History of Your Favorite Team

[sturg1dj]

I think it would be interesting if people would give an account of the history of their team in the perspective of a fan.

One reason I want to do this is because there are many team, yet we all know the history for a select few...mostly the Yankees, then the Red Sox, then maybe the Dodgers

well here we can discuss other teams

so please, Red Sox and Yankees fans...could you wait to add yours until others have done their teams...because like I said we know a lot about those teams already and also.....it would take a lot of space...haha


and if your team is already listed....add your own 2 cents!!!!

[Yankeebiscuitfan]

Great idea! C'mon guys, let's post.

[sturg1dj]

Detroit Tigers

W-L
8404-8191

Championships: 4 (1935,1945,1968,1984)
WS Appearances: 10 (1907,1908,1909,1934,1935,1940,1945,1968,1984,2006 )

Best Player: Ty Cobb
Mr. Tiger: Al Kaline

Best Manager: (maybe) Sparky Anderson (Billy Martin also manged for awhile and so do Hughie Jennings)

Retired Numbers: 2 - Charlie Gehringer 5 - Hank Greenberg 6 - Al Kaline 16 - Hal Newhouser 23 - Willie Horton

MVP - 9 Last was 1984 - Willie Hernandez

CY Youngs - 3 Last was 1984 - Willie Hernandez

Rookie of the Years - 4 Last was 2006 - Justin Verlander

Most Gold Gloves - Al Kaline 10

Manager of the Year - 3 Last was 2006 - Jim Leyland

Triple Crowns - Ty Cobb 1909

Best of Times - either the 1980's when they had I believe the second best record and 1 world series or 1907-09 when they were in 3 straight world series (and lost all 3)

Worst of Times - 1996-2005 losing records every year including the 43-119 embarrassment

Interesting Fact - The Tigers are the last team to beat the Cubs in a world series (1945) and lose to the Cubs in a world series (1908)


Hall of Famers
Earl Averill 1939-1940
Jim Bunning 1955-1963
Ty Cobb 1905-1926
Mickey Cochrane 1934-1937
Sam Crawford 1903-1917
Larry Doby 1959
Charlie Gehringer 1924-1942
Goose Goslin 1934-1937
Hank Greenberg 1930, 1933-1941, 1945-1946
Bucky Harris* 1929, 1931
Harry Heilmann 1914, 1916-1930
Waite Hoyt 1930-1931
Hughie Jennings* 1907, 1909, 1912, 1918
Al Kaline 1953-1974
George Kell 1946-1952
Heinie Manush 1923-1927
Eddie Mathews 1967-1968
Hal Newhouser 1939-1953
Al Simmons 1936
Sam Thompson 1906
Bold indicates played more games with Detroit than any other team
* Elected to Hall of Fame as manager

Managers Years with Tigers
Sparky Anderson 1979-1995
Ed Barrow*** 1903-1904
Ty Cobb** 1921-1926
Mickey Cochrane** 1934-1938
Bucky Harris 1929-1933, 1955-1956
Hughie Jennings 1912-1920
** Elected to Hall of Fame as player
***Elected as contributor


interesting moments:
1945 - Hank Greenberg got out of the military halfway through the 1945 season, hit a home run in his first game and led the Tiger back to the World Series.

1968 - The Tiger won the world series in the wake of race riots that destroyed large portions of the city. If you were in the stadium you could see smoke billowing. Willie Horton at one point in full uniform went into the city to try to stop people from rioting.

1984 - Tigers started 35-5 and were in 1st place the entire season


Stadiums Played in

Tiger Stadium (Briggs Stadium, Navin Field (I believe there is one more name I am forgetting))
interesting fact: I believe 3 players hit home runs over the left field roof (I seem to have a memory of McGwire doing it at the end of his A's tenure which would make 4) Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Cecil Fielder

Comerica Park

[sturg1dj]

nobody wants to join in? is it because you are all Red Sox and Yankee fans??

[Iron Jaw]

St. Louis Cardinals

Became a franchise: American Association, 1882

Joined National League: 1892

Pennants: A.A. 1885, 86, 87, 88. N.L. 1926, 28, 30, 31, 34, 42, 43, 44, 46, 64, 67, 68, 82, 85, 87, 04, 06.

World Championships: A.A., 1886. N.L. 1926, 31, 34, 42, 44, 46, 64, 67, 82, 06.

Division winners: 1982, 85, 87, 96, 00, 02, 04, 05, 06. Wildcard: 2001.

Best player: Stan Musial

Best pitcher: Bob Gibson

My favorite player: Ken Boyer

My favorite Cardinal Season: 1964

Winningest Cardinal Team: 1942 (106-48)

Best Manager: Billy Southworth

My favorite manager: Johnny Keane

My current favorite Cardinal: David Eckstein

[SamtheBravesFan]

I'll get a Braves thing going sometime.

[soberdennis]

Detroit Tigers

W-L
8404-8191

Championships: 4 (1935,1945,1968,1984)
WS Appearances: 10 (1907,1908,1909,1934,1935,1940,1945,1968,1984,2006 )

Best Player: Ty Cobb
Mr. Tiger: Al Kaline

Best Manager: (maybe) Sparky Anderson (Billy Martin also manged for awhile and so do Hughie Jennings)

Retired Numbers: 2 - Charlie Gehringer 5 - Hank Greenberg 6 - Al Kaline 16 - Hal Newhouser 23 - Willie Horton

MVP - 9 Last was 1984 - Willie Hernandez

CY Youngs - 3 Last was 1984 - Willie Hernandez

Rookie of the Years - 4 Last was 2006 - Justin Verlander

Most Gold Gloves - Al Kaline 10

Manager of the Year - 3 Last was 2006 - Jim Leyland

Triple Crowns - Ty Cobb 1909

Best of Times - either the 1980's when they had I believe the second best record and 1 world series or 1907-09 when they were in 3 straight world series (and lost all 3)

Worst of Times - 1996-2005 losing records every year including the 43-119 embarrassment

Interesting Fact - The Tigers are the last team to beat the Cubs in a world series (1945) and lose to the Cubs in a world series (1908)


Hall of Famers
Earl Averill 1939-1940
Jim Bunning 1955-1963
Ty Cobb 1905-1926
Mickey Cochrane 1934-1937
Sam Crawford 1903-1917
Larry Doby 1959
Charlie Gehringer 1924-1942
Goose Goslin 1934-1937
Hank Greenberg 1930, 1933-1941, 1945-1946
Bucky Harris* 1929, 1931
Harry Heilmann 1914, 1916-1930
Waite Hoyt 1930-1931
Hughie Jennings* 1907, 1909, 1912, 1918
Al Kaline 1953-1974
George Kell 1946-1952
Heinie Manush 1923-1927
Eddie Mathews 1967-1968
Hal Newhouser 1939-1953
Al Simmons 1936
Sam Thompson 1906
Bold indicates played more games with Detroit than any other team
* Elected to Hall of Fame as manager

Managers Years with Tigers
Sparky Anderson 1979-1995
Ed Barrow** 1903-1904
Ty Cobb** 1921-1926
Mickey Cochrane** 1934-1938
Bucky Harris 1929-1933, 1955-1956
Hughie Jennings 1912-1920
** Elected to Hall of Fame as player



interesting moments:
1945 - Hank Greenberg got out of the military halfway through the 1945 season, hit a home run in his first game and led the Tiger back to the World Series.

1968 - The Tiger won the world series in the wake of race riots that destroyed large portions of the city. If you were in the stadium you could see smoke billowing. Willie Horton at one point in full uniform went into the city to try to stop people from rioting.

1984 - Tigers started 35-5 and were in 1st place the entire season


Stadiums Played in

Tiger Stadium (Briggs Stadium, Navin Field (I believe there is one more name I am forgetting))
interesting fact: I believe 3 players hit home runs over the left field roof (I seem to have a memory of McGwire doing it at the end of his A's tenure which would make 4) Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Cecil Fielder

Comerica Park

I am a Yankee fan. So I am waiting.
But I wanted to mention that Barrow was elected as a contributor, not as a player as you indicate here.

[sturg1dj]

I am a Yankee fan. So I am waiting.
But I wanted to mention that Barrow was elected as a contributor, not as a player as you indicate here.

I attribute that mistake to the Tigers' website...but since I didn't attribute the info in the first place I guess I should take full responsibility...haha


I will fix it...thanks!

[Scoops]

Stadiums Played in

Tiger Stadium (Briggs Stadium, Navin Field (I believe there is one more name I am forgetting))

Bennett Park existed on the same site, before Navin Field was built in 1911-12.

(click for larger)

[SamtheBravesFan]

Part 1

ATLANTA BRAVES

Founded in: 1871

Nicknames And Locations:

National Association
Boston Red Stockings (1871-85)

National League
Boston Red Caps (1876-82)
Boston Beaneaters (1883-1906)
Boston Doves (1907-1910)
Boston Rustlers (1911)
Boston Braves (1912-1935; 1941-1952)
Boston Bees (1936-1940)
Milwaukee Braves (1953-1965)
Atlanta Braves (1966-present)

Fields and Stadiums:

South End Grounds I (1871?-87)
South End Grounds II (1888-94)
Congress Street Grounds (1894)
South End Grounds III (1894-1914)
Fenway Park I (1915)
Braves Field (1915-52)
County Stadium (1953-65)
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium (1966-96)
Turner Field (1997-present)

Division Titles: 16 (1969, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Pennants: 21 (1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1914, 1948, 1957, 1958, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1999)
World Series Championships: 3 (1914, 1957, 1995)

MVP Award Winners
1914 - Johnny Evers, 2B
1947 - Bob Elliott, 3B
1957 - Hank Aaron, RF/CF
1982 - Dale Murphy, CF
1983 - Dale Murphy, CF
1991 - Terry Pendleton, 3B
1999 - Chipper Jones, 3B

CY Young Award Winners
1957 - Warren Spahn
1991 - Tom Glavine
1993 - Greg Maddux
1994 - Greg Maddux
1995 - Greg Maddux
1996 - John Smoltz
1998 - Tom Glavine

Rookie of the Year Winners
1948 - Alvin Dark, SS
1950 - Sam Jethroe, CF
1971 - Earl Williams, C/3B/1B
1978 - Bob Horner, 3B
1990 - David Justice, 1B/RF
2000 - Rafael Furcal, SS

[Victory Faust]

To add onto the Tiger stuff:

The Tigers have always been best-known for their hitters, thanks in part to cozy Navin Field/Briggs/Tiger Stadium.

Sure, everyone has heard of guys like Cobb and Greenberg, but through the years Tiger rosters have been riddled with guys like Fats Fothergill, Harvey Kuenn, Stormin' Norman Cash, Willie Horton and Cecil Fielder -- guys who weren't quite Hall of Famers, but who could mash the ball nevertheless.

An interesting tidbit: Two former Detroit Tigers had their greatest moments as members of other teams, but these moments merely highlighted attributes Tiger fans were already familiar with. I'm talking about the World Series heroics of Jack Morris and Kirk Gibson.

When Gibby stepped to the plate against Eckersley in the '88 Series, I told my wife, "he's gonna hit one out." And I'll bet a lot of Tiger fans said the same thing -- we'd seen him do it too many times with the Tigers. When the game was on the line, he was the guy you wanted up there. I can remember off the top of my head several dramatic game-winning shots Gibby hit, especially a pair of particularly memorable walkoff dingers against Ron Davis and Tippy Martinez in 1981.

And when Tom Kelly tried to take the ball from Jack Morris in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, Tiger fans knew Kelly was going to need a pistol if he wanted to change pitchers, because the only way Jack was coming out of that game was if Kelly shot him! Morris was always known as an insanely intense competitor who came through in the clutch. He did it for years as a Tiger, although his biggest moment in that respect came as a Twin.

Our team doesn't win the World Series as often as the Yankees, but when it comes to tradition, the Detroit Tigers take a back seat to no one.

And, one last thing about the Tigers: We have, by far, the best home uniforms in all of baseball!

[brewcrew82]

My current favorite Cardinal: David Eckstein

Eckstein is now a Blue Jay.

[SamtheBravesFan]

Part 2

Career (Season) Batting Leaders:
BA: Billy Hamilton, 1896-1901, .338 (Hugh Duffy, 1894, .440)
OBP: Hamilton, .456 (Duffy, 1894, .502)
SLG: Hank Aaron, 1954-74, .567 (Duffy, 1894, .694)
OPS: Chipper Jones, 1993-present, .949 (Duffy, 1894, 1.196)
OPS+: Aaron, 158 (Rogers Hornsby, 1928, 200)
Games: Aaron, 3,076 (5 players tied with 162)
AB: Aaron, 11,628 (Marquis Grissom, 1996, 671)
R: Aaron, 2,107 (Duffy, 1894, 160)
H: Aaron, 3,600 (Duffy, 1894, 237)
TB: Aaron, 6,591 (Aaron, 1959, 400)
1B: Aaron, 2,171 (Ralph Garr, 1971, 180)
2B: Aaron, 600 (Duffy, 1894, 51)
3B: Rabbit Maranville, 1912-20; 1929-35, 103 (Dick Johnston, 1887; Harry Stovey, 1891, 20)
HR: Aaron, 733 (Andruw Jones, 2005, 51)
RBI: Aaron, 2,202 (Duffy, 1894, 145)
BB: Eddie Mathews, 1952-66, 1,376 (Bob Elliott, 1948, 131)
SO: Dale Murphy, 1977-90, 1,581 (Andruw Jones, 2004, 147)
SB: Herman Long, 1890-1902, 431 (King Kelly, 1887, 84)

Career (Season) Pitching Leaders, min. 2000 IP for starters:

ERA: Tommy Bond, 1877-81, 2.21 (Greg Maddux, 1994, 1.56)
W: Warren Spahn, 1942, 1946-64, 356 (John Clarkson, 1889, 49)
L: Phil Niekro, 1964-83, 1987, 230 (Jim Whitney, 1881, 33)
W%: Maddux, 1993-2003, .688 (Maddux, 1995, .905 (19-2))
WHIP: Maddux, 1.051 (Maddux, 1995, .811)
Games: Niekro, 740 (Chris Reitsma, 2004, 84)
Saves: John Smoltz, 1988-present, 154 (Smoltz, 2002, 55)
IP: Spahn, 5,046 (Clarkson, 1889, 620)
K: Smoltz, 2,975 (Charlie Buffinton, 1884, 417)
GS: Spahn, 635 (Clarkson, 1889, 72)
CG: Kid Nichols, 1890-1901, 475 (Clarkson, 1889, 68)
SHO: Spahn, 63 (Bond, 1879, 11)
ERA+: Maddux, 163 (Maddux, 1994, 271)

If anyone wants any other categories, just say the word.

[mordeci]

I'll let someone smarter give the Reds details, I'll focus on their sparse World Series experiences. The Reds have only made it to 9 WS, didn't make their 2nd until 1939. Had only made it to 4 WS before getting to 4 in the 70's. They have won 5, each victory against a different team. They were heavy underdogs in 2 of their wins, 1919 & 1990 (win in '19 was probably due to the fact that they were underdogs). They have swept their last 2 series and currently have a 9 game WS winning streak, which they won't be extending this year.

Wins
1919 - White (Black) Sox
1940 - Tigers
1975 - Red Sox
1976 - yankees
1990 - A's

Losses
1939 yankees
1961 yankees
1970 Orioles
1972 A's

[soberdennis]

While waiting to put my two cents in on my beloved Yankees, I promised to to my second favorite team- the Padres.
After years of being home of the PCL Padres, which gave MLB some greats such as San Diego's own Ted Williams, San Diego was awarded a major league franchise to start play in April 1969. In the new divisional setup which was instituted that year, the new Padres were placed in the Western Division of the National League.
Their first manager was Preston Gomez. Their first owner was C. Arnholdt Smith.
They lost 110 games that first year and finished last their first six years. Two highlights are remembered from this time.

• In 1970. pitcher Clay Kirby had a no-hitter going into the ninth inning. But since the Padres had not scored, Gomez pulled Kirby for a pinch hitter and the Padres ended up losing the no-hitter and the game.
  In 1972, in a double header against Houston, first baseman Nate Colbert slugged a record tying 5 homers and set a record with 13 RBI that still stands.

In 1974, Smith was about to move the Padres to Washington. Fortunately, McDonalds President Ray Kroc stepped in and bought the team, keeping them in San Diego. Kroc owned the team until his death in 1984. His wife, Joan sold the team to Tom Werner in 1989. John Moores bought the club in the 90s and still owns them.
1976 saw the Padres win their first awards.
Randy Jones won 22 games and the Cy Young Award
Reliever Butch Metzger won Rookie of the Year.
In 1978, the Padres won 84 games for their first record over .500. Gaylord Perry won the Cy Young Award that year.
After 15 years of finishing no higher than 4th, the Padres finally broke through with a NL Penant in 1984, just months after Ray Kroc's death. Steve Garvey hit a dramatic homer in game 4 of the NLCS against the Cubs, leading the Pads into the World Series against the Tigers, where they lost in 5 games. Dick Williams was the Manager.
In the 1990s under Bruce Bochy, who was a backup catcher on the 1984 team, the Padres thrived. They won division titles in 1996 and 1998. going to the Series in 1998, where they were swept by the Yankees They also won division titles in 2005 and 2006.
The greatest player in Padre history was San Diego State grad Tony Gwynn. In his 20 year career with the Pads, Gwynn won 8 batting titles, topping it of with a .394 in 1994. If that year hadn't been strike shortened, Gwynn may have hit .400.
Catcher Benito Santiago had a 34 game hitting streak and won the rookie of the year award in 1987.
The Padres also can claim the all time saves leader in Trevor Hoffman.
Other award winners
Mark Davis-Cy Young, 1989
Ken Caminiti-MVP, 1996
Jake Peavy-Cy Young, 2007
Other statistical champions
Fred McGriff- Homerun title, 1992
Gary Sheffield, BA title, 1992
Hall of Famers who have worn Padre uniforms
Willie McCovey
Dave Winfield
Ozzie Smith
Gaylord Perry
Rollie Fingers
Tony Gwynn
Dick Williams*
Goose Gossage*
*-2008 inductees. Williams will go in as a manager.
Numbers the Padres have retired
6-Steve Garvey
19-Tony Gwynn
31-Dave Winfield
35-Randy Jones
From 1969 until 2003, the Padres played in San Diego Stadium, which has also been called Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium. In 2004, they opened their new Baseball only Stadium in downtown-Petco Park.

Sorry if this seemed long winded. But I wanted to be thourough.