Reeling from yet another terrible season in 2002, Tigers management found themselves in a big hole: a farm system that wasn't producing, a big-league club with major deficiencies, and contracts being paid to veterans not playing to expectations; those who did produce – Juan Acevedo, Randall Simon, and Robert Fick - did not return for 2003.
Leading the team was first-year manager, former Tigers shortstop, and future Hall of Famer Alan Trammell, who had a dilemma nearly everywhere on the roster, particularly the starting rotation.
Gary Knotts, who had pitched mostly in relief in his career, was to be converted to a starting role; Detroit area native Steve Avery was looking to make a comeback after not pitching in two years; two untested rookies, Jeremy Bonderman – drafted straight out of high school – and Nate Robertson - acquired in a trade for Mark Redman to the Florida Marlins – also vied for their chances to make the big-league rotation.
The Tigers lost their first nine games, won their first against the Chicago White Sox on April 12, then proceeded to drop eight in a row to fall to 1–17.
The final series of the season was particularly memorable against the division champion Minnesota Twins, 48 games ahead of Detroit.
On September 27, in their next-to-last game, the Tigers came back from an 8–0 deficit to beat the Twins, 9–8 – on a strikeout wild pitch, an appropriate finish to a team that had struggled mightily all summer long.
The Tigers then won the season finale, 9–4, to avoid tying the record and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
While the 2003 Tigers finished with what were at the time the third-most losses in major league history (behind the 1899 Cleveland Spiders and 1962 Mets),[1] they fare slightly better based on winning percentage.
Designated hitter/left fielder Dmitri Young was the one member of the 2003 Tigers to have a truly good year, with a .297 batting average, 29 home runs, and .537 slugging percentage.
The 2006 pennant winners featured 10 players from the 2003 team: Brandon Inge, Ramón Santiago (who spent 2004 and 2005 with the Seattle Mariners), Craig Monroe, Omar Infante, Mike Maroth, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Jamie Walker, Wilfredo Ledezma, and Fernando Rodney.
In a bit of irony, it would be the Tigers who handed Chicago the record breaking 121st loss -- while simultaneously clinching a spot in the Postseason as a Wildcard Team.