The DDDDDDDDDDDD!

Just when my interest in sports was fading, my Tigers pull me back in.

My whole life has been filled with the Detroit Tigers. Shit just last week I got a big ass tattoo of the old English D Tigers logo. Some of my first memories were of going to Tigers Stadium to watch the World Series winning 1984 Tigers. After that, when the Tigers had Cecil Fielder, I would watch games on the couch with my dad every summer when I was visiting him in Michigan. Later when I was in college, I would go to the bar to watch the terrible Tigers who couldn’t win if they tried, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t try. But I still loved them, I would draft a terrible fantasy baseball team every year because I would draft a ton of Tigers.

Now, it’s like the Tigers are a fantasy team.

Thank God Mike Illitch gave the GM job to Dave Drombroski and the manager job to Jim Leyland. They changed the organization from a punchline for a dumb joke on Leno to a powerhouse.

Four years ago, the Tigers flat out sucked. Then suddenly, we were aggressive about signing players, Pudge Rodriguez decided to come here. Everything changed after that, including the players that the Tigers already had in their system. Young guys who lost 20 games in our record setting sucky season looked like studs. Maybe they wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Poof, Two years later when the Tigers made the World Series when no thought they would. Shit, I was a little shocked but totally happy and content with the change. They were respectable again, and in fact, they were good, if not great.

But this last year, they were hit with a ton of injuries and played like shit down the stretch. Maybe they would be a one hit wonder.

Now, the Tigers are the most active and down right ruthless team in the off season. Today’s announcement of the biggest trade in Tigers history makes this team just downright nasty…

http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2007/12/tigers_blockbuster_trade_stuns.html

I would be happy getting Dontrelle Willis, who had a crappy year last year but I think just needed a change of scenery. But to get one of the greatest young hitters out there in Miguel Cabrera is not fair. Its like we are catching up to the Yankees and Red Sox out there, playing with Monopoly money and making huge pick ups.

In order to get Dontrelle and Miguel, the Tigers did have to give up two of our best prospects. But what if those guys don’t pan out? We gave a hand full of unknowns for a young proven commodity who is getting in the best shape of his career and guy who is only two seasons removed from winning 22 games.

I like those chances.

Not to mention that the Tigers went out and got Edgar Renteria and Jacque Jones and resigned everybody that was worth resigning. As the article posted above notes, the Tigers have added 4 All Stars in 14 months with giving up a player that has spent a full season in the bigs.

Thank you Tigers. You made sports interesting to me again.