Tiger Fever

It hasn't happened in nineteen years. But it WILL happen this year.

The last time it happened was 1987. Ronald Reagan was president. The price of gas was about $1.04 a gallon. Prozac was a new drug in the United States. On a personal note, my son was six months old.

That was the last time that baseball's Detroit Tigers were in the playoffs. They'll end that drought next month. Whether they win the American League's Central Division, or whether they get in via a wild-card spot, yesterday's 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals guaranteed them an appearance in the playoffs.

Detroit has waited a long time for quality baseball to return to the Motor City. It's been more than ten years since the Tigers had a winnning record. And let us not forget, it was only three years ago that the team nearly set a major league record for most losses in a season.

So, what changed this year? A number of things, and they all contributed to the fine season the Tigers have had. Pitching, to begin with, starting with the signing of veteran free-agent Kenny Rogers (not the singer) and the re-acquisition of reliever Todd Jones. Banner years from Tiger stalwarts Nate Robertson and Jeremy Bonderman didn't hurt, either. And who could have conceived that rookie pitchers Justin Verlander and Joel Zamaya would have such an impact on the team?

Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez (not so pudgy these days) lost the snottiness that had dragged the team down so badly last year, and instead, displayed the leadership that he'd been known for in his Florida Marlin days. But the biggest single difference has to be the manager, Jim Leyland. He came along with a no-nonsense attitude and tons of big-league management experience (including a World Series ring), unlike the Tigers' previous skipper, Alan Trammell. He assembled a first-rate coaching staff, and they showed the players what they needed to do to win. And win they did, holding the best record in baseball for the majority of the season.

Who knows how far the Tigers will go in the playoffs? Can they go all the way? It's hard to say, but if they do, Detroit will wind up hosting the Super Bowl and the World Series in the same year. Has any other city ever done that?

Counting the Tigers, four Detroit sports teams have made the playoffs this year. One even won a championship (the Detroit Shock). It's a good year to be a Detroit sports fan.

(Shhhh, let's not talk about the Lions.)