DETROIT – There will be nice weather at Comerica Park Friday (Mar 13) night, but the team and the game itself are another story after the way the Detroit Tigers have started the season.
The Tigers are so bad that the visiting Baltimore Orioles, who finished the 2021 season with 110 losses, have a better record than the guys wearing the Old English D.
Fans of the Tigers should be used to the putrid play being left out on the diamond.
The Tigers are on pace to having another losing season as they currently have an identical record through 32 games as they did last season when they went 9-23 to start the season, scored 101 runs, and were nine games back in the standings.
This season, the Tigers are currently 9-23, scored 88 runs, and are nine and a half games back in the standings.
Despicable If fans of America’s pastime may say so themselves.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane when the Tigers were in Spring Training when, and the team added marquee pieces like starting pitchers and a flashy shortstop, the fanbase, the organization, and the staff were overhyped with joy.
Even Tigers General Manager Al Avila thought this season would be different.
“There’s a good chance we get to the playoffs this year,” said Avila. “That’s our goal, but as A.J. Hinch said, we’re setting the bar high.”
The 2022 season was painted as something different to mark the dismal start to the 2021 season, but after the excitement of Miguel Cabrera’s quest for 3,000 hits, history repeated itself.
Read: Late-night reaction: Detroit Tigers fans deserve better. It’s time for change
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results; well, the team must be insane because they’re in the same position as they were last season; one more loss and the team will mirror the 9-24 start of 2021.
Manager A.J. Hinch is clearly frustrated, and he made it known during Thursday’s postgame interview after the Tigers fell 5-3 to the visiting Oakland Athletics.
“We’re going to try to win (Friday),” Hinch said. “I don’t care about last year; I don’t care about comparing, I get it. Everyone wants an analysis. We have to figure out how to beat the Orioles (Friday). We’re tired of losing.”
Jamie Edmonds recently talked with the Tigers Beat Writer Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He said the apathy the fans have garnered is warranted.
“Not many people paying attention, and I don’t really blame them at this point,” said Petzold. “You’re not getting the product that was promised to you. There are fans out there who hear General Manager Al Avila, the Owner Chris Ilitch and Manager A.J. Hinch talk about ‘hay, this is a playoff team, we want to be in the playoffs, that’s our goal.’ You’re not even close to that right now.”
Although the team is going through a slump, Petzold says the season is still early and the Tigers could turn their season round.
“They’re going to have to play better than they did down the stretch last season,” Petzold said.
After that 9-27 start, the Tigers went 13-7 in the month of May and played above .500 ball throughout the summer. If the Tigers want to make those preseason dreams come to fruition, they will have to do a lot more.