The Official Tigers Magic Number thread

[bezeach]

They had chances. The Tigers had the bases loaded with one out, and they blew it.

[jammertime]

Originally Posted by bezeach

They had chances. The Tigers had the bases loaded with one out, and they blew it.

They've had chances for about a week now. They held the tie breaker against the Twins, lost 2 of 3 at home against the Jays and then were swept by the Royals.

Not the way you want to go into the playoffs, but at least they're still in.

[mercury]

It's tough... but we knew they weren't supposed to be here so soon.... get some playoff experience against the best team money can buy and call it a success.
Next year go after a legit left handed bat... make Mags the DH...that might be enough.

[LA Dre]

Funny I am not sure where most of the gloom and doom is over there at the Detroit News Fourm. The Tiger forum is beating up on Leyland, Inge, Pudge and whomever wears a Tiger uniform and over at the Lions forum they are beating on the defense, Millen and Ford. I guess Ford couldn't stop some body name Marc Bulger from throwing for 328 yards. At the Piston Forum it looks like it was an afternoon slugfest between Lee, Pistonature and Da Buddified one. Not sure who lost that game.



The Tigers blew several opportunites over the past five games including losing to a team that they had owned 14-1 before the weekend started. The way it finally played out, all they had to win was 1 of the final five to win the division and despite having leads of five runs or more in a couple of the games, they still find themselves flying to NY tonight.

Shoddy pitching that gave up 33 runs and some 80+ hits in the last 5 games is not the sign of a team heading to the playoffs. The Yankee fans have never cheered so much for the Royals just to get a crack at Leylands Losers. To many blown opportunities with strikeouts and leaving men on base with scoring opportunites. Hopefully the pressure is off the Tigs now and they can play like they did in the first half of the season.

[roscoe36]

I can't believe they lost the division at the last game of the season.

Oh well, if they can get it rolling against the Yanks, they stand a chance to make some real noise...

[mercury]

I'm a firm believer that you have to experience pain before glory... the young kids are learning how to finish a pressure game... Rodney, Inge, Bondy etc. should have better success next year.
They would have done better against the Twinkies who were also were under the gun... KC was doing things like throwing changeups with a 3-2 count... what's there to lose for them?
Even though there's still games to be played I'd like to see the pitchers work on their offspeed pitches in the offseason... any big leaguer can sit on a fastball late in the count.

Yankee stadium is the right stage for building for the future... bring em on and take the

[lazyberbs]

The palms of my hands are bloody from these last three games, I clenched my fists so hard. One game is all they needed, as it turned out, and a team that lost a hundred games.

Well, the Royals looked pretty good. The pitching did not look like the best in the majors lately.

Hope the Tigers salvage some of their self esteem in NY, and at least win a couple. It would be good experience for the next years.

Too bad about Inge. He had that error that he feels lost the game and then struck out when he had a chance to make up for it. He really tore up the dugout when he got back. He really did not lose the game for them. He is a good young player and will bouce back.

I hope they get their bounce back NOW. What a turnaround from the first to the second half.

[TaShawn]

If our goal was to get to the ALCS, then we have hurt our chances. But if our goal is to get to the World Series, then we are probably in better shape. Given that the Yankees are more talented and more experienced, the fewer the games we have to beat them, the better. Having home field would have been nice, but at least Verlander skipped a start and should be ready to go.

[Darth Tater]

Originally Posted by TaShawn

If our goal was to get to the ALCS, then we have hurt our chances. But if our goal is to get to the World Series, then we are probably in better shape. Given that the Yankees are more talented and more experienced, the fewer the games we have to beat them, the better. Having home field would have been nice, but at least Verlander skipped a start and should be ready to go.

I'm thinking a Yankees sweep. Why? Because they are good and we cannot beat the Royals.

Can you say major CHOKE!

That being said I think the Tigers accomplished a great deal this season. Great job by Jim Leyland.

[professor]

i'm not quite ready to write their playoff chances off entirely, but clearly, unless at least their pitching returns to first half form, they don't have a prayer cause they sure aren't going to outhit that yankees lineup...

i've entertained a vague hope that at this point, having hit rock bottom (in some ways, at least), they'll feel less pressure and play more relaxed, especially the pitchers and also some of the less experienced hitters. (but that may be just be the tigers verison of the "if it ain't rough it ain't right line" that the %$#@ pistons have drummed into my skull)