The Detroit Tigers were a less-than-mediocre franchise for most of the 1990s and early 2000s. With just six winning seasons and a single playoff appearance following their 1984 World Series victory, fans in the Motor City were desperate for a competitive baseball team. For a franchise steeped in history, it struggled to recapture its former glory.
The summer of 2006 presented a turning point in the MLB. A franchise hungry for success, the Tigers possessed the sixth pick in the amateur draft. With a minor league program full of talent and a core of young potential stars, fans didn’t have long to wait, or so they hoped. In need of a second option on the mound to complement a budding star in Justin Verlander, the Tigers sought another starting pitcher. Within the first five picks, four pitchers, all of whom wound up being average at best were selected with third baseman Evan Longoria sandwiched in between.
With various options including Andrew Miller, Tim Lincecum, and Max Scherzer available, the Tigers veered away from the safer, more polished option in the collegiate standout from North Carolina and selected lanky left-handed Highland Park Scots pitcher and National Player of the Year, Clayton Kershaw.
Armed with an electric fastball and a nasty slider, Kershaw quickly rose through the ranks of the Tigers farm system to join the team in 2008, one that had battled its way to the 2006 World Series and was on the verge of something special. Armed with offensive stars such as Miquel Cabrera, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen, the Tigers were able to counter defensively with elite pitching from Verlander, Armando Galarraga, and a twenty-year-old Kershaw.
The American League was about to be transformed. Although they would miss out on the post-season in his first year, Kershaw and Verlander combined to give the Tigers a 1-2 punch that propelled them to a wildcard berth in 2009. One year later, the Tigers, behind the firepower of MVP Kershaw, captured their first World Series in over two decades with a 4-1 gentlemen’s sweep over the Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants.
By the following season, the Tigers had created a juggernaut. Joining the tandem of Kershaw and Verlander would be Max Scherzer, giving Detriot the most dominant trio of starting pitchers since the Atlanta Braves trotted out the big three of Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, and Tom Glavine.
Over the next decade, the trio of pitchers would keep the Tigers among playoff contenders, shifting the balance of power in the American League away from the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.
Kershaw’s dominance continued. He would capture multiple Cy Young Awards, leading the league in strikeouts on numerous occasions, helping to solidify his place among the greatest pitchers of not just his era, but of all-time. But it wasn’t just Kershaw’s individual accolades that defined his legacy in Detroit, but also the way he helped to elevate the franchise, winning back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011 against the St. Louis Cardinals in an epic seven-game series.
Four years later the Tigers once again found themselves in the World Series, this time taking on the New York Mets. With just a single playoff appearance since reaching the World Series in 2000, the Mets had been building momentum over the years, hoping to win their first championship since 1986. In a classic seven-game series, Kershaw would lead the Tigers to their third championship since joining the team, but not in a way that many would expect. With the Mets holding a one-run advantage, Kershaw, with a man on third, stepped to the plate midway through the Tigers half of the sixth inning. After pitching a classic Kershaw game, the lefty, who batted just .127 in the regular season knocked in the game-tying run. Two innings later, the Tigers would secure yet another World Series title.
With Verlander moving on to the Houston Astros and Scherzer leaving to join the Washington Nationals, the Tigers would struggle to maintain their grip on the AL Central. Although he was beginning to show signs of his age, losing speed on his once dominating fastball and slider, Kershaw still offered Detroit some hope. Facing a crossroads entering the 2020 season, the Tigers could either trade Kershaw and rebuild around a younger core or they could try to hold on to their hero for the remaining years of his career.
After years of trying to build a dominant team, the LA Dodgers, seeking help on the mound, were willing to move some of their young prospects and draft picks for the multi-time Cy Young star. Knowing that Kershaw had given their franchise everything he had and more, management knew that giving the future Hall-of-Fame pitcher one final chance to win another World Series was the right thing to do.
In his first season with the Dodgers, Kershaw finished the Covid-shortened schedule with a 6-2 regular season record. While his numbers weren’t as dominant during the 60-game abbreviated season, Kershaw’s value would shine in the playoffs going 4-1 in five starts, including 2-0 in the Dodgers' 4-2 World Series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
While Kershaw continues to find ways to help the Dodgers remain on top of the National League standings, the Tigers would go into a tailspin, struggling to return to the level of success they once enjoyed.
Comments