Editing Detroit Tigers (section)

====1945 World Series Champions====
{{Main|1945 Detroit Tigers season}}
With the end of World War II and the timely return of Hank Greenberg and others from the military, the Tigers won the AL pennant by just 1.5 games over the [[1945 Washington Senators season|Washington Senators]] with an 88–65 record.<ref>{{cite web|first=John|last=Rosengren|title=The Return of Hank Greenberg|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/hank-greenberg-return|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=August 17, 2018|archive-date=August 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817225532/https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/stories/baseball-history/hank-greenberg-return|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1945 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1945.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830124210/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1945.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Virgil Trucks]] returned from the U.S. Navy in time to pitch {{frac|5|1|3}} innings of 1-run ball in the pennant-clinching game, with starter [[Hal Newhouser]] pitching the final {{frac|3|2|3}} innings in relief. Newhouser won the [[Triple Crown (baseball)#Pitching Triple Crown|pitching triple crown]], leading the AL in wins (25), ERA (1.81) and strikeouts (212).<ref>{{cite web|first=Ed|last=Eagle|title=Triple Crown in Pitching|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/triple-crown-in-pitching/c-266118846|website=MLB.com|date=March 1, 2018|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828203255/https://www.mlb.com/news/triple-crown-in-pitching/c-266118846|url-status=live}}</ref> He became the first pitcher in the history of the AL, and still the only pitcher as of 2024, to win the MVP Award in two consecutive seasons.<ref>{{cite book|first1=David|last1=Nemec|first2=Scott|last2=Flatow|title=Baseball Feats, Facts and Firsts|year=2008|page=[https://archive.org/details/greatbaseballfea00davi/page/153 153]|publisher=Berkley|isbn=978-0451223630|url=https://archive.org/details/greatbaseballfea00davi/page/153|edition=2008}}</ref>

With Newhouser, Trucks and Dizzy Trout on the mound and Greenberg leading the offense, Detroit responded in a World Series Game 7 for the first time, staking Newhouser to a 5–0 lead before he threw a pitch en route to a 9–3 victory over the [[1945 Chicago Cubs season|Cubs]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1945 World Series|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1945|website=MLB.com|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819023821/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1945|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Stephen V.|last=Rice|title=October 10, 1945: Newhouser leads Tigers to Game 7 victory|url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-10-1945-newhouser-leads-tigers-game-7-victory|website=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828203257/https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-10-1945-newhouser-leads-tigers-game-7-victory|url-status=live}}</ref> Because many stars had not yet returned from the military, some baseball scholars have deemed the [[1945 World Series]] to be among the worst-played contests in World Series history. For example, prior to the World Series, Chicago sportswriter [[Warren Brown (sportswriter)|Warren Brown]] was asked who he liked, and he answered, "I don't think either one of them can win."<ref>{{cite web|first=Marc|last=Lancaster|title=Last World Series at Wrigley Field was hardly a fall classic|url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/last-world-series-at-wrigley-field-1945-cubs-tigers-world-war-ii/1bp6z2wgjbar91px5nnu6yumsc|website=Sporting News|date=October 27, 2016|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-date=October 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007004111/http://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/last-world-series-at-wrigley-field-1945-cubs-tigers-world-war-ii/1bp6z2wgjbar91px5nnu6yumsc|url-status=live}}</ref>