By Staff
Regardless of how the remainder of the playoffs come out, the Detroit Tigers have given us a season to remember.
The Tigers have surpassed everyones expectations.
As a long-time Tiger fan, I would have been pleased with an above .500 record this season. Just making the playoffs was good enough for me.
But now that the Tigers are so close to the promised land, one might tend to forget just how bad Detroit has been over the past decade.
You might feel let down if the Tigers don't reach the World Series now.
If any of those thoughts have begun to creep into your mind, let me remind you just how bad things have been for more than a decade.
I was there when the Tigers last played in the American League Championship Series back in 1987. I was there when the Tigers won the ALCS and were World Series champions back in 1984.
Tiger fans have not had a lot to crow about since 1987. Things really got bad recently as Detroit lost more games in a single season than any other just a couple of years ago.
Detroit hadn't had a winning season in so long I have blocked out of my mind.
I have been a doomsayer all year because of their past history. I have tried not to get too excited about the Tigers because they have let me down so many times before.
Unlike Chicago Cubs fans, who seem to embrace losing, Tiger fans have wanted more and finally Detroit has delivered.
With a nice mix of crafty veterans and talented rookies, the Tigers looked to be poised to finally break the long string of losing seasons back in April when the year began.
As the season went along, it was easy to see that this team had something special.
What the Tigers needed was a manager who wasn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers and demand the best of his players.
That man was Jim Leyland.
Leyland has pushed all the right buttons and continues to do so in the post season.
Last night on a hunch, Leyland inserted Alexis Gomez, a career minor leaguer, into his line up and he delivered.
Gomez drove in four of Detroit's eight runs in an 8-5 victory that moved the Tigers within two games of the World Series.
Detroit returns to Michigan today and begins preparation for Game 3 on Friday night.
The Tigers will send veteran Kenny Rogers to the hill with a chance to stick the dagger in the heart of the Oakland Athletics.
But win or lose, the Tigers have made 2006 season a season to remember.
They have provided us with enough memories to get us through another long, cold Michigan winter.
Savor the moment Tiger fans. Although this looks like a team that can be a contender for years to come, you just never know.