The biggest series of the year?
posted in Analysis, The Stretch Run |Can we say that now? I don’t know if it’s true. My internal debate.
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Me 1: It’s the biggest series left. It sets up how the rest of the season goes. If the Tigers win two, they’re almost guaranteed of making the playoffs.
Me 2: If the Tigers are swept, the hill is a bit tougher to climb, but they can still take care of business and finish things off in the final 10 days. If the Tigers falter in Chicago, they will have several more important series ahead — either must-win situations or chances to clinch. That makes Chicago the toughest series left, not necessarily the biggest.
But don’t you want to win the division? If the Tigers falter against the Sox, they have almost no hope at the Central title. Minnesota is too hot to count out at this point, they’ll keep winning.
The division title would be a feather in the cap. Right now, not choking away the playoffs after going 40 games over .500 is really my main concern.
Detroit needs to go into the enemy’s nest and prove they can win there, to themselves even if they deny it. To their fans, for sure. And to the Yankees, Twins and A’s, all of who hope to see the Tigers in the playoffs at this point.
Playoffs, period. Next year is the year.
And if they don’t win one, making the playoffs becomes that much harder. Next year? How can you say anything about next year? There’s no guarantees. A sophomore slump — and they’re common for pitchers — or injuries would make life difficult next year. Worry about business now, not about business a year from now.
Have we already seen the biggest series of the year?
Which?
How about against Chicago in July? Maybe against Chicago in August — in Detroit. What about going into the Metrodome and winning two games and nearly sweeping them in July? When you look at the big picture, those series, or even the series victory in Boston, may have turned out to be the most important of the year in the big picture. That’s why this whole excercise is silly. Right now, the biggest series is the next series. So the trip to Baltimore-Kansas City will be bigger.
It’s cliche.
It’s a boring quote. And they say it for a reason. It’s true. Biggest series at the moment.
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I don’t know which of me is right. I want the Central division title. I want to play strong heading into October. But most important, I want there to BE an October. In either case, Detroit controls its destiny, and a good showing over the next three days will go a long way toward both goals. A bad showing won’t kill them, but the games are important and this is a big test to pass. We won’t know how important this series is until the season is finished and we look back.
I’ll agree with Todd Jones. Look at the broad picture constantly. You can notice the details, but don’t get lost in the details and lose the forest for the trees (whoops, another cliche!). Yes, that’s difficult as all get out and we all struggle with it. But it’s true. Is Big Al going to push his Panic Button? No.
Go get ‘em Tigers. Tonight.
