Which was the best Detroit team NOT to win a World Series?

[FloridaTigers]

By your personal experience, which was the best Tiger team not to win it? 1987? 1967? 1972? Perhaps even 2006? Looking through baseballreference, 1987 had one staaaacked team.

[estrepe1]

I think the 1934 team was the best not to win the title. 1961 was a very good team as well. So was the 1915 team. I really do like the 1987 team.

I would probably rank them:

1. 1934
2. 1961
3. 2006
4. 1915
5. 1940
6. 1987
7. 1909
8. 1967
9. 1983
10. 1969
11. 1907

That is just off of memory I could be wrong in the order but I think those are the top 11 best Tiger teams not to win the title.

[Yoda]

I'm pretty partial to the '87 team but I think last year's team had more talent. The were just a bit inexperienced.

[eastside billee]

1961 -- however, it was awful difficult to beat a team like the yankees with 2 hitters 50 hrs. Cash was sensational that year.

[FloridaTigers]

Didn't the Yankees win about 109 or 110 games in 1961? Disgusting.

[iceteebone]

going by my personal experience, it would have to be the 06 team. iirc the 83 team was the only team in the AL capable of stopping baltimore but fell short of the playoffs

[MelissaG915]

how can any team with Ty Cobb not be in the top 5?

[mancity09]

how can any team with Ty Cobb not be in the top 5?

The problem with those teams with Ty Cobb was they didn't have the greatest pitching.

[estrepe1]

how can any team with Ty Cobb not be in the top 5?

I have the 1915 club as the 4th best team to not win the title. If you look through his clubs the teams had little to no pitching.

[ToledoTigerFan]

The 1987 team followed real closely by the 2006 team. I'm only going on teams I've seen. Who knows about the '15 team or '34 or '61?

[estrepe1]

The 1987 team followed real closely by the 2006 team. I'm only going on teams I've seen. Who knows about the '15 team or '34 or '61?

I don't think you need to see teams to know how good or bad they were.

[whitecapwendy]

By your personal experience, which was the best Tiger team not to win it? 1987? 1967? 1972? Perhaps even 2006? Looking through baseballreference, 1987 had one staaaacked team.

I think the 1934 team was the best not to win the title. 1961 was a very good team as well. So was the 1915 team. I really do like the 1987 team.

I would probably rank them:

1. 1934
2. 1961
3. 2006
4. 1915
5. 1940
6. 1987
7. 1909
8. 1967
9. 1983
10. 1969
11. 1907

That is just off of memory I could be wrong in the order but I think those are the top 11 best Tiger teams not to win the title.


Hey Estrepe, how old are you? :wink: (seriously though, good analysis)

[estrepe1]

Hey Estrepe, how old are you? :wink: (seriously though, good analysis)

I saw that but when thinking about the best teams not to win the title in Tiger history I don't think my 21 years of experience (I am 25 but only remember teams back to when I was 4) is enough to cover the 102 possible teams.

[ToledoTigerFan]

I don't think you need to see teams to know how good or bad they were.

No, you don't, but I'm just going to rank teams that are more contemporary, teams that I saw play and saw the teams they played against. It's easier for me to judge what I've seen. I was only 3 in '61, so at that time I was more concerned with important things like growing up and not pissing myself. :embar:

[whitecapwendy]

I have to say that I appreciate the thought and research that went into Estrepe's answer, but still couldn't resist having a little fun

[belcherboy]

1994

[Domino]

I'd probably go 1987 then 2006

[Corky]

1961.

[TigersPodcast]

I'll go with, in order, 1987, 2006 and 1961.

[Madmanrick]

I think the "title" should go to the '34 team, 101-53 is an EXCELLENT record and if you extrapolate that to 162 games it would have been something like 106-56! The '61 & '87 teams were pretty close and should be honorable mentions! I think 2006, 1967 and 1972 were all pretty close in terms of wins and losses, but would be behind the aforementioned teams imo.

[Tyrus]

As long as we're not taking the ESPN route and restricting our answers to the last 30 years, then it's hands-down the 1934 team, which won more than 100 games and featured no less than 4 Hall of Famers. And these just weren't any HOFers -- with Greenberg, Gehringer and Cochrane, they were among top few players all-time at their respective positions. And Goslin was no slouch either.

The '34 team also had the pitching, with Bridges, Rowe, Crowder, etc.

[Dawgs]

From personal experience, Id say 1987. The 4 game set to finish the season against Toronto, left them with little against a scrappy but inferior Minnesota Twins team. But wow, what a finish to the regular season. That season should have been enough to get Tram into the hall. He did it all.

The '61 team won 101 games and still finished 8 back of the Yankees. The Reds won the national league pennant with 93 victories. Thats gotta be the all time disappointment.