Mickey Cochrane and the 1934 Detroit Tigers

Posted on by farlane

Detroit Tiger

Detroit Tiger Manager Mickey Cochrane, photo courtesy Boston Public Library

There were few things as exciting as watching somebody trying to get in there on a close play with Cochrane. Home plate was his, you see. You had to take it away from him. Tough? Just the same as a piece of flint.
~Doc Cramer regarding Mickey Cochrane

Yesterday the Detroit Tigers came from behind to beat the White Sox 6-5 in extra innings. It was their 12th in a row and a feat that only 3 Tiger squads have matched. Tiger Tales has the list with 13 in a row in 1927 and 14 from 1909 and 1934.

Speaking of 12 and 1934, the Bleacher Report (which I’m finding to be a really cool sports site) ranks the ’34 Tigers as the 12th best offense in baseball history. While the team ultimately fell to the Gas House Gang in the World Series, they won 101 games and dominated the AL for several years with a lineup was ridiculous, as Motown Sports explains:

The addition of outfielder (Goose) Goslin to a lineup that already featured stars Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer, earned the Tigers’ offense the nickname “G-Men” after the legendary FBI officers of the day. While G-Men were known to get into shootouts with gangsters, the Tigers’ G-Men formed the nucleus of an offense that helped the club roar through the American League in 1934 posting a 101-53 record.

Four Tigers, Greenberg (139), Gehringer (127), shortstop Billy Rogell (100) and Goslin (100), each had 100 RBI campaigns. Gerhinger paced the league in hits, as well, with 214. However, the Tigers of ’34 not only could hit, but they could run, too. JoJo White (28), Pete Fox (25) and Gee Walker (20) finished amongst the top five in the American League steals leaders. The G-Men led the AL in runs, batting average (an incredible .300), doubles and stolen bases in 1934.

Click through for the ’34 Series program and much more about one of the greatest Tiger teams.

The manager of this team was Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane. He appeared on a 1935 cover of TIME Magazine, won the AL MVP for the Tigers in ’34 and led the Tigers to 2 pennants and the 1935 World Championship. Wikipedia notes that the fiercely competitive “Black Mike” was one of the greatest catchers in baseball history with a .320 batting average over a 13 year playing career, the highest until Joe Mauer surpassed it in 2009!

The photo of Mickey Cochrane on the dugout steps at Fenway Park is from 1934-38. You can view it background big and see more in the Boston Public Library’s Mickey Cochrane slideshow.

More Detroit Tigers photos on Michigan in Pictures including a post about another member of this legendary squad, 2nd baseman Charlie Gheringer.

Impossible Dream?

Posted on by farlane

"Impossible Dream"

“Impossible Dream”, photo by Hilarywho

Tigers? Lions? We can dream, can’t we?

Hilary writes:

This spray-paint mural was made by Kobie Soloman. It covers the side of a building at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit and is made up of elements of Detroit’s sports teams, aspects of Detroit industry, and representation of creative activities at the Russell.

Check this photo out bigger and in her Art slideshow.

2011 Detroit Jazz Festival this weekend!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Detroit Jazz Fest receives $100,000 from Knight Foundation to support DJF's Jazz Planet

Detroit Jazz Fest receives $100,000 from Knight Foundation to support DJF’s Jazz Planet, photo by Knight Foundation.

“This weekend, for me and everyone I’ve spoken with was the epitome of how a jazz festival can feel, with an entire city and international audience bringing their love and positively together with an expansive family of musicians… and it was all real jazz.” ~Jazz pianist Benny Green

The annual Detroit Internations Jazz Festival was founded in 1980. It is completely free and starts tomorrow. They say:

Voted one of the top three jazz festivals in North America in national jazz publications this year, the 32nd Detroit Jazz Festival continues to demonstrate how much jazz shines as a symbol of freedom and democracy all over the world this Labor Day weekend, Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5.

Subtitled “We Bring You the World,” artists from Benin, Brazil, Cuba, Israel, Japan and the Netherlands will convene in Detroit at the world’s largest free jazz festival. Performers include: Toots Thielemans, Dave Holland, Luciana Souza, Gary Burton, Ivan Lins, Paquito D’Rivera, Angélique Kidjo, Kevin Eubanks, Vijay Iyer, Vinicius Cantuária, Joe Lovano, Mandrill, Chuck Jackson, Deacon Jones Blues Revue, Steve Wilson, U.S. Airforce Airmen of Note with Joe Locke, Anthony Wilson, Sun Ra Arkestra, Sammy Figueroa, Tony Monaco, Richie Goods, Rahsaan Patterson, Sean Jones, and Christian McBride with Ernie Andrews and the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra, this year presented by MotorCity Casino Hotel.

While artists are visiting from across the globe, some of Detroit’s own jazz artists will be coming home. The Detroit-born Dianne Reeves, Geri Allen, Regina Carter, Curtis Fuller, Robert Hurst and Karriem Riggins will prove once again that, based on the talent that comes from southeast Michigan, there must be something in the water. The festival will also recognize Detroit’s big band tradition with a J.C. Heard tribute band led by Walt Szymanski, and the music of Detroit’s Jean Goldkette played by Josh Duffee & his Orchestra.

The Detroit News reports that Jazz Fest typically draws 250,000 people and their webcasts at www.livestream.com/jazzplanettv are seen by almost three times that many!

Speaking of DJF’s Jazz Planet, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to help the festival reach a global audience. Check this photo out bigger and if you’re near the D this weekend, definitely check out Jazz Fest!!

Pride and Joy at the Woodward Dream Cruise

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Pride and Joy

Pride and Joy, photo by country_boy_shane.

The annual Woodward Dream Cruise is the is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars. It takes place this Saturday (August 20, 2011) and has come a long way since August 1995, Nelson House and a group of volunteers looked to relive and recreate the cruisin’ heydays of the 50s and 60s.

The one day cruise is paired with the Ferndale Woodward Dream Cruise which happens August 18-20 and has many special exhibitions and musical performances.

More about the Woodward Dream Cruise on Michigan in Pictures.

Check this out background big and in Shane’s Woodward Dream Cruise 2008 slideshow. You can also get your own copy from Shane Gorski Photography!

Want more? Have a look at the Woodward Dream Cruise Group on Flickr!

Detroit Tiger All Stars, Now & Then

Posted on by farlane

Charlie Gheringer

In 2011, the Detroit Tigers are rolling into the All Star break leading the AL Central. Their sizzling play is reflected in the lineup for tomorrow night’s All Star Game with 5 All Stars. In addition to the starting catcher Alex Avila, the Bengals are also sending pitcher Justin Verlander, first baseman Miguel Cabrera, pitcher Jose Valverde and newly acquired shortstop Jhonny Peralta. That’s one short of the most All-Stars they’ve had (in 1984 and 1985).

You can check out the complete list of Detroit Tiger All-Stars from MLB.com. It dates back to the first All Star game in 1933. Tigers’ Hall of Fame second basemen Charlie Gheringer played played every inning of the first six All-Star Games as the starting second baseman for the American League, and played a pivotal role in the very first All Star game:

The novel idea of a single game made up of the most exciting assemblage of ball-playing talent ever brought together on the diamond at one time, seemed too good to be true. In 1933 and 1934, All-Star teams were selected by the managers and the fans. The National League’s manager John McGraw and American League’s Connie Mack were chosen to lead a line-up of big hitters including Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and the one and only Babe Ruth. “We wanted to see the Babe,” said Bill Hallahan, the National League starter. “Sure, he was old and had a big waistline, but that didn’t make any difference. We were on the same field as Babe Ruth.”

With fellow All-Star, Charlie Gehringer on first in the bottom of the third, The Babe drove one into the right-field stands, the first homer in All-Star history. The crowd, according to one account, “roared in acclamation” and the first All-Star Game, won by the American League on the strength of Ruth’s homer, was a resounding success.

I’m not sure who took this photo, but I found it through Brian DeWagner’s blog where he posted it with What’s in a Name?.

Charles Leonard Gehringer was born in Fowlerville, Michigan. Nicknamed “The Mechanical Man” for his astonishing consistancy, he batted over .300 13 times  and was one of the greatest 2nd basemen ever to play the game. Learn more about his career at the Baseball Hall of Fame and via Wikipedia!

Update! Just found a great account of Charlie Gehringer’s 1934 All-Star game at Bless You Boys – check it out!

Magic Kingdom Time

Posted on by farlane

Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom, photo by Cherie S.

One of the best sites for the Fourth of July weekend to have on speed dial is michiganfireworks.com.

Check this out bigger and in Cherie’s Detroit slideshow.

Hope you all have a great July 4th weekend!

Above & Along the Rouge River

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Zug Island

Zug Island, photo by Airplane Lane.

Over on Absolute Michigan a little while back we had a feature from one of my favorite blogs, Bootstrap Analysis. It’s titled Urban Birding: Touring the Rouge River. For a look at what the Rouge looks like and a sense of how that happened, click over!

If you’re interested in the preservation efforts on the river, check out Friends of the Rouge River.

Check it out background bigtacular and in Matt’s awesome Aerial Photography slideshow.

Lots more Michigan aerial photographs on Michigan in Pictures.

The Fisher Building in Detroit

Posted on by farlane

iPhone Fisher

iPhone Fisher, photo by Trovarsi

The Detroit News Rearview Mirror feature on the Fisher Building in Detroit begins:

When the seven Fisher Brothers of Fisher Body fame hired architect Albert Kahn in 1927 to design a building that would bear their name, they gave him a blank check and the instructions to build “the most beautiful building in the world.” Plans for a $35 million three-phase project were announced by the brothers in January of 1927. The original program called for three units to be built over a period of several years, but due to the onset of the Great Depression in 1929, only phase one, the Fisher Building, was completed at a cost of $10 million.

The site the brothers had selected for the structure was bounded by West Grand Boulevard, Lothrop Avenue, Third Avenue and Second Boulevard, across from the General Motors building. They originally wanted to build downtown but were unable to put together a suitable parcel of land. They turned to the General Motors area where the idea for a New Center was born.

Read on and see some cool photos at the Detroit News. You can also check out the Fisher Building on Emporis and the Fisher Building on Wikipedia, which notes that the building contains the 2,089 seat Fisher Theatre, a National Historic Landmark, and it is also the location of the headquarters for the Detroit Public Schools. More about Albert Kahn on Michigan in Pictures.

Check this out bigger and in Ryan’s Detroit slideshow.

More architecture from Michigan in Pictures.

Emancipation Proclamation at the Henry Ford

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures
The Rosa Parks Bus by Rafael Peixoto Ferreira

The Rosa Parks Bus by Rafael Peixoto Ferreira

One of our nation’s most significant documents, the Emancipation Proclamation, will be on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

Following a brief opening ceremony, the original document will be on display around-the-clock, straight through early Wednesday morning, June 22, when it will return to Washington DC. More info and related events at the Emancipation Proclamation at the Hentry Ford.

I couldn’t think of a more fitting image for this than the Rosa Parks bus, just one of many amazing relics of American history that are displayed at the Henry Ford (see their exhibits). See more in Rafael’s great Detroit gallery.

Here’s a whole bunch of photos from the Henry Ford Museum from the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr!

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Farewell to the Silver Fox: Detroit Tiger great Jim Northrup

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Jim Northrup , photo by mvsportsmemorabilia.

“One thing you could depend on, Northrup was going to put the bat on the ball in some kind of way. And 1968, that was his year. He was tough all year. He let you know that he was there.”
~Gates Brown

Wikipedia says that Jim Northrup was born in Breckenridge, Michigan in 1939. Samara over at Roar of the Tigers marked his passing today, as did the Detroit Tigers who say:

Northrup played parts of 12 seasons in the Majors, mostly with the Tigers. He made his big league debut in 1964.

…Northrup’s most memorable years were with Detroit, especially in 1968. He hit .264 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs that season and shined in Game 7 of the World Series. With two outs in the seventh inning, Northrup tripled off St. Louis Cardinals ace Bob Gibson to bring in Norm Cash and Willie Horton.

Dick Tracewski, a reserve infielder on that club who also went on to coach with the Tigers, told the Free Press that Northrup’s famous triple was “the biggest hit that’s ever been gotten for the Detroit Tigers. He won the World Series for us.”

Get his stats at BaseballReference.com. You’ll probably enjoy these columns by David Mayo and Mike Mowry as well as this 3 part video interview with Jim Northrup by From Glory Days.

Check it out bigger and see a few more in their slideshow.