Here They
Are in All Their Glory!
The
Uniforms of the Detroit Tigers
Bask in the Tradition. Bask
in the Memories.
Titled “The Roar Of
Motown” and Licensed by Major League Baseball,
the Artwork is available in two framed
presentations:
An eye-catching framed-and-matted print
measuring 12” x 21” that sells for only $52 each—which is an exceptional
value for a fully assembled Artpiece of this size. And a dramatic 19” x 39” triple-matted high-quality print (a
Letter of Authenticity is included) that is limited to an edition size of only
299 and sells for the discounted cost of $399.
Please note your Artwork will arrive at your
door in 7 to 10 days when you place your order. And needless to say, there is a 30-day full moneyback
guarantee. In addition, The
Greatest-Scapes pays all shipping costs and any required sales tax!
The Greatest-Scapes also offers the option of
an interest-free Extended Payment Plan for credit card orders. For the $52 framed print, you can pay $26.00
upfront and the balance of $26.00 thirty days later. While the $399 framed Limited Edition can be purchased with an
initial $133, and payments of $133 billed thirty and sixty days later.
To phone in your credit
card order, please call us at 1-800-786-3022 anytime between 10am and 6pm
(Eastern) Monday through Friday. You
can also mail in your order, payable to The Greatest-Scapes, to: The Greatest-Scapes/P.O. Box
5548/Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Please
include your shipping address and specify which Artwork(s) you’re ordering and
how many. And please don’t hesitate to
call us toll-free if you ever have any questions or would like any additional
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And this Artwork evokes an unmistakably
Classic quality. Indeed, it will look
at home next to a diploma or a work of fine art. Whether you hang it on a wall or lean it on a shelf or mantle,
the Artwork will make a striking impression.
Please keep in mind, though, the visuals
depicted here on the website simply can not do justice to the detail and
quality of the actual Artwork.
Please note the uniform images shown are
produced from hand-painted watercolor paintings. The publisher chose this route, rather than photographs, because
in many cases original jerseys no longer exist, even at the various halls of fame. In addition, a more consistent look and feel
for the uniforms is achieved by painting them, and allows for a higher level of
detail than a photograph in some cases.
Here, then, is a detailed description of the
12” x 21” Artpiece that sells for only $52 each. It consists of a 5” x 15” paper print that is housed in a black
frame with a textured black mat. The
black mat has a white groove cut into it, thus adding depth and beauty to the
piece. Weighing approximately five
pounds, the Artwork is covered by crystal-clear glass and includes a
“hanger” on the back to allow for easy hanging. The black frame—and especially the textured black mat with
white groove—makes this a truly stunning Artpiece.
The above is an example of
the 12” x 21” Artpiece, which depicts the Washington Redskins.
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As for the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artwork,
please note each Artwork is printed on 115-lb Garda Gloss stock and then
mounted to avoid any rippling effects.
As for its matting and framing, the Limited Edition is triple-matted in
an acid-free framing style. The outer
mat is a rich, black textured mat with white core. The middle and inner mat colors have been selected to complement
the team’s colors and the overall framed piece. The matting is framed to create a shadow box effect, giving the
entire framed piece a unique three-dimensional look. The frame is an exquisite solid wood frame finished with a rich
black matte texture, chosen to complement all three mats and the print
itself. Finally, the Artpiece is
protected by high-quality framing glass; the total weight of the Artpiece being
approximately 10 pounds.
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The above is
an example of the 19” x 39” Limited Edition Artpiece,
which depicts
the New York Yankees.
Here then is the history of the Tigers’ Uniforms …
#1.
1907 The
Detroit Tigers, in existence since at least 1894, joined the new American
League when it was formed in 1901. The AL was initially an 8 team league, and
the Tigers are one of four franchises still in existence in the same city as in
1901 – the other teams are the Red Sox, the White Sox and the Indians. The name
“Tigers” originally came from the yellow and black stockings they wore in the
1890’s.
The collar on this 1907 jersey is the
standard type of collar found on baseball uniforms at this time – it is a
pointed collar that could be worn folded down or could be stood upright. When
it was folded down, it was a blue collar. When standing upright, it was a white
collar.
Note that the jersey has four buttons down
the front, and is known as a “pullover” style jersey that had to be pulled over
the head – once again, this was common in jerseys throughout baseball at this
time. We believe the first major league team to wear a completely buttoned
front jersey (ie one that didn’t have to be pulled over the head) was the 1909
Phillies, followed by the 1911 Cubs. The pullover style jersey finally
disappeared after the 1939 season (the A’s were the last team to wear it), but
of course pullovers resurfaced in a big way with the double knit era of the
70’s and 80’s.
If you notice, there is a center belt loop,
which was to secure the belt buckle off to one side. Players of this era
usually wore the belt buckle to one side so they could prevent injury when
sliding into a base.
An old English “D” appears on the front of
the jersey. The Tigers first used the old English style D on their 1904 road
uniform – the first appearance of a lone “D” on the Tigers’ uniform was a plain
“D” that they wore on their 1903 home and road uniforms. Although the monogram
has gone through some changes in appearance, an old English “D” has been used
on most Tiger home uniforms since 1905. The 1907 “D” is on a pocket, something
the uniforms had from 1904-1907.
In 1907 the Tigers’ ballpark was Bennett
Park. It opened on April 28, 1896 at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, the
same location that Tiger Stadium (aka Navin Field, Briggs Stadium and Tiger
Stadium) was built in 1912.
There are great photos in baseball history
books of a young Ty Cobb wearing this very uniform. Cobb, owner of a lifetime
.367 batting average (the best lifetime average in major league history),
played for the Tigers from 1905 -1926.
The 1907 Tigers finished 92-58 and advanced
to the World Series for the first time (the World Series began in 1903, but
wasn’t staged in 1904, thus the 1907 Series was the 4th World
Series) where they met the NL Champions Chicago Cubs. The Tinkers-Evers-Chance Cubs beat the Tigers in 4 straight.
In 1908, the Tigers finished with a 90-63
record and went to the World Series for a second straight year, and once again
they faced the Cubs. The result was much the same as 1907 – the 1908 Cubs beat
the 1908 Tigers 4 games to 1.
And again in 1909 the Tigers made it to the
World Series on the strength of a 98-54 record (can you imagine that they
played 152 games in a season even in this era?). This time they met the
Pirates, and while it was a closely contested series, the Pirates beat the
Tigers 8-0 in Detroit in the 7th and deciding game of the series.
#2.
1917 The
home uniform has what is known as a “cadet” collar, a small upright collar worn
by many teams from about 1910 to the mid-late 20’s. The Detroit monogram has
changed slightly since 1907, and it is no longer on a pocket (as it was in the
1907 painting). The US flag on the left sleeve is a show of patriotism marking
America’s entry into World War I – a number of major league teams added a flag
to their uniform part way through the 1917 season.
By 1917 the Tigers had been playing at Navin
Field for 6 years (it opened in 1912). The ballpark would be known as Navin
Field from 1912 – 1937, then it was known as Briggs Stadium, then finally known
as Tiger Stadium.
In 1917 Ty Cobb was 31 years old and was in
his 13th year with the Tigers. He led the league in batting average
(.383), slugging percentage (.571), at bats (588), hits (225), doubles (44),
triples (23) and stolen bases (55). But from 1915 – 1921 there was no MVP
selection or award, so Cobb didn’t take home the 1917 MVP award which he surely
would have won.
Also in 1917, the great Sam Crawford retires
after 15 seasons with the Tigers. In his 19 year career, Crawford amassed a
remarkable 312 triples, a record that still stands today.
#3.
1927 The
tiger on the left breast of this road uniform is one of two different tiger
heads used by the Detroit Tigers on their home and away uniforms in 1927. This
is the only year the Tigers ever used a tiger head on their jersey, and after
this one year experiment the Tigers returned to their traditional old English
“D” for their 1928 home uniforms.
We don’t know why the Tigers had two
different Tiger heads in 1927, nor do we know when they wore each – perhaps
they didn’t like the first style and switched part way through the 1927 season.
I Our sources for the color of the Tigers’ heads are also sketchy, so if you
have a color source, we’d love to hear from you!
1927 was the first year since 1904 that Ty
Cobb wasn’t with the team. He signed with the A’s, and played for them in 1927
and 1928 – hitting .357 and .323 respectively.
#4A.
1928 On
this road uniform we see the first appearance of the team nickname “Tigers” on
the jersey. This is the only season that the word “Tigers” appears on the road
uniform. It only appears once on the home uniform as well, that being in the
1960 season.
#4B.
1931 In
1931 the Tigers added pinstripes to both their home and road uniforms –
pictured here is a home uniform. The Tigers first wore pinstripes in 1912 on
their home uniforms, and they wore pinstripes on and off for the next 20 years.
They wore pinstripes at home and on the road from 1931 – 1933, but have never
worn pinstripes again.
As best we can tell, the first instance of
pinstriped uniforms in major league baseball was in 1907. The Boston Braves
road uniform were made from a gray flannel with a fine green pinstripe. Later
that same year the Cubs had a new gray uniform with fine pin striping made for
the World Series - they wore it for the World Series opener in Chicago and were
later reprimanded by the league for not wearing a white uniform at home. The Yankees,
most often associated with pinstripe uniforms, first wore a pinstriped uniform
for one year at home in 1912 (the New York Times wrote about their 1912 home
opener “The Yankees presented a natty appearance in their new uniforms of white
with black pin stripes”), then every year from 1915 to the present.
The scripted “Detroit” on the front of a
Tigers uniform first appeared in 1930 on the home & away uniforms, and it
would be used on the road uniform right up to 1959.
#5.
1935 This
is a very simple Tigers road uniform, with blue piping around the collar and
down the front, and a scripted “Tigers” across the front. We can’t help but see
Hank Greenberg when we see this jersey. Greenberg had an amazing season for the
Tigers in 1935 - he batted .328 with 36 home runs and 170 RBI. He was voted the
American League MVP after not being picked for the all-star team.
The 1935 Tigers finished 93-58 and advanced
to the World Series for the second year in a row (they lost 4 games to 3 to the
“gas-house gang” St. Louis Cardinals in 1934) and fifth time ever (they lost 3
consecutive times from 1907-1909). And just like 1907 and 1908, their opponent
was the Chicago Cubs. But the similarities end there – 1935 was to be a magic
year for the Tigers as they beat the Cubs four games to two, winning their
first ever World Series.
Despite losing Hank Greenberg to a broken
wrist in game three, the Tigers won the World Series in dramatic fashion. The 9th
inning of the final game, 3-3 tie. The Cub’s Stan Hack cracks a triple, but the
Detroit pitcher Bridges retires the next 3 batters. In the bottom of the 9th,
Mickey Cochrane hits a single and advances to second base on Charlie
Gehringer’s groundout. Another single for Detroit came from Goose Goslin and
the Tigers won their first World Series!
On a sad note, team owner Frank Navin passed
away on November 13th due to a heart ailment at the age of 64.
Walter Briggs Sr., who was a half-owner of the team, bought the remainder of
the team and became Tigers president, paving the way for the 1938 re-naming of
the Tigers’ home turf from Navin Field to Briggs Field.
#6.
1945 This
is the classic Tigers home uniform that looks remarkably similar to the uniform
of today. It has been written that except for a brief transgression in 1960,
the Tigers’ old English “D” logo “enjoys the longest continuous usage of any
major league uniform insignia” (as per Marc Okkonen in Baseball Uniforms of the
20th Century).
Note the Stars and Stripes patch on the left
sleeve of this uniform. During the Second World War, the question is raised,
should able-bodied athletes of baseball be fighting for their country rather
than playing baseball? Baseball Commissioner Landis asked President Franklin D.
Roosevelt what to do - here is part of Roosevelt’s reply:
“I honestly feel it would be best for the
country to keep baseball going. There will be fewer people unemployed and
everybody will work longer hours and harder than ever before… Here is another
way of looking at it - if 300 teams use 5,000 or 6,000 players, these players
are a definite recreational asset to at least 20,000,000 of their fellow
citizens - and that in my judgment is thoroughly worthwhile.”
Wartime sleeve patches were worn by all
levels of professional baseball teams between 1942 and 1945. A “Health” patch
was worn during the 1942 season, part of a war-time health and fitness
awareness campaign, and from 1943-1945 this “Stars and Stripes” patch was worn.
Bolstered by the return of Hank Greenberg (he
has been in the Armed Forces for 3 ½ seasons), the Tigers finish in first, 1 ½
games ahead of the Senators.
Once again, the Cubs provide the opposition
(this is the Tigers’ 7th World Series appearance and 4th
against the Cubs!).
In a see-saw series that the Cubs led one
game to none and two games to one, the final four games are all played in
Chicago. The Tigers take games 4 and 5 to go up 3 games to 2, then the Cubs
bounce back with a 8-7 12th inning win in game six. In game 7, the
Tigers go up 5-0 in the top of the first, and hold the lead the rest of way for
a 9-3 win and 4-3 series victory. The Tigers were led by Doc Cramer’s 11 hits
and Hank Greenberg’s .304 average and great pitching by Dizzy Trout and Hal
Newhouser.
This is the Cubs’ 7th World Series
loss in a row after having won their 1st two appearances in
1907-1908.
#7A.
1956 The
Tigers added an orange outline to the scripted lettering on their road uniforms
in 1952, as seen in this 1956 road uniform. The scripted “Detroit” on the front
of a Tigers uniform first appeared in 1930 on the home & away uniforms, and
it would be used on the road uniform from 1930 right up to 1959.
By 1956 young Tigers outfielder Al Kaline was
in his 4th season with the Tigers. He had become a genuine superstar
at 20 years of age in 1955 when he batted.340 and had 200 hits. In doing this,
he became the youngest player in league history to win a batting title.
A side note: During the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s
many teams used zippered jerseys instead of the more traditional button front
jerseys. The Tigers briefly wore a zippered uniform for part of the 1938
season, otherwise they would join the Reds, Yankees and A’s as one of only
three pre-1977 major league teams to have never worn zippers. The 1937 Cubs were the first team to
wear a zippered jersey, and as far we can tell the 1988 Phillies were the last
to wear one.
#7B.
1960 This
is a home jersey, and it marked quite a radical departure for the Tigers
uniform. The team had undergone a change of ownership, and the new management
team decided to make some changes to the Tigers’ uniform.
First of all, numbers appear on the front of
a Tigers’ jersey for the first time in 1960, a one year experiment, and won’t
be seen again until the early 90’s. Uniform numbers first made their appearance
on the front of a uniform in 1952 - the Brooklyn Dodgers were the first team to
do so. The Braves followed suit in 1953, and the Reds joined in beginning in
1956. The 1916 Cleveland Indians actually wore a uniform number on their
sleeve, but it wasn’t until the ’52 Dodgers that the number made it to the front.
A second radical difference for the Tigers
was the fact that they replaced the old English “D” on their home uniform (a
tradition since 1934) with a scripted “Tigers”. The only other time that
Detroit used the word “Tigers” on a uniform was their 1928 road uniform.
Note also the underline “swoosh” - this style
was introduced to baseball by the 1932 Cubs, and has been worn by many teams
since then. This 1960 home jersey is the only time that the Tigers use this
design element.
When the Walter Briggs Sr. passed away in
1952, his son Walter Jr. took on the team presidency. John Fetzer purchased the
team in 1960 and became club president. In keeping with tradition (see the 1935
write up), Briggs Stadium was renamed Tiger Stadium.
#8.
1968 The
1960 experiment with a uniform number on the front of the jersey is a distant
memory, but as you can see in this 1968 painting the Tigers did wear a uniform
number on the right sleeve of their road uniform for a while. But the story of
1968 isn’t the road uniform – it was the team itself.
Denny McLain has a record season, 31-6 and is
the last pitcher to win 30 games in one season. He was also honoured with the
A.L. MVP award and the Cy Young Award.
After finishing 103-59 under the leadership
of Mayo Smith, the Tigers face the St. Louis Cardinals and powerful Bob Gibson
in the World Series. This is the Tigers’ 8th trip to the World
Series – they won in 1935 and 1945, lost in 1907-08-09, 1934 & 1940.
After falling behind 3 games to one, the win
game 5 at home with 3 runs in the 7th to win the game 5-3. Then it
was on to St. Louis for game 6, where Denny McLain pitches on 3 days rest and
the Tigers pound the Cards 13-1, setting the stage for a dramatic 7th
game in St. Louis.
Going into the 7th it was a 0-0 –
Gibson for the Cards vs Mickey Lolich for the Tigers. Gibson was pitching on 4
days rest after having won games1 and 4, Lolich pitching on 3 days rest after
winning games 2 and 5. Finally Jim Northrup slams a two run triple in the 7th
and the Tigers score 3 in the 7th, add one more in the 9th
and then hang on as the Cards scratch one run in the bottom of the ninth. Both
Lolich and Gibson pitch complete games, with Lolich emerging as the Series MVP.
Thus the 1968 Tigers become the 3rd
team ever to win the World Series after being down 3 games to 1.
We can’t overlook Detroit slugger Al Kaline,
who pounded out 11 hits for a .379 average. He would go on to retire in 1974,
ending an impressive 22 year career (all with the Tigers) with a total of 399
home runs, 3007 hits and a lifetime batting average of .297. He was inducted
into the Hall Of Fame in 1980.
#9.
1977 This
road jersey is of a double-knit style that most major league teams succumbed to
during the 70’s and early 80’s. It was a pullover style, made of stretchy,
synthetic material. The pants were called “Sans-a-Belt”’s because the
elasticized waistline eliminated the need for a belt. The “double-knit” era
started in 1972 for the Tigers and ended after they won the World Series in
1984.
Interestingly, the Tigers only wore the
double-knit style on the road, sticking with their traditional button-down
front jersey, belted pants and old English “D” at home. During this 1970’s-80’s
period, the Tigers were one of the only teams to have such contrasting styles
at home vs on the road.
#10.
1984 This
home uniform is still the same after so many years. The old English “D” has
been on the Tigers’ home uniform since 1934 with the single exception of the
1960 season. It has been written that except for the brief 1960 transgression,
the Tigers’ old English “D” logo “enjoys the longest continuous usage of any
major league uniform insignia” (as per Marc Okkonen in Baseball Uniforms of the
20th Century).
It’s also interesting to note that from 1972
– 1984, the Tigers wore this traditional style jersey at home, yet they wore
the buttonless, “sans-a-belt” style uniform on the road, During this
1970’s-80’s period, the Tigers were one of the only teams to have such
contrasting styles at home vs on the road.
The 1984 Tigers had the fastest start to a
season in major league history, jumping out to a record 35 wins against just 3
losses. Led by Kirk Gibson, Allan Trammell and Lou Whitaker, pitchers Jack
Morris and Guillermo Hernandez, and manager Sparky Anderson, the Tigers
finished the season with a 104-58 record, 15 games ahead of second place
Toronto. The Tigers blew by the Royals in 3 straight games in the ALCS, then
faced the surprising San Diego Padres. This is the Tigers 9th visit
to the World Series, and the Padres first.
After losing game two, the Tigers make quick
work of the Padres and wrap up the Series in 5 games. Sparky became the first
manager ever to win a W.S. in both the National League and the American League.
Jack Morris won both is starts, and Kirk Gibson drove in 7 runs with 6 hits,
but Allan Trammell went 9 for 20 for a .450 batting average and thus won the
World Series MVP.
#11.
1999 Compare
the 1999 home uniform to the 1907 home uniform – it’s remarkable how similar
they are, and it’s a tribute to good taste and elegant, simple design that the
Tigers recognize a good thing when they see it.
The patch on the left sleeve of this 1999
home uniform is in honor of the last season played at Tiger Stadium – in 2000
they moved to Comercia Park. For their entire time in the American League, from
1901 – 1999, the Detroit Tigers have always played ball in the same location –
at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. At first it was Bennett Park, then in
1912 their new Navin Field opened, later renamed Briggs Stadium (in 1937) and
later renamed again Tiger Stadium (in 1960). But through it all there was one
constant - the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. And that’s what is featured on
the left sleeve patch, a street sign showing intersecting street sign with the
words “Michigan and Trumbull”.
The patch also honors one other
Navin/Briggs/Tiger Stadium idiosyncrasy - a flagpole. Tiger Stadium had a
flagpole in the field of play, something no other ballpark had. This is the
sort of character lost on many new ballparks, and the sort of thing that will help
keep Tiger Stadium alive in the memories of fans forever.
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The Detroit Tigers: “The Roar Of Motown”
TRADITION…
MEMORIES… CLASSY…
Order Yours Today … and Revel in it!
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