The Voters have Spoken

The Detroit Tigers 2013 season was cut short in the American League championship game against the Boston Red Sox’s, when they lost to them in a best out of seven series. Every major league sporting team’s goal for their season is to make it to the championship, and once there to win it. Although the Detroit Tigers didn’t reach their goal, their season was not a failure at all. With so many high explosive player’s that have so much talent the Tigers are bound to show up to every game, and make it fun to watch. Some of these player’s that make up a great roster are Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Max Scherzer, Prince Fielder, and Torii Hunter. All baseball fans, and not just Detroit fans know these all-star players. By being known to the baseball community, these players are always in the race with others for certain awards that are handed out by the league. Most valuable player award is always at the top of the major league baseball player’s list to try to obtain. Also for the pitchers the CY Young award is at the pitchers top list to try and get.

             Miguel Cabrera coming off his best season ever in 2012, winning the AL MVP, and also the Triple Crown hitting title, he was expected to continue his greatness. Starting off the 2013 season Miguel Cabrera had better numbers then he did the previous season, and was also making some big time plays at third base for the Tigers. So last week when the votes came in for the American League MVP, with 23 votes out of 30 it was a no brainer that Miguel Cabrera was the winner. Miguel was the first player since Frank Thomas to win back-to-back MVP titles in 1993 and 1994. Let’s hope he’s bat stays hot for another season.

            With Max Scherzer hiding behind Justin Verlander in the pitching line up it is hard to forget how dominant a pitcher Scherzer really is. In the 2013 season he really showed off his best stuff. Starting the season off with 13 wins before suffering his first lost proved that he was one of the best. Finishing his season off 21 and 3, and also the only pitcher to win over 20 games, he was at the top off the list to win the CY Young. With 28 out of the 30 votes it was a landslide win. Tiger’s fans are hoping that he can work out a new contract deal because he’s current one is up for the Tigers.

A Tigers Den

All the Major League Baseball team’s are known for great games, player’s that were apart of the team, winning World Series, but many do not think of the great stadiums that they play in. When I was younger I remember thinking to myself if people from the earlier days (like late 1800’s and early 1900’s) could see some of the professional athlete stadiums, they probably would think that aliens built them. If you have never been to a professional sports stadium, I would say it should be on your bucket list. You walk through the crowds, smell of fried food full the air, drunken talk, and crap talking of the opposing team surround you. As you make your way to the right seating section you walk out, and your face gets hit with a blast of fresh air. You get the first glance of the field, and everything that is around it.

            My first experience I had with experiencing a Major League stadium was at the Detroit Tigers old stadium, Tigers Stadium. The stadium was located outside of the city in a neighborhood called Corktown. Tiger Stadium sat on the corner of a nine-acre lot, and held a max capacity 52,416 people. The great stadium was opened in 1911, and teams started playing ball there in 1912. Tiger’s played their ball games there from 1912 thru 1999, and also the Detroit Loins, which is the city’s football team, played there from 1938 thru 1974.  On September 27, 1999 Todd Jones threw the last pitch at Tiger stadium, in an eight to two victory over the Kansas City Royals.

            After the Tigers had a good run at their old stadium they moved more towards downtown Detroit, which is across the street from Ford field where the Loins play, and up the road from Joe Louis arena where the Red Wings play. The Tigers new stadium is call Comerica Park, which holds 41,782 fans.  Comerica has hosted many playoff games, and also some World Series games. I have been in the stadium many times, with the home crowd roar, and as your watching the game you get a great view of the downtown skyline. Also with the stadium being right down town you can leave the game grab some good food, go to a casino, or maybe catch another great sporting event at Ford field or at Joe Louis. I would say it was sad to see Tiger Stadium go, but however Comerica Park is a great home for the great Detroit Tigers 

New Guy in Town

With the Detroit Tigers season coming to a halt in a post season push after the got beat by the Boston Red Sox’s, and then Jim Leyland’s announcement of his plan to retire, the Tigers had a black cloud over them for the past month. Well the clouds are starting to break apart today with a press conference, the press conference was held today to honor a new tiger to the team, and the new manager for the up coming season. It took the Detroit Tigers two weeks without a manager to find a new one. The man they found and decided on was Brad Ausmus. Brad Ausmus is not a new guy when it comes to being back in Detroit, the forty-four year played in the big leagues for eighteen seasons, and was on two different tiger teams. Coming back for a third time Brad Ausmus says, “I have a pretty good feel for the modern players, what the makeup is, what the mind set is”. I’m looking forward to see what this young manager has in store for the team come next season.
            Brad Ausmus was born in New Haven Connecticut on April 14, 1969. He went to Dartmouth College, which is a private Ivy League school in New Hampshire.  The New York Yankees originally drafted him in 1987, but adopted not to go, finish his school, and went in to the minor leagues. He was later drafted and played eighteen seasons with many different teams. These teams consisted of San Diego, Houston, Los Angeles, and the Detroit Tigers. Throughout his career he won three gold gloves as a catcher, and was an All Star player in 1999. When he finished his career he was ranked third of all time for catcher in put outs, and also ranked seventh in games caught with 1,938.

            After looking at Brad Ausmus background I think that he is going to fit in well with the team next year. Bringing a new young face to the team might just give the spark to finally get over the hump and win the World Series. I’m also glad that the Tigers didn’t waste much time to choose their new skipper, so he can jump right in where they left off. Detroit fans can only hope that the players and new manager can all get on the same page by next season.