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Sunday, 29 October, 2006 0:09 AM
Tigers
lose the World Series, but still celebrate
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / AMERICAJR.com
Comerica
Park is home to your 2006 American League Champions, The Detroit
Tigers!!
Even though
the Tigers didn't win the World Series, there is still something
to celebrate. Just a few years ago, this time lost over 100 games.
Last year, they only won 71 games. In 2006, the Tigers made it all
the way to the World Series to face-off against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Quite an accomplishment
for a Detroit team that hasn't won a World Series since 1984. Let's
come together and celebrate the Tigers as American League champions.
They roared past the New York Yankees and the Oakland Athletics.
That's not an easy task for any team.
Much of the credit for
the success can be attributed to the coach Jim Leyland. This was
his first year with the Tigers. He said, "I just hope people
realize what this team accomplished coming from 71 wins." Leyland
added, "And how hard it is just to get to the World Series."
More success came from
the players. Pitchers like Kenny Rogers, Todd Jones, Justin Verlander
and Joel Zumaya became favorites for many baseball fans. Hitters
such as Sean Casey, Craig Monroe and especially Magglio Ordonez
who got the Tigers to the World Series became stars for the entire
American League. Detroit's catcher Ivan Rodriguez was in the spotlight
when he played in MLB's All-Star Game earlier this year.
It was great to hear
former announcer Ernie Harwell behind the mic once again. He stepped
in to call a few innings during the post-season for the Tigers.
It just makes you want to him to announce every game. Some of the
stuff he says is classic. You just don't hear announcers like him
anymore. Hats off to Mr. Ernie Harwell for a great job during the
post-season!
Since the Tigers lost
the World Series, they will have something to build on for next
season. They can look at their errors and go about correcting them
next year. The Tigers just made too many errors in the World Series
against the Cardinals. They should be analyzed in-depth so the team
can avoid them in the 2007 season when spring training begins.
You could see the emotion
in the players. Especially in Detroit pitcher Kenny Rogers. After
each pitch, you could see a reaction on his face. They all wanted
to win. Both teams were desperate. The Cardinals haven't won since
1982. Maybe it wasn't the time for the Tigers yet? Maybe in one
or two more years, Detroit can be victorious.
I believe the Tigers
celebrated too early when they found out they were going to the
playoffs. Detroit won a total of 95 games in the 2006 season. They
lost the last five games because they were overconfident about the
post-season. They thought it didn't matter -- they already made
it in. If they would have won some of those last five games, they
would most likely have played different teams. That could have opened
the opportunity to win the World Series against a different team.
It was a shame. The Tigers
lost the 2006 World Series. We all wanted them to win -- badly.
However, I would encourage you to look on the bright side. The Tigers
won the American League pennant. That's a feat the team hasn't able
to accomplish since 1984. Good Work Boys!
Related
Story: GM
holds a pep rally for the Tigers in the RenCen
Related
Story: Spirit
of Detroit dressed with a Tigers jersey
Related
Story: TIGER
FEVER: Detroit advances to the World Series
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