Okay, nobody likes a gloater. But the folks in the traffic jam didn't seem to mind.
While the celebration in Michigan will last all weekend, Tuesday will send Detroit westward for their first game of the ALCS against the Oakland A's. The A's swept the Minnesota Twins, a formidable team that snuck up behind the Tigers in the regular season and snatched away the AL Central division crown on the final game of the season. Much like the Tigers, the A's pitching staff is extremely deep, including starters and relievers, but their lineup is vastly different. While the Tigers have nine equally potent hitters, Oakland's lineup features more patience, less power, and one big bat: Frank Thomas.
And while the champagne puddles in the locker room remain fizzy, ESPN's Baseball Tonight crew have already weighed in on who they believe will win this one.
In-house analyst John Kruk picked the Tigers in seven games. Like moths to a flame, Tino Martinez and Eduardo Perez also picked the Tigers. Host Karl Ravech Scott Reiss humorously reminded his wingmen how many of them picked the Tigers to win the first round.
So screw you, BBTN crew, for jumping back on the Tigers' bandwagon after abandoning it a week ago. Naw, just kidding. And to prove I'm not actually mad, I'll wave you in front of me once the light turns green.
Article comments
1 - Donnie Marler
Congrats to the Tigers!! It tickled me to see Leyland carried off the field on their shoulders. What a magnificent manager!
Hey, Matt!! You're the only one who put it down on paper, buddy. Tigers Win!!! Attaboy!
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
And I absolutely must know where Jason Grilli got those motorized goggles.
3 - tink
Damn those Tigers!! I'm still crying in my milk over this game.
But maybe this will be the push that the Yanks-powers-that-be need to finally dump...eeerrrr, bump Darryl Strawberry Jr...eeeerrrrr, I mean A-Rod, off the team.
4 - RJ Elliott
A-Rod is likely finished with the Yanks. Same with Torre.
And I couldn't be happier! :-)
5 - Donnie Marler
Rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for the house in a gaming establishment.
As a midwestern boy, I'm hoping for Detroit-St. Louis in the Series. Baseball like it oughtta' be.
6 - Scott
Tough to call. I say it will be a Mets-Tigers world series. Tigers win in 5. Or 6. Maybe.
7 - MCH
"A-Rod is likely finished with the Yanks. Same with Torre.
And I couldn't be happier! :-)"
- RJ Elliott
It takes a pretty small-minded person to celebrate the termination of Joe Torre, one of the classiest men in baseball...and I've been a Red Sox fan and Yankee-hater for almost 40 years!
8 - RJ Elliott
I don't dislike Joe Torre, but they guy has been managing a team with more than a billion dollars in payroll over the last six years, and he can't get it done. He deserves to go.
And A-Rod is just a dick.