The Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers are two of the original members of the American League. The Red Sox have the second-best winning percentage in American League history. They have an all-time record of 9,075-8,463. They have also won 12 pennants and seven World Series titles. The Tigers have the fourth-best winning percentage in AL history, with an all-time record of 8,921-8,647. They have 11 pennants and four World Series titles.
Despite this long history, the Tigers and Red Sox have rarely faced each other in a late-season pennant battle. In 1967, the Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, and White Sox were involved in the greatest pennant race of all time -- and the Red Sox took the crown by beating the Twins on each of the last two games of the season. Detroit could have tied Boston, and forced a playoff, but they lost the last game of the year -- in Detroit -- to the Angels. Five years later, in 1972, the Tigers edged Boston by half a game to win the AL East. And that's pretty much been it. But now they are meeting for the first time in the ALCS -- and I, for one, expect a tremendous battle.
Previous trips to the ALCS (pennants in bold):
Boston (4-5): 1975, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
Detroit (3-3): 1972, 1984, 1987, 2006, 2011, 2012
Go, Tigers.
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