"It is a haunted game in which every player is measured against the ghosts of all who have gone before."--- Ken Burns
The Memphis Tiger Baseball Organization has a long and storied past. The Tigers played their first game in May of 1966 as the Davis Park TIgers under the supervision of Don Mills and Johnny Galbreath. They competed in a local little league and played 50 games. In 1968, Keith Hagan got involved with the Davis Park Tigers as coach of the 13 year old team. The Tigers played under the Davis Park name until 1969 when Keith Hagan, Don Mills, Frank Donato, and Bob Case chartered the East Memphis Boys Athletic Association (EMBAA) as a 501C3 tax exempt corporation.
The modern day Memphis Tigers were born. As the years progressed Coach Hagan looked for a better league to play in since there were no competitive leagues in this area. In 1977 the Memphis Tigers began play in the American Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC). They were, and still are, the largest amateur baseball organization offering competition from ages 8 thru adulthood in the world.
The competitive league play and grueling schedule made it more and more necessary to travel and play better teams than were available locally, so the Memphis Tigers went on the road were they continue to spend much of their time. Tiger teams have traveled more than 2,200,000 miles throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. With the increased exposure to great competition, the Memphis Organiztion grown stronger as a result. Presently there is no organization in the United States that can consistently place teams from the ages of 8 to 18 in World Series play.
The Tiger Organization has won five (5) world titles including their first in 1979 with a National Championship in the Mickey Mantle Division. In total, the Tigers have played in 30 World Series' at all levels.
The 1980's brought about change from the organiztional standpoint. In 1981 the East Memphis Boys Athletic Association become simply the Memphis Boys Athletic Association (MBAA). Also, in 1988 the Roberto Clemente Division was added to the AABC roles for 8 year olds and younger. 1988 saw another World Championship for the Tigers 10 year old team, which won the Willie Mays Division.
As the 1980's turned into the 1990's, the Tigers became more feared on a national level than ever before. With two (2) National Championships in the 1990's, the Sandy Koufax in 1997 with and the Mickey Mantle in 1998. With those championships the Memphis Tigers solidified their position as a National powerhouse.
The 2002 season brought yet another national title. Al Woods powerful Sandy Koufax squad won over seventy games in 2002, losing only twice, while sending the message that the Tigers were still a factor on the national level.
In 2006, the Tigers celebrated their 40th anniversary by bringing back the "old gold" color that were a part of the original uniforms and a mainstay throughout the '70's. It was an immediate hit with the players, coaches and families and lead to another idea, bringing back multiple teams for each age group.
In 2008, the Tigers will feature a "green" (Major) and a "gold" (AAA) team for almost every age category, once again demonstrating a dual committment of not only contending for championships but for player development.
As always, when you see the green and gold run onto the field, you know the team stands for excellence in skill and excellence in character. After 42 years, the Tigers remain one of Memphis' greatest baseball traditions, and the Tiger "T" is one of its most recognizable symbols.
