The Old English "D" on the front of the Tigers' home jersey makes it one of the most identifiable in baseball. The numbers on the back may need to be reviewed. In 1997, they changed the number placement from size small and large to standard and extra-large. In 1998, they added a second "D" to the front of the jersey to represent the team's relocation to Texas.
There have been several changes made to the Tigers' uniform over the years. Here is a list of all the uniforms that have been worn by the franchise:
1901-1902: White with blue caps and trim (no insignia)
1903-1904: Blue with white caps and trim (no insignia)
1905-1906: Gray with black caps and trim (no insignia)
1907-1908: Black with gray cap and trim (no insignia)
1909-1910: Black with gray cap and trim (no insignia)
1911-1912: Black with red cap and trim (no insignia)
1913-1914: Black with red cap and trim (no insignia)
The Detroit Tigers have acknowledged the ancient English letter "D" as part of their emblem, and even when they try to move away from it, they return to it. The team's logo has seen several alterations over the past century, and the following is a thorough look at their logo history.
The current version of the Detroit Tigers logo was adopted in 1947 after the franchise had been dormant for three years. It was designed by Albert Einstein (no, not the physicist), who also did the uniforms for both the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers. The Tigers originally wore a uniform similar to that of their rivals from Chicago: red pants and a white shirt with red pinstripes. However, due to complaints from fans that the team looked too much like the Yankees, owner Frank McGuire hired Einstein to come up with a new design.
Einstein's first attempt at a logo was rejected by McGuire, but the designer came back with a new version one month later. This time he removed the pinstripes from the uniform and instead put a black diamond with red borders on the front of the jersey. The new design was met with positive feedback from fans and media members, leading McGuire to keep it for the rest of his ownership period. After selling the team to Mike Ilitch in 1984, he brought back the old design as a throwback.
The team moniker "Tigers" appears for the first time on this road outfit. The term "Tigers" appears on the road uniform for the first time this season. It only appeared on the home uniform once, during the 1960 season. That same year, the club won its first World Series title.
The nickname "Tigers" was given to the team by an employee of the New York Daily News who wrote an article titled "The Detroit Tigers: America's Game". The piece was published on April 17, 1960 and it can be found in any copy of that day's newspaper. In it, we are told that the players like the name and that it is meant as a compliment to their aggressive play. At the time of writing, the team had not won a game yet this season and was doing so well that some people thought they might win it all. The writer also mentions other teams that have been called "Tigers" in previous years, which shows that it is not a new nickname.
There are several theories about how the team got their nickname. Some say it has something to do with their location while others claim it has something to do with their owner at the time, Al Kaline. Yet another theory is that the nickname comes from the fact that most of the players come from the Detroit area and there are many small towns named "Tiger" in Michigan.
| Detroit Tigers | |
|---|---|
| American League (1901–present) Central Division (1998–present) East Division (1969–1997) | |
| Current uniform | |
| Retired numbers | TC 2 3 5 6 11 16 23 42 47 |
| Colors | |
Uniform Numbers for the Detroit Tigers Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers, 2014 75. Gary Sheffield, Detroit Tigers, 2008 76. Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers, 2015 77. Ian Kinsler, Detroit Tigers, 2016
This is because April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day, when every Major League Baseball team honors the first player to break the sport's color barrier after decades of discrimination. All uniformed personnel in MLB—players, coaches, and umpires—will wear No. 42 for today's games as part of the celebration.
This season, the Detroit Tigers are honoring "Mr. Tiger" on their sleeves. Beginning with Opening Day, every Tigers jersey worn throughout the 2020 season will have the No. 6 patch in memory of iconic Hall of Famer Al Kaline, who died on April 6 at the age of 85.
The number 6 has been a popular one for many years among baseball players. It was used by Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Lemon to name a few. The number 6 also belongs to former major league players Mike Lowell (Boston Red Sox), Eric Byrnes (San Diego Padres), and Billy Bean (Tigers).
Kaline, who spent his entire 17-year career with the Tigers, became one of the team's most beloved figures after his retirement in 1992. He returned in 1996 as a special guest instructor, and then took over as full-time coach in 1998, leading the team to its first World Series title since 1984. He stepped down as coach in 2001 but remained part of the organization by serving as a special advisor to General Manager Dave Dombrowski until his death.
In addition to his work with the Tigers, Kaline played a key role in bringing baseball back to Detroit after the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. The city had hosted the event four years earlier and wasn't allowed to host again because it couldn't provide its own stadium facilities.
Uniform number in Major League Baseball (Major League Baseball) In baseball, the uniform number is the number that each player and coach wears on their uniform. Because no two persons from the same team may wear the same number, numbers are used to readily identify each person on the field. Although intended solely for identification,...
There are no more fresh baseball jersey numbers in the world—the final unused big league uniform number has already been claimed. On August 20, the Yankees called up Miguel Yajure and assigned him No. 89, the only number from 0 to 99 that has never been worn in a Major League Baseball regular-season game.
The Philadelphia Phillies are the only major league club that wears a number on their sleeve. The White Sox accomplished it from 1971 through 1975, and the Cardinals did it in 1979 and 1980. Baseball's official regulations say that all team players' uniforms must be similar.
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