According to a release by MLB on April 8, fans can visit MLB.com/FranchiseFour to select the four most impactful players for each franchise who best represent the history of each franchise out of eight choices from its lineage. There is also a space for a write-in selection. Voting is live now until May 8.
The Ballot:
Miguel Cabrera (2008-Present)
Ty Cobb (1905-1926)
Sam Crawford (1903-1917)
Charlie Gehringer (1924-1942)
Hank Greenberg (1930, 1933-1941, 1945-1946)
Al Kaline (1953-1974)
Alan Trammell (1977-1996)
Justin Verlander (2005-Present)
Shoestring Catches Recommendations for the Detroit Tigers
Miguel Cabrera: One of the top players in the game today, Miguel Cabrera’s accomplishments stack up against others on the ballot. Cabrera was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2012 and 2013. He won the triple crown in 2012 with 44 homers, 139 RBI and a .330 batting average. A year later, he posted 44, 137 and .348, but only came away with the batting title. He is an eight-time all-star with five of those coming with the Tigers.
Ty Cobb: A charter member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936, Ty Cobb received more votes than Babe Ruth. Cobb has the highest career batting average at .367 and had 4,191 hits. He also won 12 American League batting titles in a 14-year stretch.
Hank Greenberg: Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1956, Hank Greenberg was a two-time American League Most Valuable Player in 1935 and 1940. Greenberg blasted 58 home runs to lead the American League in 1938. He also drove in over 100 runs seven times with a career-high 184 in 1937.
Al Kaline: At 20, Al Kaline was the youngest player to win a batting title in 1955 with a .340 batting average. Kaline was the first player in the long history of the Tigers to have his number retired. An 18-time all-star, Kaline had 399 career homers with 3,007 hits and 10 Gold Gloves.
Editor’s Note: If you just can not vote for a modern player, Charlie Gehringer would be the next best choice. Gehringer was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1949 after collecting over 200 hits in seven seasons. He was a six-time all-star and the American League Most Valuable Player in 1937.