In 2006 and 2009, I would count down the Tigers' magic number by connecting it to former Tigers who wore the same number on their uniform. It's my way of counting down to the celebration of playoffs, while also celebrating the Tigers' rich history.
↵After tonight's win over the Twins, and then the Indians' win over the White Sox, the Tigers' magic number is Tommy Bridges, who wore uniform number 10 for the Tigers for 13 seasons back in the 30s and 40s.
↵Bridges was a 5-foot-10, 155-pound right-handed starting pitcher who had a career 3.57 ERA and won 194 games for the Tags. Here's something that will blow your mind: Bridges had 200 complete games and 33 shutouts over his 16 seasons. To put that into perspective, Justin Verlander has 14 complete games and five shutouts in almost six full seasons. Jack Morris had 175 and 28, respectively, in 18 seasons. Bridges was a six-time All-Star and received MVP votes in three different seasons.