I don’t follow the Tigers closely, so I can offer no insight into their turnaround. I do know that they have one of the best bullpens in baseball, which means you can win a lot of close games.
As you mentioned, they were 8 games under .500 (55-63) on August 10th, just six weeks ago. Since then they have been on an absolute tear. They will play at either Houston or Baltimore, and they will be a dangerous playoff team.
With the exception of U of Mich winning the football championship just a few months ago, Michigan has been on a dry sepll of championships, at least for us.
I want to say the Red Wings in 2008 was a our last sports championship?
We have lost a couple of World Series and Michigan’s basketball team was in the final of the NCAA tournament just a few years ago, but also lost. And the Lions blew a lead to go to the super bowl last year. Pistons show zero hope.
That really doesn’t mean much. Teams ending the season cold or hot have almost no correlation with playoff success.
I mean, last year the World Series was Rangers vs Diamondbacks. Neither team was considered the class of their league and both were just good, not great, down the stretch.
My usual response to that is “And take the Lions with you!”
As a Yankee fan in Michigan, I’m happy when the Tigers do well. Unless of course, they play the Yankees.
The Yanks have been a puzzle all season, with so many guys running hot and cold. When they have a critical mass of enough guys being hot, they’re unbeatable. I just hope that Boone doesn’t put Holmes in at a critical time.
Oakland was willing to help built a modern stadium. It was not enough for Fisher. He wanted them to build him a development complex. Oakland doesn’t have a team anymore, because their owner and mlb thought they could milk more money out of Vegas. It has nothing to do with the fans who have shown they will come out if there is a product worth supporting.
At no point was John Fisher - a man once described as being entirely devoid of anything related to human charisma - negotiating in good faith. He was offered a perfectly good deal.
The fact the A’s are now stuck in Sacramento for at least three years suggests there’s no clear business benefit to this.
Going into the last weekend (and it will be a long weekend, as the Braves and Mets are scheduled for a Monday doubleheader), here is the playoff picture.
AL:
Yanks and Guardians have clinched the top two spots and first-round byes. Yanks lead the Guardians by a game and have the tiebreaker over Cleveland.
Astros have clinched the #3 spot and will host a wild-card round.
Orioles have clinched a wild-card spot and need one win (or Detroit loss) to clinch the top wild-card spot and the right to host a wild-card round.
Detroit needs one win, or one Twins loss, to clinch a wild-card spot. They can gain the top wild-card spot by winning 3 games and the Orioles lose 3.
Royals need one win, or one Twins loss, to clinch a wild-card spot. They cannot secure the top wild-card, but could finish in either the #2 or #3 spot. They have the tiebreaker over the Tigers.
Twins need to sweep the Orioles and hope that either Detroit gets swept by the White Sox or KC gets swept by the Braves. One loss to Baltimore eliminates the Twins, as does a victory by both the Tigers and Royals.
This weekend, the Yanks host the Pirates, Guardians host the Astros, Twins host the Orioles, Tigers host the White Sox, Royals are at Atlanta. All are 3-game series.
NL:
Dodgers and Phillies have clinched the top two spots and first-round byes. Dodgers lead the Phillies by a game for the top spot, but the Phillies have the tiebreaker over the Dodgers.
Brewers have clinched the #3 spot and will host a wild-card round.
Padres have clinched a wild-card spot and need two wins, or one win and a Mets loss, to secure the top wild-card seed.
Mets are tied with Arizona for the second wild-card spot. The Mets could still earn the top wild-card spot, as could the D-Backs.
Braves are one game behind the Mets and D-Backs. The Braves cannot win the top wild-card spot.
This weekend, the D-Backs host the Padres, Brewers host the Mets, Braves host the Royals, Rockies host the Dodgers, and the Nationals host the Phillies. All are 3-game series.
Then, on Monday, the Braves and Mets will play a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta. These two games will likely have a major outcome in who makes the playoffs and in what position
Ohtani has become the first player since 2001 to get 400 total bases in a season.
wow another season over ,dosent seem that long …
With all of this talk of 50/50 what has been lost is that Joe Ramirez of the Guardians is right now sitting on 40 steals and 38 home runs.
Judge has 392, so an outside chance of joining the 400 club this weekend (not sure how much he’ll play against the Pirates.) Why aren’t walks counted in total bases? Are they not bases? If they were, Judge would have 525 and Ohtani 480.
It’s amazing that Ohtani has racked up 8.8 WAR while having zero defensive value. David Ortiz sneeringly called Ohtani the ‘pretty girl’ of baseball and predicted he would be awarded the MVP as a DH, and honor he was denied. Ortiz peaked at 6.4 WAR so STFU Big Papi.
Brought up a lot of young players who have been firing on all cylinders, the aforementioned great bullpen, plus Tarik Skubal.
The way they’re playing, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility they make it to the WS.
I know it’s a long-shot, but an '84 rematch between the Tigers and Padres would be cool.
I lived in San Diego in '84 (as a Dodger fan). It was pandemonium. Remember the Cub Busters music video?
No, but I was only 9, plus living in Detroit.
I wish they were, strictly for purposes of one of my fantasy leagues. But no - it’s only for hits, as it’s a cumulative version of Slugging.
So some fans are bitching because TJ Friedl bunted in the 7th to break up a perfect game bid by the Guardians bullpen. It was 2-0 and the Guardians were on their 5th or 6th pitcher. Even the Guardian’s manager was 'yeah, that’s baseball. He was trying to get something started for his team." Friedl was ‘It wasn’t the starter. In a bullpen game? No, I was trying to win the game.’
This is one of the “unwritten” rules that I personally think is complete and total bullshit. You want to throw a perfect game, throw a perfect fucking game. The batters shouldn’t be expected to fucking surrender to you because you threw 6+ good innings.
Phillies unexpectedly getting stomped by the Nats right now…for now.
The Tigers are in the playoffs.
Cubs win. Guaranteed to be above .500 for the season. Still fighting for a completely meaningless 2nd except that it’s over the 'Cards, so it means everything.
I don’t think it is even one of the rules. The only people bitching are some of the fans - none of the players said anything, and no one got thrown at.