasonal trademark for the club led by the never-say-die bats of Willie Horton, pinch hitter Gates Brown, Don Wert, and the pitching prowess of Denny McLain. The Mayo Smith-managed club won its next nine games, and by May 10, they owned fort place.
The Tigers pulled an astounding 40 games into the win colunm after trailing into the 7th inning. Thirty of those games featured a ninth-inning victory.
1968 Tiger Facts and Stats:
** 2nd game of season -- Gates Brown slugged a pinch-hit home run in the 9th; Tigers won, 4-3, over Boston.
** Tigers spurted from the second game to win the next nine games.
** Brown batted .370 on the year as a pinch-hitter; best average that year from a league regular was Carl Yastrzyemski's .301.
** Wilie Horton led the Tiger bats with a .285 average.
** Jim Norhtrup hit an amazing four grand slams on the year, all game-winners.
** In July, Tom Matchick, a .203-hitting utility player, clubbed a three-run homer in the 9th to beat Baltimore, 5-4: it was Matchick's first ever major leage homer.
** Regular catcher Bill Freehan powered an 11th inning homer over the "Green Monster", Fenway Park's high left field wall, for a win on Aug.17; Jim "Big Guy" Price, the backup catcher, slammed a 10th-inning round tripper four days later to cut down Chicago, 3-2.
** By July 27, McLain had gained his 20th win, allowing just three Baltimore hits, while the returned Kaline, Horton, Don Wert, and Dick McAuliffe all homered.
It continued that way throughout the year, with McLain hurling win after win on his way to the Cy Young award, sometimes commanding the entire atmosphere, other times benefitting from the Tigers' relentless comeback capability, and other times lending a large hand with his own glove, or bat.
The 1968 Starters
The Tiger infielders were Don Wert, third base; Ray Oyler, shortstop; Dick McAuliffe, second base; Norm Cash, first base. Veteran Dick Tracewski was the first class replacement in the infield. Roaming the outfield were Willie Horton, left field; Mickey Stanley, center field; and Jim Northrup and Al Kaline, right field.
Pat Dobson, Joe Sparma, and Mickey Lolich, who became the biggest World Series star that fall, backed up McLain in the starting pitcher rotation. Bill Freehan handled things behind the plate.
(Note: References for BAH articles on the 1968 Detroit Tigers -- The Tigers and Their Den, by John McCollister; forward by Al Kaline -- The Baseball Encylclopedia, 2005 Edition -- The World Series, A 75th Anniversary, Edited by Joseph L. Reichler)
