The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise based in Detroit, Michigan. They play in the American League Central division. The first game of the new baseball season is played on Opening Day, and being named the starter that day is an honor, which is often given to the player who is expected to lead the pitching staff that season, though there are various strategic reasons why a team's best pitcher might not start on Opening Day. Since joining the league in 1901, the Tigers have used 57 different Opening Day starting pitchers. The Tigers have a record of 56 wins and 61 losses in their Opening Day games. They also played one tie game, in 1927.
The Tigers have played in three different home ball parks, Bennett Park from 1901 through 1911, Tiger Stadium (also known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) from 1912 to 1999 and Comerica Park since 2000. They had a record of five wins and two losses in Opening Day games at Bennett Park, 19 wins and 22 losses at Tiger Stadium and three wins and four losses at Comerica Park, for a total home record in Opening Day games of 26 wins and 28 losses. Their record in Opening Day away games is 27 wins, 31 losses and one tie.
Jack Morris has the most Opening Day starts for the Tigers, with 11 consecutive starts from 1980 to 1990. Morris had a record of seven wins and four losses in his Opening Day starts. George Mullin had ten Opening Day starts for the Tigers between 1903 and 1913. The Tigers won five of those games and lost the other five. Mickey Lolich had seven Opening Day starts between 1965 and 1974. He had a record of five wins and two losses in those starts. Justin Verlander has also made seven Opening Day starts for the Tigers, between 2008 and 2014. His record in those starts is one win and one loss with five no-decisions. Other Tiger pitchers with at least three Opening Day starts include Hal Newhouser with six, Earl Whitehill and Jim Bunning with four; and Tommy Bridges, Frank Lary, Mike Moore, and Tarik Skubal with three.
The first game the Tigers played as a Major League team was on April 25, 1901, against the Milwaukee Brewers. Roscoe Miller was the Tigers Opening Day starting pitcher for that game, which the Tigers won 14–13. The Tigers have played in the World Series eleven times, in 1907, 1908, 1909, 1934, 1935, 1940, 1945, 1968, 1984, 2006, and 2012, with wins in four of those: 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. The Tigers Opening Day starting pitchers in those seasons were Mullin (1907 and 1909), Ed Siever (1908), Firpo Marberry (1934), Rowe (1935), Newsom (1940), Newhouser (1945), Earl Wilson (1968), Morris (1984), Kenny Rogers (2006), and Justin Verlander (2012). The Tigers won five of those Opening Day games and lost the other five.
Josh Billings was the Tigers Opening Day starting pitcher in 1928, despite being only 20 years old and having only won five Major League games prior to the season. Bunning, who made four Opening Day starts for the Tigers was later elected to the United States Senate. McLain, who made two Opening Day starts for the Tigers, was later convicted of embezzlement. Bunning and Newhouser have each been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Key
WWinLLossTTie gameND (W)No decision by starting pitcher; Tigers won gameND (L)No decision by starting pitcher; Tigers lost game(W)Tigers won game; no information on starting pitcher's decision(L)Tigers lost game; no information on starting pitcher's decisionFinal scoreGame score with Tigers runs listed firstLocationStadium in italics with for home gameNumber of appearances as Opening Day starter with the Tigers*Advanced to the post-season**American League championsWorld Series champions
Pitchers
SeasonPitcherDecisionFinalscoreOpponentLocationRef.1901(W)Milwaukee BrewersBennett Park1902 (L)Chicago White SoxSouth Side Park1903(W)Cleveland IndiansBennett Park1904 (W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1905 (L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1906 (L)Chicago White SoxBennett Park1907** (W)Cleveland IndiansBennett Park1908**(L)Chicago White SoxSouth Side Park1909** (W)Chicago White SoxBennett Park1910 (L)Cleveland IndiansBennett Park1911 (W)Chicago White SoxBennett Park1912 (L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1913 (L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1914(W)St. Louis BrownsNavin Field1915(L)Cleveland IndiansNavin Field1916 (W)Chicago White SoxComiskey Park1917(L)Cleveland IndiansNavin Field1918(L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1919(W)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1920(L)Chicago White SoxComiskey Park1921ND (W)Chicago White SoxNavin Field1922(L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1923ND (W)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1924 WCleveland IndiansNavin Field1925 WChicago White SoxNavin Field1926LCleveland IndiansNavin Field1927 TSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1928(L)St. Louis BrownsNavin Field1929 (L)Cleveland IndiansLeague Park1930WSt. Louis BrownsNavin Field1931 (L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1932(L)Cleveland IndiansNavin Field1933(L)Cleveland IndiansNavin Field1934**WChicago White SoxComiskey Park1935†(L)Chicago White SoxNavin Field1936 WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1937WCleveland IndiansNavin Field1938(L)Chicago White SoxComiskey Park1939 WChicago White SoxBriggs Stadium1940**(L)St. Louis BrownsBriggs Stadium1941 (L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1942(L)Cleveland IndiansBriggs Stadium1943 (L)Cleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1944(L)St. Louis BrownsBriggs Stadium1945†(L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1946 WSt. Louis BrownsBriggs Stadium1947 WSt. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1948 WChicago White SoxComiskey Park1949 WChicago White SoxBriggs Stadium1950ND (W)Cleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1951 (L)Cleveland IndiansBriggs Stadium1952 (L)St. Louis BrownsBriggs Stadium1953(L)St. Louis BrownsSportsman's Park1954WBaltimore OriolesBriggs Stadium1955 LKansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium1956LKansas City AthleticsBriggs Stadium1957 LKansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium1958WChicago White SoxComiskey Park1959 ND (L)Chicago White SoxBriggs Stadium1960 ND (W)Cleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1961 LCleveland IndiansTiger Stadium1962LWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Stadium1963 LChicago White SoxTiger Stadium1964WKansas City AthleticsTiger Stadium1965WKansas City AthleticsMunicipal Stadium1966 WNew York YankeesYankee Stadium1967LCalifornia AngelsAnaheim Stadium1968†LBoston Red SoxTiger Stadium1969 WCleveland IndiansTiger Stadium1970 WWashington SenatorsRobert F. Kennedy Stadium1971 WCleveland IndiansTiger Stadium1972* WBoston Red SoxTiger Stadium1973 LCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1974 LBaltimore OriolesMemorial Stadium1975LBaltimore OriolesTiger Stadium1976 WCleveland IndiansCleveland Stadium1977LKansas City RoyalsTiger Stadium1978WToronto Blue JaysTiger Stadium1979LTexas RangersTiger Stadium1980WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium1981 WToronto Blue JaysTiger Stadium1982 LKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium1983 WMinnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome1984† WMinnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome1985 WCleveland IndiansTiger Stadium1986 WBoston Red SoxTiger Stadium1987* LNew York YankeesTiger Stadium1988 WBoston Red SoxFenway Park1989 LTexas RangersArlington Stadium1990 LBoston Red SoxFenway Park1991ND (W)New York YankeesTiger Stadium1992LToronto Blue JaysTiger Stadium1993LOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum1994 ND (L)Boston Red SoxFenway Park1995 WCalifornia AngelsAngel Stadium1996LMinnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome1997ND (L)Minnesota TwinsHubert H. Humphrey Metrodome1998WTampa Bay Devil RaysTropicana Field1999WTexas RangersRangers Ballpark in Arlington2000WOakland AthleticsOakland Coliseum2001LMinnesota TwinsComerica Park2002 ND (L)Tampa Bay Devil RaysTropicana Field2003LMinnesota TwinsComerica Park2004WToronto Blue JaysSkyDome2005WKansas City RoyalsComerica Park2006**WKansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2007 ND (L)Toronto Blue JaysComerica Park2008ND (L)Kansas City RoyalsComerica Park2009 LToronto Blue JaysSkyDome2010 ND (W)Kansas City RoyalsKauffman Stadium2011* ND (L)New York YankeesYankee Stadium2012** ND (W)Boston Red SoxComerica Park2013* WMinnesota TwinsTarget Field2014* ND (W)Kansas City RoyalsComerica Park2015 WMinnesota TwinsComerica Park2016 ND (W)Miami MarlinsMarlins Park2017 (W)Chicago White SoxGuaranteed Rate Field2018 ND (L)Pittsburgh PiratesComerica Park2019 ND (W)Toronto Blue JaysRogers Centre2020LCincinnati RedsGreat American Ball Park2021 WCleveland IndiansComerica Park2022ND (W)Chicago White SoxComerica Park2023 L Tampa Bay RaysTropicana Field2024*WChicago White SoxGuaranteed Rate Field2025* LLos Angeles DodgersDodger Stadium2026 WSan Diego PadresPetco Park
References General
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