Who would have thought with their crappy post ASB season, winning only what, 19 of 50 or so? And then giving up the division to the Twins in what seemed a lock, they went on to almost certain defeat against the Yankees, who they took in three straight games, after losing one.
Even after they beat the Yankees, many said they'd still lose against the A's, the commentators on ESPN and Sports Illustrated said A's in seven, for the most part. But the Tigs swept them in four, to win seven straight post season games.
Now they go on to play either the Cardinals, who they'd no be heavily favored to beat, or the Mets, who they'd be at least slightly favored to beat.
This could be the first time since the year I was born the Tigers will win the World Series, and like many are saying in Detroit, the Olde English D this year stands not for Detroit, but for Destiny.
Go Tigs! And good luck to both New York and St. Louis, we'll see you in Detroit next week!
PS I know there is a Baseball is here thread, but this is special, it's the World Series! And even MORE special, THE TIGERS ARE IN IT! Forgive me this indulgence.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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You know, Lyrhawn, every time I hear about the Tigers and how well they're doing, I think of you. I mean, if the Red Sox can't win the World Series, then at least an underdog will. Good luck, and I'll be cheering for the Tigers!
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
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I've been wearing my Tigers hat as usual. Tonight at the club it brought about many comments. Including a few Yanks fans who are pulling for the Tigers to win.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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What Evie said, if it ain't gonna be the Red Sox then another underdog
Plus kudos(how the heck do you spell that?) to the Tigers for handing the Yankee's their arses on a silver platter! Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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So far the Yankees have fared better against the Tigers than anybody else has in the postseason. *shrug* The better the Tigers do, the less embarrassed we need to feel.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Alcon: What Evie said, if it ain't gonna be the Red Sox then another underdog
Hey, as Red Sox fans like to remind Yankees fans, it's the Red Sox that won a more recent World Series. You can't brag about that AND claim to be an underdog. Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:Hey, as Red Sox fans like to remind Yankees fans, it's the Red Sox that won a more recent World Series. You can't brag about that AND claim to be an underdog. [No No]
And as Yankees fans love to remind us, you guys have all the money and the ability to buy the star players. We're poor and win on guts and uber loyal fans. I think that makes us an underdog Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Wow, 13th on the list, and battling it out neck and neck with the # 5 Mets. Gotta love St. Louis.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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1. Magglio Ordonez 16,200,000 2. Ivan Rodriguez 10,616,410
These are the only two above 10 million salary this year. You have to go 11 players down on the Yankees to get less than 10 mill. 3 on Boston. 3 on the Angels. 3 for the White Sox. 5 on the Mets. 3 on the Dodgers. 2 on the Cubs (I didn't think the Cubs could ever afford that much). 5 on the Braves. 4 on Houston. 2 on the Giants. 3 on the Mariners. 3 on St. Louis.
posted
Cards are doing good. I need them to not do good. If they go to the World Series it will ruin my plan. By some act of that one upstairs, my Tigers have to beat the Mets. It has been a while since I have had a little malicious fun. It's nothing physical, but it will be fun.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Dan, that is so old. Last time I saw it was Bills fan version (pushing the Dolphins fan over the edge).
Posts: 5422 | Registered: Dec 2001
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The next time they negotiate Justin Verlander's and Joel Zumaya's salaries, imagine how much the Tigers' total payroll will go up! Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson, Fernando Rodney, and Todd Jones are due for a raise, too. Then among the position players, Carlos Guillen and Craig Monroe have stepped up to the first rank, and are certain to get more money.
[ October 19, 2006, 05:18 PM: Message edited by: Ron Lambert ]
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Our Tigers will beat either of them
Oh I believe so too. However, the ex is a Mets fan. I know that if for some ungoshly reason the Tigers lose, especially to the Mets, she will e-mail me about it. However, she is a woman of few words, mainly due to her limited brain capacity for vocabulary. I plan on trumpeting it up a bit more. Pictures, repeats of scores, Highlits of the games. You know, all the good stuff. Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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One nice thing about this year's playoffs has been watching just how wrong the pundits have been; I think the Mets were the only faves to actually win a series...
(Mind you, I'm a Yankees fan, so I wasn't happy to see the Yankees lose. But I did get a bit of satisfaction in seeing the same pundits who'd been talking about how great the Yankees were, then go on to write about how wretched they were after they lost.)
Now the pundits are saying that the Tigers will win the World Series, since the NL is so weak compared to the AL... and that's got me thinking that the Tigers will now be cursed by the pundits' blessing...
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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For as the people are saying, this is the "Year of Destiny" for D-Town.
Folly has been the words of the fell pundits, and their words have wrought dark enchantments upon the land. But alone of the strongholds of the League of Majors, Comerica shall be a place where the Doom of Punditry will hold no sway, and where their words will take no stay. (I need to read less Tolkien).
Where else in this post-season have two teams that weren't given much of a chance faced off against each other? Both teams weren't supposed to make it this far, both are playing on borrowed time. Both are playing with a hell of a lot of heart, and with a fan base drugged to the gills with pride and euphoria. Both realize that they are already way past expectations and anything from here on out is just a bonus. I think there's little pressure on either team.
I was talking to Craig Monroe and Marcus Thames earlier tonight (they came to the sports bar I work at to watch the Cards game). They said they like having this break to let Zoomie (Zumaya) and those that needs rest up and be ready for the World Series, and they like the idea of the Mets and Cards wearing each other out and whoever wins having little rest before the Series starts. They don't really feel the pressure. They said it's a bit weird, because everyone is sort of feeling like our victory is destiny, it's in the offing, but they also said that they don't think that will make them play any less hard. Tough teams were beaten to get here, and they'll take the Cards no less seriously.
I say Tigers in Six. Cards aren't going to go quietly into the night, but the Tigers KNOW how good they can be, and they'll hold nothing back.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Great game last night, though a couple of questionable called strikes on Wright in the bottom of the eighth.
Even so, bases loaded and Beltran gets caught looking?
This series may set the record for lowest ratings for a World Series ever. Neither team is from a major market - I mean, it's Missouri v. Michigan. The World Series doesn't even have commercials that will draw in viewers like the Super Bowl does.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Don't count on that. This is not the first time that two teams played the world series who were not from either coast, nor Atlanta.
One year it was KC vs STL--two Missouri teams.
Besides I don't now about the Tigers, but the Cardinals draw fans from Mephis to Chicago, Suiox City to Texas. Thanks to a historic KMOX super strong AM radio station from the mid-30's on, we have fans throughout the whole midwest.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Don't count on that. This is not the first time that two teams played the world series who were not from either coast, nor Atlanta.
Yeah, and last year (Chicago v. Houston) the ratings were the lowest they had been since ratings numbers were recorded. (An 11.1 rating for a 19 share)
They were bad enough to prompt an entire ad campaign featuring Tommy Lasorda to get people to watch even if their team isn't playing.
Looking at the ratings numbers it seems that same-state pairings (Mets v. Yankees in 2000, or Giants v. Angels 2002) are pretty low, too.
Numbers have been steadily dropping for the World Series in general. The average market share for 1968-77 was 54.2, then from 1978-87 was 46.8, then from 1988-97 was 33.2, then from 1998 to present was 23.1 - dropping about ten points per decade.
I'd expect a market share of around 17-20 for this year's series.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Tigers' manager Jim Leyland announced during a press conference today that Justin Verlander will start the first game. He will be followed in rotation by Kenny Rogers, Nate Robertson, and Jeremy Bonderman. So it looks like Verlander has already surpassed Rogers as de facto ace of the staff. But it looks to me like this is a good move. In a potential seven-game series, you want to order your rotation so your best pitchers can have a second start if necessary.
Leyland also said Joel Zumaya is healed from his irritation of the wrist and forearm, and will be used. He also said that Sean Casey, who suffered a torn calf muscle a couple of weeks ago, will play in the first game Saturday in Detroit, but only as DH. Depending on how well he does, he may then start at first base when the series moves to St. Louis (and there will be no DH). Let's hope Casey is really ready to go. I've had a torn calf muscle, and it took longer than two weeks to heal to the point where I did not feel a twinge with every step I took. It took that long for the discoloration caused by subcutaneous bleeding (which flowed downward into my foot) to clear away as the blood was reabsorbed. I bet if we could see Casey's bare foot, it would still be discolored. That was one violent snap of the calf muscle the TV camera caught. And remember, Casey injured his left calf during a swing of the bat, when he hit the ball (then was unable to run to first base). So "just" being Designated Hitter may not spare him from re-injuring his calf.
There seems to be an amusing contest to see which team is more entitled to be considered the underdog. One thing that factors in is that when the Tigers played the Cards during interleague play this season, the Tigers swept the Cards. But then you also have to remember the Cards were missing four or five important players, who are all but one back in the lineup now.
One peeve I have is the foolish greed of MLB scheduling post season games so late in the year in northern cities. And not only that, they still schedule night games! Sooner or later, we are going to have some players suffer frostbite during the game!
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Tigers' manager Jim Leyland and Cards' manager Tony Larussa, are best friends, so the teams should be expected to be respectful to each other. Brawls are unlikely. That is not to say the umpires will not come under fire if they have inconsistent strike zones, or botch any out/safe or fair/fowl calls. Tony Larussa, especially, has shown a fiery temper in past years. Maybe he's mellowed out some lately. Jim Leyland, in contrast, is very restrained. It takes a lot to get his goat. He strives to show little reaction in the dugout even when the Tigers win with a walk-off homer. The one time I saw him really break up is when Magglio Ordonez was the runner at first in a situation where he had to run with the pitch (two outs, full count), and the batter fouled off seven or eight pitches. Ordonez was running himself ragged running on the pitch each time, then having to drag himself back to first with his tongue hanging out. Leyland caught his eye and laughed and laughed. Then there was the time when he entered the clubhouse and announced dead pan that Ordonez' barber had died. Leyland does have a sense of humor, and really is very emotional. He just tries to keep it in check during games (usually).
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I'm finding myself rapidly becoming a hard-core Tigers fan... it's a little scary! I'm not supposed to be into sports!
I guess it makes sense, though, the only sports games I've seen in the past four months or so have been Tigers' games. Way to get to know a team. Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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I'll lay off you during the early part of next season, I can't take THAT much baseball.
Get yourself geared up for Red Wings hockey
(Bit of a let down tonight...Grilli, Monroe and Thames were supposed to come into the restaurant where I work after the game. We were going to keep the restaurant up late just for them, but we got a call towards the end saying Thames wasn't coming now. Grilli was bringing his family, and decided to come anyway. I think this game comes as a wake up call. This might be our year, but it isn't being giftwrapped to us, we have to work for it. Kenny Rogers will show us how that's done tomorrow night, and they'll get back to basics)
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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For me it's because I didn't see that big of a deal with it. Especially since he pitched better AFTER he washed it off. Officially it was just dirt. Other sources say there was some rosin (sp) involved. So? He's not taking drugs. That's to his benefit.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Game 1 got a 15 share, which is the lowest of any World Series opener ever. Game 2 rebounded to get an 18 share, which is still lower than last year's record low average of 19. Together, it's the lowest ratings average for the first two games ever.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Come on Tiger fans, and all the rest of you Cardinal fans, lets just quit.
See, we were under the impression that this was a professional sport. Its really Sportsotainment.
Our teams goofed. They played well. They played better than the "more Popular" teams, and they won.
So we have to quit now, and politely turn in our pennants to the Mets and the Yankees, because they are more popular, sure they are lousy players, but they are more popular so they deserve to win.
After all, its not how you play, its who will pay.
Its not what you know, its who you know.
The most important statistics in baseball are provided by Neilson, aren't they?
I mean, look at how great scripted Wrestling is at bringing in the big bucks, the fans, and the endorsements. All we have to do is script out the season, decide who will be the hero's, the villians, the winners, and the losers. Don't worry, if you cry and scream loud enough, I'm sure they'll let your team be a winner.
And if ratings continue to drop we'll just add some other Wrestling standards. Why don't we turn the Houston Astro's into a team of female bathing suit models wearing lingere? The Pirates could dress like real Pirates--with hooks instead of gloves, and specially trained pop-fly catching parrots.
Yeah, lets just forget all about this athletic stuff, this good sportsmanship garbage, this merit based playoff idea.
So, on behalf of all the Tiger and Cardinal fans and players, to those of you who are gleeful over the poor ratings, and the "I told you so" attitude that your team would have been a bigger draw, we apologize.
We are sorry we were not bad enough so you could win.
We are sorry you are stuck spouting sour grapes.
We are sorry you can't loose like grown adults, but must whimper and cry like children.
We will try harder next year to play down to your level.
Just, don't hate us because we are good.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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You're assuming incorrectly that I wanted a major market team to win. Or any team to win.
Actually, I'd be happy if baseball wasn't televised at all... or was given the same time slots as, you know, golf. That other game where people mostly stand around on grass and occasionally hit a ball with a stick.
Frankly I could care less about the sport. The only time it pops up on my radar is when it takes up the front page of espn.com or preempts television shows like the Simpsons. It seems that's the case for most people in the country.
The only way for it to gain national interest is for two teams from differing major markets to play each other. And even then, ratings are half what they were even a couple decades ago.
With the Super Bowl, people watch regardless of the teams involved. With college football, people watch teams that have nothing to do with their location, because they're interested in the game itself. That's the same with college basketball and the NBA.
Baseball's far more regional - people are in it for "their home team" and not for the game. The game itself is frankly pretty dull. It's the hometown bragging rights people care for, not the sport. People will sit down and watch a basketball or football game between almost any two good teams - not so with baseball, because if your home team ain't in it, there's no point wasting that many hours of your life.
Maybe with such a downturn in interest and ratings, there will be less advertising, the teams will make less money, the size of contracts will go down, and you won't have ridiculous $100 million payrolls for a sport few people actually watch.
So, on behalf of the people who don't care:
We're sorry your teams are boring.
We're sorry your sport can't garner any national interest.
We're sorry that the most notable thing about your national championship is whether or not a guy had dirt on his hand.
We'll try harder not to be so apathetic.
Don't hate us because we don't care about your overpaid hometown heroes.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Flying Cow--50 years ago words like that would have had you shot for a commie.
Today, I agree. I admit that the only reason I am interested in this thread is pure regionalism, not a love of the game. I got upset that despite how good my regional team was doing, nobody was even mentioning them.
No, my rant is not against the normal folks out there. Its against the "fans" who say they love the game, only they really just love when they win.
I'm that way, but I admit it.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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It involves a lot of standing around and waiting - and a lot of sitting around and waiting. These long periods of waiting are punctuated by very short flurries of activity.
It's like watching a subway security camera.
I used to be a fan when I was younger. I was a Mets fan up until 1985, when I went to a Yankees game and Don Mattingly hit a homerun to my section. Then I was a Yankees fan (I know, wonderful timing) until the strike in 1994, at which point I gave up on baseball entirely. (I know, again, wonderful timing).
I've been an off-and-on Giants (football) fan, but I'll watch almost any NFL game that hasn't become a blowout. I love Rutgers football and basketball, but I'll watch almost any college football or basketball game on television (including women's basketball, and even I-AA basketball if it's on).
I'll watch the NBA if there is absolutely no college game on, but to me the NBA is the basketball equivalent of arena football.
With baseball, I have no interest in the sport itself. I'd prefer almost any other sport (except golf or curling, perhaps). However, if the Yankees or Mets are playing at the end of the year, I might tune in just to have something to talk about at work.
You're right, though. 50 years ago I'd have been shot as a commie... but likely long before they ever found out about my feelings on baseball. Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Looks like the news media is trying to make the news, by continually agitating the question of what was the substance on the base of Kenny Roger's thumb in the first inning of game two. Whatever it was, cameras showed he must have washed it off between innings, and the Cards still could not hit him for the seven additional innings that he pitched after that. Nobody responsible chose to make an issue of the matter. Maybe the news media still holds against Rogers his pushing of the cameraman last year. Or maybe they are just trying to stir up controversy to increase ratings.
Posts: 3742 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I like how the sports pundits are making a bigger deal of it than the actual players and umpires are. Amusing.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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It's possible they're just trying to have something, anything, interesting to say about this world series.
A Cubs v. Yankees world series would spawn all manner of interesting historical stories, mostly along the lines of "Can the Cubbies do it?!? Can they take down the Big Bad Yankees!?!?"
A St. Louis v. Detroit series has no such inborn interest level, so they have to sensationalize the mundane in order to attract a national audience.
More people are talking about a brown smear that existed for a single half of a single inning than they are about the entirety of game one or the other eight and a half innings of game two. Without the smear, there wouldn't be anything to write about.
Posts: 3960 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I am a hometown fan because I grew up watching them play. I root for Detroit no matter where I have lived (5 states in 8 years). I used to play baseball. Albiet, I wasn't any good at it. Since I don't have cable at the house I am stuck tracking the game on the computer. All 9 innings. Granted we just lost game 3. 5 to nill. Now we just have to win games 4, 5 and 6. I want the win to be in Detroit. I want my boys to party at home.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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Sad game, but I'm not really worried. Rogers will take Game Six, and I think Verlander will do better in Game Five. Bonderman can get the W for us tomorrow night, and we can win at home.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Wait - isn't the Series on Fox? Can you get the bunny ears to focus on that? If not - horrible. Just not fair.
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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I believe that we need to make the St. Louis Cardinals the official team of Hatrack.
Why?
Well here are a few reasons:
5) They are going to win the world series. 4) [URL]= http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/pete_mcentegart/10/25/ten.spot/ Top ten Cardinal personalities[/URL] 3) The Cardinal name is attractive to both the bird lovers amongst us, as well as the Catholics. 2) They have won the world series more often than any one other than the Yankees 1) "Cards" is short for "Cardinals". Would OSC and Family love for a whole state to be yelling "Yea Cards!"
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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I think we should make the Tigers the official team of Hatrack.
Why?
Well here are a few reasons:
1) They are going to win the world series. 2) Tigers are an endagered species and our support for them would help the world. 3) The last world series they won was the year I was born, that has to count for something. 4) I don't care if you have more reasons than I do, some of yours aren't even cool 5) We were the asrsenal of democracy, USA!
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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