The Detroit Tigers mean a lot to me. I have been fortunate enough to shake Al Kaline‘s hand, witness Lou Whitaker hit one onto the roof in 1984, see Sparky Anderson walk slowly toward the third base dugout before a game in Texas and hand a ball to the youngster on my left, watch Justin Verlander shut down the New York Yankees in the 2012 ALCS with the rowdies in Kaline’s corner, and from the same corner watch the San Francisco Giants pile out of the first base dugout in Game 4 of the 2012 World Series. Why do I note bearing witness to the sweep as a highlight? Simple. We were there. Being at the park is what the game boils down to for me. Baseball has provided me with more eternal memories than all of the other experiences of my life. I am a Tiger fan. This simple fact ties me to many friends and relatives both alive and on the other side. I am truly grateful for the game of baseball. Here are ten reasons why my fellow Tiger fans ought give thanks:

#10 Uniform Stability

The team logo has remained constant since 1904 and our home jersey has been the same since 1934. The team’s road jersey has only been updated once since 1972. No need to go shopping every other year to stay current.

#9 The Trophy Case

The Tigers have won four World Series Titles (1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984) and won the pennant eleven times. We rank ninth among most championships earned by an organization. The A’s and Dodger organizations have won more but were not faithful to their cities. It is fair to say we rank seventh among active organizations which didn’t bail.

#8 The Legends

Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer, Mickey Cochrane, Hal Newhouser, George Kell, Al Kaline, Norm Cash, Mickey Lolich, Denny McLain, Willie Horton, Mark Fidrych, Jack Morris, Kirk Gibson, Lou Whitaker, and Alan Trammell all sported the ‘D’. Seven of the players I mentioned are in the Hall of Fame. Detroit has twenty-two representatives in the hall.

#7 The Memories

The 1968 World Series was a seven game classic. The Tiger’s faced Bob Gibson and The St. Louis Cardinals and came back from a 3-1 deficit. Willie Horton gunned down Lou Brock trying to score on a single from second in Game 5 and the Tigers won the last three games. Mickey Lolich was the pitching hero winning Games 2, 5, and 7. If you wish to relive history here is a video of Game 1 in its entirety from the 1968 series.

In 1984 the Tigers simply dominated. They began the season with a 35-5 record and never looked back. Lance Parish threw out nearly ever runner who tried to steal. ‘Senor Smoke’ Aurelio Lopez along with Willie Hernandez shut down nearly every game. We seemed to just know the Series was ours in June.

We should also be truly thankful for the class Sparky Anderson brought to the Tigers.

#6 History

The Detroit Tigers were founded in 1894 and played in The Western League. They were original members of the American League and also part of the ‘original sixteen’ when the American and National Leagues formed ties in 1901.

As stated in this article Brad Ausmus is for real. He played baseball with heart and grit, knows the game well, and will restore defense and aggressiveness to the Tigers.

#4 The Starting Rotation + 1

We are extremely fortunate to have a great rotation at the moment. Justin Verlander is lights out, especially when it counts. Max Scherzer has worked his tail off and proven himself to be top notch. Anibal Sanchez is extremely competitive and talented. Doug Fister is beyond solid. Rick Porcello has exceeded expectaions. Drew Smyly has remarkable talent and will most likely allow the Tigers to deal the four or five starter.

MVP – Triple Crown – Baseball Immortal

#2 Dave Dombrowski

Dave Dombrowski has wheeled and dealed in all the right ways. The talent he has brought to Detroit is quite possibly the best in team history. We are beyond fortunate to have ‘DD” on our side.

#1 Mike Ilitch

Mr. Dombrowski could not have put together such a team without an owner who supports him. Without Mr. Ilitch, we would spend our winters foolishly cheering on the Detroit Lions without the promise of a true contender taking the field next spring.