ALCS Game 4: We got a pennant! What will we do for an encore?
posted in Post-season, World Series |Honest, sitting there at work listening to the radio broadcast, all I could do is stand up and look toward the TV. What do you think when your team is going to the World Series but “HOLY CRAP! AWESOME!” When the media kept asking the players on the team what they thought when Magglio Ordonez hit the game-ending home run, most couldn’t come up with a very good answer, and I don’t blame them. Hours later, all I can think is “HOLY CRAP! AWESOME!” Actually, crap isn’t the word in my head right now. THE WORLD SERIES!! AWESOME! The Tigers won the 10th pennant in the history of the franchise… and the second in my lifetime… and the first one I’ll actually remember!
Who’d have thought an American League championship could be this cool? Every time the Tigers have a party, it feels like they’re setting an awfully high bar for themselves. That was a nice playoff-clinching party. It was a bit small, it turns out, compared to some other teams. Then after beating the Yankees last weekend, now that was a party, spraying champagne on fans, and wow. That was awesome. Man, I don’t remember baseball feelings so cool as that. Now, they’ve went and topped themselves with the American League championship. And holy crap, it was quite a way to end the game, too. I’m glad I had the radio call.
Reading the stories, sounds like they’re having a heck of a party in Detroit. I wish I was there for it. For awhile, I started wondering if it was just a hollow saying to say “Detroit is a baseball town” or “Michigan is a baseball state.” Wishful thinking more than anything, a yearning for the past maybe. Turns it, it was true all along.
All those years of listening to the Tigers on the radio, wearing a Tigers cap, playing baseball, yearning for a winning team, and I kinda wondered if there weren’t many people like me. Turns out, there were people like me all over the state nation(!) just waiting for a chance to erupt. And we keep getting chance after chance to make up for all those empty years.
Detroit. Back on the baseball map.
Oh, my prediction? It was Tigers in five games. So they passed my expectations even. There’s lots of good stories and interesting points to explore, but it looks like we have a week off from baseball to explore them. For now, just take in the feeling.
AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!
That needed repeating because I still don’t believe it.
What do we do for an encore? Who knows! But if the Tigers keep winning for us like they have been, it’s going to be one hell of a good time.
Sphere It
Not just in Michigan - there are people like you all over the country! People like me who were born into the Tiger family but whose lives have taken them away from Michigan. We are all back there right now in our hearts!
I still miss Dmitri Young. I wonder what he is doing right now. This victory would taste so much sweeter if he was a part of it.
I second Christine. You would not believe all the native Michiganders I run into out here in California that are all so happy about this team. I can’t wait for the games in Oakland next year. New York and Boston always are huge crowds that are basically home games for the road team. I think Detroit is going to jump up to that club next season.
I’ve heard that Oakland usually had a great turnout of Tigers fans, even back in 2003, transplants just happy to see their team. Winning’s fun now but I bet it was great fun to wear the D back then, too.
I live in LA, but grew up in Detroit. I watched the ‘84 team every step of the way - and I’ve been mesmerized by this whole thing. I was watching Game 3 with my girlfriend and when Magglio hit that home run … I still can’t believe it! WORLD SERIES! AWESOME! I didn’t even realize how much latent Tiger Mania I had in me! And somehow, maybe just because of all those awful years of losing, this one is already sweeter than ‘84 …