The Tigers’ 12-game win streak ended on Thursday night, but thanks to the Indians’ 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers, the Tigers’ magic number to clinch the Central is now just one!
↵Of course, the greatest Tiger to ever wear No. 1 was Sweet Lou Whitaker, but for purposes of sticking with the overall theme of obscurity here, let’s go with Bob Swift, because let’s hope the Tigers finish this thing ‘swiftly’ and don’t back in to the playoffs like they did in 2006.
↵Bob Swift only wore No. 1 for two of his 10 seasons with the Tigers, wearing No. 12 and No. 9 his other years, but hey, it still counts. Just like the way the Tigers picked up another game tonight.
↵Swift was a 2010 Gerald Laird-like hitter (worse, actually), but gunned down runners at a 42-percent clip over the course of his career. In December 1952, Swift was released by the Tigers. The Tigers re-signed him in September 1953 before releasing him again for good a month later.