The Spot Starters

Team 101: The 1902 Tigers

By Blake VandeBunte • Nov 4th, 2009 • Category: Bill Donovan, Ducky Holmes, Ed Siever, Jimmy Barrett, Kid Elberfeld, Top 109 Teams

Year: 1902
Record: 52-83
Win %: .385
Win % Change: -163
Run Differential: -91
Pythagorean Record: 58-77
AL Finish: 7th of 8
Manager: Frank Dwyer
Best Transaction: Picked up Wild Bill Donovan. Donovan was in his mid-twenties when he came to the Tigers and had won 42 games over his previous two seasons in Brooklyn. He would go on to win 141 games in a Tigers uniform including a 25-4 mark in 1907 as he helped lead the Tigers to the World Series. This move took place after the 1902 season, but I’m still going to count it.
Worst Transaction: Selling Ed Siever. Siever led the Tigers and all of the American League in ERA in 1902. He actually didn’t a single home run all season. Even though he put together this strong performance, Siever was sold to the St. Louis Browns. Siever spent two years in St. Louis, posting a better than league average ERA overall and won 23 games. This one isn’t too bad, since the Tigers bought Siever back prior to the 1906 season.
Upper: Siever was coincidentally the major force on the 1902 club. The Tigers ranked near the bottom of the American League in nearly every offensive category and Siever and the pitching staff were responsible for most of the clubs wins. Siever led the AL in ERA and HR/9 innings (obviously). His ERA+ in 1902 of 191 is still second best in Tigers history amongst players with at least 150 innings pitched (Newhouser).
Downer: The offense was a disaster and the team was a big disappoint. In 1901 the Tigers were one of the best teams in the game as they went 74-61. The win percentage drop from 1901 to 1902 is one of the five worst drops from season to season in Tigers history. As a club, the Tigers ranked last in the league in hits, runs and batting average. The Tigers also struggled to draw fans to games (obviously) as they ranked sixth in the league in attendance at just at tick under 200,000.
Summary: At the end of April the Tigers were 16-14 and were in first place as late as May 25th and looked to be following up the success of the 1901 club. However, the wheels fell off quickly and the Tigers had a losing record in every month the rest of the season. This is all highlighted by a 18-50 record on the road and a 24-44 record over the second half of the season. The Tigers main offensive players in 1901, Kid Elberfeld, Ducky Holmes and Jimmy Barrett all returned in 1902, except only Barret avoided an awful offensive season. Things would turn around slightly in 1903, but not until the arrival of Ty Cobb would the Tigers see a winning season.