Like most in this town, I have been impressed with the Tigers’ start. I like the way they have rallied from behind to win several games. There is good energy on this team, both on the field and in the clubhouse. It’s fun to watch players, who enjoy playing what I think is the beautiful game (No, it’s not soccer). The bullpen and Miguel Cabrera have been terrific. The championship pedigree of Phil Coke and Johnny Damon is rubbing off. Rookies Brennan Boesch and Austin Jackson have been a big cause for the energy surge.
But are the Tigers really that good? I’m not sure. It’s still early in the season. The jury is still a long way from coming in. And there is some evidence to suggest, well, the Tigers’ start ultimately may not be much more than, well, a good start:
- Last year at the this time, the Tigers had the exact same 22-16 record. They were 24-16 at the 40-game mark everyone pays so much attention to since Sparky Anderson made such a big deal of it when he was the Tigers’ manager.
- How many people in this town talk about the remarkable Blue Jays or the amazing Padres? Those two clubs have better records than the Tigers, and the Reds have the same number of losses.
- The Tigers are 14-5 at home. They are 8-11 on the road. They head out West to play Oakland and the Dodgers, the latter in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, after a two-game series at Comerica Park with the White Sox.
- Now the Tigers did reasonably well on their last West Coast trip, 5-6. They will get a break in LA because Andre Ethier, the best player in the major leagues this season (.392, 11 HR, 38 RBI) will likely miss the series because of hand injury.