When my nearly 90-year-old grandpa, Bill Birkle, was forced to the hospital for pneumonia, it was the Detroit Tigers that kept his mind off things.

New Detroit Tigers reliever Geoff Hartlieb has a 7.92 ERA with 59 walks and 80 strikeouts across 80⅔ innings in six MLB seasons, spanning 66 games.

T CU director of athletics Mike Buddie once pitched against Kevin Costner in a Major League Baseball game called by Vin Scully that was played at Yankee Stadium. The new TCU AD has a few obscure details to his career that are unique to people in his position:

The Tigers led the AL Central by seven games on Sept. 6, 2009, and proceeded to finish the year 11-15 while the Twins won 18 of 26. That forced a Game 163, where the Tigers appropriately blew a 10th-inning lead to ultimately lose in 12.

The Tigers lost, 8-5, to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have posted a 14-17 record since June 14 — and a 1-8 record since July 9.

The Detroit Tigers have had a historic season so far, but they would love to soon forget the history they just made in Pittsburgh.

The Detroit Tigers have been flexed to Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball” in a late-season matchup against the Boston Red Sox.

The Detroit Tigers face the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a 3-game set at PNC Park in Pittsburgh Tuesday.

The Detroit Tigers have some clear needs to address ahead of the MLB trade deadline, with arguably their most pressing being in the bullpen.