och rane . ▁ ▁The ▁Tig ers ▁won ▁back - to - back ▁AL ▁p enn ants ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁and ▁' 3 5 , ▁and ▁their ▁first ▁ever ▁World ▁Series ▁title ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁ ▁Baker ▁managed ▁the ▁team ▁again ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 3 6 , ▁when ▁C och rane ▁took ▁a ▁leave ▁of ▁absence ▁due ▁to ▁what ▁was ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" ner vous ▁break down "; ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 3 7 ▁after ▁C och rane ▁suffered ▁a ▁f ract ured ▁sk ull ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁hit ▁by ▁a ▁pitch . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁compiled ▁an ▁early - season ▁record ▁of ▁ 4 7 - 5 1 ; ▁on ▁August ▁ 7 , ▁Baker ▁replaced ▁C och rane ▁as ▁manager . ▁He ▁r al lied ▁Detroit ▁to ▁ 3 7 ▁wins ▁in ▁ 5 6 ▁games , ▁enough ▁to ▁finish ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁division , ▁but ▁Detroit ▁sli pped ▁to ▁fifth ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁AL ▁p enn ant ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es , ▁who ▁had ▁won ▁the ▁AL ▁p enn ant ▁and ▁the ▁World ▁Series ▁four ▁years ▁running , ▁fal tered , ▁leaving ▁the ▁Tig ers ▁and ▁the ▁Cleveland ▁Indians ▁to ▁cont end ▁for ▁the ▁league ▁title . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁final ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁season , ▁with ▁the ▁two ▁teams