For those of you who thought about me this weekend, why yes - the Detroit Tigers are trying to kill me. Instead of, oh I don't know, playing some offense and actually, oh I don't know, hitting the baseball - they've decided to make life interesting. So instead of doing something really radical like, oh I don't know, not dicking around and just winning the American League Central division already - we now have a tie-breaker game on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins to look forward to.Since I know you're all dying to know what I think, I'll tell you.
Tigers lose.
Why? Because even if our pitching staff shows up and has a spectacular game, the Tigers have shown all year long that they can't hit the baseball. So unless the pitching staff all turn into .350 hitters and we decide to play National League rules on Tuesday, I don't see the Tigers in the post season.
I know. Aren't I just the little killjoy?
I hope I'm wrong - but I don't think I am.
A lot has been made of the Tigers postseason run (at this point, dreams) because of what a clusterfuck (yeah I said it) the city of Detroit is. I'm a Michigan girl, through and through, but even loving the area as I do, it's hard to look at Detroit and the state as a whole, and not want to weep these days. While a lot of people in the country didn't start feeling the effects of the current recession until recently, the Midwest (and I'm lumping western New York state in here as well) have been feeling it for years. I moved to California five years ago because of it.
Five years ago.
And if I'm honest with myself, the writing was on the wall before that.
People in Michigan tend to have a healthy disdain for Detroit. First there's the resentment in the belief that if Detroit fails, the entire state is screwed. Also, it's hard to love Detroit when there has literally been decades of ineptitude and corruption. It's easy to be pessimistic about the city, especially with countless examples of urban decay, poverty, a horrifying unemployment rate (28.9% - no lie), and despair smacking you in the face.
All that being said, Detroit is still a city worth saving. Despite it's multitude of problems, there are good people in that city, fighting the uphill battle of trying to resurrect it. Will they be successful? Who knows? But in the meantime, Time magazine has decided to follow the story. They bought a house in the city, and plan to spend the next year profiling all things Detroit. The industry (such as it is), the politics, the people. Will the coverage be all about how terrible everything in Detroit is? Well OK, there is some of that. But there's also some hope. And Michiganders are nothing if not hopeful.
Go Tigers!
Follow Time's Assignment: Detroit coverage.
15 comments:
Yeah, I was thinking of you this weekend watching the Tigers give it up. But it's not like my Phillies are going to last past Colorado this year. So good luck to both of them!
And the Time piece looks to be fascinating. We'll be following along.
Okay, I'm a bit confused. Who are you rooting for? :)
I stopped following baseball when Montreal sold their Expos... that strike in 1994, heart-breaking T_T
I was thinking about you all weekend, and I chose not to blog about the Yankees in deference to you and your Tigers :)
Phyl: A lot of times it boils down to who gets hot at the right time. Colorado did it a couple years ago - could they do it again? Also, I'd watch out for St. Louis.
Nath: LOL - the Detroit Tigers. Now, do I think they'll win? Um, no.
Wendy... have you heard everything about Cabrera? Just what the Tiger's need right? My question is what in the world is he doing out getting wasted in the middle of a pennant race at 5:00 a.m.? Unbelieveable!
Tara Marie: The AL Central has been frustrating all year long. In all honesty? The White Sox really should have run away with it this year - but instead chose under-achievement. Instead I've been stuck watching a bunch of teams that seem unwilling to just win the dang title already.
On the bright-side, watching some of the pitching in our division has been a treat this year. Most notably Greinke, Verlander, Jackson, and Buehrle. I'd lump Carl Pavano in there too, but frankly that guy irritates the crap out of me. And I don't think I'm alone on that.....LOL
Kristie: I was reserving judgment until more details came out, but now? WTFBBQ?!?!
I'm actually fine with him hanging out with players from an opposing team (hey, with free agency, these guys have friends all over the place) but to get shit-faced loaded the night before a game? A huge monster of an important game? It doesn't exactly look very good does it? Especially considering how much the Tigers are paying him and the fact that he's collecting that salary in a struggling city like Detroit.
Good luck to your Tigers, Wendy. I kept up with the game through your twitter updates. So sorry they didn't win a playoff spot over the weekend. Hope they end up playing much better than my TN Titans did yesterday.
Liza: I can't figure the Titans out. What the heck is going on down there? And why aren't they running the heck out of LenDale White more?
Carl Pavano--DIRTY WORD here in Yankeeland.
I'm still hoping they pull it out...I won't be able to show my face at work if they lose. The only thing worse than an LA Lakers fan is an LA Dodgers fan!!! Ugh! :(
I have no idea what Jeff Fisher is thinking right now, Wendy. I agree that LenDale White should be played more, but I don't know why we haven't at least tried Vince Young for a few snaps. At this point he couldn't do any worse than Kerry Collins and his multiple interceptions.
There was an article in the paper today where they spoke to some medical professionals. They said it was quite likely/possible that he was STILL legally drunk at the start time of the game. THAT pisses me off. It sounds to me that both him and his wife were going at it pretty equally since no charges were fined, but when there is something this important going on, he has no business getting that drunk. (Of course just as I write this he hit a two run homer, so maybe some is forgiven!)
Just wanted to say sorry about last night. Very depressing... I was really hoping your Tigers would pull it out.
More on baseball game in upcoming post. I'm not lying when I say I died a thousand deaths last night :)
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