High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The 1979 Detroit Tigers finished in fifth place in the American League East with a record of 85-76, 18 games behind the Orioles. They outscored their opponents 770 to 738. The Tigers drew 1,630,929 fans to Tiger Stadium in 1979, ranking 7th of the 14 teams in the American League. The season is notable for Sparky Anderson being hired as manager in mid-June. Anderson would manage the Tigers through the end of the 1995 season.