Baseball Journal 10-20-13 Sober Defeat Edition Part 2

I really should be more emotional about the Tigers losing the pennant, not just because they were my pick, but they’re also one of my favorite teams.  Since I don’t get to see a lot them, maybe I don’t have the deep connection to them that I do with teams in the West.  I think I’ve been in shell-shocked denial since the Ortiz grand slam.  Right up to that point, I had been mentally imagining the Kitties celebrating their all but inevitable World Series win.  I was still absolutely certain that the Tigers were going to make comeback, right up until the Victorino grand slam.  When another team wins the World Series, it’ll finally hit me and then I’ll get upset.       

Bottom line: the Tiger’s starters played like champions, but the rest of the team didn’t.  My off-season recommendations for the Tigers will address what I think went wrong with the team.  (No, there’s nothing that can be done about Prince Fielder, except perhaps picking up Ryan Braun and having him hit behind him in the batting order.  For everyone who thinks that Prince just needs to lose weight, please remember that was this same weight back when he was mashing it.)

One, get a legit closer.  It’s going to cost you, but you gotta do it.  Two, and this pains me, Leyland has to go.  I realize that manger decisions only look good if the players execute them, but it starts with knowing your players and making the right decisions to begin with.  I am not the “fire the manager” type, like somehow the manager is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the team (okay, Bobby Valentine on the Red Sox last year, was most the problem), but even I was second-guessing Leyland’s decisions in the ALCS.  Moving Austin Jackson down the lineup was his only good decision and that still didn’t fix the problem at the top of the order.  Don’t even get me started on when to go to the bullpen and when not to. 

[And that observation went out of date the day after I wrote it, as Jim Leyland wasted no time in resigning on Monday.  A great manager and I don’t think he ever lost the players’ or fans’ respect.  I’m guessing he looked back and questioned his own decisions and also found them wanting.]       

What can I say about the Red Sox?  They give me hope that the Giants can come back quickly from being at the bottom of their division.  All they need to do is trade off all the overpaid, cancerous players from their team to the Dodgers.  The Giants won’t even need a new manager like the Red Sox did.  I’ll give Boston the praise they deserve: they were clutch.  I’m out of the prediction business for the rest of the season.  I’m just looking forward to watching the games from here out.  And go Cardinals!