The 1966 Detroit Tigers season was the 66th consecutive season for the Detroit franchise in the American League. The Tigers, who had finished fourth in the ten-team AL in 1965 with an 89–73 record, won one less game in 1966, going 88–74, but moved up to third in the league, ten full games behind the eventual world champion Baltimore Orioles. The team attracted 1,124,293 fans to Tiger Stadium, fifth in the ten-team circuit.1966 AL Attendance, Baseball Reference
Regular season The 1966 season saw the maturation of the core of the 1968 world champion Tiger club, and the addition of starting pitcher Earl Wilson, a future 20-game winner. But it was marred by the in-season illnesses, ultimately fatal, that struck manager Chuck Dressen and his immediate successor, interim pilot Bob Swift.
Dressen, 71, suffered a heart attack on May 16 (his second in two years) with Detroit 16–10, three games behind the Cleveland Indians. He was admitted to a Detroit hospital and third-base coach Swift, 51, took the reins as acting manager, as he had done in 1965. Under Swift, the Tigers won 32 of their next 57 games. But during the July 11–13 All-Star break, with Detroit in second place, eight games behind Baltimore, Swift was hospitalized for rapid weight loss and what was first suspected to be food poisoning. Tests revealed that he was suffering from lung cancer, and he was forced to step aside. Dressen died August 10, and Swift succumbed October 17.
Another Tiger coach, Frank Skaff, finished the season as acting manager, with the team playing only one game above the .500 mark for him, at 40–39. The Tigers eventually hired Mayo Smith as their new manager for 1967, and Smith would lead them to within one game of the 1967 pennant and the 1968 world title.
Season standings
Record vs. opponents
Notable transactions April 11, 1966: Mike Marshall was purchased by the Tigers from the Philadelphia Phillies.Mike Marshall page at Baseball Reference June 7, 1966: Les Cain was drafted by the Tigers in the 4th round of the 1966 Major League Baseball draft.Les Cain page at Baseball Reference June 14, 1966: Don Demeter and a player to be named later were traded by the Tigers to the Boston Red Sox for Joe Christopher and Earl Wilson. The Tigers completed the deal by sending Julio Navarro to the Red Sox at June 21.Joe Christopher page at Baseball Reference July 2, 1966: Tim Hosley was signed by the Tigers as an amateur free agent.Tim Hosley page at Baseball Reference
Roster 1966 Detroit Tigers Roster Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders Outfielders Manager
Coaches (First base) (Pitching) (Bullpen) (Bench/third base) (Third base)
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 Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI C 136 492 115 .234 12 46 1B 160 603 168 .279 32 93 2B 113 385 89 .231 1 26 SS 124 430 118 .274 23 56 3B 150 559 150 .268 11 70 LF 146 526 138 .262 27 100 CF 142 479 138 .288 29 88 RF 123 419 111 .265 16 58
Other batters Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI 92 235 68 .289 3 19 98 230 58 .252 2 27 71 210 36 .171 1 9 88 169 45 .266 7 27 49 138 35 .254 5 13 81 124 24 .194 0 7 32 99 21 .212 5 12 2 3 1 .333 0 0 4 3 0 .000 0 0
Pitching
Starting pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SO 38 264.1 20 14 3.92 192 40 203.2 14 14 4.77 173 23 163.1 13 6 2.59 133
Other pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G IP W L ERA SO 38 140.2 8 3 3.20 93 36 107.2 4 5 3.43 53 30 103.2 3 9 3.82 50 30 102.2 7 8 4.73 61 29 91.2 2 7 5.30 61
Relief pitchers Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Player G W L SV ERA SO 55 8 5 20 3.82 63 54 4 2 7 3.08 79 51 5 0 2 3.28 57 4 0 1 1 6.30 6 2 0 0 0 0.00 2 1 0 0 0 0.00 2 1 0 0 0 9.00 1 1 0 0 0 inf 0
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Rocky Mount
Notes
References
1966 Detroit Tigers season at Baseball Reference