In 1934, Mack started to disassemble his dynasty for financial reasons and put Cochrane on the trade block.
He found a willing recipient in the Detroit Tigers.
Their owner, Frank Navin, was also suffering from financial troubles.
They had not finished higher than third since 1923, and had developed a reputation for being content with mediocrity.
Attendance at Navin Field had sagged for some time.
Navin had originally hoped to acquire Babe Ruth and name him player-manager, but after those talks fizzled, he turned to the A's.
A deal to send Cochrane to Detroit was quickly arranged, and Navin immediately named him player-manager.

It was with Detroit where Cochrane cemented his reputation as a team leader and his competitive nature drove the Tigers, who had been picked to finish in fourth or fifth place, to the 1934 American League championship, their first pennant in 25 years.
Cochrane routinely platooned Gee Walker, a right-handed batter, to spell left fielder Goose Goslin and center fielder Jo-Jo White, who were both left-handed batters.
Cochrane's leadership and strategic skills won him the 1934 Most Valuable Player Award, remarkable considering that Lou Gehrig had won the Triple Crown.
He followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in 1935 and earning a victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 1935 World Series.
In late 1935, the Detroit Free Press speculated Cochrane might eventually succeed Navin as team president.
Due in part to his high-strung nature, however, he suffered a nervous breakdown during the 1936 season.

On May 25, 1937; Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley.
Cochrane had homered in his previous at-bat that day.
Hospitalized for seven days, Cochrane nearly died from the injury.
This accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, although tradition won out at that time.
Cochrane was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again.

Cochrane compiled a .320 batting average while hitting 119 home runs and 830 runs batted in over a 13-year playing career.
His .320 batting average was the highest career mark for catchers until Joe Mauer surpassed it in 2009.
His .419 on-base percentage is among the best in baseball history, and is the highest all-time among catchers.
In 1932, he became the first major league catcher to score 100 runs and produce 100 rubs batted in during the same season.

He hit for the cycle twice in his career, on July 22, 1932 and August 2, 1933.

In his first 11 years, he never caught fewer than 110 games.
He led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in double plays assists and fielding percentage.

Cochrane returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire.
He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the 1938 season by coach and former catcher Del Baker.
His all-time managerial record was 348-250, for a .582 winning percentage.
In 1934, Mack started to disassemble his dynasty for financial reasons and put Cochrane on the trade block. He found a willing recipient in the Detroit Tigers. Their owner, Frank Navin, was also suffering from financial troubles. They had not finished higher than third since 1923, and had developed a reputation for being content with mediocrity. Attendance at Navin Field had sagged for some time. Navin had originally hoped to acquire Babe Ruth and name him player-manager, but after those talks fizzled, he turned to the A's. A deal to send Cochrane to Detroit was quickly arranged, and Navin immediately named him player-manager.
It was with Detroit where Cochrane cemented his reputation as a team leader and his competitive nature drove the Tigers, who had been picked to finish in fourth or fifth place, to the 1934 American League championship, their first pennant in 25 years. Cochrane routinely platooned Gee Walker, a right-handed batter, to spell left fielder Goose Goslin and center fielder Jo-Jo White, who were both left-handed batters. Cochrane's leadership and strategic skills won him the 1934 Most Valuable Player Award, remarkable considering that Lou Gehrig had won the Triple Crown. He followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in 1935 and earning a victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 1935 World Series. In late 1935, the Detroit Free Press speculated Cochrane might eventually succeed Navin as team president. Due in part to his high-strung nature, however, he suffered a nervous breakdown during the 1936 season.
On May 25, 1937; Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley. Cochrane had homered in his previous at-bat that day. Hospitalized for seven days, Cochrane nearly died from the injury. This accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, although tradition won out at that time. Cochrane was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again.
Cochrane compiled a .320 batting average while hitting 119 home runs and 830 runs batted in over a 13-year playing career. His .320 batting average was the highest career mark for catchers until Joe Mauer surpassed it in 2009. His .419 on-base percentage is among the best in baseball history, and is the highest all-time among catchers. In 1932, he became the first major league catcher to score 100 runs and produce 100 rubs batted in during the same season. 
He hit for the cycle twice in his career, on July 22, 1932 and August 2, 1933. 
In his first 11 years, he never caught fewer than 110 games. He led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in double plays assists and fielding percentage.
Cochrane returned to the dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire. He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the 1938 season by coach and former catcher Del Baker. His all-time managerial record was 348-250, for a .582 winning percentage.
Mickey Cochrane