Posting a Post Mortem Tiger Post
Dear Mortem,
The Tigers errored their way to losing the World Series, 4 games to 1. Five errors by pitchers, three errors by Brandon Inge (which weren't lazy errors) and lack of timely hitting did in the Tigers.
Well, it was a good run while it lasted, just three games short. What an incredible run! They started with a good road trip at the very beginning of the season and we're vieing for best team in baseball when the came back to Detroit for the home opener. They had a so-so home stand and Jim Leyland called out the entire team and then the Tigers went on a great run to move into first place and cause Tiger's fever. They were the best team in baseball all the way to the All-Star break.
They stayed in front until the days of September where they faultered and by losing the last seven games let the Minnesota Twins take the division. But that didn't matter. The Tigers lose the first game to the New York Yankees but then sweep the final three games of their series. Capping the clinch was Magglio Ordonez's big home run to end the series. Then they play the Oakland A's, the team the Tigers would have played had they won their division, and simply mopped up on them, sweeping four games to extend their playoff winning streak to seven games.
And then they wait until they find out that their old nemisis the St. Louis Cardinals (1934, 1968 World Series) are the National League champs by beating the NY Mets in seven games. What can we say? The Tigers threw away the series. After losing to rookie pitcher ---- in the first game, hot pitching Kenny Rodgers shuts out the Cards and extends his scoreless streak in the post season to 23 innings, among the all-time best. That game will be remembered as the "dirt game" where the Fox broadcast caught the appearance of pine tar on Rodger's hand, it was claimed dirt.
That was the last the Tigers remembered good defense. In the series Justin Verlander made two errors including overthrowing first and third base. Fernando Rodney overthrew first base and Joel Zumaya did the same at third base. Five errors by pitchers in five errors and most were crucial. They pitched well over the five games but didn't support that effort with fielding. Sean Casey was easily the hitting star with two homers and seemingly endless doubles to right. Playoff MVP Placido Palanco went stone cold never getting a WS hit.
The weather played havoc with the series. If it didn't rain (causing one forfeit) then it was cold and/or windy. It didn't seem the Tigers adapted to the weather well. They also seemed to have had rookie nervousness that could account for the mass of errors. Oh well, we'll get 'em next year.
Already the talk is about the improvements that will happen for next year. They have a good core of players, a great pitching staff with more depth in the minors. GM Dombrowski has the chance to make a team even better after a World Series rather than be forced to break up the team like when he was with the Florida Marlins. I have confidence in him, he will make the team even better.
The Tigers errored their way to losing the World Series, 4 games to 1. Five errors by pitchers, three errors by Brandon Inge (which weren't lazy errors) and lack of timely hitting did in the Tigers.
Well, it was a good run while it lasted, just three games short. What an incredible run! They started with a good road trip at the very beginning of the season and we're vieing for best team in baseball when the came back to Detroit for the home opener. They had a so-so home stand and Jim Leyland called out the entire team and then the Tigers went on a great run to move into first place and cause Tiger's fever. They were the best team in baseball all the way to the All-Star break.
They stayed in front until the days of September where they faultered and by losing the last seven games let the Minnesota Twins take the division. But that didn't matter. The Tigers lose the first game to the New York Yankees but then sweep the final three games of their series. Capping the clinch was Magglio Ordonez's big home run to end the series. Then they play the Oakland A's, the team the Tigers would have played had they won their division, and simply mopped up on them, sweeping four games to extend their playoff winning streak to seven games.
And then they wait until they find out that their old nemisis the St. Louis Cardinals (1934, 1968 World Series) are the National League champs by beating the NY Mets in seven games. What can we say? The Tigers threw away the series. After losing to rookie pitcher ---- in the first game, hot pitching Kenny Rodgers shuts out the Cards and extends his scoreless streak in the post season to 23 innings, among the all-time best. That game will be remembered as the "dirt game" where the Fox broadcast caught the appearance of pine tar on Rodger's hand, it was claimed dirt.
That was the last the Tigers remembered good defense. In the series Justin Verlander made two errors including overthrowing first and third base. Fernando Rodney overthrew first base and Joel Zumaya did the same at third base. Five errors by pitchers in five errors and most were crucial. They pitched well over the five games but didn't support that effort with fielding. Sean Casey was easily the hitting star with two homers and seemingly endless doubles to right. Playoff MVP Placido Palanco went stone cold never getting a WS hit.
The weather played havoc with the series. If it didn't rain (causing one forfeit) then it was cold and/or windy. It didn't seem the Tigers adapted to the weather well. They also seemed to have had rookie nervousness that could account for the mass of errors. Oh well, we'll get 'em next year.
Already the talk is about the improvements that will happen for next year. They have a good core of players, a great pitching staff with more depth in the minors. GM Dombrowski has the chance to make a team even better after a World Series rather than be forced to break up the team like when he was with the Florida Marlins. I have confidence in him, he will make the team even better.
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