2025 MLB All-Star Game: Construction of Best Tigers Lineup

Cue Seven Nation Army. Now that we’re properly acquainted, time to talk about the Motor City Kitties.

Detroit’s been on a tear lately. But it’s still too early to tell if these Tigers can live up to those previous Corktown squads.

Manager: Sparky Anderson

The Tigers’ all-time winningest manager, with 1,331 victories, Anderson also has the edge over Jim Leyland in World Series titles: the 1984 championship was the Tigers’ first since 1968, and was the result of one of the most dominant seasons in MLB history. Anderson was a star manager elsewhere, too: that ‘84 championship was his third, with the other two coming with the Big Red Machine Reds, making him the first-ever skipper with championships in both leagues. Anderson is one of just 12 managers with at least 2,000 career wins, and his 2,194 victories rank sixth all-time.

Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander

Justin Verlander is a throwback. It’s not that pitchers are made of lesser stuff in the modern era than their old-school counterparts, so much as that, back in the day before reconstructive surgeries were both available and reliable, pitchers were ground down to a fine pulp whether their arms could handle it or not. Verlander, in another time, would look a lot like the Verlander of today: loads of innings and an ability to maintain velocity deep into outings while saving something for the end. The 6-foot-5, 240-pound right-hander is an all-time great by every definition, and Detroit’s finest starter.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Reliever/closer: Todd Jones

The Tigers’ all-time leader in saves, and it isn’t close: Jones’ 235 are 71 ahead of Mike Henneman, who himself has a comfortable lead over third place. While his career began in Houston in the NL, Jones was dealt to the Tigers along with three others in the trade that sent Jose Lima, Brad Ausmus and more to the Astros. He’d lead the AL in saves with 42 in 2000, and though he’d be traded the next summer, Jones rejoined Detroit as a free agent multiple times before calling it a career.

(Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images)

Catcher: Bill Freehan

Bill Freehan spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the Tigers, and it was an excellent one. The backstop for the World Series-winning 1968 squad, Freehan finished second in the AL MVP race that year, thanks to hitting .263/.366/.454 with 65 walks and an AL-leading 24 hit by pitches — in ‘67, he finished third. Freehan had the occasional down year at the plate, but when he was at his best, there were few better: 11 All-Star selections in 15 years, five Gold Gloves and 200 career homers from a primary catcher is tough to beat.

1B: Hank Greenberg

“What would [player’s] Does look like a career if not for World War II? “Is there a game that you can play all day, but the question with Hank Greenberg is one loud. In 1940, he hit 41 homeers. In 1941, his season did not end 19 games between 1945 in 1945. Did Get deep 58 times in 38. All estimates, but what is that Did The entire coperster on the field was eligible.

(Through Getty Image Sporting News through Getty Image)

2B: Lu Whitekar

The Lu Whitekar Hall of Fame is falling from the ballot, a well -recorded trustee, but it should be said again if only to indicate how excellent it was. Whitekar excelled on second basis decadeDespite the situation regularly operated by players can’t Do this because they were there not enough to play shortstop. Whitekar, however, was as good at the plate in 1995 as he was in 1985, and he was a reinforcement of the year in 1978. A gold glove-winner with a 19-year career, Silver Slogger-A Amazing Ballpere.

(Photo by focus on Sport/Getty Image)

3B: George Cail

George Kail played for five different teams in his 15-year career, but none of the tigers for a long time, and never at the same time. Out of his 10 all-star mines, six came in the weather with dates. This is the place where the 1949 batting title won, with an MLB-Leading .343 average, and also that he hit .325/.391/.433 during seven sessions. Kail joined the broadcast booths, nearly three decades after the end of his career, in 1983, by the experienced committee and in the middle-and another decade-plus.

(Photo through Sporting News through Getty Image through Getty Image)

SS: Alan Tramel

Like his long-time double-player, Lu Whitekar, Alan Tumel did not make it in Coopstem. At least, not before. Finally he was included in 2018 by the modern baseball era committee, but, again like Whitekar, it should never go to that point. He was part of the 1984 major championship team – as well as the World Series MVP for batting with two domestic runs. While his bat slowed down in the 90s, since 1980–1990, he hit .291/.359/.433 with several gold gloves and silver slogers.

(Photo by focus on Sport/Getty Image)

Of: Ty Cobb

TY COBB was one of the original all-time hit kings. For the first time 4,000 hits-even three are just three-and MLB’s all-time hit leader until Pete Rose passed them, Kob K.366 Livelihood The batting average still stands. In 22 years with Detroit, he won a record 11 batting title – if not for the Trice Speaker. 386 in his .370 in 1916, Cob would have won 12 in a row – And batted more than .400 twice. He had not an empty batting average, either: Cobb once in the deadball era. More than 600 and for his entire career. 512.

Ka: Harry Heilman

Al History has a nine players with a .400 average: Harry Heilman’s 1923 was one of them. He hit .403/.481/.632 for tigers in his best year, but also won three other batting titles: 1921 with .394 average and MLB-Leding 237 hits, in 1925. In 1925, and a .398 batting average tied up in 1927. Generally it would be sufficient for the first in the history of a franchise, but, the tigers also had a tie cob.

(Photo by Mark Rooker/Transdental Graphics, Getty Image)

Of: Al Kalin

Al Kalin Homeers (399) is a franchise leader, as well as in sports played in the first games (2,834). He is second in hits, leading to the organization’s second 3,000–it player after Ty Cob, and led to walking with 1,277. With 93, he is in second place behind the cob above the win above, which should not surprise how long he continues to mash. Kalin’s career began in 1953, but in 1972, in 37, he still produced .313/.374/.475 season. Cobb can own more aggressive categories, but Kalin won 10 gold gloves, making him the most full player of the tigers.

DH: Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera made her debut with the then Florida Marlins, and won a world chain in her impressive fraudulent season as a 20-year-old child. He created his real mark in Detroit, however, sent Cabarera and Dontrayl Willis North to a blockbuster trade by Marlins. Cabarera will spend the last 16 years of his career with Tigers, where he will win four batting titles, two MVP awards, seven all-star teams, crossing 500 career houses, and winning the first triple crown since 1967. He is not yet in Cotterstown, but only retired after 2023.