2012: American League Champions

Main article: 2012 Detroit Tigers season
 

 

In 2012, Miguel Cabrera became the first Major League player to win the Triple Crown in 45 years.

In 2012, the Tigers looked to defend their 2011 AL Central Division title, with the hopes of earning a second consecutive playoff appearance.

On January 24, the Tigers signed free-agent all-star first baseman Prince Fielder to a 9-year, $214 million contract,[38] the fourth-richest contract in baseball (and sports) history.[citation needed] The move came shortly after the Tigers learned that Víctor Martínez had torn his anterior cruciate ligament during offseason training in Lakeland, Florida, and would likely miss the entire 2012 season.[39] Coupled with Miguel Cabrera's move back to his original position of third base, veteran Brandon Inge's performance began to decline and it became apparent that he would no longer be a valuable asset to the Tigers; on April 26, he was released after 12 seasons.[40] Inge was subsequently acquired by the Oakland Athletics.[41] On July 23, the Tigers acquired veteran second baseman Omar Infante (who played for Detroit in 2003-07) and starting pitcher Aníbal Sánchez from the Miami Marlins in exchange for starting pitcher Jacob Turner and two other minor leaguers.[42]
At the midway point of the 2012 season, the Tigers were three games under .500 (39-42).[43] The team played much better in the second half and, after a fierce battle down the stretch with the Chicago White Sox, the Tigers clinched the AL Central Division title on October 1 with a 6-3 win against the Kansas City Royals.[44] Coupled with the Tigers' division title in 2011, it marked the first back-to-back divisional titles in team history, and first back-to-back postseason appearances since 1934-35.[45] The Tigers concluded the 2012 regular season with an 88-74 record.

On the final day of the season, Miguel Cabrera earned the American League Triple Crown in batting, leading the league in three key statistical categories during the season: batting average (.330), home runs (44), and runs batted in (139). No player had accomplished this feat since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.[46] On the mound, starters Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer finished first and second among the American League strikeout leaders, with 239 and 231, respectively.[47]

2012 Postseason
In the American League Division Series, the Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics, 3 games to 2, earning their second straight trip to the American League Championship Series.[48]

On October 18, the Tigers completed a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees in the ALCS to win their 11th American League Pennant and earn a trip to the World Series, their first Series appearance since losing to the Cardinals in 2006.

The Tigers lost the 2012 World Series to the San Francisco Giants, four games to none. They were shut out twice (in Games 2 and 3), the same number as in the entire 162-game regular season, and had a team batting average of .159.

On November 15, 2012, Miguel Cabrera was named the AL's Most Valuable Player. This gave the Tigers back-to-back AL MVP winners, after Justin Verlander won the award in 2011.[49]

2013: Title Defense

Main article: 2013 Detroit Tigers season
The Tigers enter the 2013 season looking to defend their 2012 American League Pennant. Key acquisitions in the offseason included signing free agent outfielder Torii Hunter to a two-year, $26 million contract,[50] while also signing their 2012 trade deadline acquisition, pitcher Aníbal Sánchez, to a five-year, $80 million deal.[51] The Tigers also signed free agent catcher Brayan Peña to a one-year contract.[52] Moreover, ace starter Justin Verlander signed a $180 million contract extension, which will keep him on the Tigers until at least 2019. [53]

The team chose not to re-sign outfielder/DH Delmon Young, relief pitcher José Valverde, and utility player Ryan Raburn, letting all three become free agents. The team was also unable to re-sign backup catcher Gerald Laird, as he chose instead to sign with the Atlanta Braves. With three left-handed batting outfielders vying for one position (left field), the Tigers later released Brennan Boesch during the 2013 spring training season.[54]

Finding no takers as a free agent, José Valverde signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers shortly after the start of the regular season. He returned to the Tigers on April 24, and recorded a save against the Kansas City Royals.[55]

Winningest seasons in Detroit Tigers history

Winningest Seasons in Detroit Tigers history
Rank	Year	Wins	Losses	Win %	Finish
1	1934	101	53	.656	Lost 1934 World Series to Cardinals
3	1915	100	54	.649	2nd in AL behind Red Sox
4	1909	98	54	.645	Lost 1909 World Series to Pirates
5	1984	104	58	.642	Won 1984 World Series over Padres
6	1968	103	59	.636	Won 1968 World Series over Cardinals
7	1961	101	61	.623	2nd in AL behind Yankees
8	1950	95	59	.617	2nd in AL behind Yankees
9	1935	93	58	.616	Won 1935 World Series over Cubs
10	1907	92	58	.613	Lost 1907 World Series to Cubs
11	1987	98	64	.605	Lost 1987 ALCS to Twins
12	1946	92	62	.597	2nd in AL behind Red Sox
13	1908	90	63	.588	Lost 1908 World Series to Cubs
14	2006	95	67	.586	Lost 2006 World Series to Cardinals
15	2011	95	67	.586	Lost 2011 ALCS to Rangers
16	1940	90	64	.584	Lost 1940 World Series to Reds
17	1911	89	65	.578	2nd in AL behind A's
18	1937	89	65	.578	2nd in AL behind Yankees

Losingest seasons in Detroit Tigers history 

 

Losingest Seasons in Detroit Tigers history
Rank	Year	Wins	Losses	Win %
1	2003	43	119	.265
2	1952	50	104	.325
3	1996	53	109	.327
4	2002	55	106	.342
5	1975	57	102	.358

Rivalries and fan base

Main article: Indians-Tigers rivalry
The Tigers' rivalries with other baseball franchises have changed throughout the years, with no one rivalry standing out. Some rivalries are with nearby teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals,Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays – the latter a holdover from when the Tigers competed in the AL East. There are numerous Tigers fans throughout the state of Michigan, northwestern Ohio, southwestern Ontario, as well as a small fan base in and around the Erie, Pennsylvania area, due in part to Detroit's proximity to these regions as well as the presence of the Tigers' AA affiliate Erie SeaWolves in northwestern Pennsylvania. The Detroit Tigers have their AAA affiliate Toledo Mud Hens in Toledo, Ohio and had a AA affiliate in London, Ontario. The cities of Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario have large fanbases of loyal Detroit Tiger fans. The Detroit Tigers continue to develop a strong and long line of baseball fans in Ontario; the majority of baseball fans in southwestern Ontario are considered Tiger loyalists. Some are rivalries for first place during the regular season, with all American League teams until 1969, with American League East teams from 1969 to 1997, and with American League Central teams from 1998 until the present. Finally, some are rivalries with National League teams the Tigers have faced repeatedly in the World Series, the Chicago Cubs (four times) and St. Louis Cardinals (three times). Had the Cubs beaten the Padres in the 1984 NLCS, they would have faced the Tigers for a fifth time in the World Series.

The Cleveland Indians have the Ohio Cup against the Cincinnati Reds, but prefer the rivalry within the American League Central Division with the Detroit Tigers or, as the fans and Tom Hamilton (radio announcer) like to call them, "Motown Kitty Cats".

Home attendance

Home Attendance at Comerica Park
Year	Total Attendance
2001	1,921,305
2002	1,503,623
2003	1,368,245
2004	1,917,004
2005	2,024,485
2006	2,595,937
2007	3,047,139
2008	3,202,645
2009	2,567,185
2010	2,461,237
2011	2,642,045
2012	3,028,033

Rally cry
During the 1968 season, the team was cheered on by the phrase, "Go Get 'Em Tigers." The previous year, "Sock It To 'Em, Tigers!" was also popular in the city as the Tigers' close pennant race with Boston coincided with the release of the single "Sock It To Me, Baby!" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels.

During the 1984 World Championship Run, the team was cheered on to the well known cry, "Bless You Boys," a phrase coined (in sarcasm) by Al Ackerman, a Detroit sports anchor legend.[57]

For the 2006 season, with the team going into July with the best record in baseball, the phrase "Restore the Roar" (a phrase first introduced in 1990 by then-Detroit Lions Head Coach Wayne Fontes) began to catch on, referring to the fact that the Tigers had not had a winning season since 1993 and seem to be returning to their former glory. Another 2006 phrase found in several Detroit commercials was "Who's your Tiger?" A popular rally cry for the Detroit Pistons has also been adapted for the Tigers, resulting in "Deee-troit Base-ball!"

A second rally cry also caught on in the Tigers' dugout in 2006. In a June game versus the New York Yankees, Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson was featured on FSN Detroit's "Sounds of the Game", in which the TV station will mic a player on the bench or a coach. To appease the fans, Nate began to stuff Big League Chew bubble gum into his mouth, hoping to spark a late-inning rally. The trend caught on, with Jeremy Bonderman, Zach Miner and Justin Verlander all chewing from time to time. The Tigers came back to tie the game, and the phrase "It's Gum Time" became the new "Rally-cap" for all of Tigertown.

Additionally, the chant of a local man James Earl Van Horn, who patrols the streets around Comerica Park yelling out "Eat 'Em Up Tigers! Eat 'EmUp!" has begun to make its way into the park. The chant originated in 1968 when the Tigers won their third World Series, "Eat 'emUp" referring to the St. Louis Cardinals. People have even been seen wearing James Van Horn's homemade shirts with the cheer written on the back as far away as Miller Park in Milwaukee.[58]

During the 2006 playoffs the phrase "Team of Destiny" appeared on several home made signs, and became a rallying cry for the post season. The signs featured the "Olde English" (blackletter) "D" in place of the standard "D" in destiny.

In 2009, the team used the phrase "Always a Tiger" as its slogan. This slogan remained in effect for 2010, even though the team lost many key players in the offseason. With the deaths of George Kell, Mark Fidrych, Ernie Harwell and Sparky Anderson, the slogan has new appreciation, for players and personalities of the team's history.

In 2011, the slogan was switched back to Who's Your Tiger?