A Tiger Fan's Diary

Okay, forgive the slight fork in the road here, but it's all Tiger Baseball at the moment. Check in here to find out how a true Tiger fan is reacting...

On Monday, 9/19 POST SEASON TIGER TICKETS were available for sale. This is the first time since 1987 anything like this has happened. Back in 1984, I was in college and had the proverbial "barely two nickels to rub together". But when the ad came out to buy Playoffs and World Series tickets, I quickly wrote out checks for hundreds of dollars. Where the money came from, I'm not sure. But I got to every game!

As of the 19th, I am official allowing myself to get excited. The Tigers TV commentator Rod Allen said to "just relax", we're almost a lock to play in the post season. Whoa...

My mood has gone up and down depending on the Tigers' fortunes. We took two of three from the dreaded Chicago White Sox and every other night, I was either high in the clouds or grumbling and just wanting to go to bed, and the mood spills over to the next day too.

Yesterday was another one where I wanted to kick something. We lost a 3-0 lead and the game to Baltimore. But if there is such a good thing as a "good time to lose" that was it. Both Minnesota and Chicago, the two teams chasing us, lost. The Detroit Free Press' Sports Headline reads "THANKS, BOSOX!" Darn right! So, I'm not feeling too badly.

And we've reconfigured the Magic Numbers. To make the playoffs, the number is FOUR. (Any combination of Tiger wins plus Chicago losses that add to four, and we're playing in the playoffs!) And the number to win the division (and potentially avoid the Yankees, although we scared of no one!) is NINE. (Any combo of Tiger wins and Minnesota losses.)

For any Tiger player reading (there will be a story about Craig Monroe soon), don't worry about the standings. Just win your games! I'LL watch the scoreboard!

-- Tim

GO TIGERS!