# DETROIT SPORTS FANS: What in the name of Denny McLain is going on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2006, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335 "2006-05-18T23:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/21 "2006-05-19T18:56:09Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Does anyone know the last time the Tigers were atop their division, mid-May? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] My knee jerk reaction is “1984”, but I’ll bet it was a lot closer to “1991”. Fun Fact: Placido Polanco had the fewest strikeouts of any regular positional player last season. [/QUOTE] In 1993 the Detroit Tigers were 24-14 on May 19th. The Al East standing were ```auto ALE W L GB WP RS RA DET 24 14 - .632 255 177 NYY 23 17 2.0 .575 204 180 BOS 21 18 3.5 .538 152 139 TOR 20 19 4.5 .513 207 217 MIL 16 20 7.0 .444 138 190 BAL 16 22 8.0 .421 151 155 CLE 15 25 10.0 .375 186 216 ``` Results courtesy of a search on [Baseball-reference.com](http://Baseball-reference.com) To get the standings for any giving date use this trick: [2005 MLB Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Thursday, May 19, 2005 | Baseball-Reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com/games/standings.cgi?date=2005-05-19) Change just the year at the end of the link to look backwards. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/22 "2006-05-19T20:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] In 1993 the Detroit Tigers were 24-14 on May 19th. The Al East standing were ```auto ALE W L GB WP RS RA DET 24 14 - .632 255 177 NYY 23 17 2.0 .575 204 180 BOS 21 18 3.5 .538 152 139 TOR 20 19 4.5 .513 207 217 MIL 16 20 7.0 .444 138 190 BAL 16 22 8.0 .421 151 155 CLE 15 25 10.0 .375 186 216 ``` Results courtesy of a search on [Baseball-reference.com](http://Baseball-reference.com) To get the standings for any giving date use this trick: [2005 MLB Scores, Standings, Box Scores for Thursday, May 19, 2005 | Baseball-Reference.com](http://www.baseball-reference.com/games/standings.cgi?date=2005-05-19) Change just the year at the end of the link to look backwards. Jim [/QUOTE] Cool! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/23 "2006-05-19T21:29:33Z")
Speaking of the Pistons, I know why they’re losing to Cleveland. The NBA has a vested interest in keeping jersey-seller LeBron James well into the playoffs. The refs are in collusion , you know. So I heard on the radio this morning. It must be true, as it is every year. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/24 "2006-05-19T22:38:38Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Lol. Some teams just have a talent of turning good players into average ones. Like the Stars with Bill Guerin - anywhere else he scores 40, in Dallas he is lucky to get 20. That said, I’m glad the Wings are done - How about them Oilers? [/QUOTE] Uh, Guerin hit 40 goals exactly once in his career, when he was Joe Thornton’s winger. Thornton has a way of making ordinary players look extraordinary(see: Murray, Glen; Cheechoo, Jordan). ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/25 "2006-05-20T02:20:31Z")
Well, Tigers lose tonight, but, more importantly, Pistons win! _whew_ ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/26 "2006-05-20T03:20:11Z")
I’ve said it before. The tigers winning is throwing off the delicate balance that is Detroit sports. It killed the wings and is shaking the Pistons. Lord knows what would happen if the Lions started winning. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/27 "2006-05-20T04:44:03Z")
The riots in '67 were a time delay reaction to the championship in 1967. Be warned. I sware, this city would go friggin bonkers if the Lions won again. Even though, I still think the Tigers’ victory parade would be biggest. There are a LOT of baseball fans in the Motor City still. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/28 "2006-05-20T06:03:11Z")
Statistical anomaly. The Tigers will be the _Tigers_ soon enough. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/29 "2006-05-20T21:52:57Z")
[QUOTE=Harborwolf] Bad news for you. The Lions [filed a grievance](http://www.mlive.com/lions/weblog/index.ssf?/mtlogs/mlive_lions/archives/2006_05.html#138258) with the union because the new coach was making them work too hard in practice. The coach has lost the players and the players have lost the coach and the season hasn’t even started yet. Least we won’t go into the season with any hope at all. [/QUOTE] I wouldn’t sweat player grievances as being a portent of doom. Two years ago, almost to the day, Giants players filed a very similar grievance against Coughlin. Much hand-wringing among Giants fans ensued. Sure, Big Blue lost eight conseuctive games _again_ that year, but most of that was from a rookie QB starting. I’m not claiming the G-Men are the best team in football, but certainly they’ve earned some respect from the rest of the league. So cheer up, you may well be a good team the season after this coming. Hell, you might win the division and then suffer a humiliating national spectacle of a shutout in the Wildcard round! _::sigh::_ It just occured to me that the last three playoff games the Giants played have been _painfully embarassing_. The humiliating drubbing at the hands of the Panthers last year, allowing the second biggest comeback in NFL history against the 49ers back in 2002, (thanks, Billies, for keeping us out of the #1 spot on that one,) and the total collapse against the Ravens in the Superbowl from 2000. Keep hope alive. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/30 "2006-05-21T04:16:06Z")
Okay. Back to baseball for a minute. Tonight, I went to the Tigers-Reds game, and it was glorious. The weather was wonderful, the beer was tasting great, and-- brace yourselves-- the game was sold out! 43,128 people packed into Comerica park. I can’t remember when the last time was that the Tigers sold out a game in May. This was my 15th game this season, and, to me, it felt like we were in the World Series. We were up 5-1 for a good part of the game. Then, in the seventh, Griffey hit an F-ing grand slam, 25 rows deep into right field. Kinda took the wind out of everyone’s sails. But, the beauty of it all: no one left stadium (well, I guess I can’t say _nobody_, but 43,120 people stayed)! The stands were still packed, even through the seventh, even though we were losing… A sight to behold. Fast-forward. Bottom of the 9th–two outs, I believe-- we’re still down by 1, and my boy Curtis Granderson steps to the plate and knocks one out of there. Ties it up. The place went completely insane. Long story short, fast-forward, blah, blah, blah: we won. Bottom of the tenth, on a throwing error, the Tigers scored a run and won the freaking game. This team is something special. Damn, I think I’ve forgotten how great it is to have a winning baseball team to root for! To all of you long-suffering Tigers’ fans, I salute you! Here’s to a winning season, and many more fun nights at the Copa! Work is taking me to Chicago this Friday, so I hope the Cubs will give me a couple of good games, but I know I’ll be making a few trips back to Detroit to see some more glorious days and nights this summer. Happy ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/31 "2006-05-21T09:27:47Z")
Very nice. I’ve yet to see the new stadium. I haven’t been to a game since they had them in old Tiger Stadium. I’ve been kind of meaning to go, but I’ve never come up with free time and money at the same time. I smell a Doper Day at the old ball park. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335/32 "2006-05-21T23:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Wow, that’s a very bold proposition. Considering that, if they lose the next game, they’re out, and if they win it they’re tied at 3-3. [/QUOTE] Bold proposition indeed. Back to Miami. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detroit-sports-fans-what-in-the-name-of-denny-mclain-is-going-on/357335.md?page=1)