The Detroit Tigers All-Time Best Starting Lineup and Team

In the era of fantasy sports, everyone imagines their teams with the league's best players all on one given team.

When you look at the history of Major League Baseball, there are not too many teams with more tradition and pride than the Detroit Tigers. 

Over the past century, the Motor City has been developing baseball stars that have gone into Cooperstown and into the hearts of the fans. This starting lineup list is the best Detroit Tigers all-time starting lineup of all time. I hope you enjoy reading this and can reflect on some of your past memories from your favorite players.

Detroit Tigers All-Time Starting Lineup, Rotation, Bullpen, Bench and Staff

Starting Lineup

1. Ty Cobb (CF)

2. Alan Trammell (SS)

3. Al Kaline (RF)

4. Hank Greenberg (1B)

5. Miguel Cabrera (DH)

6. Lance Parrish (C)

7. Charlie Gehringer (2B)

8. George Kell (3B)

9. Bobby Veach (LF)

 

Bench

Bill Freehan (Backup Catcher)

Norm Cash (Backup 1B/DH)

Lou Whitaker (Utility Infielder)

Willie Horton (Utility Outfielder)

Kirk Gibson (Pinch Hitter)

 

Starting Rotation

SP No. 1: Jack Moris

SP No. 2: Hal Newhouser

SP No. 3: Justin Verlander

SP No. 4: Mickey Lolich

SP No. 5: Denny McLain

 

Bullpen

Emergency/Backup Starter: Mark Fidrych

Middle Reliever: Aurelio Lopez

Lefty Specialist: John Hiller

Set-up Man: Todd Jones

Closer: Willie Hernandez

 

Staff

Player/Bench Coach: Kirk Gibson (Captain)

Third Base Coach: Gene Lamont

Pitching Coach: Jim Leyland

Hitting Coach: Lloyd McClendon

Manager: Sparky Anderson

Sports Announcer: Ernie Harwell

Batboy: 12-year-old Prince Fielder (now that he's on the team, he deserves some role)

Catcher: Lance Parrish

The list of great Detroit Tigers catchers is a lengthy one. Bill Freehan was an 11-time All-Star, Mickey Cochrane was a two-time league MVP and then, you have a superstar like Ivan Rodriguez who helped turn the Tigers around at the end of his career. 

Lance Parrish, while not in the Hall of Fame, has to be one of the bigger snubs of potential candidates at catcher. Parrish was an eight-time All-Star and was a premier defensive catcher, as recognized by being a three-time Gold Glove award recipient and top hitter by being a six-time silver slugger. He was one of the key components to the 1984 World Series Detroit Tigers team, which is largely considered the best Detroit Tigers team of all-time.

Parrish went on to have a solid ending to his career with the Angels; however, his best years were in Motown. 

Runner Up: Bill Freehan

Honorable Mention: Mickey Cochrane

1stt Base: Hank Greenberg

The original "Hammerin' Hank," Greenberg was as dominant a player as there was during his era. Widely recognized as one of the best Jewish athletes, Hank Greenberg was a force. 

Greenberg was a two-time league MVP in a league that featured players such as Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Jimmie Foxx in their primes. Much like Ted Williams, his career was interrupted by service to his country. Had he not missed the time on the field, he would have likely had the total stats to compare with the other greats of the game. 

Greenberg is an all-time great and will go down as one of the top Tigers of all-time. Miguel Cabrera should be mentioned as a potential replacement on this list if he can continue his career numbers over a long time frame. But as of right now, he can not be in that discussion.

Runner Up: Miguel Cabrera

Honorable Mentions: Norm Cash and Cecil Fielder

2nd Base: Charlie Gehringer

The Mechanical Man may be one of the more odd nicknames in MLB history, but Charlie Gehringer was a machine at the plate. He holds a career lifetime average of .320, was an MVP in 1937, six-time All-Star and inducted into Cooperstown in 1949. Gehringer and Greenberg paced the Tigers through the 1930's.

Of all of the positions, second base was one of the more easy selections with Gehringer.

Runner-Up: Lou Whitaker

Honorable Mention: Placido Polanco

Shortstop: Alan Trammell

If there is one Detroit Tiger that deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, I think most fans would point directly to Alan Trammell. Trammell was a six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove recipient and was the 1984 World Series MVP.

Trammell never got the recognition that Cal Ripken, Robin Yount or Ryne Sandberg received, but in his prime, he was definitely statistically on their level. Many baseball historians think that the 1987 AL MVP should have gone to Trammell, as that year, he did have the highest WAR rating (Wins Above Replacement). But, he was beaten out by George Bell.

Regardless of Cooperstown induction or not, Alan Trammell trumps all other shortstop candidates in Tigers history.

Runner-Up: Donie Bush

Honorable Mention: Carlos Guillen

3rd Base: George Kell

While George Kell never hit over 12 home runs in a season, he was a very consistent hitter.  He held a career batting average of .306, was a 10-time All-Star and won the batting title in 1949. Kell was a doubles machine and will go down as one of the best and most consistent Tigers of all time. 

In 1983, Kell was inducted into Cooperstown by the Veteran's Committee.

Left Field: Bobby Veach

This may be the most obscure position to contest with when discussing the Detroit Tigers.  However, Bobby Veach should get some of the recognition that Ty Cobb received.

Veach was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1937. He held a career .310 average and led the AL in RBI's three times (even though one of those was with 78 in 1918). But even though he played in an era that did not see jaw-dropping power numbers, Veach was a great ballplayer and a great defensive left fielder. While Ty Cobb tends to get all of the discussion during that era, players like Veach and Sam Crawford were also greats.

Runner-up: Willie Horton (I really wanted to give him the edge, but I could not knock off someone in Cooperstown to do so)

Honorable Mention: Bobby Higginson

Center Field: Ty Cobb

The Georgia Peach is regarded by most baseball historians to be one of the best players to ever put on a baseball glove and swing a bat. By the time Cobb retired, he was the all-time hits leader with 4,189 hits, which was later passed by Pete Rose. While Cobb was no humanitarian, there is no doubting that he played with a vigor that fueled one of the most successful baseball careers of all-time. His career average is .366, and he had three seasons in which he hit over .400. 

While it was more possible to hit .400 in the early 1900's, keep in mind that since 1910, Cobb accounted for three of the 12 seasons in which someone has accomplished that feat. Cobb is clearly one of the greatest Detroit Tigers of all-time and will go down in history as one of the best players to ever play.

Runner-up: Mickey Stanley

Honorable Mention: Curtis Granderson (Sad to see him leave the organization. He was a class act and fan favorite.)

Right Field: Al Kaline

1954 Rookie of the Year. 15-time All-Star. 10-time Gold Glove recipient. Over 3,000 hits. 1980 Hall of Fame inductee. 

Regardless of the award or accolade, Al Kaline belongs on any Detroit Tigers all-time list and would be on the Mount Rushmore of the Detroit Tigers. When you have the nickname "Mr. Tiger" and are not in the PGA, it speaks for itself.

Runner-up: Sam Crawford and Harry Heilman

Honorable Mention: Magglio Ordonez

Designated Hitter: Miguel Cabrera

Miguel Cabrera, in my opinion, is an Albert Pujols-lite player. He is a world-class power hitter that hits for a high average. He has not been on the Detroit Tigers jersey very long, but on talent alone, I think he is as talented as any Detroit Tiger hitter. 

In his first eight full seasons, he has hit 100 RBI each year. He holds a career .317 average. The six-time all-star I think is destined for a couple MVP's by the end of his career. 

Picking a designated hitter for this lineup was not easy. Norm Cash and Cecil Fielder got consideration, but no one has been as consistent as Cabrera, even if he only has four seasons so far in the Tigers lineup. And I can not ignore everything he did with the Marlins in his teens and early 20's. He is going to have a long prime with that easy smooth swing.

Runner-up: Norm Cash and Cecil Fielder

Honorable Mention: Willie Horton 

Bench: Bill Freehan, Norm Cash, Lou Whitaker, Willie Horton and Kirk Gibson

When you go through the best of the rest for rounding out the bench for the all-time Detroit Tigers team, it is important to be balanced. 

For back-up catchers, I had to give some props to Bill Freehan and Mickey Cochrane.  Cochrane was a two-time MVP, but only one of those was with Detroit, which is why I can't take him over Bill Freehan.

Freehan, on the other hand, was an 11-time All-Star in a tougher era and played all of his 15 seasons with the Tigers. He was a five-time Gold Glove winner, and given his career with Detroit, it is hard to knock him from this team. We would be rolling with three catchers on this roster, but one needs to be stationed into the bullpen anyway, so this should work out well.

The best hitter to yet be on this list for the Tigers has to go to Norm Cash. Stormin Norman may not have the 50-plus home runs that Cecil Fielder had, but he was more consistent.

Fielder seems like he should be on this list somewhere, but his OBP for a power hitter was pretty poor. He is the Adam Dunn of the 90's with less walks, and for that reason alone and his terrible defense, I kept him off this list, though he is right on the cusp of being on it.

When you make a list of the best middle infielders for the Tigers, Lou Whitaker is generally listed right after Alan Trammell. That is fitting given the two are one of the most prestigious middle infield combinations of the past 50 years. "Sweet Lou" was a staple in the infield for the Tigers during his tenure and belongs on this team. Given his Gold Glove ability too, he could always move over to SS or 3B if necessary to fill the teams need.

Willie Horton was a four-time All-Star and was a key part to the 1968 World Series championship team. Horton was injury prone, but when he was able to be on the field for the Tigers, he was always pretty productive. As a back-up outfielder, he fits nicely with this team.

Kirk Gibson. Everyone knows the home run on two bad knees, but he also tattooed a home run off of Goose Gossage in the 1984 World Series. If there ever deserves to be one pinch hitter to be on a team, it is Gibson.

While some of his best years and memories came with the Dodgers, he was still a great player through the 1980's with the Tigers. Combine that with the fact I will make him my players/bench coach makes it that much sweeter of a pick.  He is also going to be my team captain.

Starting Pitcher No. 1: Jack Morris

Every year the Hall of Fame voting comes around, Jack Morris' name comes up and is in discussion. He has 254 wins and a career ERA of 3.90, which are no locks for Cooperstown. 

However, when you start discussing the best postseason pitchers of all time, Jack Morris is in that conversation. He may not have had a bloody sock like Curt Schilling, but what he did in 1984 for the Tigers and 1991 with the Twins, he might as well have played without socks. He was unbelievable during the biggest moments on the biggest stage, and I think most Tigers fans would agree he belongs at the top of this list.

And with his Ron Jeremy mustache, I can not think of too many more intimidating looks on the mound.

Starting Pitcher No. 2: Hal Newhouser

Hal Newhouser is a two-time league MVP, member of Cooperstown and was a key integral part of the 1945 World Series. His three-year stretch from 1944-1946 is one of the best three-year stretches of all time. He had a 1.99 ERA during that stretch, including his two MVP's.

Newhouser did not have the long career like Jack Morris, and that is why he is down on this list and not at the top.

Starting Pitcher No. 3: Justin Verlander

After the season that Justin Verlander just had with the Tigers in which he won the AL MVP, he could realistically be considered for the top spot. Verlander has just entered his prime, and if this past season was any indication, he appears to be on his way to the ace of the Detroit Tigers all-time staff. 

He only has six full seasons in the majors and is a four-time All-Star. He holds a career 107-57 record. He may be one of the few active starting pitchers with a realistic shot at the milestone of 300 career wins if he can stay healthy. If he stays healthy and stays in a Tigers uniform, he is going to shatter most of the Detroit record books for pitching. 

But until then, I have to keep him down in the No. 3 slot on this list, even though on pure stuff and talent, he is No. 1 by a mile. 

Starting Pitcher No. 4: Mickey Lolich

Mickey Lolich was the 1968 World Series MVP after he was 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in that dominant series. He has over 200 career wins with the Detroit Tigers and holds their strikeouts, shutouts and games started all-time records.

Realistically, he belongs right now at No. 3 on this list, but with what Verlander has done in his shorter career, I think it is realistic to think he will pace most of Lolich's stats at the end of it. 

Starting Pitcher No. 5: Denny McLain

Denny McLain had a short and infamous career. On the field, he had the highest winning percentage, .654, and lowest WHIP, 1.11. He is still the last pitcher to have 30-plus wins as a starting pitcher in the MLB. He was a huge part of the reason Detroit had the magical run they had in 1968, when they won the World Series.

Gambling and other injury issues brought McLain down and made his career much shorter than it should have been. But in his Tigers uniform, he was one of the best and is a two-time Cy Young award winner.

Bullpen: Mark Fidrych, Aurelio Lopez, John Hiller, Todd Jones, Jose Valverde and Willie Hernandez

Willie Hernandez owned 1984 and all of it's hardware. AL CY Young, AL MVP, and World Series Title.

First and foremost, the Tigers have had some pretty solid relievers in their long history.  While they have never had a Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman or Dennis Eckersley, they  have had productive players. 

Here is my call to the bullpen:

 

Long Reliever: Mark Fidrych

When you put together the long list of Detroit Tigers greats and teams, you have to at least mention "The Bird." He took baseball by storm when he arrived, and his reign on top of baseball still stands. 

As a non-roster invitee in 1976, the lanky Fidrych made the team, and he went on to win 19 games, led the league in ERA with a 2.34 mark and complete games with 24, won the AL ROY award and finished second in the Cy Young voting.

"When you're a winner, you're always happy, but if you're happy as a loser, you'll always be a loser." - Mark Fidrych

 

Lefty Specialist: John Hiller

Hiller would be the perfect left-handed specialist for this team. Insanely, Hiller suffered a heart attack in 1971, then went on to save 38 games in 1973, which was a major league record until 1983. He also set an AL record by with 17 wins as a reliever in 1974. He was a great pitcher and is part of the Canadian Hall of Fame. 

His entrance song for my team: Rush, by Tom Sawyer.

 

Seventh-Inning Reliever: Todd Jones

His fu manchu...epic.  His pitching was also pretty epic in his prime. He was a flame-thrower with 100 MPH gas. Jones is and will always be a great Detroit Tiger. While he held the Detroit Tigers single season record for saves with 42 until Jose Valverde in 2011 finished with 49, it was how he handled he called out Henry Schulman for calling Ryan Raburn a "scrub."

That is the kind of leadership the all-time Tigers roster needed.

 

Setup: Jose Valverde

49-for-49. Jose Valverde was a man possessed with 2011, when he converted all 49 of his save opportunities in the regular season, setting the Detroit Tigers single season record.  Valverde's style and energy will mesh well with the other personalities in it.

 

Closer: Willie Hernandez

Willie Hernandez in 1984 was absolutely one of the best pitchers in baseball. He won the AL CY Young and MVP with a 1.92 ERA. He helped carry the 1984 Tigers to the pinnacle in baseball with the World Series title, and for that, was named our Detroit Tigers all-time team's closer.