Tigers celebrate 50th anniversary of '68 WS

DETROIT -- Denny McLain might have summed up the mood best for his 1968 Tigers teammates as they embarked on the 50th anniversary celebration of their World Series title on Friday night.
"Where the heck did the 50 years go?" the American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner from that team asked aloud as he talked with reporters.
It doesn't feel that many years ago, he said.
"When I get up in the morning, it does," John Hiller, who finished off some of McLain's 31 wins that year, said later. "But he's right. Fifty years, it just seems impossible. We're all mid-70s to 80 years old now, and that doesn't seem possible now, either. I guess it is."
For this weekend, at least, it's a trip back in time. The celebration began Thursday night with a gathering at the old Tiger Stadium site, its diamond preserved for youth and amateur baseball. The formal party began Friday with a luncheon where old teammates traded stories and a few barbs but renewed what has been a close relationship over the years.
"We were family," World Series MVP Mickey Lolich said. "It was really important to all of us to be that close-knit. And to this day, we still are."
They're not only close with each other. They come from an era when many players made Michigan their home year-round, often working offseason jobs to bring in extra money, and in doing so, built a connection with the region that has stuck through generations. Their celebration connects them this weekend with another generation of fans and players and reconnects them with a current Tigers manager.
"I was sitting in fourth grade at my desk in Oklahoma, and I had a little transistor radio because it was the Cardinals [on the other side of the World Series]," said Detroit manager Ron Gardenhire, whose brother grew up a big Tigers fan. "I had a radio in my little desk, listening until the teacher caught me. I do remember it. Not for very long."
While Hall of Famer Al Kaline, Willie Horton and radio broadcaster Jim Price are constants around the ballclub, other '68 stars are less recognizable faces. But many still live in Michigan for at least part of the year. Others who made the trip included Mickey Stanley, Wayne Comer, Daryl Patterson, Tommy Matchick, Dick Tracewski, Jon Warden, Don Wert and bullpen coach Hal Naragon.
Bill Freehan's wife, Pat, attended in his place.
"It's a wonderful celebration with friends," she said. "It brings back many, many, many memories, and it's just good to see everybody.
Some see each other often, others stay in touch from afar. But in getting together, they felt like they were together just the other day.
"Just reliving a lot, telling old stories," Hiller said. "A little sad talking about the guys who aren't here. We did a lot of reminiscing last night. The Tigers have done a wonderful job. Everything's been first-class. It's just fun getting together. I live in the Upper Peninsula now, and I don't get down much, so we don't get a chance to see the fellas, so it's been great."
They shared stories of the disappointment of 1967, when they fell just short of the American League pennant on the final weekend of the regular season after helping Detroit emotionally recover from the riots of the summer. They talked about their favorite moments from '68. For McLain, it was the triple play they pulled against the Orioles on Sept. 1 that year as part of his 27th win. Price fondly retold the story of the late Gates Brown, pinch-hitting great, stepping into the batter's box with hot dogs stuffed in his jersey, then getting mustard stains upon sliding into second base.
Kaline remembered Stanley's unselfish willingness to move to shortstop for the World Series so that manager Mayo Smith could find a place in the lineup for Kaline, who had missed part of the stretch run with a broken wrist.
"I can never thank one player enough for accepting to go play shortstop," Kaline said, "because I might not have had a chance to play had he not agreed. We all knew on the team that [Stanley] was the best athlete on the team. So I feel blessed to be part of the team."
Stanley remembered Norm Cash joking with him before Game 1 about how nervous he was.
All of them remembered how a city on edge rallied around them. And as the years go by, they're grateful for how fondly they're remembered for their impact on Detroit, not just on baseball.
"We came from behind so many times," Hiller said. "The city was coming from behind, so to speak. The newspaper was on strike, which was probably a blessing because we didn't have to read how bad we were on certain days. So the combination of all those really contributed, I think, to our year."
Said Horton: "I never could have made it without the fans. That's something I made a commitment to my dad [about] when I first signed at 17. When I left home, he said, 'Don't sign a contract unless you make a commitment to the fans and the responsibilities of your job.' And today I live through that. We have one of the best fan bases in the country."
Asked how he'd like the team to be remembered, Kaline said, "They pulled together, and they pulled for each other. They forgot about the name on the back, and they just played for the English D."
The celebration continues Saturday, when members of the team will be honored on the field in a pregame ceremony. The current Tigers will wear 1968 throwback road jerseys for their 6:10 p.m. ET game against the Cardinals.
On Sunday, fans will have a chance to take part in a question-and-answer session with the 1968 members at 11:45 a.m. on the concourse, prior to the 1:10 p.m. ET series finale. The first 10,000 fans will receive a commemorative pennant.