A very talented team that included Sam Crawford, Hughie Jennings, Bill Donovan, and George Mullin quickly yielded results, as the Tigers won their first American League pennant in 1907 and went on to win two consecutive World Series in 1908 and 1909.

In the teens Crawford remained the marquee player on many Tigers teams that would remain mired in the middle of the American League. Crawford himself took over managerial duties in 1916, but during five years at the helm, his Tigers never had a record better than 86-68.