I always hear around the cooler on any given day by the casual Detroit Tiger fan, or by the fans of a major Tiger rival why, on that particular day or at that particular time the Tigers are going to break out of their slump and finally make a run at greatness, like they were supposed to on paper at the beginning of the season or not. Well, the definitive time for anything like that to happen may not be all that photographically noticeable except over an extended period of time. Maybe if you could take a time lapsed shot on successive days to capture the essense of the change. Well, maybe.
Anyway, simply put the mastermind behind this monsterously hard to figure out team does seem to have a plan and it may actually be on the verge of showing some positive results with more to come. The three game series with the Mariners was a blessing in disguise. It gave the team a stretch of three games where they could play baseball with the least amount of pressure to bear. The offense got some much needed BP, the Pitching got some much needed work without the normal rat race stress of playing against division rivals. In short, the guys could have some fun and relax a bit for more than a day. It will pay off down the line in rejuvenation of purpose and confidence. it shows already.
Mr. Leyland is no dummy. With the less than stellar realization that nothing goes like it looks on paper and man, has it really train wrecked this year early. Jim has needed to establish a rythm and routine of work ethic in the team. That has not been easy to do early on especially with all the injuries sustained by the team to key contributors. However, as of late the pitching has been working to strict schedule. No starters going more than 6 innings and then the bullpen working the final three for the outcome. The starters for the most part, have been reasonably effective. Nobody is stellar at their job but, they are at least not giving away the farm anymore. With the steady rotation has come some better pitching performances of late. Also, both Fernando Rodney and Joel Zumaya are once again throwing in Florida. That is at least a good sign for the near future that the staff will once again be bolstered for the second half. Dontrelle Willis is back but, whether that is a good thing remains to be seen.
In the last seven games the Tigers are 5-2-0, outscoring their opponents 56-32, the resurrgent offense averaging 8 runs a game during the last week and the opposition scoring between 4-5. This may be what Leyland had in mind all the time. The Tigers could always be contenders in the Central as long as the offensive power of the team backed up a mediocre pitching staff that could keep the opponents in check relatively speaking. Leyland may have envisioned a Tiger club that won by attrition more than not. It may still be possible to salvage the season and the Central Division title. Just playing .600 or slightly better gets them 89-90 wins. That can win the Central. They are only back 5 1/2 right now.
I remember the 1984 Tigers and their phenomenal start of 35-5-0 and then their lackluster ride to the finish. It was exciting to watch at the beginning of the year and it became a little more interesting as their huge lead almost dwindled away. Yet they finished to take it all against San Diego that year in the World Series. This year has been excruciating to watch at the beginning, as the team with so much promise has tanked the first two months. It will be a pleasure to watch as they crawl out of the pit they have dug for themselves with the questionable talent available, to triumph above so many in the end.
So say we all! Tiger fans to the glorious end!