Editing Detroit Tigers (section)

====1969–1971====
1969 saw further expansion as both leagues realigned into two divisions of six teams, and the Tigers were placed in the [[American League East]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Ruane|title=A Retro-Review of the 1960s|url=https://www.retrosheet.org/Research/RuaneT/rev1960_art.htm#A1969|website=Retrosheet|access-date=September 17, 2018|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918054417/https://www.retrosheet.org/Research/RuaneT/rev1960_art.htm#A1969|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="1969 AL">{{cite web|title=1969 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1969.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 17, 2018|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918054642/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1969.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> That year, [[1969 Detroit Tigers season|Detroit]] failed to defend its title, despite Denny McLain having another outstanding season with a 24–9 campaign, earning him his second straight Cy Young Award (co-winner with Baltimore's [[Mike Cuellar]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=1969 American League Cy Young Award voting results|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1969.shtml#all_AL_CYA_voting|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 17, 2018|archive-date=February 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201085337/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1969.shtml#all_AL_CYA_voting|url-status=live}}</ref> The Tigers' 90 wins placed them a distant second in the division to a very strong [[1969 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles team]], which had won 109 games.<ref name="1969 AL"/><ref>{{cite web|title=MLB's winningest seasons|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mlb-s-winningest-seasons-1.3077797|website=Newsday|date=February 25, 2016|access-date=September 17, 2018|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918061540/https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mlb-s-winningest-seasons-1.3077797|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Tigers suffered a disappointing 1970 season, finishing fourth in the AL East with a 79–83 record.<ref>{{cite web|title=1970 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1970.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-date=November 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103170305/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1970.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the season, Mayo Smith was let go and was replaced by [[Billy Martin]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Bruce|last=Markusen|title=Mayo Smith deserves to remembered for what he did – and didn't do – as a Tigers' manager|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2014/11/26/mayo-smith-deserves-remembered-didnt-tigers-manager/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=November 26, 2014|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115221944/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2014/11/26/mayo-smith-deserves-remembered-didnt-tigers-manager/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Bruce|last=Markusen|title=Billy Martin infused veteran Tiger team with new life in early 1970s|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2013/11/11/billy-martin-infused-veteran-tiger-team-with-new-life-in-early-1970s/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=November 11, 2013|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116063816/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2013/11/11/billy-martin-infused-veteran-tiger-team-with-new-life-in-early-1970s/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Martin>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Acocella|title=Billy battled opponents, himself|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Martin_Billy.html|website=ESPN.com|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-date=October 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003160748/http://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/Martin_Billy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In a playing career that was primarily spent with the [[New York Yankees]], Martin played his final games with the [[Minnesota Twins]] and stayed in that organization after his retirement.<ref name=Martin/> He managed the Twins to an AL West Division title in [[1969 Minnesota Twins season|1969]], but was fired after that season due to rocky relationships with his players, which included a legendary fight with pitcher [[Dave Boswell (baseball)|Dave Boswell]] in an alley behind Detroit's Lindell AC sports bar.<ref name=Martin/><ref>{{cite web|first=Bill|last=Dow|title=Remembering Detroit's Original Sports Bar: The Lindell AC|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2009/07/27/remembering-detroit%e2%80%99s-original-sports-bar-the-lindell-ac/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=July 29, 2009|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308130338/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2009/07/27/remembering-detroit%E2%80%99s-original-sports-bar-the-lindell-ac/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Also during the offseason, Denny McLain, who had been suspended three times and had a 3–5 record, was part of an eight-player deal with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)#Washington Senators (1961–1971)|Washington Senators]] in what would turn out to be a heist for Detroit.<ref name="1970 trade">[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19701010&id=JBQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rsgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=927,1362568 Bad Boy Denny Back in Baseball] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225034848/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19701010&id=JBQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rsgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=927,1362568 |date=February 25, 2021 }}, ''TimesDaily'', Florence, Alabama, October 10, 1970</ref><ref name=Acocella>{{cite web|first=Nick|last=Acocella|title=From the big time to the big house|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/McLain_Denny.html|website=ESPN.com|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-date=August 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831020841/http://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/McLain_Denny.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="McLain trade">{{cite web|title=Looking at a few of the worst deals in baseball history|url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/looking-at-a-few-of-the-worst-deals-in-baseball/article_2013ede8-3a81-53c3-9dcc-fde063aa9626.html|website=The Oakland Press|date=July 22, 2007|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921034303/https://www.theoaklandpress.com/news/looking-at-a-few-of-the-worst-deals-in-baseball/article_2013ede8-3a81-53c3-9dcc-fde063aa9626.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Maddox>{{cite web|first=Bruce|last=Markusen|title=Elliott Maddox was part of lopsided deal that sent Denny McLain to Senators|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2015/01/08/elliott-maddox-part-lopsided-deal-sent-denny-mclain-senators/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=January 8, 2015|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=January 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116065336/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2015/01/08/elliott-maddox-part-lopsided-deal-sent-denny-mclain-senators/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Tigers acquired pitcher [[Joe Coleman (1970s pitcher)|Joe Coleman]], shortstop [[Eddie Brinkman]] and third baseman [[Aurelio Rodríguez]].<ref name="1970 trade"/><ref name="McLain trade"/><ref name=Maddox/>

Martin's [[1971 Detroit Tigers season|Tigers]] posted 91 wins in 1971. However, they had to settle for a second-place finish behind the Orioles, who won 101 games to take their third straight AL East Division crown.<ref>{{cite web|title=1971 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1971.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-date=September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922024754/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1971.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The season was highlighted by Mickey Lolich's 308 strikeouts, which led the AL and is still the single-season record in franchise history.<ref name=Lolich/> Lolich also won 25 games and posted a 2.92 ERA while throwing an incredible 376 innings and completing 29 of his 45 starts.<ref name="1971 Tigers">{{cite web|title=1971 Detroit Tigers Statistics|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1971.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-date=September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922024842/https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1971.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Peter J.|last=Wallner|title=Mickey Lolich, after 3,600 innings without surgery, says today's pitchers are 'coddled'|url=https://www.mlive.com/whitecaps/index.ssf/2016/08/mickey_lolich_shares_secret_ho.html|website=MLive|date=August 11, 2016|access-date=September 21, 2018|archive-date=September 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922024655/https://www.mlive.com/whitecaps/index.ssf/2016/08/mickey_lolich_shares_secret_ho.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Coleman paid immediate dividends for Detroit, winning 20 games,<ref name="1971 Tigers"/> while McLain went 10–22 for the Senators and was out of baseball by the following season.<ref name=Acocella/><ref name="McLain trade"/><ref>{{cite web|first=Ira|last=Berkow|title=BASEBALL; In a Lifetime Full of Second Chances, Denny McLain Receives His Biggest|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/sports/baseball-in-a-lifetime-full-of-second-chances-denny-mclain-receives-his-biggest.html|website=The New York Times|date=December 29, 2003|access-date=September 20, 2018|archive-date=September 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921041929/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/29/sports/baseball-in-a-lifetime-full-of-second-chances-denny-mclain-receives-his-biggest.html|url-status=live}}</ref>