The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team and a member of the American League Central Division. The Tigers are one of the eight charter franchises of the American League and first started competing in 1894. They have no natural rival, but the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are all considered rivals due to the fact that all the teams compete in the same division. Some of the great players in Tigers history include Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Al Kaline.