On May 3, 1901, the Detroit Tigers defeated Cleveland 6–3 before 3,500 spectators in what would eventually become known as the Motor City. A rivalry was born.
The last century has seen the fortunes of the Cleveland Guardians and Tigers ebb and flow. They never really caught on as hardcore foes in the vein of Ohio State and Michigan—for four years in the 1990s, they weren't even in the same division—but residual enmity blossomed. It all culminated in the 2024 American League Division Series, when the Guardians swiped a thrilling five-game drama from Detroit in the two teams' first postseason meeting.
