2003 Detroit Tigers season

MLB yearly infobox
name = Detroit Tigers
season = 2003
misc =

current league = American League
y1 = 1901
division = Central Division
y2 = 1998
Uniform
ballpark = Comerica Park
y4 = 2000
city = Detroit, Michigan
y5 = 1901
owners = Mike Ilitch
managers = Alan Trammell
television = WKBD
(Frank Beckmann, Jack Morris)
FSN Detroit
(Kirk Gibson, Rod Allen)
radio = WXYT (AM)
(Jim Price, Dan Dickerson)|

The 2003 Detroit Tigers lost more games than any other team in American League history and came within one loss of tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern major league history. The team’s record was 43-119, for a .265 winning percentage. They were outscored by 337 runs over the course of the season (928 to 591) and finished 47 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Blame for the dismal season was shared by both the pitching staff which had an ERA of 5.30 and the batters who finished with a team batting average of .240 –- 19 points below the American League’s 259 batting average. The season was the Tigers’ 103rd since they entered the AL in 1901.

eason overview

The 2003 Tigers seemed like a sure bet to break the 1962 Mets' record for most losses when they stood at 38-118 after 156 games, but they won five of their last six to avoid ignominy. On September 27, in their next-to-last game, the Tigers came back from an 8-0 deficit to beat the Minnesota Twins 9-8. [cite web |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/DET/DET200309270.shtml |title=Sep 27, 2003, Twins at Tigers Play by Play and Box Score |accessdate=2008-09-26 |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com ] When the Tigers won the season finale to avoid tying the record, they received a standing ovation from the crowd. (The Tigers caught a break, as the Twins were resting their regulars after having just clinched their division.)

Mike Maroth went 9-21 for the 2003 Tigers and became the first pitcher to lose 20 games in more than 20 years. [cite web |url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/20gameLosers.shtml |title=Pitchers With 20 or More Losses in a Season |accessdate=2008-09-26 |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com ] Tigers' pitchers Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman (6-19), and Nate Cornejo (6-17) were #1, #2, and #3 in the major leagues in losses for 2003 -- the only time in major league history that one team has had the top three losers.

While the 2003 Tigers rank as the third worst team in major league history based on loss total, they fare slightly better based on winning percentage. As shown in the chart below, the 2003 Tigers rank only as the 8th worst team in history based on winning percentage.

Transactions

*November 25, 2002: Randall Simon was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a player to be named later and Adrian Burnside (minors). The Pittsburgh Pirates sent Roberto Novoa (December 16, 2002) to the Detroit Tigers to complete the trade. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/simonra01.shtml Randall Simon Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]
*January 20, 2003: Bill Haselman was signed as a Free Agent with the Detroit Tigers. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/haselbi01.shtml]
*January 23, 2003: Steve Avery was signed as a Free Agent with the Detroit Tigers. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/a/averyst01.shtml Steve Avery Statistics - Baseball-Reference.com ] ]
*March 27, 2003: Bill Haselman was released by the Detroit Tigers. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/h/haselbi01.shtml]

Player stats

Batting

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

League Leaders and Awards

* Jeremy Bonderman: #2 in MLB in losses (19)
* Jeremy Bonderman: #2 in AL in wild pitches (12)
* Jeremy Bonderman: second youngest player in AL (20)
* Nate Cornejo: #5 in AL in hits allowed (236)
* Nate Cornejo: #3 in MLB in losses (17)
* Brandon Inge: AL leader in baserunners caught stealing (40)
* Brandon Inge: AL leader in double plays by a catcher (11)
* Mike Maroth: AL leader in home runs allowed (34)
* Mike Maroth: MLB leader in losses (21)
* Mike Maroth: MLB leader in earned runs allowed (123)
* Mike Maroth: AL leader in baserunners caught stealing (11)
* Mike Maroth: AL leader in baserunners picked off (7)
* Carlos Pena: AL leader in errors by a first baseman (13)
* Alex Sánchez: #2 in AL in stolen bases (44)
* Alex Sánchez: MLB leader in times caught stealing (18)
* Ramón Santiago: MLB leader in sacrifice hits (18)
* Jamie Walker: #2 in AL in games by a pitcher (78)
* Dmitri Young: Tiger of the Year Award
* Dmitri Young: #5 in AL in strikeouts (130)
* Dmitri Young: #4 in AL in intentional walks (16)

Worst seasons in Detroit Tigers history

ee also

* List of worst MLB season records

References

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/2003.shtml Baseball-Reference.com 2003 Tigers]