The 1972 Detroit Tigers: Billy Martin and the Half-Game Champs
After winning the 1968 World Series, the Detroit Tigers looked to be sliding their way into obscurity: Though they still had some marquee players, including Kaline, Cash, Lolich and Freehan, the dynastic Baltimore Orioles seemed to have passed them by. But then in a move that stoked the competitive fires of the team, Detroit hired manager Billy Martin, the star second baseman on Yankees teams that had won five World Series and whose managerial debut in 1969 ended in the league championship...
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After winning the 1968 Baseball World Championship, the Detroit Tigers looked to be sliding their way into obscurity. Though they still had some marquee players, including Kaline, Cash, Lolich and Freehan, they were quickly being eclipsed by the dynastic Baltimore Orioles. This book recounts how the hiring of manager Billy Martin changed that, and how the energized 1972 Detroit Tigers recovered from obscurity. This history is retold against the backdrop of a momentous summer in American history and provides a fresh view of those revolutionary times.]
Acknowledgments viPreface 1Introduction: A Summer to Remember 5I Ascending to the Mountaintop ... and Tumbling Back Down 9II Dark Clouds Gather Over Sunny Skies 27III Strike One! 42IV The Race Begins 51V Measuring Up to the Competition 70VI Hitting Their Stride 89VII Out of a Hat and into the Lineup 106VIII Down to the Wire 129IX Showdown in Motown 157X California, Here We Come! 179XI "I'm Proud of Every One of You Guys" 199XII Extra Innings 225XIII End of an Era 234Appendix (Final Standings and Individual Statistics) 251Chapter Notes 255Bibliography 263Index 265
