DETROIT – I want to make a proposition to Detroit Tigers fans.
While the team is winning -- for however long it lasts -- let’s just soak it in and ignore those miserable fans who exist only to spoil our joy.
Last night, the Tigers stayed undefeated with a thrilling extra-innings win over the New York Mets. Yep, the White Sox and Mets both suck, but who cares? The Tigers are 4-0 without playing a single game back home at Comerica Park.
For most of the preseason, there was a cautiously optimistic vibe around the Tigers. It wasn’t like past years, either, when that optimism was clearly misplaced. There’s some actual hope that this version of the team can compete for a division title.
And so far, that optimism is validated. The Tigers have gotten three good starts in four games, consistently elite relief pitching, and near-perfect defense. Even the offense has found a way to come through in some key moments.
I could analyze these first four games down to every individual pitch (and trust me, I will), but for now, I just want to put something out there:
Man, this has been really fun.
The Tigers haven’t given us much to smile about over the past decade. They’ve had eight losing seasons, and even 2016 felt kind of miserable because the expectations were so much higher and we all knew we were watching the end of an era.
The high point of Tigers fandom since 2014 was probably May 28, 2023, when the Tigers improved to 25-26 and pulled within one game of the AL Central lead. But immediately after that, they lost 11 of 12 and saw pretty much every meaningful player go on the injured list.
My point is that happiness is long overdue for Tigers fans. And I know it’s only four games, but considering how bad it’s been, shouldn’t you take what you can get?
I’ve written that the Tigers are a “complete disaster.” I’ve said the fans deserve better. I’ve called out Javier Baez for failing to fulfill a promise.
But I’m tired of all that, and I’m sure you’re sick of reading it. So let’s take a moment to bask in the glow of a 4-0 start.
Yes, I understand that the offense kind of stinks, especially against left-handed pitching. But have you noticed the bullpen is downright nasty? It doesn’t matter if the final score is 6-5 or 1-0 -- a win is a win in Major League Baseball.
When the Tigers had Ian Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, and Victor Martinez, everyone lamented the state of the bullpen. Well now you’ve got a great bullpen, don’t waste it worrying about Riley Greene’s ground ball rate.
Take yesterday, for example. I literally just wrote about how the “pizza pizza” home run celebration is dumb, but when Carson Kelly hit a three-run bomb to seal the win, you know darn well I was sending pizza emojis to all my friends.
If you’re one of those fans who refuses to enjoy the first month of the season because “it’s too early,” that’s perfectly fine. But do us all a favor and be miserable in silence. Nobody wants to hear from you.
We’re talking about fans who probably wasted the entire fall waiting for the “Same Old Lions” to show up, while the rest of us got to experience the first playoff run of our lifetimes.
Do you think we don’t all know there are 158 games left to play? Trust me, we remember every one of these seemingly endless losing summers.
But look at how far we’ve come. A year ago, the Tigers were 0-3 on April 2. They were well on their way to a seventh-straight season of irrelevance.
Now they’re one of only four undefeated teams in the league, and we get to listen to Jason Benetti narrate every moment of the ride. That’s some pretty incredible progress!
There’s plenty in life to be gloomy about (I mean, just look at this “spring” weather) -- don’t add an undefeated baseball team to the list!
For all we know, the Tigers could be 4-5 by the end of the weekend, and those insufferable fans will be all over Twitter to say, “I told you so!”
But for now, the Tigers are perfect. We’ve waited a long, long time for a winner, so let’s embrace it.