Detroit Tigers, Slightly Better Than Before, Are World Series Bound

Dear Detroit Tigers,

I'm sorry for all the years I made fun of your team.

I'm sorry for 2000, when you opened Comerica Park, at which point I claimed you don't give a kid with diarrhea a new diaper.

I'm sorry for 2001 when I called a "Catch-22" what your infield does with 100 pop flies.

I'm sorry for 2002, when Ernie Harwell retired as the team's play-by-play announcer, calling him "the luckiest man on the face of the earth."

I'm sorry for 2003, when your team lost 119 games, and to repeat all the punch lines I coined throughout the season would take up all of Blogcritics' bandwidth.

I'm sorry for 2004 when I hoped the team would only lose 118.

I'm sorry for 2005 when I noted how Tigers games would no longer be seen on Detroit's UPN station, noting that "Well, nobody's seen them play since 1984 anyway."

And I'm sorry for — like everyone else — predicting your team to finish just fourth in the division.

Please realize that I joked out of love and not of hate.

Your pal forever,
--Suss

There, I feel better. To be honest, "better" was the biggest understatement of the last 17 years.

And I'm not the only one to feel better after Saturday night's game, when the Detroit Tigers beat the Oakland A's 6-3 to advance to the World Series.

Magglio Ordonez feels better. After hitting 2-for-13 in the ALCS, Ordonez hit two home runs, including a 3-run homer in the ninth to seal the win and the series for the Tigers.

Placido Polanco feels better. After missing most of September with a separated shoulder, he's healthy and performing. In fact, he's doing so well (9-for-17 at the plate ) that he won the ALCS Most Valuable Player award.

Article Author: Matthew T. Sussman

Sussman is the founder and former editor of Blogcritics Sports. Twitter: @suss2hyphens

Visit Matthew T. Sussman's author page — Matthew T. Sussman's Blog