1.
American League
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The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League, is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a league based in the Great Lakes states. It is sometimes called the Junior Circuit because it claimed Major League status for the 1901 season,25 years after the formation of the National League. At the end of season, the American League champion plays in the World Series against the National League champion. Through 2016, American League teams have won 64 of the 112 World Series played since 1903, the 2016 American League champions are the Cleveland Indians. The New York Yankees have won 40 American League titles, the most in the history, followed by the Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics. Originally a minor league known as the Western League, the American League later developed into a major league after the American Association disbanded, in its early history, the Western League struggled until 1894, when Ban Johnson became the president of the league. Johnson led the Western League into major league status and soon became the president of the newly renamed American League, babe Ruth, noted as one of the most prolific hitters in Major League Baseball history, spent the majority of his career in the American League. The American League has one notable difference versus the National League, in 1902, the Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis and were renamed the St. Louis Browns. In 1902, The Cleveland Bluebirds were also renamed the Cleveland Broncos, in 1903, the Broncos were renamed the Cleveland Naps. In 1915, the Naps were renamed the Cleveland Indians, in 1903, the Baltimore Orioles moved to New York and were renamed the New York Highlanders. In 1913, the Highlanders were renamed the New York Yankees, in 1904, the Chicago White Stockings were renamed the Chicago White Sox. In 1908, the Boston Americans were renamed the Boston Red Sox, in 1954, the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and were renamed as the Baltimore Orioles. In 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics moved to Kansas City and were renamed as the Kansas City Athletics, in 1961, the league expanded and added two teams as the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators, expanding the league to 10 teams. The original Senators team moved to Minneapolis/St, Paul in 1961 and were renamed as the Minnesota Twins. The Angels team name changed to the California Angels in 1966, then to the Anaheim Angels in 1997, the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots were added to the American League, expanding the league to 12 teams. In 1970, the Seattle Pilots moved to Milwaukee and were renamed the Milwaukee Brewers, in 1972, the Washington Senators relocated to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and were renamed the Texas Rangers. In 1977, the league expanded to fourteen teams, when the Seattle Mariners, in 1998, the Tampa Bay Rays was added to the American League and at the same time, the Milwaukee Brewers were switched to the National League, leaving the American League with 14 teams
2.
Bennett Park (Detroit)
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Bennett Park was a ballpark, named after Charlie Bennett, that formerly existed in Detroit, Michigan, at Michigan and Trumbull. It was home to the Detroit Tigers, the ballclub began play here in the minor Western League with a 17-2 win over the Columbus Senators on April 28,1896. That league was renamed the American League in 1900 but was officially a minor league. The AL declared itself a major starting in 1901. Bennett Park was home to the first nighttime game in Detroit. On September 24,1896, the Tigers played their last game of their first season at Bennett Park, Tigers owner George Arthur Vanderbeck had workers string lights above the stadium for the nighttime game. Nighttime baseball wouldnt return to Detroit until June 15,1948, the ballpark sat 5,000 when opened in 1896 and was gradually expanded to 14,000 by the time it was closed after the 1911 season. That did not count the wildcat bleachers that were built on the rooftops of houses behind the left field fence and this small ballpark enjoyed some big success, as the Tigers and their young sensation Ty Cobb won three consecutive pennants during 1907–1909. Unfortunately, their success ran out in the post-season on each occasion and this ballpark is hallowed ground to fans of the Chicago Cubs, as it was on this site in both 1907 and 1908 that the Cubs clinched their first two World Series championships. Baseball-Almanac. com Past Tigers Venues A New Field of Dreams for Detroit
3.
Detroit
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Detroit is the most populous city in the U. S. state of Michigan, the fourth-largest city in the Midwest and the largest city on the United States–Canada border. It is the seat of Wayne County, the most populous county in the state, the municipality of Detroit had a 2015 estimated population of 677,116, making it the 21st-most populous city in the United States. Roughly one-half of Michigans population lives in Metro Detroit alone, the Detroit–Windsor area, a commercial link straddling the Canada–U. S. Border, has a population of about 5.7 million. Detroit is a port on the Detroit River, a strait that connects the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Detroit Metropolitan Airport is among the most important hubs in the United States, the City of Detroit anchors the second-largest economic region in the Midwest, behind Chicago, and the thirteenth-largest in the United States. Detroit and its neighboring Canadian city Windsor are connected through a tunnel and various bridges, Detroit was founded on July 24,1701 by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac and a party of settlers. During the 19th century, it became an important industrial hub at the center of the Great Lakes region, with expansion of the American automobile industry in the early 20th century, the Detroit area emerged as a significant metropolitan region within the United States. The city became the fourth-largest in the country for a period, in the 1950s and 1960s, suburban expansion continued with construction of a regional freeway system. A great portion of Detroits public transport was abandoned in favour of becoming a city in the post-war period. Due to industrial restructuring and loss of jobs in the auto industry, between 2000 and 2010 the citys population fell by 25 percent, changing its ranking from the nations 10th-largest city to 18th. In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and this resulted from suburbanization, corruption, industrial restructuring and the decline of Detroits auto industry. In 2013, the state of Michigan declared an emergency for the city. Detroit has experienced urban decay as its population and jobs have shifted to its suburbs or elsewhere, conservation efforts managed to save many architectural pieces since the 2000s and allowed several large-scale revitalisations. More recently, the population of Downtown Detroit, Midtown Detroit, paleo-Indian people inhabited areas near Detroit as early as 11,000 years ago. In the 17th century, the region was inhabited by Huron, Odawa, Potawatomi, for the next hundred years, virtually no British, colonist, or French action was contemplated without consultation with, or consideration of the Iroquois likely response. When the French and Indian War evicted the Kingdom of France from Canada, the 1798 raids and resultant 1799 decisive Sullivan Expedition reopened the Ohio Country to westward emigration, which began almost immediately, and by 1800 white settlers were pouring westwards. By 1773, the population of Detroit was 1,400, by 1778, its population was up to 2,144 and it was the third-largest city in the Province of Quebec
4.
Michigan
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Michigan /ˈmɪʃᵻɡən/ is a state in the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of the United States. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, Michigan is the tenth most populous of the 50 United States, with the 11th most extensive total area. Its capital is Lansing, and its largest city is Detroit, Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas. The Lower Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is noted to be shaped like a mitten. The Upper Peninsula is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, the two peninsulas are connected by the Mackinac Bridge. The state has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world, being bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, as a result, it is one of the leading U. S. states for recreational boating. Michigan also has 64,980 inland lakes and ponds, a person in the state is never more than six miles from a natural water source or more than 85 miles from a Great Lakes shoreline. What is now the state of Michigan was first settled by Native American tribes before being colonized by French explorers in the 17th century, the area was organized as part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Eventually, in 1805, the Michigan Territory was formed, which lasted until it was admitted into the Union on January 26,1837, the state of Michigan soon became an important center of industry and trade in the Great Lakes region and a popular immigrant destination. Though Michigan has come to develop an economy, it is widely known as the center of the U. S. automotive industry. When the first European explorers arrived, the most populous tribes were Algonquian peoples, which include the Anishinaabe groups of Ojibwe, Odaawaa/Odawa, the three nations co-existed peacefully as part of a loose confederation called the Council of Three Fires. The Ojibwe, whose numbers are estimated to have been between 25,000 and 35,000, were the largest, French voyageurs and coureurs des bois explored and settled in Michigan in the 17th century. The first Europeans to reach what became Michigan were those of Étienne Brûlés expedition in 1622, the first permanent European settlement was founded in 1668 on the site where Père Jacques Marquette established Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan as a base for Catholic missions, missionaries in 1671–75 founded outlying stations at Saint Ignace and Marquette. Jesuit missionaries were received by the areas Indian populations, with relatively few difficulties or hostilities. In 1679, Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle built Fort Miami at present-day St. Joseph, in 1691, the French established a trading post and Fort St. Joseph along the St. Joseph River at the present day city of Niles. The hundred soldiers and workers who accompanied Cadillac built a fort enclosing one arpent, cadillacs wife, Marie Thérèse Guyon, soon moved to Detroit, becoming one of the first European women to settle in the Michigan wilderness. The town quickly became a major fur-trading and shipping post, the Église de Saint-Anne was founded the same year
5.
Frank Navin
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Francis Joseph Navin was the principal owner of the Detroit Tigers in Major League Baseball for 27 years, from 1908 to 1935. He also served as president and acting president of the American League. Born in Adrian, Michigan, Navin was one of nine children of Irish immigrants and he attended the Detroit College of Law and worked as both a lawyer and accountant. In 1902, Navin was a bookkeeper at the offices of Samuel F. Angus when Angus led a syndicate that purchased the Detroit Tigers. Angus brought the 31-year-old Navin with him as the teams bookkeeper and he also served as secretary, treasurer, business manager, farm director, chief ticket seller, advertising manager, and any other position that demanded immediate attention. In 1903, Navin bought $5000 in stock in the team, Navin had an eye for talent, and he built a team that won three straight pennants from 1907–1909. His signing of Ty Cobb and Hughie Jennings was instrumental in the development of the Tigers championship teams, but Angus soon tired of the Tigers massive monetary losses, and told Navin to find a buyer. Navin quickly cut a deal with the richest man in Michigan, however, Yawkey died before the deal closed, and Navin persuaded his son, Bill Yawkey, to complete the deal. Yawkey had little involvement in the Tigers day-to-day operations, largely leaving those in the hands of Navin, in January 1908, Yawkey sold Navin almost half the club, making him for all intents and purposes a full partner. Navin then became president in name as well as in fact. Baseball was not a business for Navin. It was his business and passion. Navin once said, No game is cleaner, healthier or more scientific, thousands of devotees out into the open air and the sunshine and distracts them from every contaminating influence. And legendary Detroit News sports editor H. G. Salsinger wrote that Navin was one of the few owners who knew the end of the game as well as the business end. Despite his love of the game, Navin developed a reputation as a penny-pincher, a 1904 letter he wrote to Hall of Famer Sam Crawford adds to the reputation. In 1919, after Yawkeys death, Navin bought 15 shares from the Yawkey estate to become half-owner of the Tigers, however, without Yawkeys fortune to fall back on, Navin had to take on additional investors to keep afloat. With this in mind, he brokered the sale of 25 percent of the Yawkey interest to auto-body manufacturer Walter Briggs, Sr. after Kelseys death, Briggs bought Kelseys interest and became a full partner with Navin, though he stayed in the background. Navins tough negotiations and salary battles with Tiger players are legendary, in the 1920s, Tigers slugger Bob Fats Fothergill always had a weight problem, and Navin constantly rode Fothergill about it
6.
Hughie Jennings
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Hugh Ambrose Jennings was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won National League championships in 1894,1895, during those three seasons, Jennings had 355 runs batted in and hit.335.386, and.401. Jennings was a fiery, hard-nosed player who was not afraid to be hit by a pitch to get on base, in 1896, he was hit by pitches 51 times – a major league record that has never been broken. Jennings also holds the record for being hit by pitches with 287. Jennings also played on the Brooklyn Superbas teams that won National League pennants in 1899 and 1900. From 1907 to 1920, Jennings was the manager of the Detroit Tigers, where he was known for his antics, hoots, whistles. Jennings suffered a breakdown in 1925 that forced him to leave Major League Baseball. He died in 1928 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945. Jennings worked as a boy in the local anthracite coal mines. He drew attention playing shortstop for a baseball team in Lehighton. He was signed by the Louisville Colonels of the American Association in 1891 and he stayed with the Colonels when they joined the National League in 1892 and was traded on June 7,1893 to the Baltimore Orioles. Jennings played with the Orioles for parts of seven seasons and became a star during his years in Baltimore, the Baltimore Orioles teams of 1894,1895, and 1896 are regarded as one of the greatest teams of all time. Amidst all those players, Jennings was appointed captain in 1894. During the Orioles championship years, Jennings had some of the best seasons ever by a major league shortstop, in 1895, he hit.386, scored 159 runs, collected 204 hits, knocked in 125 runs, and stole 53 bases. In 1896, his performance was better, as he hit.401 with 209 hits,121 RBIs. The fiery Jennings was also known as one of the most fearless players of his time, in one game, he was hit by a pitch three times. In 1896, he was hit by pitches 51 times—a Major League record that still stands, in just five seasons with the Orioles from 1894 to 1898, Jennings was hit by pitches an unprecedented 202 times. During one game, Jennings was hit in the head by a pitch from Amos Rusie in the 3rd inning, as soon as the game ended, Jennings collapsed and was unconscious for three days
