Motor City Runs Out Of Gas In Texas

Well, Tigers fans, the dream is over. Your Justin Verlander could not save you. Mags was not around to help. Papa Verde was burnt. Miggy, Ingy, and VMart were not enough.

Detroit fans are more sick of Nelson Cruz than they are of Brian Wilson and Taco Bell. They prayed for rain. But the Rangers hit too hard and they pitched too good. 

Many fans wonder about odd choices. Why be throwing over to first? Why send that runner tagging up on third on a fly ball? Why not take that pitcher out?  Why not walk that guy and then pitch to that guy?

Down, and now out

But those questions are meaningless really since in the overall picture as the answer to all of the Detroit Tigers' questions were answered by Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and most emphatically by ALCS MVP Nelson Cruz.  Derek Holland and C.J. Wilson had a few responses of their own.  Overall it became deafening, like the hush at Comerica Park.

Would walk a mile for a lucky strike

It was a good year for the Detroit Tigers.  They commanded their division handily and looked scrappy in their brawl with the New York Yankees in the ALDS.  But again, they just didn't have all the tools in their box to finish the job, sadly, much like their stalled vehicle in the 2006 World Series.  They'll have some work to do this off-season, but they'll be back in the mix next year.  They survived the loss of Curtis Granderson better than the team who got Granderson, but they need stronger pitching and bigger bats.  Smarter bats would help -- the Tigers helped their opponents by swinging at pitches outside and away and couldn't lay off the junk sliders.  They were predictable from our Barcaloungers, we don't understand what they saw.  Apparently it was pretty good.

Catch two tigers by a ...

Actually, to a large extent, their pitching and offense would look better if they weren't playing against their own defense.  While the number of men left on base is a staggering total, the number of dropped balls and bad throws is mind-blowing, considering any thought of championship trophies.  The Idiots of 2004 may have been idiots, but theyheld their leads and got 27 outs more than anyone else did, and that's all there is to it.

The Rangers?  They're off to finish a job of their own, returning to the World Series for the second consecutive year to take on another out-of-the-blue National League champion.