The hangover

Waking up this morning, I was still feeling the hangover of the end of another Tiger season.  I kept dreaming about plays last night and thinking that the games would still keep coming.  No such luck, dreams.  Boston advances to the World Series after one of the best turn-arounds from a previous year in MLB history.  Meanwhile, Tiger fans are left to over-analyze every play and decision for the next 5 months.

Rather than sit here and re-hash every play, I'd like to just acknowledge all of the wonderful things that happened during the playoffs.  It's more productive and brings some positive endorphins, which just make me feel better.

The starting rotation for the Tigers is sick.  Scherzer was Mr. Consistency this year and deserves the Cy Young award.  Verlander proved that his "off year" is better than 95% of pitchers in MLB.  He also showed that he could be the new Mr. October with his clutch performances in the playoffs, particularly game 5 versus the A's.  Sanchez showed that even though he was the number 3 starter, he still has the ability to make major leaguers look like amateurs.   Even though no one talked about Dougie Fresh, he still got the job done, mostly thanks to something that was lacking this postseason...run support.

Austin Jackson's miraculous turn around after being moved in the rotation to a spot with seemingly less pressure.  His bat finally came alive and he played with more confidence.  If only we could have written "8" next to everyone's name in the lineup.

Jhonny Peralta's return to the game in the face of critics.  He was the fire the Tigers needed and brought life to the Tiger lineup.  He served his time, acknowledged his mistake, and then came back to do his job.  Good luck as a free agent.  There are many teams that would be lucky to have you.

Victor Martinez's comeback year after missing the postseason last year.  He started out slow, but there was no hotter hitter down the stretch.  He also provided the hits when they mattered and played with a desire to win that out shined everyone else in the dugout.

Jose Iglesias for getting recognized for his defense, but also for not just being an easy out (see Drew on Boston).  He's a guy that I hope will grow with the Tigers and win many gold gloves in his tenure with the Tigers.  I hope he sticks to his craft and hones his ability to hit singles and bunts.  The home run isn't for everyone and knowing your strengths is half the battle in the majors.

Good season Tigers.  I would have loved to purchase snow pants and cheer my brains out on Thursday, but it just wasn't meant to be.  Time for a little R&R, then back to the gym to be in better condition for next year.  Bring the Roar in 20-1-4 (it's already trending on Twitter).