General Tiger Discussion

[gehringer_2]

37 minutes ago, KL2 said:

Is it. Nobody wears Tshirts for finishing 83-79.

Let me put it this way, if Michigan lost saturday would anyone have said. It's OK the year was fun and at least they were in the conversation?

yes

[AlaskanTigersFan]

On 12/7/2021 at 6:36 AM, casimir said:

Can he pitch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gndH9mhHPk0

 

[Tiger337]

7 hours ago, RandyMarsh said:

I can't speak for all fans but for me personally it's not all about banners and Tshirts, it's the experiences you get along the way. Those several years the Tigers were good they didn't win the whole thing but I got so much enjoyment out of going to playoff games, watching big games with friends or just the nerves/butterfiles I got watching important games at home by myself. Same for any other sports team I root for including Michigan.  Those experiences and memories are things that I won't ever forget and mean alot to me even if I never got to experience them win the whole thing. 

I have great Tigers memories from 76, 87, 06, etc and many of my great memories of 84 came before the World Series started.  

[chasfh]

1987 is still my favorite Tiger baseball season, because of the comeback. 2006 is a close second, because it felt like the turning point.

[sabretooth]

8 hours ago, KL2 said:

Is it. Nobody wears Tshirts for finishing 83-79.

Let me put it this way, if Michigan lost saturday would anyone have said. It's OK the year was fun and at least they were in the conversation?

Yeah, we're not talking about 83-79. 

In terms of Michigan, a loss to Iowa would have put a serious damper on the season in my opinion, and would have made the season kind of "meh" with one great and very memorable victory against OSU, but one that would have been reduced to a "one off" by virtue of losing to MSU and losing the Iowa game.  By making it to the Playoffs, that makes this a special season. 

I think if they lose to Georgia it's a very good season but not a great one, but one with an epic all-time win vs OSU.

If they beat Georgia and lose to Alabama (without getting crushed) I think it's an all-time-great season, and one that could catapult Michigan back into the conversation as a top 5 team with all kinds of potential recruitment benefits (though they will have their NIL policy matter to wrestle with, and if they stay ultra-conservative on that, it coud hold them back big-time in recruiting regardless of this season's success, not to mention our cold-weather status).

Obviously if Michigan wins it all they would have beaten OSU, crushed Iowa, beaten Georgia and presumptively Alabama....three elite victories and one smack-down on a top 20 team in the postseason, making this one of the greatest overperformances of any team in any sport of all time.  I am not expecting that, and if it happens, Jim Harbaugh will be a greater sports god figure in Ann Arbor and will probably command anything he wants, including a more liberal NIL policy to help with recruitment, and a 100-foot-high gold statue in his honor on top of the Bell Tower.

A prime example of a team that didn't win it all but was still an all-time-great season: the 2006 Tigers.  That was an all-time-great season filled with amazing memories that for me far eclipse what I personally experienced relative to the 1984 Tigers.  It was aggravating that they didn't win the WS, especially given castoff Jeff Weaver's role in the WS loss, but frankly, that season will always be in the Pantheon of greats for me.

Edited December 8, 2021 by sabretooth

[bobrob2004]

2006 is special to me because it's the first time I saw the Tigers...

1. Have a winning record

2. See the Tigers in the playoffs

3. See the Tigers in the World Series

That was such a fun year after all my life of being a fan was just watching the Tigers being cellar dwellers.  

[RandyMarsh]

I was too young to experience the great Tigers teams of the 80s or atleast appreciate them anyways so up until 2006 really all I knew of Tigers baseball were terrible teams that's why that one was so special to me. I really didn't keep up with prospects at that time so I didn't know anything about guys like Verlander and Zumaya until reading a report from Peter Gammons.

He was still working for ESPN at the time and he would do a write up of each team throughout Spring Training and I remember him saying something like "Out of all the pitchers I've seen thus far no pair of arms looked as impressive as Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya", he then threw out a comp of Nolan Ryan for Verlander. So the home opener my buddy and I are waiting in line to use the bathroom and I said how Gammons compared Verlander to Nolan Ryan, a few people overheard me and said that is stupid and he probably won't amount to anything. Weird how you can remember such a random inconsequential thing but that little conversation is something I'll never forget. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by RandyMarsh

[oblong]

I'm not sure anything we saw from 2011-2014 could top several moments in 2006:

1) Magglio's home run

2) Kenny Rogers shutting down the Yankees in game 3

3) ALCS game 4

The post game celebration after the Yankees encompassed 20 years of frustration and losing seasons.  Just a week prior the team collapsed against the Royals and lost the division on the final day and it seemed like a great season was being relegated to a flimsy wild card berth and a sweep against the Yankees, especially after game 1.

I am not sure anything going forward will ever top that season and over time the WS loss to the Cardinals is longer in the memory bank.   We had a sundae with no cherry is the way I view 2006.  Would have been nice but not necessary to enjoy.

[Tiger337]

Everything from 2011-2014 kinds of blends together for me.  They had very good seasons and great players, but there isn't one season that stands out from the others like 2006

[oblong]

1 minute ago, Tiger337 said:

Everything from 2011-2014 kinds of blends together for me.  They had very good seasons and great players, but there isn't one season that stands out from the others like 2006

The only big moments I can think of are:

Sanchez breaking Lolich's record for K's

Sanchez's near no hitter (these two happened 2 weeks apart, I was lucky to be at both games)

JD's pinch hit HR off of Chris Sale in his first at bat off the DL

Fister striking out X number in a row

 

[1776]

10 hours ago, KL2 said:

Is it. Nobody wears Tshirts for finishing 83-79.

For me, it isn’t about checking the records or checking the standings before deciding if I’m going to wear my Tiger t-shirt or Tiger hat.

In fact, I probably wouldn’t, and haven’t in the past bought playoff apparel because I don’t want to be confused with the bandwagon club. But hey, that’s just me I guess.

Edited December 8, 2021 by 1776

[sabretooth]

The thing that shows the power of the 2006 experience for me is that every time people start talking about specific 2006 memories, I start to get emotional, remembering other awesome things like:

- C-Mo's Grand Slam against the White Sox (I was working on rebuilding the soffits on my house and almost sawed my arm off when he hit that)

- C-Mo's HR against the Yanks (my wife and I were on a date night and I heard that in the car before we went to catch a late movie)

- Thames' HR against Minnesota to cap a 33-1 weekend series blowout (I took my four little kids ages 2 - 6 to the game on a lark after Church, my Church was in downtown Detroit), Thames was my favorite Tiger that year

- Pudge's HR against Carmona (and Dan D's call)

- A Tigers-themed birthday party that we had for my two oldest sons in October (both of my oldest sons' BDs are in October) 

My word, that season was just incredible.

[RandyMarsh]

1 minute ago, sabretooth said:

The thing that shows the power of the 2006 experience for me is that every time people start talking about specific 2006 memories, I start to get emotional, remembering other awesome things like:

- C-Mo's Grand Slam against the White Sox (I was working on rebuilding the soffits on my house and almost sawed my arm off when he hit that)

- C-Mo's HR against the Yanks (my wife and I were on a date night and I heard that in the car before we went to catch a late movie)

- Thames' HR against Minnesota to cap a 33-1 weekend series blowout (I took my four little kids ages 2 - 6 to the game on a lark after Church, my Church was in downtown Detroit), Thames was my favorite Tiger that year

- Pudge's HR against Carmona (and Dan D's call)

- A Tigers-themed birthday party that we had for my two oldest sons in October (both of my oldest sons' BDs are in October) 

My word, that season was just incredible.

I don't remember the Thames HR but I remember the other 3 vividly. I didn't witness the Pudge HR but I was down at the Detroit Racquet Club for a fundraiser for my Uncle, we were outside in a tent and you could hear the roar from the stadium. Went inside to check a TV and sure enough it was from Pudge's walkoff HR.  

[Jim Cowan]

2 hours ago, Tiger337 said:

I have great Tigers memories from 76, 87, 06, etc and many of my great memories of 84 came before the World Series started.  

That 76 team, with its losing record, provided as much or more enjoyment than any other team in my lifetime.  And those 1960s teams before 1968 were so much fun to follow, good teams every year.  I don't need a World Series to have a good year following baseball.

[bobrob2004]

9 minutes ago, sabretooth said:

The thing that shows the power of the 2006 experience for me is that every time people start talking about specific 2006 memories, I start to get emotional, remembering other awesome things like:

- C-Mo's Grand Slam against the White Sox (I was working on rebuilding the soffits on my house and almost sawed my arm off when he hit that)

- C-Mo's HR against the Yanks (my wife and I were on a date night and I heard that in the car before we went to catch a late movie)

- Thames' HR against Minnesota to cap a 33-1 weekend series blowout (I took my four little kids ages 2 - 6 to the game on a lark after Church, my Church was in downtown Detroit), Thames was my favorite Tiger that year

- Pudge's HR against Carmona (and Dan D's call)

- A Tigers-themed birthday party that we had for my two oldest sons in October (both of my oldest sons' BDs are in October) 

My word, that season was just incredible.

I was at this game and the home run wasn't too far away from where we were sitting.  Not real close, but just a section or 2 away.  

[oblong]

12 minutes ago, sabretooth said:

The thing that shows the power of the 2006 experience for me is that every time people start talking about specific 2006 memories, I start to get emotional, remembering other awesome things like:

- C-Mo's Grand Slam against the White Sox (I was working on rebuilding the soffits on my house and almost sawed my arm off when he hit that)

- C-Mo's HR against the Yanks (my wife and I were on a date night and I heard that in the car before we went to catch a late movie)

- Thames' HR against Minnesota to cap a 33-1 weekend series blowout (I took my four little kids ages 2 - 6 to the game on a lark after Church, my Church was in downtown Detroit), Thames was my favorite Tiger that year

- Pudge's HR against Carmona (and Dan D's call)

- A Tigers-themed birthday party that we had for my two oldest sons in October (both of my oldest sons' BDs are in October) 

My word, that season was just incredible.

For C-MO's grand slam I remember AJ Pierzynsky standing right in his spot at home plate, not budging, for the celebration.  Bumping into guys.  That's why I like him.  He didn't do anything wrong.  He's got a right to be there.

For Pudge's HR we were with friends in Windsor having a cookout listening on the radio.  We went nuts.  It was August.  

For my birthday that year, which was game 4 of the ALDS, my son made me a card with #9 and #28 on it. I still have it.  I got a Tigers road jersey that I've worn to 90% of games since then.... probably going to retire it this year.  It still fits but getting worn out.

 

[SoCalTiger]

Not to date myself but my top 5 teams in order :

1968 - The comeback kids

1972 - last hurrah for the Series champs and Billy Martin

1987 - you could sense the late run coming mid summer. Also the last hurrah for the 84 champs.

1984- should have had more...

2006 - out of the blue...

The best decade was the 80's followed by the DD decade.

[KL2]

1 hour ago, 1776 said:

For me, it isn’t about checking the records or checking the standings before deciding if I’m going to wear my Tiger t-shirt or Tiger hat.

yeah my comment wasn't about wearing general tiger gear hauss. It's about nobody buys merchandise that says "we finished third ut it was a really good year!"

Just a way to say nobody cares/remembers any body who finishes second. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by KL2

[Biff Mayhem]

1 hour ago, oblong said:

For C-MO's grand slam I remember AJ Pierzynsky standing right in his spot at home plate, not budging, for the celebration.  Bumping into guys.  That's why I like him.  He didn't do anything wrong.  He's got a right to be there.

 

I used to despise him and Ozzie but in retrospect I love that they are a couple of the great characters of that era.

[oblong]

I like him on the broadcasts too.

[Tiger337]

3 hours ago, KL2 said:

yeah my comment wasn't about wearing general tiger gear hauss. It's about nobody buys merchandise that says "we finished third ut it was a really good year!"

Just a way to say nobody cares/remembers any body who finishes second. 

It's seems that lots of people here don't agree with you that nobody cares/remembers anybody who finished second.  

[sabretooth]

Nobody cares, except everybody but KL2.

[djhutch]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:16 AM, chasfh said:

1987 is still my favorite Tiger baseball season, because of the comeback. 2006 is a close second, because it felt like the turning point.

That whole last week in `87 was amazing .. capped by the sweep of the Jays.  Loved that season!

[HeyAbbott]

On 12/8/2021 at 11:11 AM, Jim Cowan said:

That 76 team, with its losing record, provided as much or more enjoyment than any other team in my lifetime.  And those 1960s teams before 1968 were so much fun to follow, good teams every year.  I don't need a World Series to have a good year following baseball.

I still think my favorite season was 1967. Still the greatest pennant race I've seen with 1987 being right behind it 1961 was very good as well.

[Tiger337]