Detroit Tigers Are The Oldest MLB Team To Remain In One City Under One Name
I've always thought the beginning of the Zucker Brothers' comedy BASEketball to be hilariously accurate when they talk about the irony of teams moving from one city to another. As funny as it is it's kind of sad when you think about it:
Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music. The Raiders moved from Oakland to LA and back to Oakland, no-one in LA seemed to notice.
Holding Strong In The D
This is relevant because the Oakland A's have just announced they'll be moving to their 4th city, Las Vegas, in the Franchise's history. That is the most for any MLB team. Although the Detroit Tigers moved from Tiger Stadium to Comerica Park in 2000, they have not left Detroit since their inception.
In fact, their origins go back to 1895 when owner George Vanderbeck decided to build Bennett Park at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull Avenues, which would remain the home for the Detroit Tigers for the next 104 seasons, until the final game in 1999.
Because of that dedication to the city, Detroit is now officially the oldest MLB team to stay under one name and within the same city in the entire MLB. That's a feat that only a few other teams can claim, Boston Red Sox being the closes behind them.