1915 Detroit Tigers season
| 1915 Detroit Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Major League affiliations | |
|
|
| Location | |
|
|
|
|
| Other information | |
| Owner(s) | Frank Navin |
| Manager(s) | Hughie Jennings |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The 1915 Detroit Tigers won a then club-record 100 games and narrowly lost the American League pennant to the Boston Red Sox, who won 101 games. Though four other Tigers teams have won 100 games (1934, 1961, 1968, and 1984), only the 1934 Tigers had a better winning percentage. The 1915 Detroit Tigers team is remembered for its all-star outfield of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, and Bobby Veach—who finished #1, #2, and #3 in the American League in both runs batted in and total bases. Baseball historian Bill James ranks the Tigers' 1915 outfield as the best in major league history.
The 1915 Tigers' winning percentage of .649 ranks as the 2nd best in team history, as follows:
Catcher Oscar Stanage was a weak hitter but one of the best defensive catchers of the deadball era. In thirteen seasons with the Tigers, Stanage caught 1,074 games – second only to Bill Freehan in team history. Known for his strong throwing arm, Stanage threw out more baserunners than any other catcher in the 1910s. Stanage still holds the American League record for most assists by a catcher, with 212 in 1911, and his career average of 1.29 assists per game is the fifth best in major league history. Stanage was not as skilled with the glove; his 41 errors in 1911 was the most by a catcher for the 20th Century.
First baseman "Tioga George" Burns played for the Tigers from 1914 to 1917. In 1915, Burns hit only .243 with 18 doubles. Burns went on to become a star after leaving the Tigers. In 1926, he was named the American League’s MVP with a .358 batting average and an all-time MLB record 64 doubles.
Second baseman Ralph Young played for the Tigers from 1915 to 1921. In 1915, Young had a .243 batting average, but a much more respectable .339 on-base percentage. At 5'5", Young was one of the shortest players ever to play in a Tigers uniform. His small stature, and correspondingly small strike zone, assisted him in both collecting walks and avoiding strikeouts. In nine seasons, Young collected 495 bases on balls and struck out only 254 times (in 3,643 at bats). Young led all American League second basemen with 32 errors in 1915.
...
Wikipedia