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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why 2025 Detroit Tigers remind Curtis Granderson of 2006 team that went to World Series
Curtis Granderson returned to Comerica Park on May 13, this time reporting to the press box as a broadcaster instead of the clubhouse as a player. He was in town to provide coverage of the American League-best Detroit Tigers against the Boston Red Sox, serving as the in-game analyst on the TBS national broadcast. Advertisement Granderson, 44, played 16 MLB seasons, including six seasons for the Tigers, from 2004-2009. He helped the Tigers make the 2006 World Series. He finished his playing career with a .249 batting average and 344 home runs in 2,057 games. Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson in 2008. Granderson talked to the Free Press — joining the May 12 episode of the "Days of Roar" podcast — about the 2006 Tigers, competing in the World Series at 25 years old, and what he expects from the 2025 Tigers, among other topics. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Are there similarities between the 2025 Tigers and 2006 Tigers? "I think so. Detroit as a whole, there's always something to prove. You're always getting measured on the outside, like even going into the season, everyone talks about the AL Central and how it's never this division that anyone has to truly worry about, but I think that's a little different this year. Not only do we have teams that have been good, not only do we have teams that, once we get into the postseason, can upset you, here's the chance for us to continue to show you that we can be a dominant division from start to finish. You're seeing that with Cleveland, with Kansas City, with Detroit. Here are three teams in that division you don't want to face on a three- or four-game series. I think that's one of the exciting things about what's going on, not only with this team, but that division. I think it's all in front of the Tigers as of right now." The 2006 Tigers were 76-36 through 112 games. What was it like being that good for that long? "It was so fun going on the road and seeing the Tiger fans show up and pack the stands for batting practice. That's not necessarily normal. You have a few fans that are in there for batting practice. They want to see, and they want to get home run balls, but to see a majority of fans in there at that time, I hadn't seen that before. It was so cool to see that. And then when we got a chance to get on the field, especially in visiting ballparks, you could hear the Detroit Tiger fans represented. They were proud to let you know they were from Detroit, and that's our team out there that's playing very well and proudly beating your team right now. I think it also added to just the combination of all the culture over there. You had the Tigers that were playing well, you had the Pistons playing well, you had the Red Wings playing well. A lot of other teams we were facing had similarities, like Cleveland was good. When you had a chance to match up a rivalry like that, the city was packed, and everybody wanted to represent and show what was going on. It was just fun going to the ballpark. We had young energy mixed with veteran leadership, with Pudge (Rodriguez) and Dimitri (Young) and Sean Casey and Kenny Rogers. It was just a good group out there across the board. And then, of course, (Jim) Leyland was leading the ship. I always respected the fact that Leyland didn't matter if you were the first player on the team or if you had 100 years of experience, or if you had one day in the big leagues or you had the biggest contract ever. He treated everybody the same, which meant anybody could get yelled at, anybody could get praised, anybody could play and anybody could get taken out of the lineup. That respect, hands down, went across the entire organization. I think that's what helped make us such a tight-knit group over there because he truly was in charge — I'm the leader, just do the things that I say, take care of your business, and everything will be OK. That's how we did it." Advertisement STOCK WATCH: Spencer Torkelson powers up as one of AL's top sluggers It was May 20 at Comerica Park, when Ken Griffey Jr. put the Cincinnati Reds ahead, 6-5, with a grand slam in the seventh inning, but you tied the game, 6-6, with a solo home run off David Weathers with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, then the Tigers won in extra innings. What does that homer from 2006 mean to you? "The first part of it is the Ken Griffey Jr. part. I'm a huge Ken Griffey Jr. fan. Any kid that was in my age group, that was your guy growing up. I still have a poster of him up today in my parents' home right now. Not only does Ken Griffey come up against my roommate, Joel Zumaya, throwing 100 mph, but he hits the homer over my head. Deep down, I'm like, 'Ken Griffey Jr. just hit a home run over my head.' Obviously, that's not the situation you want to have happen, but I can't help but geek out in that situation. Sure enough, he does that. And then we come back, and I get a chance to tie it up. I think that was the sense of energy that you started to feel and see amongst the fan base, like this isn't just a fluke, our team is good, our team has a chance, and we're going to get behind them — if they keep doing what they're doing, we're going to show them the same energy so everybody can feel it. That was just such a cool moment for a number of reasons. We ended up winning, but that whole Ken Griffey Jr. thing, I got to fanboy there for a little bit. It was just a unique situation for that to happen that way." What was it like playing in the 2006 World Series at 25 years old? "The last month and a half of the season, where all of a sudden, we started to struggle, I felt like we were putting pressure on ourselves. And then we get to the playoffs, and things loosen up. We started enjoying and having fun again. And then when we got to the World Series, I think that crept in again, at least for me. I felt like I had to do something here so we can win the World Series. I didn't have a great World Series. I think Sean Casey was the only player who had any type of hits throughout that whole World Series. I remember saying to myself afterwards, 'If I'm fortunate to get back here again, I'm just going to enjoy the moment and have as much fun as possible.' The crazy part, it took me nine years to get back there in 2015 with the (New York) Mets. I was like, 'I'm having fun. I don't care what's going on here, I'm having fun.' So I'm out there dancing in the outfield. We're up, we're down, we're doing this, but I felt like I gave myself the best chance to be able to help this team in that World Series versus the first World Series. For the young players, if you're fortunate enough to get there, this is where you want to be. This is the moment we've all dreamt about. Just enjoy it and have fun in that moment. You can't hit a 10-run home run. You never could. You're not going to be able to do it right now. But if I enjoy it and go, 'This is what I've been hoping for to get to,' then things take care of themselves. That would be my advice for the young players if they happen to get there." Advertisement BEAT WRITER RETURNS: Five Tigers takeaways from watching as new dad on paternity leave What's your prediction for the 2025 Tigers? "It's amazing to see, especially with all those offensive numbers. When that team got into the playoffs last year, one of the things that was constant conversations. They don't hit the ball out of the ballpark, they aren't going to beat you with their bats. They're going to be in the game. They're going to grind at-bats. They're going to pitch. They're going to have an opportunity. But you don't have to worry about them out-slugging you. Now that's completely different. The run differential is huge, and knowing you have an ace, especially with Game 1 or an elimination game or a big game in a series, it's a big confidence boost when you know the opposition does not want to face that pitcher. A combination of all those things working collectively over there gives them the ability to be able to go very long into the season, if everything continues to go that way. Now the bats are going to get cold at some point. It's just the reality of it. That's the nature of the beast. But when they do, can you revert and still manufacture and do the things like you did last year? If they can, that's going to be an amazing recipe for success because they've shown they can win that way last year, and you add the fact that we can hit the ball out of the ballpark on top of that. Those are some big positives. Not every team can do that. When the bats go cold, usually, the whole team gets cold. But if you can't hit the ball out of the ballpark, and you can still find a way to score some runs, that's a good thing to have." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Advertisement Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers' Curtis Granderson talks about 2006 World Series
Newsweek
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Tigers Get Good News on Veteran Bullpen Arm, But Option Rookie With 1.42 ERA
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Detroit Tigers swept a doubleheader from the hapless Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Thursday, raising their American League-best record to 25-13 — the second-best record in MLB, just a half-game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers at 25-12. The Rockies are the worst team in baseball, with only six wins in 37 games. But from the Tigers' point of view, winning a doubleheader by a combined score of 21-3 over any team is an accomplishment. DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 08: Pitcher Chase Lee #53 of the Detroit Tigers throws against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field in game one of a double header on May 08,... DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 08: Pitcher Chase Lee #53 of the Detroit Tigers throws against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at Coors Field in game one of a double header on May 08, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. MoreIt would seem that most everything is going right for Detroit. The Bengals are off to a scorching start following their incredible late-season surge last year that carried them from a sub-.500 record in mid-August into the playoffs. But the Tigers' situation is about to get better. Injured reliever John Brebbia, who had allowed just one earned run in nine innings before going on the injured list with a triceps strain, is now set to return to the big league club on Friday, according to a report by Evan Woodbury of the Detroit-area news site MLive. To make room for the righty with the 1.00 ERA, the Tigers optioned 26-year-old rookie right-handed sidearmer Chase Lee to Triple-A Toledo. Lee, in 4 1/3 innings over five games before Thursday's action, had yet to allow a run — giving him an ERA of 0.00. Lee, who made his major league debut on April 22, got the word that he was headed back to the minors between games of Thursday's doubleheader, after he pitched two innings in the first game and allowed his first big league run, raising his ERA to 1.42. More MLB: Upset Red Sox Star Unloads on Executive: 'I'm Not Sure What He Has With Me' Lee has an unusual origin story. In 2019, he made the Alabama baseball team as a walk-on, after previously quitting baseball to study aerospace engineering at the university. His change of heart to give baseball a second try worked out. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers two years later, in the sixth round. After three years in the minor leagues, Texas traded Lee at last year's trade deadline to the Tigers with another prospect for reliever Andrew Chafin. Less than one year later, Lee made his major league debut. The Tigers called up outfielder Brewer Hicklen to take Lee's roster spot, but with Brebbia's anticipated return Friday, Hicklen is expected to be sent back down. More MLB: Tigers Trade Idea Gets $3 Million Phillies Outfielder For 1.00 ERA Relief Arm
CBC
04-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Tigers' Riley Greene 1st MLB player to homer twice in 9th inning of a game
Riley Greene didn't want to dwell too much on becoming the first player in major league history to homer twice in the ninth inning of a game. The Detroit Tigers' slugger hit a leadoff shot and then added a three-run drive later in the inning in a 9-1 victory over the hometown Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. "Yeah, I just found that out, pretty cool," Greene said from Anaheim, Calif., after fuelling an eight-run, seven-hit outburst in the ninth. "But the game is over. We got to show up tomorrow and try to win another baseball game." The score was tied 1-1 when Greene, facing closer Kenley Jansen, led off the ninth with a 371-foot homer off the top of the right-field wall. Colt Keith followed with a homer to left-centre for a 2-1 lead, Jace Jung singled with one out, and Javier Baez hit a two-out, two-run shot to left for a 5-1 lead, giving Baez home runs in three straight games. Detroit, an American League-best 21-12, wasn't through. Kerry Carpenter singled, Zach McKinstry doubled, knocking Jansen out of the game, and Carpenter scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1. Spencer Torkelson walked, giving Greene a shot at history, and the cleanup man seized the moment, crushing a 409-foot homer to right-centre off left-hander Jake Eder for a 9-1 lead. Greene became the first Tigers player to hit two homers in an inning since Magglio Ordonez against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 12, 2007. The only other Tigers player to homer twice in an inning was Hall-of-Famer Al Kaline, against the Kansas City A's on April 17, 1955. "He's made an all-star team, he's been a featured player on our team, he hits in the middle of the order, he gets all the toughest matchups, and he asks for more," Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said of Greene, who is batting .276 with an .828 on-base-plus slugging percentage, seven homers and 20 runs batted in on the season. "You want guys to be rewarded when they work as hard as they do, and tonight was a huge night for him." It was the second straight night in which the Tigers landed a few late-inning haymakers in Anaheim. Detroit scored eight runs on seven hits in the eighth and ninth innings of Thursday night's 10-4 victory over the Angels, who have lost seven straight and 15 of their last 19 games. "There's no quit in our team," said ace Tarik Skubal, who gave up one run and four hits and struck out eight in six innings Friday night. "We grind out at-bats, we don't give away at-bats, and I think our record shows that. They grind out starters, relievers. I know I wouldn't want to face a lineup like that. Every at-bat, they're in it."
Fox News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Tigers' Riley Greene becomes first player in MLB history to hit two ninth-inning home runs in same game
Detroit Tigers outfielder Riley Greene made history during the Tigers' 9-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Greene, 24, became the first player in MLB history to hit two home runs in the ninth inning. Greene's first ninth-inning blast broke a 1-1 tie, as Kenley Jansen's cutter was right down Broadway, and the Tigers' star didn't miss it. Greene's 371-foot blast just got over the wall in right field to give the Tigers a 2-1 ninth-inning lead. Colt Keith followed Greene's lead as he hit a home run of his own to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead. The Tigers' home run party continued with Javier Baez's two-run blast to put them up 5-1. The Tigers didn't stop there, as they continued to hit and brought Greene back up to the plate for the second time in the inning with a 6-1 lead. However, Greene faced a different pitcher in his second at-bat of the inning as Jake Eder replaced the struggling Jansen on the mound for the Angels. The pitching change didn't matter for Greene, as the result was the same: another home run. Greene crushed Eder's hanging sweeper 409 feet into the right-centerfield seats for a three-run home run to give the Tigers a 9-1 lead and etched himself into the history books, although Greene was not immediately aware he made history. "Yeah, I just found that out — pretty cool," Greene said postgame. "But the game is over. We got to show up tomorrow and try to win another baseball game." Greene became the first Tigers player to hit two homers in an inning since Magglio Ordonez against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 12, 2007. The only other Tigers player to homer twice in an inning was Hall-of-Famer Al Kaline, against the Kansas City A's on April 17, 1955. On the season, Greene has a .262 batting average with six home runs and 16 RBI in 31 games played. The American League-best Tigers (21-12) will play the struggling Angels (12-19) again on Saturday at 9:38 p.m. ET. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Fox Sports
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Tigers' Riley Greene has historic two-homer ninth inning in win over Angels
Riley Greene didn't want to dwell too much on becoming the first player in major league history to homer twice in the ninth inning of a game. The Detroit Tigers' slugger hit a leadoff shot and then added a three-run drive later in the inning in a 9-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. "Yeah, I just found that out — pretty cool," Greene said after fueling an eight-run, seven-hit outburst in the ninth. "But the game is over. We got to show up tomorrow and try to win another baseball game." The score was tied 1-1 when Greene, facing closer Kenley Jansen, led off the ninth with a 371-foot homer off the top of the right-field wall. Colt Keith followed with a homer to left-center for a 2-1 lead, Jace Jung singled with one out, and Javier Baez hit a two-out, two-run shot to left for a 5-1 lead, giving Báez home runs in three straight games. Detroit, an American League-best 21-12, wasn't through. Kerry Carpenter singled, Zach McKinstry doubled, knocking Jansen out of the game, and Carpenter scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-1. Spencer Torkelson walked, giving Greene a shot at history, and the cleanup man seized the moment, crushing a 409-foot homer to right-center off left-hander Jake Eder for a 9-1 lead. Greene became the first Tigers player to hit two homers in an inning since Magglio Ordonez against the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 12, 2007. The only other Tiger to homer twice in an inning was Hall-of-Famer Al Kaline, against the Kansas City A's on April 17, 1955. "He's made an All-Star team, he's been a featured player on our team, he hits in the middle of the order, he gets all the toughest matchups, and he asks for more," Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said of Greene, who is batting .276 with an .828 OPS, seven homers and 20 RBIs on the season. "You want guys to be rewarded when they work as hard as they do, and tonight was a huge night for him." It was the second straight night in which the Tigers landed a few late-inning haymakers in Anaheim. Detroit scored eight runs on seven hits in the eighth and ninth innings of Thursday night's 10-4 victory over the Angels, who have lost seven straight and 15 of their last 19 games. "There's no quit in our team," said ace Tarik Skubal, who gave up one run and four hits and struck out eight in six innings Friday night. "We grind out at-bats, we don't give away at-bats, and I think our record shows that. They grind out starters, relievers … I know I wouldn't want to face a lineup like that. Every at-bat, they're in it." Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Angels recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
