1968 Tigers Tribute Site

June 29, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, White Sox 2 (48-26)

The Tigers won their fifth straight game and once again, it was Denny McLain who pitched the Tigers to victory.  He improved to 14-2 and he gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts in another complete game.

Jim Northrup hit another grand slam and those four RBIs turned out to be the difference in the game.  Norm Cash drove in the other run with a solo shot in the second inning and Denny McLain helped out his own cause with two hits and a run.

June 24, 1968 at Cleveland Stadium
Tigers 14, Indians 3 (45-26)

Jim Northrup put a huge exclamation point as the Tigers finished up their series with the Indians with a blowout win.  Northrup hit not one, but two grand slams and he finished with eight RBIs.  Jim Price hit his first homer of the season and Bill Freehan went two for five with a double, two runs and two RBIs.

Lost in all of the offense was another nice start by Denny McLain.  He gave up three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts and the win pushed his record to 13-2 on the season.

June 20, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Red Sox 1 (43-23)

The Tigers took the rubber game in their series with the Red Sox and once again, it was Denny McLain who got it done on the mound.  He improved to 12-2 and he gave up just one run on three hits and two walks with ten strikeouts in the complete game win.

Mickey Stanley had a monster day at the plate in the win. He went three for four with a homerun, a double and four RBIs.

June 16, 1968 at Comiskey Park
White Sox 3, Tigers 2  (40-22)

Mickey Lolich fell to 5-4 on the season despite a solid outing as the Tigers lost to the White Sox in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  He gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. 

Bill Freehan was the only Tiger with two hits in the contest.  Don Wert doubled, scored a run and drew a walk.

June 16, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 6, White Sox 1 (41-22)

The Tigers salvaged both a split in their doubleheader with the White Sox as well as their four game series behind another fantastic outing by Denny McLain.  He improved to 11-2 and he gave up one run on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts in seven innings.  Pat Dobson got the final five outs and he picked up his first save of the season.

Jim Northrup doubled, singled and drove in a pair.  Dick McAuliffe doubled, drove in two and scored a run in the win.

June 13, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 3, Twins 1 (39-20)

The Tigers finished up a four game sweep over the Twins with yet another solid pitching performance.  It was the third time in the series that the Twins were held to a mere one run and in the fourth game, the Twins managed just a pair of runs.  This time it was Denny McLain, who notched his tenth win of the season.  He gave up one run on six hits and a walk with six strikeouts in the complete game.

Mickey Stanley singled and scored a pair.  Bill Freehan went two for four and he both scored and drove in a run.

June 9, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Indians 2, Tigers 0 (35-20)

Luis Tiant held the Tigers to just four hits and while Denny McLain was nearly as good, he suffered his second loss of the season.  He fell to 9-2 and he gave up two runs on three hits with four strikeouts in eight innings of work.

Gates Brown had the only extra base hit with a double.  Dick McAuliffe singled, but he had a team high two strikeouts.

June 5, 1968 at Fenway Park
Tigers 5, Red Sox 4  (32-19)

The Tigers overcame a three run first inning deficit to top the Red Sox 5-4.  Denny McLain had the tough first inning but he buckled down and improved to 9-1.  He gave up four runs (three earned) on five hits with a strikeout in six innings.  Daryl Patterson was fantastic and he threw three no-hit innings to close the game out and he picked up save number one.

Mickey Stanly hit his fourth homer of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning.  Jim Northrup reached base three times with a pair of singles and a walk.

June 2, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Yankees 4, Tigers 3  (29-17)

This time it was the Yankees who came out on top in a one run game as they topped the Tigers in the first game of their Sunday doubleheader.  The Tigers scored three runs in the sixth inning but then the Yankees finally got to Denny McLain, who gave up single runs in the seventh and eighth innings.  Then in the ninth, Jon Warden gave up what would be the game winner on a close play at the plate that would see Tigers manager Mayo Smith get ejected.

Warden took the loss and while McLain didn’t get the win, he threw a decent enough game.  He gave up three runs on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts in eight innings.

Dick McAuliffe accounted for half of the Tigers’ hits with three singles, a run and an RBI.  Jim Northrup had the only extra base hit with a double.  He also walked and drove in a run.

June 2, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 8, Yankees 1  (30-17)

Mickey Stanley capped off a six run fifth inning with a grand slam as the Tigers salvaged a split with the Yankees in their doubleheader.  Stanley finished the game with two hits while Jim Northrup went two for four with two runs and an RBI.

Lost in all of the offense was a very nice start by John Hiller.  He improved to 3-1 and he gave up just one run on six hits and four walks with three strikeouts in the complete game win.

May 29, 1968 at Anaheim Stadium
Tigers 3, Angels 0  (26-16)

Denny McLain did it again with another exceptional start as he improved to 8-1.  He gave up just four hits and a walk with thirteen strikeouts in the shutout win.

Willie Horton’s two run homer in the seventh inning was his thirteenth of the season.  Dick McAuliffe went three for four and he drove in the other Tiger run.

May 25, 1968 at the Oakland Coliseum
Tigers 2, Athletics 1  (24-14)

Denny McLain got the Tigers back on track with another nice start as the Tigers ended their three game losing streak.  McLain gave up just a single run (in the ninth inning) on six hits and a walk with eight strikeouts and the win pushed his record to an impressive 7-1.

The Tigers managed just six hits of their own but it was enough to get the job done.  McLain singled and he scored one of the two runs while Mickey Stanley made his lone at bat count in spades with an RBI single that put the Tigers on the board in the eighth inning.

The Tigers were dealt a blog though.  Al Kaline was hit in the forearm by a pitch that would put him on the disabled list for well over a month.  Wayne Comer was brought up to take his place on the roster.

May 20, 1968 at Metropolitan Stadium
Tigers 4, Twins 3  (23-12)

The Tigers came back from an early 3-0 deficit in this one to walk away with their third straight win.  Willie Horton hit a solo shot, his tenth homer of the season, in the ninth inning to send the game into extra frames and then Al Kaline scored on an error (the second of the inning) in the top of the tenth to win it.  Kaline finished with two runs despite not getting a hit and no Tiger had more then one hit.

Denny McLain improved to 6-1 despite a three run second inning. He gave up just the three runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts in the ten inning complete game.

May 15, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Orioles 10, Tigers 8  (19-11)

Denny McLain lost his first decision of the season and he lasted just two innings in a high scoring affair.  McLain fell to 5-1 and he gave up four runs in the two frames.  Jon Warden was also touched up and he gave up three runs in two innings of work.

Mickey Stanley had a big day at the plate.  He went two for five with a homerun, four RBIs and two runs.  Norm Cash also pitched in with a solo homer in the sixth inning.

May 10, 1968 at D.C. Stadium
Tigers 12, Senators 1  (17-9)

The Tigers won their third straight game behind a huge game by Al Kaline at the plate and another rock solid outing on the mound by Denny McLain.  Kaline went three for four with a homerun, six RBIs and three runs.  Bill Freehan and Don Wert also went yard in the contest and Freehan finished the game with three RBIs.

Denny McLain improved to 5-0 with another complete game.  He gave up one run on seven hits with seven strikeouts and the lone run was a solo homer off the bat of Frank Howard.

May 5, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 5, Angels 2  (14-8)

Denny McLain improved to a perfect 4-0 on the season with another nice start as the Tigers snapped a three game losing streak.  He gave up just a pair of runs on seven hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

Mickey Stanley and Bill Freehan were the hitting stars.  They both belted homers and each drove in two runs in the contest.

May 1, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 3, Twins 2  (13-5)

Willie Horton drove in Dick McAuliffe with a sac. fly in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 2-2 tie to win their first game in the May.  With just five hits, the Tigers needed a two run homer by Jim Northrup in the fifth inning to give them the additional runs they needed to pull this one out.

Denny McLain improved to 3-0 with a nice start.  He gave up two runs (both on solo homers) on six hits with nine strikeouts in a complete game win.

April 27, 1968 at Yankee Stadium
Tigers 7, Yankees 0  (10-3)

Denny McLain won his second straight start with his strongest outing of the season.  The win ended the Tigers two game mini-skid.  McLain gave up just five hits and two walks with six strikeouts in the complete game shutout.

Dick McAuliffe and Jim Northrup were the hitting stars in the win.  McAuliffe went two for five with a homer, three RBIs and two runs while Northrup went three for five with a homer, two RBIs and two runs.

April 21, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 4, White Sox 1  (8-1)

The Tigers won their eighth straight game behind Earl Wilson’s second solid start in a row.  Wilson improved to 2-1 and he gave up one run on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in the complete game win.

Dick McAuliffe tripled and drove in two runs in the win.  Wilson helped out his own cause with a pair of singles, two RBIs and a run.

April 21, 1968 at Comiskey Park
Tigers 4, White Sox 2  (9-1)

The Tigers won their ninth straight game and finished both a series and doubleheader sweep over the White Sox in Denny McLain’s first win of the season.  McLain gave up two runs on seven hits with a walk and he struck out eight.

Norm Cash was one for four with a walk, two RBIs and a run.  Bill Freehan and McLain both had a pair of hits and an RBI each.

April 17, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, Indians 3  (5-1)

The Tigers picked up their fifth straight win and their second extra inning win in three games in their opener against the Indians.   Willie Horton provided the heroics with a two run, walk off homer in the bottom of the tenth inning to win it for Detroit.  Mickey Stanley had a nice game as well at the plate and he went two for five with an RBI.

Denny McLain got his second no decision of the season with seven solid frames.  He gave up two runs on six hits and two walks with nine strikeouts.  Jon Warden picked up his second win of the season as he got the final two batters out in the tenth inning.

April 11, 1968 at Tiger Stadium
Tigers 4, Red Sox 3  (1-1)

The Tigers blew a three run lead but still managed to win when Gates Brown broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch hit, walk off solo homer.  Dick McAuliffe and Bill Freehan also belted solo shots while Freehan reached base a team high four times with three walks and the homer.

Denny McLain threw five shutout innings before he gave up three runs in the sixth inning.  Rookie Jon Warden came in and threw two shutout innings and he picked up his first career win. 

 It’s really hard to put Denny McLain’s 1968 season into words.  Yeah, he probably wasn’t even the best pitcher in 1968 (Bob Gibson) but his numbers are still nothing short of staggering.  And it’s also worth keeping in mind that McLain was 24 years old throughout most of the season (his birthday is September 21, 1963).  Still, this is a guy who had a 20 win season as a 22 year old and he might have come closer to touching that mark in 1067 if not for the mysterious ankle injury that cost him most of September (and possibly cost the Tigers the pennant) so 1968 shouldn’t have come as a complete surprise.

In 1968, McLain won his first five decisions and his longest winning streak was nine games.  He (and the Tigers for that matter) lost back to back starts just one time all season.  He held the opposition to a nice, even .200 batting average and he was just as good against lefties (.206) as he was against righties (.193).  It’s hard to pick his best month because his worst ERA in a given month was just 2.29 in September.  Oddly, the only month he lost two games (August) was the month he posted his best ERA with a 1.40.  McLain was 16-2 at the break and he finished off the season half with a more then respectable 15-4 record.

McLain was among the American League leaders in just about everything.  He led in wins (31), innings (336), starts (41) and complete games (28).  His 1.96 ERA was fourth in the league while his WHIP of 0.905 was third.  He was second in strikeouts (280) and also second in shutouts (6).  Oddly, he also led the league in homeruns given up with 31, his third straight year that he had led the league in that category.

 McLain is the last player to win 30 games in a season.  Dizzy Dean and Lefty Grove are the only other two pitchers to win 30 games in a season since 1921 so he’s in pretty select company.  And just to put it in perspective, only eight other players have won at least 25 games in a season since McLain in 1968.  And the closest anyone’s gotten was 27 wins (Bob Welch in 1990 and Steve Carlton in 1972).

One of McLain’s more memorable moments in 1968 was a homerun he gave up.  With the pennant in the bag, McLain served up a fat pitch to Mickey Mantle who belted his final homerun at Tiger Stadium that day.  It would turn out to be the second to last homerun of Mantle’s career.

His postseason didn’t go quite as well.  He lost game one to the Cardinals but he was outpitched by Bob Gibson in a 4-0 loss.  He was then bombed in game four but he bounced back when the Tigers needed him in game six with his only career postseason victory.

For a spectacular season, he nabbed both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player award.  He’d repeat as Cy Young in 1969 but after that, his career fizzled out.  By 1970, he was traded and his final season was 1972 at the young age of 28.

Here are McLain’s numbers in 1968.

Wins 31
Losses 6
Games 41
Games Started 41
Complete Games 28
Innings Pitched 336
Hits 241
Runs 86
Earned Runs 73
ERA+ 154
Walks 63
Strikeouts 280
ERA 1.96
Shutouts 6
H/9 6.46
SO/9 7.50
BB/9 1.69
SO/BB 4.44
Neutral Wins 18
Neutral Losses 13