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If Only The Tigers Had Won Game 5...
Granted, this is playing revisionist history, but I couldn’t help but think while watching Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, what would have transpired if the Tigers had only won Game 5 of last season’s World Series. In my mind, all the Tigers had to do was get the series back to Detroit. The long layoff, and all the rain delays, obviously hurt the Tigers. They would have had their collective feet back underneath themselves and probably beaten the worst team ever to win the World Series.
And I can’t help but wonder if it would have been a different story if Jim Leyland had started Kenny Rogers in that Game 5. He was on such a roll.
I had a number of people ask me who I thought was going to win Game 7 while at the Lions game and I’d just laugh. If there was ever a team doomed in a Game 7 it was the Indians. That series was essentially decided when the Red Sox forced it back to Boston. But in a way, justice is being served. The Red Sox, in my opinion, have the better team. I don’t believe justice was served last fall. The Tigers had the better team. What a wasted opportunity.
Random Thoughts
- Michael Hart is the heart and soul of Michigan’s football team. Winning on the road at Illinois Saturday without him was yet another reflection of the character of Michigan’s football program.
- I was in Columbus for the Michigan State-Ohio State game Saturday and I do believe the Buckeyes have a legitimate chance of winning the national title because of their defense. It is exceptional - probably the best in the nation. It’s been overlooked because the Buckeyes’ inconsistency offensively. But the cliche is true - defense wins championships.
- It doesn’t get mentioned much, but the Lions’ best free agent signing in years has been defensive end Dewayne White. He has been a difference maker in two of their four wins - at Oakland to open the season and Sunday vs. Tampa Bay when he had three sacks.
And I can’t help but wonder if it would have been a different story if Jim Leyland had started Kenny Rogers in that Game 5. He was on such a roll.
I had a number of people ask me who I thought was going to win Game 7 while at the Lions game and I’d just laugh. If there was ever a team doomed in a Game 7 it was the Indians. That series was essentially decided when the Red Sox forced it back to Boston. But in a way, justice is being served. The Red Sox, in my opinion, have the better team. I don’t believe justice was served last fall. The Tigers had the better team. What a wasted opportunity.
Random Thoughts
- Michael Hart is the heart and soul of Michigan’s football team. Winning on the road at Illinois Saturday without him was yet another reflection of the character of Michigan’s football program.
- I was in Columbus for the Michigan State-Ohio State game Saturday and I do believe the Buckeyes have a legitimate chance of winning the national title because of their defense. It is exceptional - probably the best in the nation. It’s been overlooked because the Buckeyes’ inconsistency offensively. But the cliche is true - defense wins championships.
- It doesn’t get mentioned much, but the Lions’ best free agent signing in years has been defensive end Dewayne White. He has been a difference maker in two of their four wins - at Oakland to open the season and Sunday vs. Tampa Bay when he had three sacks.
posted by Pat Caputo at
9:46 AM
16 Comments:
Hey Pat,
I agree with you about last year's World Series, the Tigers were the better team despite how it played out. St. Louis simply got hot at the right time. We could be running into the same thing this year with Colorado, although the long layoff might hurt them just as it did the Tigers.
I wish to god MLB would move up the playoffs. Starting the World Series on Oct. 24 is simply too late. If I were the commish, I would shorten the regular season by a week (there's nothing wrong with a few doubleheaders) and start the playoffs the last week of September. I wouldn't have more than a day or two between rounds, either.
I think you could make this criticism for all of the major sports. By the time a champion is crowned, it's so far removed from the regular season. Only the real diehards care anymore. I think ratings and interest would be better if there were, in general, fewer playoff rounds over shorter periods of time.
I have to disagree with your assesment of Dwayne White's impact. I think he has been somewhat of a disappointment so far this season. Yesterday was the first time since the opener that i've even heard his name called during the broadcast.. he may have showed up in 2 games but he was invisible the other 4. Oh, and i might add the 2 games he played well statistically, you saw a motivated shawn rogers blowing things up in the middle.
Hey Pat, last year world series was bad, the long layoff must have hurt the Tigers. This is almost an embarrassment to MLB that the Cards won the Series that easily. Tigers maybe should have flew south to Lakeland and did some drills and played some ball against their prospects or good college teams or at least do something beside play catch inside Ford Field. There bats were dead.
Staring Kenny would have not hurt because it should have not took too much to beat the Cards.
The what if's about last years world series. I tell you what the only thing that beat the Tigers was the Tigers.
Yes it was great to see the Lions win. Fine good job. But that is all ti is a win. You want me to be excited about this team. Beat Chicago in Chicago. Calvin Johnson is really a specimen. I personally don't feel lions could of gone wrong with him or peterson. I know it will take a few years before we really can evaluate. But I like Peterson. He kind of reminds me of Peyton when he runs. Peyton is my all time favorite player.
MSU impressed me for the fact that they didn't get blown out. I hate OSU like no tomorrow. As a college football fan though you must give them their due. Tressell is a very good coach and that defense is unbelievable. The players they lsot and just plugged in. They never missed a beat.
Pistons I will tell you. Fine they didn't play full healthy. At the same time. I truely see Dumars having to make a move by the deadline if not way before hand.
Book,
I agree with a zillion percent about the Tigers just having to get back to Detroit last year vs. St. Louis.
If only Inge could have put the ball in that last at bat.
I wrote my very first blog peice about it called: "It Would Have Been A Great Night For Game Seven (October 29 2006) - and what you wrote this morning is exactly what I wrote last year. (no - I don't think you copied off me).
Coulda-would-shoulda.
Game one of the WS is going to be telling. I think "the better team" applies to each in different aspects. My gut tells me that the Rockies are going to be cold and not clicking after the week off to admire themselves - Like our boys last year after beating Oakland - while St. Louis played that nailbiter with the Mets.
But I sure hope I'm wrong.
I hope that Denver gets hit by 3 feet of snow next week. It's absurd to be playing baseball in November. Kinda like hockey in June.
Allan
Scott (thinking man),
That is the best idea I have heard in a long time and wonder why I have never thought about it - play a few doubleheaders and shorten the regular season. A simple, but great solution. First of all, I love doubleheaders. I miss them. Second of all, this does get too late. Last fall in St. Louis, the weather was awful. And all Bud Selig kept doing was boasting about how so few World Series games had to be postponed down through the years.
Caputo
Anonymous,
In my opinion, if the Lions didn't have White, they would be 2-4 instead of 4-2. They wouldn't have won either the Oakland or Tampa Bay games. To me that is an impact player. So I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
Caputo
Barry,
Losing that opener to Anthony Reyes really set the tone for the series. They needed something to turn it around. I believe Rogers beating the Cards in St. Louis might have done the trick.
Caputo
Maddog52,
The Bears are starting to play better, so a win over them in Chicago would be significant. 5-2 sounds a lot better than 4-3. I'm with you on the Pistons. I still see them as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
Caputo
Fred Brill,
I think Boston is going to win, too. First of all, they are the better team. And there is no way that layoff doesn't hurt the Rockies. They were so hot.
Caputo
Allan,
Well, it's not quite November, but I agree with you if there is a Game 7. Scott (thinking man) had a great solution for the problem. Play a few doubleheaders and shorten the season by a week. Then again, teams don't want to give up those gates. So it is unlikely to happen.
Caputo
Pat, don't anguish over last years WS. The best team will win a seven game series. One game or one decision doesn't do it. The tigers were only able to squeek out one win? They lost four out of five?
They didn't deserve to win it all if they put up that kind of a pathetic performance.
Allan
Tony Boselli may be the best lineman I have ever seen, but he sure isn't the best commentator I have ever seen.
After watching the game on DVR (I saw the 2nd quarter the first time through) I actually think the Lions played better than the Bucs. I thought the Bucs played a better game but lost anyway at first, but then I only saw the second quarter (and part of the first) where the Bucs were moving the ball at will, and the Lions had a punt. The truth is that the Lions also moved the ball well throughout the game, and scored on the majority of their drives. They just had quick drives instead of the time consuming drives the Bucs had. They also didn't make the mistakes the Bucs made. After watching the whole game (although I fast forwarded through most of the 2nd quarter - I had already seen it) I believe the Lions played a pretty good game (at least for 3 quarters :P)
-Marty
Marty,
I didn't tape the Lions game. I was there, so I didn't hear any of the network comments. But I agree with you about that game. It looks like Tampa Bay dominated it statistically, but I didn't sense there was any point it was out of the Lions control. And the yardage numbers were a little misleading. It was an even game the Lions won because they made fewer mistakes.
Caputo
Allan,
True. It was a poor performance, but perhaps they could have turned it around had Rogers started Game 5.
Caputo
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