The 2006 American League Championship Series (ALCS) was the second round of the 2006 American League playoffs; it began on October 10 and ended on October 14. The Detroit Tigers defeated the Oakland Athletics four games to none to advance to the 2006 World Series, and became the fourth AL team to win ten pennants, joining the New York Yankees (39), Athletics (15) and Boston Red Sox (11). Magglio Ordóñez's game-winning walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 sealed the pennant for the Tigers. This ALCS marked the fifth different AL pennant winner in as many years (2006 Tigers, 2005 White Sox, 2004 Red Sox, 2003 Yankees, and 2002 Angels).
The Athletics had defeated the Minnesota Twins, three games to none, in AL Division Series, and the Tigers had defeated the Yankees, three games to one. The Tigers faced the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, but fell to them, four games to one. Oakland had home-field advantage (despite Detroit having a better record) because Oakland was a division champion, but they effectively lost the advantage by losing Games 1 and 2 at home. Detroit hosted Games 3 and 4.
The Athletics were seeking their first AL pennant since 1990, while the Tigers captured the league title for the first time since their 1984 World Series championship year. The series was a rematch of the 1972 American League Championship Series, in which Oakland defeated Detroit in five games (then a best-of-five series). Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who led the Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series title, became the seventh manager in history to win pennants in both leagues.
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