DETROIT -- The man behind the Tigers' turnaround from American League also-ran to two-time AL champion has passed. Mike Ilitch, the longtime team owner whose investment of financial might into the team 13 years ago spearheaded his quest for a World Series title, has died at age 87.
Ilitch's company, Ilitch Holdings Inc., confirmed the passing in a statement.
Ilitch had owned the Tigers since 1992, when he took over a team with which he once signed as a Minor League player in the 1950s. However, he'll likely best be remembered in Tigers circles for his contributions over the last dozen years, when he followed up Detroit's AL record-setting 119-loss season in 2003 with an investment in free agents, player development and coaching that eventually helped turn a wayward franchise into a perennial contender and rekindled passion for the team in a historic baseball town.