Who is my Tiger?

Whoever thought of this advertising campaign was a genius.  It forces fans to pick a Tiger, get attached, buy merchandise, and even defend failing players because of a commitment made in April to one major league baseball player.  Personally, I haven't had to think about who my Tiger is for the past 11 years (that's when we just said we had a "favorite Tiger"; before the rallying cry).  Brandon Inge has been my Tiger since 2001.  He was young, scrappy, and wore his socks high.  He was perfect and, he was all mine.  After several seasons of denial, I've come to a disappointing, but necessary decision.  I need a new Tiger.  Even if Inge (or In-Ge as he's affectionately known in my family) has his best season, he's still going to be 35, only has one more year with the Tigers, and has no guaranteed everyday position as of right now.  It's time.  It's been wonderful In-Ge, but it's time for a change.  It's not me, it's you, but I'll always have the memories.

So, now that I've given back In-Ge's metaphorical apartment key, it's time to look at new possibilities.  I've narrowed it down to several options.

Doug Fister (insert dirty joke here, or for my friends with creative deficits: Fister?  I barely know her!)
Fister was a welcome addition to the Tigers rotation last year, fitting into the second starting position perfectly and adding a more consistent starter to the team.  His record last year (11-13) doesn't indicate how effective he was with an ERA of 2.85 and 146 strikeouts, especially after being traded to the Tigers.  My issue with picking a pitcher as My Tiger is that I'm not sure one start every five days is enough to satisfy "My Tiger" needs.  Part of the fun of having a Tiger is getting a navy t-shirt with his name and number on the back and cheering when you go to Comerica.  I could attend multiple games in a season and NEVER get to see My Tiger in person.  I'm not sure I can handle that disappointment.

Alex Avila
I was a little unsure of Alex at first mainly because of his dad's position in the front office.  He proved that not only is he a reliable every day starter, but his batting average last year at .295 is more than most teams can hope for out of a catcher.  Avila took a lot of past balls and tips last year and got pretty banged up.  I can't imagine how many bruises he had by the end of the season, which is probably why he had such a dismal postseason.  This year, the Tigers brought in Laird (G-money, or fat boy) to be a consistent back up, which may help to save Avila and get through the whole season.  I'm not sure he is reliable enough yet to pick as My Tiger.  After just breaking up with My current Tiger, I want to pick someone that is going to stick around for a couple seasons (obviously I put in a lot of effort into picking.  It's like buying a car, you don't want buyer's remorse).

Jhonny Peralta
This would probably be a frivolous choice.  I'd be picking purely on the spelling of his name and the way I like to pronounce it (Yonny with a silent 'j').  Plus he has some pretty awkward and awesome facial hair (just like In-Ge's soul patch).

Ramon Santiago
In my opinion, the most consistent player on the team.  If he "wins" the job at second base, he'll be an everyday player, which he hasn't had in the past and is important to My Tiger status.  One of my favorite moments watching FSD Tigers coverage last year was when Rod was commenting (or rambling) about how sneaky Ramon was.  The next pitch, he hit a home run.  Rod's only response, "Sneaky sneaky."

So those are my options.  Bboesch would be an option, but there is a "code" among close friends and family members that you don't pick the same Tiger.  That way, if someone's Tiger is having a bad day, the other person can rub in your face how well their Tiger is doing.  That's family love for you.  That means Verlander is out too.  I'm also not into picking "big money" Tigers...obvious choices are just no fun.  No Cabrera, Fielder, or Valverde...ok I wouldn't pick Valverde for all the money in the world.  Too much mustard on that hot dog for me.  Probably the same reason Suh isn't "My Lion."

So those are my options.  Santiago, Peralta, Avila, or Fister.  I'm going to wait until the end of spring training and then decide.  Come Opening Day, My Tiger and I will have a commitment to each other lasting 7 months, which is longer than my first three romantic relationships.  Boyfriends come and go, but My Tiger lasts a whole season.