| Paul Merchan. 8th August, 2006 - 5:13 am
 There is no bigger mistake than to underestimate a contender. It only brings out the best in them. That’s what the entire baseball world did with the Detroit Tigers. When they started off the season hot, it was easy for many detractors to blurt out the word fluke, since the Tigers have not been in serious contention for years. However, the boys from Motown are proving the world wrong, as their magical season continues well into the summer.
At this point, with an 8 game lead as of August 4, the Tigers are almost a lock to make the playoffs. They’re having their best season since their championship year of 1984 and even made a trade move before the deadline to ensure their appearance in October baseball. When a team deals like that, it’s a sign that they really want it. The Tigers are definitely on the prowl.
Jim Leyland, the Tigers manager has been a catalyst for success in Detroit. Its hard to forget his early season interview, when after a game in which the Tigers played mediocre, he said his team “stunk” and boldly stated his responsibility to have them ready to play every day. He also said that losing had gone on for too long in Detroit, and that it wasn’t going to happen anymore. If anything, his words certainly fired up his squad to open up a commanding lead on the World Champion White Sox in the division race.
Leyland has different styles of managing that have worked wonders for Detroit. It was interesting to see a series between the Tigers and the Yankees early in the summer, as Leyland paced and yelled in the dugout, while the opposing manager, Joe Torre, leaned calmly against the railing and led his team. Two different styles, but they both make it work. Leyland offers a spark that sits well with the mix of veterans and youngsters on his squad, which is the main reason why they’ve been so successful, and also the main reason why Leyland should receive Manager of the Year honors.
Their reasons for winning are everywhere, however. The talent of the pitching staff is almost unheard of in the league today. Justin Verlander and Jeremy Bonderman are a pair of young arms rivaled only by Johann Santana and Francisco Liriano of the Twins. The plate is manned by one of the greatest battery mates of this generation, Ivan Rodriguez. With solid stars like Magglio Ordoñez, Brandon Inge and the just-returned Dmitri Young, they have pop and clutch hitting at nearly every position. They even beefed up their offense in a trade, getting power-hitting Sean Casey, while sending the struggling Chris Shelton to the minors. Moves like that don’t happen with non-contenders. The Tigers are for real, and its time the rest of the league got used to that.
Whether they can compete in the playoffs or not is difficult to gauge at this point. Powerhouses in the league such as the Yankees seem to have their number this season. However, head-to-head records in the regular season don’t always translate into the same trend in the postseason. Detroit is to be taken seriously, and especially in a seven game series, Verlander and Bonderman can give them four wins easily. Seeing a team that has been locked at the bottom of the division for so long suddenly turn it around into success is refreshing- something all of baseball needs to take seriously. |
