1996 Detroit Tigers season

The 1996 Detroit Tigers had a record of 53-109 for the third worst winning percentage (.327) in team history. With a number of capable batters (Cecil Fielder, Tony Clark, Bobby Higginson, Alan Trammell, Rubén Sierra, and Damion Easley), the team scored a respectable 783 runs. However, the 1996 Tigers lacked pitching and allowed their opponents to score 1,103 runs. No team in American League history and only one in major league history (the 1930 Philadelphia Phillies) has given up more runs. No pitcher on the team had more than 7 wins.

Regular season

Opening Day Roster

Chad Curtis CF Bobby Higginson RF Travis Fryman 3B Cecil Fielder 1B Melvin Nieves LF Eddie Williams DH Mark Lewis 2B John Flaherty C Alan Trammell SS

Felipe Lira SP

Season standings

Notable transactions

• March 22, 1996: Melvin Nieves was traded by the San Diego Padres with Raul Casanova and Richie Lewis to the Detroit Tigers for Sean Bergman, Todd Steverson, and Cade Gaspar (minors).^[1]
• March 31, 1996: Curtis Pride was signed as a Free Agent with the Detroit Tigers.^[2]
• April 27, 1996: Joe Boever was selected off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Detroit Tigers.^[3]
• July 31, 1996: Cecil Fielder was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the New York Yankees for Rubén Sierra and Matt Drews (minors).^[4]
• July 31, 1996: Chad Curtis was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers for John Cummings and Joey Eischen.^[5]
• August 6, 1996: Todd Van Poppel was selected off waivers by the Detroit Tigers from the Oakland Athletics.

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Other pitchers

Relief pitchers

League leaders and award winners

• Kimera Bartee: #5 in AL times caught stealing (10)
• Chad Curtis: #5 in AL times caught stealing (10)
• Cecil Fielder: MLB leader in salary ($9,237,500)
• Travis Fryman: AL leader in fielding percentage at third base (.979)
• Travis Fryman: #3 in AL in sacrifice filies (10)
• Travis Fryman: #4 in AL in outs (483)
• Richie Lewis: #2 in AL in wild pitches (14)
• Felipe Lira: #4 in AL in shutouts (2)
• Mike Myers: AL leader in games (83)
• Melvin Nieves: #2 in AL in strikeouts (158)

Worst seasons in Detroit Tigers history

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Jacksonville

Visalia affiliation shared with Arizona Diamondbacks^[6]

See also

• List of worst MLB season records
• 1996 in baseball

References

1. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/n/nieveme01.shtml
2. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/pridecu01.shtml
3. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/boevejo01.shtml
4. ^ Cecil Fielder Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com
5. ^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/curtich01.shtml
6. ^ Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball". Durham, N.C.: Baseball America, 1997

External links

• Baseball-Reference.com 1996 Tigers