09 March 2012

Scary Spring

Spring Training is under way for baseball.  I am very excited about it.  In fact, earlier this week, the local Fox Sports channel had a Twins Spring Training game on and I got sucked in.  It's a game that means nothing.  A game that has no name players on the field after the fourth inning.  A game...that makes me smile. 

So far, the Tigers are streaking at six wins and zero losses.  Pretty awesome right?  WRONG!  It gives fans a false sense of hope and comfort.  I want them to play a game and just get dominated.  I want them to lose a game 10-0.  And here's why.  They need to feel the pain of a loss.  As a group they need to sit down and analysis where they can improve.  They have players that are smart enough to know their weaknesses, but are they strong enough to let their teammates know where they could improve their game.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the defense is going to scare me this year.  That is the trade off they made by signing Prince Fielder.  Not only do they need a bad loss in the spring, but they need a losing streak at the beginning of the year, when the games matter.  I don't want them to go out and lose nine or ten in a row, but would losing five or six in a row be bad for them?  Wouldn't it make them hungry to go out and prove every MLB person that will start to criticize them wrong?  I think it would.  Especially if they lose games to teams that will be in the post season.  It's one thing to beat up on teams like Kansas City and Oakland, but it's another thing to go to Texas or Boston and take two of three or even to sweep a series. 

Now obviously the Tigers aren't going to win one hundred and fifty games (or can they....), but when the bar is set so high and the expectations soar after last year and from all the off season acquisitions what happens if they fail?  This happened in 2008.  They were suppose to be this great offensive power house and carry the pitching rotation and bullpen.  Then they ended up winning about seventy five games.  It was a failure on all levels.  This year, they will do better than that just because of the pitching staff.  It's more well rounded and the bullpen is tons better than it was in 2008.

Battling back from adversity will be good for the team.  Take the 'us against the world' mentality and run with it if the season doesn't start out like we all want it to.  Hell, I would love to see them clear the 35-5 mark the organization set back in 1984 on their way to the World Series.  I would love to see them win one hundred games (which last happened when I was two).  The closest they have come to one hundred wins was last year and back in 2006.  And, of course, I would love to see them win the World Series. 

Signing one offensive power hitter does not make a team.  A winning attitude makes a team.  Go Get 'Em Tigers. 

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