Days 121-130: Ty Cobb, Miguel Cabrera, and Norm Cash on record-setting paces!

A well-dressed crowd cheers on the Georgia Peach

Our four division leaders remain on top - 2013 in the Navin, 1961 in the Fetzer, 1950 in the Ilitch, and 1909 in the Briggs.  The 1908  is the hottest in the league, putting together a 9-1 record lately.  The 1911 and 1945 teams limped to 1-9 records.

This block was a real showcase for Ty Cobb.  1915 Ty Cobb has now broken the real-life record for steals in a season with 133, and still has 34 more games to play!    Rickey Henderson has the real-life record with 130 steals.   The 1911 Ty Cobb has upped his average to .421!!!!   Here is what a Strat Card for a real-life .420 hitter looks like....

Cobb coming home spikes a-blazing!

SECOND greatest of all time now, Rickey!

1961 Norm Cash is riding a league-record 28 game hitting streak and is the early leader for MVP (.383, 37 HRs, 114 RBIs).  1950 George Kell has a 25 game streak of his own going, the second-longest of the season.  2012 Miguel Cabrera has upped his league leading power totals to 47 home runs and 129 RBIs.  1924 Earl Whitehill is now tied with 1961 Jim Bunning with 22 wins.  1946 Hal Newhouser is the latest ERA champ in what has been a very interesting race all season, at 2.36. Newhouser also leads in strikeouts, with 237, although 1968 Denny McLain has climbed to second place in that category with 201 K's.

1961 Norm Cash is our Player of the Block!  Norm hit .488 with 5 homers and 19 RBIs, along with his league-record consecutive game hitting streak.   2013 Miguel Cabrera was a very close second, with a .409 average with 6 homers and 12 RBIs.  1984 relievers Willie Hernandez and Doug Bair each pitched 10 shutout innings.  Others didn't fare quite as well.  1945 Skeeter Webb is in a 1 for 34 slump (.029 average).  2014 Justin Verlander was blasted for 13 runs in just 7 innings (17.71 ERA), and picked up 2 losses.

I screwed up the game stories again so I won't be able to write up the daily highlights but you can click on the day to see that day's boxscores.   Here are some of the most notable things from this block of games...

8/1 2013 tied the league record with 24 hits in a game   (2011, 2014, and 1907 each have had 24)

8/1  2013 scored 20 runs against 1934

8/3 1915 Donie Bush tied the record for most runs in a game with 5.  1911 Ty Cobb and 1993 Cecil Fielder have each had 5 run games

8/6  1911 Ty Cobb stole 5 bases in a game, and 2014 Rajai Davis stole 4

8/7  1908 Ty Cobb drove home 7 runs

Rajai steals 4 bases, aided by his oven mitt/sliding glove

Day 121

Day 122

Day 123

Day 124

Day 125

Day 126

Day 127

Day 128

Day 129

Day 130

Days 111-120: Division races tighter than ever!

1935 is the hottest team at the moment, going 8-2 this set of games.  That has put Chuck's team just 1 game behind Tim Carr's 1950 team in the Ilitch.  Steve W.'s 2013 team continues to lead the league in wins, with Mike's 1946 team right behind them in both the Navin Division and the league overall.  My 1961 team is now tied with Steve T's, 1968 club in the Fetzer.  The race in the Briggs has tightened as Chuck's 1993 team is now tied with PJ's 1909 team.

Red hot 1B Hank Greenberg towers over his 1935 teammates

The Georgia Peach continues his stranglehold on batting average (1911 Ty Cobb is still hitting .406) and stolen bases (1915 Ty Cobb now has 124 steals!).  2012 Miguel Cabrera tops all sluggers with 42 home runs and 112 RBIs.  1924 Harry Heilmann (110) and 2013 Miguel Cabrera (101) joined the 100 RBI Club this set.  1961 Jim Bunning became our first 20 game winner! 1968 closer Darryl Patterson leads in saves with 33.

1946 Hank Greenberg is the clear Player of the Block, hitting .359 with 7 homers and 17 RBIs.  1908 Ed Summers picked up 3 wins with a 1.00 ERA, 1935 Schoolboy Rowe picked up 3 wins with a 2.00 ERA, and 2013 Joaquin Benoit garnered 3 saves.  As for who's not hot, 1944 Rufe Gentry tops that list.  He went 0-3 this week to put his season won-loss record at 2-20!  1924 Lil Stoner joined The Rufe with 3 losses this week.  2006 Placido Polanco is in a 3 for 31 (.097) slump.

Hank Greenberg method of swinging with

five bats at a time may have helped his stats

Placido's defense remains stellar but

no offense is to be seen

Day 111   1946 2b Eddie Mayo rapped out 5 hits.  1984 Lance Parrish also had a five hit night in a game that featured a Darrell Evans walk-off walk.  1940 Bobo Newsom tossed a complete game and Pinky Higgins went yard in a 9-2 win over hapless 1973 Jim Perry (5-17).  1908 Ed Summers blanked 2013 on just 4 hits.

Day 112   2011 Ryan Raburn was the unlikely hero, with a homer and 5 RBIs in a 9-5 win over 1950 Hal Newhouser.  1973 Dick McAuliffe homered and drove in 4, powered mostly be a three-run walkoff HR in the 10th.  2013 Miggy Cabrera had 4 hits and 4 RBIs in a 9-2 win that tagged 1908 George Mullin with his 20th loss of the season.

Day 113   Wow, 2011 Ryan Raburn homers again to help his team edge Dizzy Trout and the 1950 team.  1944 Dizzy Trout fared better, blanking the 2014 team on 7 hits.  1973 gets a walk-off single from bench player Ike Brown.  1968 came from behind to score three runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the 1934 team to a 3-2 defeat.   2012 Miggy hit homer #41.  1915 Ty Cobb stole 4 bases.

Day 114   2012 Justin Verlander shuts out 1908 on just 5 hits.  1993 wins a thriller against 1968, as Dan Gladden, Lou Whitaker, and Travis Fryman load up the bases in the bottom of the 9th and Rich Rowland singles home the winning run!  More dramatics as 2011 enters the bottom of the 9th down 4-0 to 1915, and roars to score 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th (three off of a HR from V-Mart!).  1944 Mike "Pinky" Higgins belts 2 HRs.

Day 115   1961 Jim Bunning continued his recent mastery, notching win #19 in a 9-2 affair vs. 1924.  1968 Mickey Lolich shuts out 1993.  1909 Ty Cobb had 4 hits and Ed Summers only allowed 1 run in a 5-1 victory over Milt Wilcox and the 1984 team.

Day 116   Gibby, Gibby, Gibby, Gibby!  1987 Kirk Gibson racks up 4 hits and 4 RBIs to help Dan Petry to his 8th win.  2006 Zach Minor and Fernando Rodney combined to blank the 1946 team.  Another day, another 4 hit, 4 HR performance from 2012 Miggy.  1968 Wille Horton blasted his 31st and 32nd homers of the year.  1935 Ray Hayworth singled home Charlie Gehringer to give the 1935 team a 4-3 win over 1950.  Game of the night is 1924 erupting for 7 runs in the top of the 9th to upend 1961 8-5!

Day 117   Great day for Hammerin'  Hank Greenberg!  His 1934 version stroked a walk-off single and his 1946 version went yard twice!  2014 Nick Castellanos hit safely three times.  1924 Johnny Bassler had 5 hits in a 16-9 mauling Ed Willett and the 1911 team.  1984 Willie Hernandez earned his 20th save.  1993 Tony Phillips gathered 4 walks.

Day 118   1950 scored three times in the 9th to top 1934.  1924 and 1911 went 13 innings before Davy Jones' walk-off single brought home Guy Tutwiler.  1915 Ty Cobb showed he has power to go with those wheels, he cracks his 12th homer of the year.  1984 Dan Petry teamed with Doug Bair to shut out 2013.

Day 119    Hoot Evers and Jerry Priddy homer to propel 1950 over 1934 14-5.  1987 Chet Lemon had three hits to help Frank Tanana top the 1946 team 7-2.  1907 Wahoo Sam Crawford rolled up 5 RBIs. 1961 Jim Bunning becomes our first 20 game winner.   1935 Eldon Auker shut out 1944 on 5 hits.  1940 Bobo Newson tosses a 3 hit shutout of the 1968 team.  The third shutout of the day came courtesy of 1915 Harry Coveleski, holding the 1909 team to just 6 hits and 0 runs.

Day 120    A quick game between 1935 and 1915 had just 7 combined hits, as 1935 Schoolboy Rowe topped 1915 Hooks Dauss 2-1.  1993 David Wells shut out 1924.  2006 Marcus Thames belted his 23rd homer to help defeat 1973 4-3.  1908 Ty Cobb had 4 hits, including the walk-off in the 11th inning to top 1946 Al Benton 7-6.

Days 101-110: 1909 Ed Willett throws a no-hitter! Navin Division foes the cream of the crop!

The teams with the best records in the whole league are currently in 1st and 2nd place of the Navin Division - 2013 and 1946.  1915 has now tied 1961 in the Fetzer, with 1968 and 1924 both lurking and still in contention.  1950 continues to roll in the Ilitch with a 9-1 record this block, and remain well ahead of 1935.  1909 is just ahead of 1993 and 2006 in the Briggs.

1909 Ed Willett delivered the first single-pitcher no-hitter of the season, turning the trick against the 1945 team.  He is one of four starting pitchers named Ed for that squad - Summers, Willet, Lafitte, and Killian!

Ed Willett showing

that no-hit form!

Speaking of 1909 Kickipoo Ed, Killian is our Player Of The Block! He threw back-to-back shutouts this week.  Some other notable hot players include 1993 catcher Chad Kreuter (.625, 3 HRs), 1961 Norm Cash (.500, 5 HRs), and 2012 Miguel Cabrera (.459, 6 HRs).

Edwin Henry Killian, nicknamed "Twilight Ed," was a Major League Baseball pitcher primarily of the Detroit Tigers. Twice a 20-game winner, Killian's career ERA of 2.38 is tied for 24th best in Major League Baseball history, ahead of pitchers Cy Young and Grover Cleveland Alexander

1915 Ty Cobb continues to make a mockery of the stolen base race, and now has 115 stolen bags.  the 1911 version of the Georgia Peach remains over the .400 mark, sitting at a very healthy .406 right now.  2012 Miguel Cabrera is still atop the home runs (40) and RBIs (104).  1924 Harry Heilmann is second in RBIs with 97, and is the only non-first-baseman in the top 5 in that category.  2011 Justin Verlander remains the league leader in ERA (2.02) and 1946 Hal Newhouse is still the K leader with 207.  1961 Jim Bunning is the first hurler to notch an 18th win.


Day 101  Mr. G-Money himself, 2012 Gerald Laird, had 3 hits and 3 RBIs in a 11-8 win over 1934.  1940 got 9th innng hits from Charlie Gehringer, Barney McCoskey, and Hank Greenberg to edge 1915 4-3.  1908 got 4 RBIs from Gernmany Schaefer and George Winter only allowed 1 run in an 8-1 victory over 2006.  2014 Max Scherzer shut out 1944 on 4 hits.  1968 Jim Northrup had a huge game against 1935 with 4 hits and 6 RBIs.  1945 Doc Cramer went yard twice and drove in 5.

Day 102   2012 Delmon Young had 4 hits, including a Grand Slam, and 7 RBIs.    1987 Pat Sheridan had 4 hits.  2014 Rajain Davis joined the 4 hit parade also, in a 10-1 win over 1944.  2013 Justin Verlander struck out 11 and Miguel Cabrera clubbed his 33rd home run.  1993 scored 17 runs against 1909 Ed Summers,  Alan Trammell and Mickey Tettleton both went deep. 2011 Victor Martinez had a walk-off single.  1907 Ed Killian blanked 1961.  1945 intentionally walked 1984 Kirk Gibson to load the bases in the bottom of the 9th, and Lance Parrish made them pay by drawing a walk to win the game 4-3!

Day 103   1934 Tommy Bridges won his 16th game in a 6-5 win over 1946.  1993 John Doherty and Joe Boever combined to blank the 2014 team.  1984 Juan Berenguer scattered 8 hits to shut out 1973.
Day 104  1993 won their 7th game in a row.  1968 Denny McLain got win #12 against 2006.  1924 scored 6 in the bottom of the 9th, but still fell one run short of Wild Bill Donovan and the 1907 team.  2013 Doug Fister won a pitcher's duel 2-1 vs 1950.  1915 3B Ossie Vitt had 4 hits and Hooks Dauss tossed a complete game.  1984 Jack Morris held 1973 to just 3 hits.

Day 105   1909 Ed Willett threw his no-hitter tonight against 1945.  1993 wins again, 8 in a row, as Alan Trammell homered and drove in 4 runs.  1973 Joe Coleman limited 1984 to just 1 run, and Willie Horton provided the offense with a homer and 2 RBIs.  1950 Art Houtteman shut out 2013 on 3 hits.  2012 Miguel Cabrera had 4 hits, including 3 HRs!  Miggy joins 2011 Jhonny Peralta as the only two batters so far to accumulate 3 HRs in a game this season.

Day 106   1915 Bernie Boland moved to 16-5 with a 4-2 win over 1993, breaking their winning streak.  1911 rolled up 5 runs in the botton of the 8th win upend 1944 7-6.  1968 John Hiller moved to 6-0 on the year, with help from Willie Horton's 30th home run.  1950 demolished 1973 17-4, Hoot Evers had 4 hits and 4 RBIs.  1987 Kirk Gibson had 5 hits to back Frank Tanana in a 14-6 victory.

Day 107  1968 John Hiller picked up another win, and is now 7-0.  1944 Pinky Higgins had two extra-base hits and Johnny Gorsica picked up the win against 1911.  1950 Jerry Priddy clubbed two HRs off of 1973 Woodie Fryman.  1909 Ed Killian blanked 1987 on just three hits.  1934 Hank Greenberg had a monster game, 4 hits and 5 RBIs.  2006 Kenny Rogers and Jason Grilli shut out 1984.  1908 Ty Cobb had 4 hits and 4 ribbies.

Day 108  1993 Chad Kreuter belts 2 HRs and drives in 6.  1968 Denny McLain struck out 12 and win his 13th game.  2013 Victor Martinez had 4 hits and 4 RBIs to defeat Hank Aguirre and the 1961 team.  1909 George Mullin shut out 1987 on 4 hits.  1946 Hal Newhouser shut out 2014 on just 4 hits.

Day 109  Just one game today, as 1915 edged 1993 4-2.  Chad Kreuter continued his hot streak with his 12th homer of the season.

Day 110   1915 3B George Moriarty had 3 hits and 3 RBIs to beat 1911 and give Bernie Boland his 17th win.  2013 Jose Iglesias homed and drove in the winning run in an 12 inning 8-7 win over 1908. 1984 Glenn Abbott got the win over 1987 Jack Morris .  2012 Miguel Cabrera hit homers #39 and #40.  2006 Justin Verlander and 1924 Rip Collins engaged in the best pitcher's duel of the season, each throwing goose eggs except in the 8th when 2006 scratched out a run from a bases-loaded walk to Carlos Guillen.  1-0 win for 2006.

Days 91-100: 2013 team sprints away in the Navin, Anibal Sanchez and Jim Johnson combine for a no-hitter!!!

The 2013 team went a league-best 8-2 and are now 2.5 games ahead in the Navin.  They lead ALL teams with a 61-33 record!  Miguel Cabrera batted .459 with 5 home runs during this hot stretch. 1961, 1935, and 1909 continue to lead the other divisions.

2013 Tiger All Stars pushing the team to the top of the Navin

We finally got a no-hitter, although it comes with an asterisk as it was a combined one.  2014 Anibal Sanchez and Jim Johnson turned the trick against the 1935 team.

Anibal helps threw the first no-hitter!

1915 Ty Cobb continued to demolish the stolen base pace and now has 107 steals!!!  1911 Ty Cobb moved up to .405.  2012 Miguel Cabrera leads in the power categories with 34 homers and 93 RBIs.  1909 Ed Summers, 1924 Earl Whitehil, and 1961 Jim Bunning led all hurlers with 16 wins.

2013 Miggy did have a great stretch, but we will award our Player(s) Of The Block award to two others:  2012 Miguel Cabrera and 1909 Wild Bill Donovan.  2012 Miggy hit 8 home runs in the 10 day stretch, a new league record.  Wild Bill pitched the 1909 team to 3 wins, allowing just 6 runs in 27 innings.  Several hitters had great blocks - 1968 Willie Horton hit .457 with 6 homers, 1946 Roy Cullenbine hit .467, and 2014 Victor Martinez hit .419 with 4 homers.

Wild Bill Donovan

Mild Miguel Cabrera

Day 91  1950 Dick Kryhoski had a grand slam off of 1987 Dan Petry in a 12-4 win for 1950.  1946 Hank Greenberg had a grand slam of  his own against1945 Stubby Overmire.  1961 Rocky Colavito collected 4 hits.  1984 beat 1911 in dramatic fashion, with Lou Whitaker bringing home Howard Johnson with a walk-off single in the 11th.  1915 Harry Coveleski blanked 1908 in a 7-0 game.  1909 beat 1907 in the game of the night by rolling up 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 10-9.  Hughie Jennings had 2 hits and 5 RBIs

Day 92   1987 Walt Terrell threw a three-hit shutout against the 1950 team.  2013 scored 6 runs in the 8th  to top 1993 9-4.  1940 Hank Greenberg cracked two home runs and drove in five runs.  1924 1B Lu Blue knocked in the winning run to give Earl Whitehill his 14th win of the year.  1968 Denny McLain finally seems to be warming up, he moved to 10-7 after holding 1944 to just 1 run.  

Day 93   2012 wins 3-2 in the 11th inning on a walk-off wild pitch from Dizzy Trout.  1961 Jim Bunning (now 15-3 for the season) was outstanding, shutting out 2006 on 6 hits and accumulating 10 K's  1935 General Crowder shuts out 1934 and Hank Greenberg gives him all the runs he needs with a homer and 3 RBIs

Day 94   1909 won their sixth in a row, Ed Summers earning his 15th win.  1950 Charlie "King Kong" Keller hit a grand slam.  1968 Bill Freehan had 2 HRs and Mickey Lolich threw a three-hitter at 1961.  2012 Max Scherzer shut out 1911 on three hits as well.  The story tonight, though, is the first no-hitter of the league!!! 2014  Anibal Sanchez and Jim Johnson combined to no-hit the 1935 team!!!  They rolled up 15 runs with HRs from Torii Hunter, Miggy, VMart, and Alex Avila.  

Day 95  1909 wins their seventh straight on a shutout from Ed Killian.  1984 Chet Lemon had 4 hits to back Juan Berenguer  in an 8-6 win against 1950.  A very underrated player and the original on-base percentage god, 1946 Roy Cullenbine, hit 2 homers and drove in 6 in a 18-3 romp over 1924.  1961 got a 1-hit shutout from Paul Foytack and Terry Fox!   Strat imitates real life again as 2013 Don Kelly gets another walk-off, this time a three-run homer off of 1987 Eric King!  The feel-good story of 1944 Rufe Gentry is a distant memory, as his two win streak ended a while ago and he is now 2-17 :-(

Day 96   1908 broke the streak of the 1909 team, nipping them 5-4, Wild Bill Donavan getting the win over George Mullin.  1915 Hooks Dauss blanked the 1934 club.  1968 Willie Horton went yard twice to help Denny McLain get his 11th win.  2006 Magglio Ordonez had 4 hits and 4 RBIs.  2013 Torii Hunter racked up 3 hits in a 9-6 win over 1987.   

Day 97  1908 German Schaefer had a grand slam to help 1908 edge 1950 7-6.  2013 Justin Verlander outdueled 1935 General Crowder 2-1 to give the 2013 team their 6 straight win.  1961 Jim Bunning continued his fine pitching, only allowing 1 run to 1987 and moving his won-loss record to 16-3.  1973 Joe Coleman and 1968 Earl Wilson dueled in a 1-0 win for the 1973 team.  They scored their only run with a Dick McAuliffe walk, Eddie Brinkman sac bunt, groundout to move McAuliffe to third, and an Earl Wilson wild pitch! 1969 John Hiller earned his 15th save

Day 98    1911 Jean Dubuc blanked 1907 on four hits, and Ty Cobb had a walk-off single for a 1-0 victory.  1909 Ed Summers moved to 16-5 with a win over 2014.  1015 Bernie Boland got his 15th win in a complete game victory against 1915.  1993 Travis Fryman had 2 HRs and 6 RBIs!

Day 99   2013 won their eighth in a row as Doug Fister outpitched 1935 Schoolboy Rowe.  1993 got 3 runs in the top of the 11th to upend 1944 9-6.  1968 Willie Horton, 1987 Kirk Gibson, and 2012 Miguel Cabrera each cracked two home runs.  2014 Eugenio Suarez had two triples, not too shabby!

Day 100   1973 got a three-run walkoff homer from big Frank Howard to down the 2013 team 7-5 and end their 8 game winning streak.  1993 Travis Fryman is still hot, clubbing two doubles in a win over 1909 George Mullin. 2014 Ian Kinsler had 4 hits in a 6-5 11 inning win over 1944.  The walk-off run was manufactured by the most unlikely of trios - Bryan Holaday singled, Don Kelly hit into a fielder's choice and then stole second, and Ezequiel Carrera doubled Kelly home!

Midseason Standings and Awards!

Days 81-90: At the All-Star Break!

Just past the midway point of the season now and the races reman tight.  No one is more than 2 games ahead of their division competition.  2013 and 1946 are just .5 game from each other in the Navin, as are the 2006 and 1909 teams in the Briggs.  1961 is 2 ahead of 1969 in the Fetzer.  1935 has a 1 game lead over 1950 in the Ilitch.

1915 Ty Cobb is on pace to obliterate the single season stolen base record (currently 130 by Rickey Henderson).  Manager Mike Walter has given the Georgia Peach the green light and the results are astounding.  Cobb already have more steals in this replay than he did in real-life (99 at our halfway point compared to 96 in all of 1915!).  1911 Ty Cobb is still hanging in the .400 club despite a mini-slump, he is leading the league with a .401 average.  2013 Miggy still leads in HRs (27) but is being pressed by 2012 Miggy (26).  1924 Harry Heilmann has overtaken Miggy in the RBI lead though, with 84 runs driven in.  1909 rotation mates George Mullin and Ed Summers lead the league in wins, with 14.  1961 Jim Bunning has tied those two with his recent 14th win.  2011 Justin Verlander is the new ERA leader at 2.22, and 1946 Hal Newhouser continues to lead in K's with 182.

1946 Dizzy Trout is our Player of the Block!  There were other top contenders, including 1950 Hoot Evers (.414. 5 HRs), 1961 Norm Cash (.438, 5 HRs), and 1946 Hank Greenberg (.318 , 6 HRs), but The Dizzy One had an outstanding stretch of 3-0, 3 CGs, 20 K's, and ZERO runs allowed!!!

Day 81 1924 defeated 2012 by a score of 20-12 in the biggest slugfest of the year (combined runs 32, combined hits 40!)  1924 OF Harry Heilmann had 5 hits and an eye-popping 9 RBIs. tying 1968 Jim Northrup for most in a game this season!!!  1946 Dizzy Trout outdueled 1944 Dizzy Trout in an 8-1 game.  2014 Torii Hunter clubbed two homers, a grand slam and a three-run shot!  1934 Jo-Jo White collected 4 hits as 1934 edged 1961 5-3.  1993 got home runs from Mickey Tettleton, Sweet Lou Whitaker, and The Not So Sweet Kirk Gibson.

Day 82  2014's Don Kelly gets the highly unusual walk-off  safe-on-base-due-to-an-error  in an 2-1 win over Ed Summers and the 1909 squad.  1973 Joe Coleman shut out 1907 on just five hits.  1915 Bernie Boland earned his 13th win against just 3 losses, beating 2013 7-2.  1934 found themselves down 1-0 in the bottom of the 9th against 1961, but churned out two runs from a Goose Goslin walk-off double off of Terry Fox.

Day 83  2012 dropped their ninth straight, falling just short to Tommy Bridges and the 1940 team 4-3.  1993 blasted hapless Jim Perry and the 1973 team 14-1.  1993 3B Scott Livingstone had a single, double, and home run.  1909 Ty Cobb slugged his 8th home run of the year, not bad for a Dead Baller.  1907 Rufe Gentry is on a winning streak, notching his 2nd win of the year with a complete game performance against 1944.  The Rufie is now 2-14 on the season.  1950 Hoot Evers had 2 HRs and 7 RBIs to back Art Houtteman in a 12-7 win against 1924.  2013 V-Mart hit a grand slam off of 2006 Zach Minor.  2014 Joba Chamberlain moved to 9-1 on a walk-off single from Nick Castellanos.
Day 84  The 2012 team gets off the schneid with a 5-4 win over 1940, Delmon Young brought home the game-winning run.  2006 Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez collected 4 hits and Jeremy Bonderman pitched 8 strong innings in a 4-2 win against 2-13.  1984 wins 5-3 over 1961, this one was decided by a Barbaro Garbey two-run single off of Don Mossi.  1907 Ty Cobb had 4 hits and sent 1944 to defeat 8-2.  Two very dramatic home team wins based on 4 run ninth innings tonight - 2011 used a Victor Martinez three-run home run to help topple 2014 10-7 and the 1950 team got a similar three-run shot from Johnny Lipon en route to winning 7-6 against Hooks Dauss and the 1924 team.

Day 85  Big day for first basemen!  1961 1B Norm Cash had 2 HRs and drove in all four runs in the 4-3 win.  1946 1B Hank Greenberg had two doubles and a home run.  2012 1B Prince Fielder had 3 hits, including his 14th homer.  In non-first-baseman-news, 1934 Tommy Bridges blanked 1908 on just 3 hits.  1946 Dizzy Trout limited 1911 to just 1 run and 3 hits in a 13-1 laugher.  

Jim Walewander and the Dead Milkmen!

Day 86  1935 get a 6-5 win over 1945, Rudy York racked up 4 base hits.  1934 Schoolboy Rowe topped Doug Fister and the 2012 team 7-2, and the 1934 team now has won 7 in a row!  1961 Norm Cash continued his reign of terror, hitting his 23rd and 24th home runs off of 1924 Lil Stoner.  Jimmy Outlaw knocked in the winning runs for both the 1944 and 1946 teams!  I NEVER thought I would get to include THIS guy in the highlight writeups - 1987 Jim Walewander (super fan of the punk group The Dead Milkmen) hit two homers to lift 1987 past 1973 6-5.  Those were Walewander's first dingers of the season.

Day 87  1924 Harry Heilmann hits a 11th inning walk-off homer.  1987 Chet Lemon had two homers, including a grand slam, in an 8-4 romp over 1973.  2013 Justin Verlander shut out 1940, scattering 9 hits.  2006 reliever Jason Grilli got the win when Carlos Guillen went yard to give 2006 the 4-3 win over Tommy Bridges and the 1946 team.

Day 88  1935 Tommy Bridges blanked 1945 on 9 hits.  1961 Don Mossi had a shutout of his own against 1924.  But wait, there's more!  1907 Ed Siever shut out 1950 as well!

Day 89  1946 Dizzy Trout didn't allow a hit until the 7th, and finished with a two-hit win against 2011.  1915 Jean Dubuc turned the exact same trick, but against 1944.  2014 was behind 6-2 going into the top of the 9th, but jumped all over 1934 reliever Chief Hogsett and rolled up five runs to take a 7-6 win.

Day 90  1909 Ed Summers blanked 1993 on 5 hits, and is now 14-5 on the year.  1973 Mickey Lolich one-upped Kickipoo Ed, whitewashing 1968 5-0 on just 4 hits.  2013 Austin Jackson had 4 hits to back Anibal Sanchez (now 8-3) over 2013.  2012 Prince Fielder clubbed two HRs in a 6-5 win over George Mullin and the 1907 squad.  1940 Hammerin' Hank Greenberg had 4 hits in an 12-11 win over 1924.  1987 Pat Sheridan of Eastern Michigan University (cue Jim Price: "EMU?  Nice area" ) had the game-winning hit in the 13th inning, 1987 defeats 1908 5-2.

Best Tiger hurlers of all time!

Some Tiger aces (clockwise) - Verlander, Lolich, Newhouser, Morris, and Bridges

I knew the names Hooks Dauss and George Mullin from endless hours reading baseball books and almanacs with my brothers but this league is giving me a real appreciation for them and other Tiger pitchers I didn't really know (Earl Whitehill, Tommy Bridges, etc.)

Not sure this is the best list ever, but this is an interesting take on the ten best long-term Tiger pitchers ever!  Click here to see Pro Basesball Detroit's blog on the ten best Tiger pitchers of all time!

Bonus:  apparently Mario Impemba was contributing to this blog (although I think he may be done with that gig nowadays!).  Anyway, click here to see Mario's essay on Ed Summers!

Days 71-80: Steve W.'s 2013 team, Tim's 1950 team eke their way to the top of their divisions!

While my 1961 team remains atop the Fetzer, and PJ's 1909 team continues to lead the Briggs, there has been a little shake-up in the other divisions.  Steve W.'s 2013 team has crept past Mike's 1946 club in the Navin.  Also, Tim's 1950 team is now 1/2 game ahead of Chuck's 1935 team in the Ilitch.  Some exciting pennant races to look forward to as we near the halfway point of the regular season!

1911 Ty Cobb is now the lone batsman over the .400 mark, sitting at .410 right now.  2013 Miguel Cabrera leads all in HRs with 26, and 2012 Miguel Cabrera leads all in RBI with 74. 1915 Ty Cobb is threatening to obliterate any and all stolen base records, now with 87 steals BEFORE the All-Star Break! 1909 George Mullin stands alone at the top with 14 wins, as does 1968 closer Darryl Patterson who has 23 saves.  1946 Hal Newhouser remains the ERA leader at 2.18.

That is one non-scary Tiger logo

This seemed to be the Block Of The Pitcher, as several hurlers had fantastic weeks. 1946 Hal Newhouser continued to domain with a 3-0 record, 0.67 ERA, 13 hits in 27 innings, and 23 K's.  He was the best of the best this set and is our Player of the Block!  Earl Whitehill also went 3-0, 1.67 ERA.  1909 George Mullin also logged three wins and zero losses.  As far as hitters, 1987 Darrell Evans (.464, 4 HRs) and 1911 Wahoo Sam Crawford (.472) were the hottest.  2012 Jhonny Peralta has a sickly total of 2 hits in his last 30 at bats.  1973 Jim Perry was battered this set, going 0-2 with an ERA of 9.33!

The trophy says it all for this block

Gaylord's brother got hammered this set

Day 71  1940 Mike "Pinky" Higgins (that's his real nickname, I didn't make that up!) collected five hits in a 7-6 win over 1993, breaking their winning streak.  1961 Bubba Morton had 3 hits in a close win against 1973, Frank Lary getting his 10th win and Jim Perry getting his 10th loss.  1924 Earl Whitehill outdueled 1915 Hooks Dauss. in a 2-1 game.

Day 72   1911 defeated 1935 in a 13-10 slugfest, Jim Delahanty had 2 doubles and 5 RBIs.  1968 Al Kaline had 3 hits and 4 RBis to send the 1915 team to defeat.  1946 Hal Newhouser, the early Cy Young leader, moved to 10-5 with a 2-1 victory over Rick Porcello and the 2011 team.  1993 gets some unexpected power from catcher Chad Kreuter (2 homers and 5 RBIs)!  2006 Chris Shelton and 1909 Sam Crawford also had four-hit days!  1934 had a miracle comeback, trailing 1984 10-9 in the top of the ninth when they banged out 6 runs to win! SS Billy Rogell had 5 RBIs.

Day 73  1968 Denny McLain throws a three-hit shutout of 1915, Al Kaline's home run off of Bernie Boland was the only run of the game.  1909 Ed Willet tossed a three-hitter of his own to beat 1940.  1973 Willie Horton clubbed two homers to lift Mickey Lolich over the 1944 team and sent their starter Rufe Gentry to an 0-14 record! 1950 3B George Kell drove in 5 in an 11-3 rout of 2012.  1934 pummeled 1984 Milt Wilcox to win 17-4, rolling up 20 hits in the process.  1934 RF Gee Walker has two HRs and 5 RBIs.

Day 74  1940 Rudy York powered a 9-5 victory over 1987 with a home run and 4 RBIs, with the 1940 club getting 6 of their runs in the top of the 9th.  2014 got all the runs they would need in the first inning with HRs from Miggy and Victor Martinez, and defeated 1911 5-1.   2013 Doug Fister outdueled 1984 Juan Berenguer in a 2-1 nail-biter.

Day 75  The 1907 team tied a league-record with 24 hits in a 16-3 demolishing of the 1950 team.  Only the 2011 and 2014 teams have put together that many hits in a single game so far this season.  1915 Ty Cobb continued his assault on the record books with FIVE steals in a game vs 1973.  1924 Earl Whitehill picked up his 12th win with a complete game against 1968.  1987 wins dramatically as Tom Brookens provides the walk-off single to down the 1940 team.  1934 put up 5 runs in the top of the 9th to edge 1946 9-8.  Big night for 2013 Austin Jackson, whose 4 hits and 3 RBIs propelled a 7-4 win over Jack Morris and the 1984 team.  1909 Donie Bush had 5 hits and 5 RBIs in a 14-4 walloping of 1908.  .

Day 76   2011 Brennan Boesch drove in Austin Jackson with a walk-off hit to top 1934.  Overachieving 2014 Joba Chamberlain moved to 8-1 for the year.  It took 13 innings, but 2006 outlasted 1945 5-3, rallying for two runs with the help of Brandon Inge, Neifi Perez, Brent Clevlen, and Matt Stairs.  1907 and 1993 had a wild battle with the lead changing six times, but Steve Tufte's squad got the win with a three-run rally in the top of the ninth!

Day 77  1973 Mickey Lolich throws a two-hitter to beat 2013 Justin Verlander.  1987 Frank Tanana goes all nine in a 8-5 win over 2014 David Price.  1911 wins when Ty Cobb brings home Guy Tutwiler in the bottom of the ninth, 7-6 over 1909.  Nice outing from 1934 Tommy Bridges, 9 IP, 1 run allowed, 8 K's, he goes to 11-6 with a win over 2011.  1924 stuns 1984 Willie Hernandez with two runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4.  1915 ace Bernie Boland is now 12-3 after beating 1961 3-2.

Day 78 Ed Summers picked up two wins today, one for 1908 and one for 1909.  1935 Hank Greenberg belted his 16th homer, a grand slam no less! 1984 Lou Whitaker's three hits helped Juan Berenguer get back on the winning track (12-3, 4.17 ERA).  1993 Mike Moore and Storm Davis combined to blank the 1907 team.

Hard luck 1944 Rufe Gentry

is finally a winner!

Day 79  1987 Chet Lemon homered and drove in 5 in a 7-3 win over Tommy Bridges and the 1935 team.  1984 Chet Lemon homered and drove in 3 to beat the 1953 team.  Way to go, Chester!  1961 Jim Bunning racked up his 13th win over the 1934 club.  1950 Pat Mullin hit two homers in a 4-2 win over 2006. 2013 Miguel Cabrera hit his 25th and 26th HRs of the year to back Doug Fister in a 6-1 win over 1915.  The biggest news of the day?  1944 starter Rufe Gentry gets his FIRST win of the season!  The Rufe was on fire, for him at least, limiting the 1946 team to 3 runs and 10 hits.  Luckily for him, Jimmy Outlaw's four RBIs helped put the 1944 team over the top and Rufe is now 1-14 for the year!  Do you believe in miracles?!

Day 80  1946 Hal Newhouser tossed the league's second one-hitter this year (1934 Eldon Auker has the other).  1984 Howard Johnson (HoJo!) cracked two homers to back Dan Petry in a 4-1 win over the 1993 team.  2011 got a walk-off walk from Delmon Young to beat 1940 6-5 in 13 innings.  1935 got four ribbies from Billy Rogell in a 13-8 win over 1987.  2006 Curtis Granderson had 4 hits and 4 RBIs in a 16-8 thrashing of 1950.  1915 Hooks Dauss tossed a three hitter of the 2013 team.  The 1945 team (World Champs in their day) stumbled to a 1-9 record this block, and this one may have hurt the most - 1968 rallies for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win 5-4.  Mickey Stanley had the heroic walk-off hit.

Days 61-70: New Division Leaders Emerge!

The race in the Navin Division has been between 1984 and 2013, but the 1946 team has come to life, going 7-3 and now tied for first with 2013.  The 1984 team fell back with a 3-7 record this set.

Big Hank Greenberg appreciates Hal Newhouser's help in getting to the top of the Navin!

My 1961 team roared to life with an 8-2 record and is sitting atop the Fetzer Division for the first time.

Cash, Kaline, Freehan - The 1961 team heats up and moves to 1st place

Tim's 1950 team hit a massive slump, going 1-9 and falling to second place in the Ilitch.   Chuck and his 1935 team take over the top.  1924 and 1915 remain in easy striking distance.

PJ's 1909 squad continues to lead the Briggs, but 2006 is only a game behind and those pesky 1993 Tigers (8-2 this stretch) are just two games back.

The slugging 1993 team is now riding an eight game win streak!

1911 Ty Cobb is now the only player over the .400 mark, sitting at .404.  Miguel Cabrera has tied himself for the home run lead with 21 (his 2012 and 2013 seasons).  2012 Miggy still has a good lead in RBIs with 71.  1961 Jim Bunning is now tied with 1909 Ed Summers with 12 wins, and 1961 closer Terry Fox overtook 2006 Todd Jones for the lead in saves.   The ERA race has been very close and very fluid, 1909 George Mullin currently leads the league with 2.39.  No one can touch 1915 Ty Cobb in stolen bases - he has 78, next up is 1909 Ty with just 38.  1946 Hal Newhouser extends his lead in the K's and how has whiffed 138 batters.

1961 1B Norm Cash is our Player of The Block.  Norm hit .457 with 6 homers and 13 RBis during the 1961 team's hot streak.  Honorable mention to 1993 Mickey Tettleton (.333, 6 HRs), 1987 Alan Trammell (.528), and 1915 Bernie Boland (3-0, 1.00 ERA, 19 K's).  As for the not-so-hot players, 2014 Miguel Cabrera hit the skids, going just 2 for 31 (.065).  1909 Ed Killian suffered two losses.  1924 SP Lil Stoner picked up three losses.  Light-hitting 1973 SS "Steady" Eddie Brinkman was just 4-30 (.133).

Tyrus Raymond Cobb looking pretty sure he will win the SB title

Stormin' Norman the hottest batter this block

What?  This guy is one of the worst

hitters in the league?  But he looks so 

intimidating!

Day 61  2006 Zach Minor throws seven shutout innings against 1944 sending extreme hard-luck starter Rufe Gentry to 0-13 for the year! 1909 1B Claude Rossman gets 4 hits in a slugfest with the 2013 team.  1934 Jo-Jo White had 4 hits.  1945 Hal Newhouser shuts out 1950.  1973 has an amazing comeback scoring 6 runs in the last three innings to top 1911.  Jim Northrup's walk-off homer ended that one.  Bless you 1984 Marty Castillo!  The rare catcher/third baseman combo player hits a walk-off homer, defeating 2011 2-1.

Day 62  Recently retired 2013 Doug Fister outdueled 1934 Schoolboy Rowe 2-1 in a classic battle of really tall pitchers.  1909 George Mullin tossed a complete game, notable because the deadball era ace went all 11 innings in a win against 1987.  1993 gets 8 strong innings from Jeremy Bonderman and a walk-off homer from Marcus Thames to top the 2006 team 2-1 in 10 innings.  1940 fireballer Tommy Bridges struck out 13 in his 7-1 against 1908.  1994 wins 9-7 against 1924, scoring ALL nine runs in the top of the 8th!

Day 63  1961 trounced 1973 6-1, 2B Jake Wood's four hits leading the offense.  In the game of the day, 1907 and 1935 were tied 3-3 after 8 innings, but the 9th would be dramatic.  1907 scored three in the top of the 9th, but somehow the 1935 club came back with 4 in the bottom of the ninth for the win!  1935 hurler Chief Hogsett (his real name, that is not a Simpsons character name) moves to 6-1 with the win.

Day 64  1961 Jim Bunning tossed a two-hit shutout and the red-hot club won their 6th in a row.  1911 looked like a deadball team for 8 of the 9 innings of their battle with 1944, putting up all goose eggs but they somehow rolled up a nine-spot in the 6th to win 9-2.  1993 opened up a can on 1984, mauling Dan Petry wand winning 17-7.  2014 V-Mart goes yard twice as Justin Verlander shuts out the 1973 team 8-0.  1924 gets 22 hits (three from Ty Cobb) as they demolish 1935 14-8.  Another romp as 1987 whomps 1968 13-1.  Alan Trammell had three hits and five RBIs.  

Day 65  Break up 1961!  Big-eared starter Don Mossi goes the distance in an 8-2 win over 1950, the 7th in a row for 1961!  1944 gets three runs in the bottom of the ninth to nip 1911 5-4, Rudy York's walk-off double ended that contest.  1915 Bernie Boland making a name for himself, going to 10-2 for the year after making easy work of the 2006 team.  1934 Tommy Bridges blanked 1909, scattering nine hits.  2014 1935 Marv Owen rolls up 4 hits and 4 RBIs in a 17-4 demolishing of the 1924 club.  2013 Miguel Cabrera gets four hits of his own, part of the 20 collected by the 2013 team in their win over 1946.  30 game winner in real-life, 1968 Denny McLain is looking pretty average so far.  He dropped to 7-7 after 1987 Walt Terrell shut out the '68 World Champ team.  1940 edges 2011 3-2, with Bobo Newsom getting his 4th win of the season.

Day 66 1993 dealt 1984 SP Juan Berenguer just his second loss of the season, with Chad Kreuter hitting his 5th homer.  1973 Joe Coleman struck out 10 from the 2014 team in a tight 4-3 win, and John Hiller collected his 12 save.  1961 wins #8 in a row, Al Kaline provided 4 hits.  1987 gets a grand slam from Kirk Gibson (of course, the clutch hitter provided the winning runs with that clout) to win 9-6 over 1968.  1968 SP Pat Dobson played the role of Dennis Eckersley in that drama :-)

Day 67  1961 wins their ninth in a row to set a new league-record.  1908 gets four hits from Claude Rossman in an easy 9-3 win over David Price and the 2014 team.  Huge night for 1907 Wahoo Sam Crawford, whose 4 hits and 6 RBIs powered the '07 team to a 17-4 win over Art Houtteman and the 1950 club. 1993 Kirk Gibson's 5 RBIs lead a 14-3 pasting of the 1934 team.  1935 Charlie Gehringer hit two homers.  Future Tiger TV broadcast team member 2006 Craig Monroe gets a walk-off single! Future Tiger TV broadcast member 1946 George Kell has three hits in a win over 1944.

Day 68  It's a ten game win streak for 1961! They roll over 1968 15-5, as Norm Cash belts 2 HRs and gets 6 RBIs.  2006 Kenny Rogers moved to 8-2 after defeating 1911 Ed Lafitte in a 3-1 game.  2013 Miguel Cabrera has 4 hits in a 3-2 win.  1945 gets a five-hit shutout from Stubby Overmire.

Day 69 1915 The 1968 team finally stopped the 1961 team's winning streak, 4-3.  1915 Bernie Boland threw a two-hitter and is now 11-2 for the year.  1993 Mickey Tettleton gets his 8th homer.  1944 Doc Cramer's three hits and Rudy York's walk-off double off of Boom-Boom Beck led to the win over 1946.  1973 ekes past 1945 by a score of 5-4 as utility player extraordinaire Tony Taylor gets a walk-off single in the 11th inning.

Day 70  The 1993 team was in the shadow of the 1961 team's 10 game winning streak, but now have collected their 8th win in a row.  OF Dan Gladden hit two HRs.  1934 Schoolboy Rowe shut out the 2011 team on three hits in a nail-biter 1-0 game vs Max Scherzer.  1946 OF Roy Cullenbine hit a grand slam off of Willie Hernandez in a 10-7 win over 1984.  1946 Stubby Overmire remains unbeaten, at 4-0.  The 2012 team explodes for 20 runs! Andy Dirks the surprising hitting star, going 3-6 with 5 RBIs.