the tigers have often lived up to their nickname, having great success from time to time. their most famous player was ty cobb, usually regarded as among the very greatest players of all time. the tigers have frequently played in baseball's post-season games. they have won several world series, in 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. they also played in the world series in 2006 and 2012, where they lost to the st. louis cardinals and the san francisco giants, respectively.