DETROIT — For 20 years, Mike Ilitch has handed anyone in the Detroit Tigers organization anything they needed.

Without much question, without much hesitation.

Big contract? Sure.

New stadium? Of course.

An open checkbook for free agents? Here’s a blank check.

For a man with a net worth estimated in the billions (yes, multiple), there’s not much he can’t buy for himself if he wants it.

All the 83-year-old former minor leaguer, U.S. Marine and pizza magnate has asked for in return for all that largesse, all that generosity is that the Tigers eventually hand him one particular something in return, something he cannot get for himself.

All he wants is to be handed that flag-bedecked golden trophy that goes to the World Series champion.

“I remember all along, he’s told me if there’s one thing he’d love to have, it’s that World Series ring. I know we had that conversation 11 years ago, when I joined the franchise. ... So hopefully we can get that for him,” said Tigers president, general manager and CEO Dave Dombrowski, who’d love nothing more than to make his boss’ lifelong dream come true.

“I don’t think there’s any question about that.

“What he’s done, what he’s done for the franchise, for us, but you see what he does for the city, the community. He’s always there to give us really whatever we need and want.”

Now may be the best chance the Tigers have to hand something back.

The golden grail is indeed in sight: The Tigers are headed for the franchise’s 11th World Series this week, but just the second in the Ilitch reign.

“This is what everybody plays for. This is what we do for a living and this is what you try to get to. This is the pinnacle. This is the Super Bowl. It’s the Stanley Cup Finals. It’s the NBA Championship. That’s what it is,” manager Jim Leyland said. “We’re one of two (teams left). That’s pretty good. Hopefully we’ll be the last one standing. But we’ve made it to the championship fight.”

The Tigers have had near misses in the last seven seasons, starting with a World Series flop in 2006, followed by an excruciating Game 163 loss in 2009, and an injury-plagued run that finally fell apart two wins shy of a World Series berth just one year ago.

Now, the Tigers are back again.

“I think it’s time for him, you know. I think it’s the year for him to have a World Series trophy in his hands. I think it’s going to be great for him,” said Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, one of the first big-name free agents Ilitch’s dough lured to Detroit, a future Hall of Famer who helped lead the 2006 team to the Fall Classic. “He deserves to be a World Champion.”

Built as they are with young stars and supporting cast, the window of opportunity for the Tigers may not be closing anytime soon, but there’s no guarantee how long the ever-more-frail Ilitch might be around to see it.

He was able to stand on the podium in center field at Comerica Park after Thursday’s sweep-clinching win in the American League Championship Series to witness the celebration, but only with the assistance of Dombrowski and manager Jim Leyland, and was quickly whisked away.

It may not be now or never situation, but there’s certainly some urgency.

For their part, the players would love to repay Iltich’s efforts.

“Oh, absolutely. He’s the best owner in baseball, and he’s spared no expense in putting together this team, and he wants to win. We want to win,” said Justin Verlander, ace of the pitching staff that’s been the marquee attraction in the playoffs. “I think this team in general has an amazing amount of respect for Mr. Ilitch, and what he’s done, not only for this ballclub, but for the city — if he didn’t put this ballclub together, this wouldn’t be happening for the city right now.”

It might not be happening if Ilitch hadn’t decided to open the checkbook and spend like a bigger-market team in the early 2000s, despite next to no initial on-the-field returns.

It probably also isn’t happening, if Ilitch didn’t pen the $214 million check to sign Prince Fielder after the devastating news of Victor Martinez’s offseason knee injury.

“I’ve never had a concern with the payroll, and I think I’ve proved that. We always went out and got players when we needed to get players,” Ilitch said at the press conference to announce Fielder’s signing. “I think it’s been very clear I want to win a World Series.”

Didn’t look like the owner had gotten stellar return on his investment early this season, either.

After a strong start, the Tigers spent most of the next four months either floundering — unable to put back-to-back wins together — or treading water — unable to get over the .500 hump. In total, they’d spend only 33 days in first, nine of those coming in the last week and a half of the season, when it mattered most.

“This game is weird. This game’s different. You play 162 games, you can’t be worried about a little scuffle in April and May and not getting out of the gates. If you just stay the course and give yourselves a chance come August, September, you’re playing your best baseball, you have a chance. We did that. We got off to a really good start in the first two weeks and then kind of hit a bump in the road and never kind of caught stride and hovered right around .500 or below .500,” Gerald Laird said. “Getting guys healthy and playing our best baseball come late August and going into September, and being able to catch the White Sox, it’s definitely satisfying because a lot of people wrote us off and didn’t think we were going to get into the postseason, as well as get to a World Series. Like I said all year, we just gotta keep playing one game at a time and stay the course, it’s a long season and if we can get hot, anything can happen. Next thing you know, we got hot and here we are, four wins away from a championship.”

They went 19-11 in the final 30 games of the regular season, and have won seven of nine playoff games.

“People looked at our schedule at the end and said, ‘Oh, well they’ve got a chance to get going,’ but that hasn’t always happened. You don’t take those things for granted, to win,” said Dombrowski, who had to remind people within the organization that there was still plenty of time for this season to yet turn out to be special. “I never thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to happen,’ but you’re also thinking, ‘Gee, I wish it was a lot easier.’ ... I always thought they could pull it out.”

And they did.

“If you look at the team, we were in the race the whole year, and then everything just clicked at the end, clicked in the playoffs,” Danny Worth said. “Pitching, hitting and defense — everything came together. It’s a good time to be hot.”

So the Tigers are playing the best they have all season, right?

“I think we’ve got another gear,” Phil Coke said.

Now would be the time to shift it into overdrive, then.

Four more wins to glory.

Four more wins to hand a trophy to Ilitch.

“It’s what we worked for all year. Four more wins, guys. Hopefully we get lucky in the World Series and we win the World Series for Detroit,” said the Triple Crown winner, Miguel Cabrera. “We never gave up. We always believed we could do. We still believe we can do it in the World Series. Four more wins. Play hard.”

So does making it this far make the season already?

Or is it still a disappointment if the Tigers don’t bring home more hardware?

After all, this team wasn’t really built to go partway.

“It’s like I’ve told people in our organization — not necessarily the players — that, if you think winning the ALCS is fun, and it is a great accomplishment, all the much more the World Series. And the simple reason is, first of all, it’s the ultimate you’re trying to accomplish. But for people in my position, and a lot of others, there are no tomorrows for this year,” Dombrowski said.

“I think anytime you make it to the World Series, you have a successful year. But it’s not as successful as it would be if you win four more games.

“Our goal always has been to win the World Series, not to just make it to the World Series. But I don’t want to say that if you don’t win (it), just fall short, it’s not a successful year, in many ways — but it’s not the ultimate prize. The ultimate challenge is trying to win the whole thing, and that’s why we’re all here every year.

“It’s hard, a hard thing to do, but it’s also one that ... is worth it.”

Email Matthew B. Mowery at matt.mowery@oakpress.com and follow him on Twitter @matthewbmowery. Text keyword “Tigers” to 22700 to get updates sent to your phone. Msg & data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.