Sunday Special: Happy Birthday, Detroit Tigers

Browsing for Tigers historical tidbits proved to be extraordinarily fruitful this weekend. Here’s what I found on Baseball-Reference.com:

Friday, April 25, 1901 - At Bennett Park, the Detroit Tigers make an incredible comeback in their American League debut. Trailing 13 - 4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Tigers score 10 runs in their last at-bat to defeat the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, 14 - 13. Frank Dillon drives in the game-winning run with a double, his fourth of the game. Dillon’s four doubles is an opening day record that will be matched by Jim Greengrass in 1954.

Saturday, April 26, 1961 - At Tiger Stadium, Roger Maris hits his first home run of the season off Paul Foytack and Mickey Mantle adds home runs from both sides of the plate for the eighth time in his career as New York defeat Detroit 13 - 10.

And 35 years ago today, Kansas City Royals right hander Steve Busby pitched his first of two career no-hitters with a 3 - 0 victory over Detroit. It is the first Royals no-hitter and the first at Tiger Stadium since Virgil Trucks did it in 1952. Busby also become the first no-hit game pitcher not to bat after the American League DH rule.
Later that same season, Nolan Ryan, then with the Angels, also no-hit the Tigers.

And, of course, some Tigers-related birthdays:

Saturday

• Virgil Trucks, 91; Tiger from 1941-52; 1956
• Felipe Lira, 36; 1995-97

Sunday

• Bob MacDonald, 43; 1993 Tigers
• Frank Catalanotto, 34; 1997-99