I’ve been home from the UM/MSU game for almost an hour. I had over an hour in the car to listen to postgame quotes and gather my thoughts. And I’m still here and don’t even know what to write. I’ll start with just saying how freakin’ proud I am of this team right now. I’m proud of how they weren’t overwhelmed by playing the Yankees. I’m proud of how 18 of the 25 guys who had never played in the postseason looked like they belonged. I’m proud of how the veterans came to play with a steely eyed focus. I’m proud how the team shook off an awful week leading up to the postseason. I’m proud how they celebrated with the fans.

I know there is a lot of animosity towards the “experts” and really everyone who didn’t give the Tigers a chance. These people aren’t idiots. They are paid for analysis and opinion and in all reality the smart money was on the Yankees. But it is right to believe that the Tigers weren’t even considered a formidable foe. On several occasions I heard cute predictions like Yankees in 2.

The Tigers were a team that did win 95 games in a division where they were just 1 of 3 teams to post 90 wins. They were a team that did post a 19-31 record over their last 50 games but were only outscored by 3 runs over that time period. They were slumping, but more to the tune of .500 than what their record reflected.

As for that Yankees lineup that had an advantage at every position, they were held in check to say the least. I thought that the Tigers chances would be to limit the damage from the Murderers Row enough that the Tiger hitters could take advantage of the Yankee pitching. Instead the Tigers outhit the Yankees at every position except catcher over the last 4 games.

As David Pinto pointed out the real surprise isn’t that the Tigers pitching staff had success against the Yankees. It’s that they completely shut them down for the last 2 days.

But there will be plenty of time for analysis later. For now it is all about unbridled enthusiasm.

After his warm-up tosses in the bullpen, Rogers made his way down the leftfield line and politely tipped his cap to the Tiger faithful offering encouragement. At the end of the game he thrust his hat into the air to the Comerica faithful offering thanks. The Tigers offense mixed in some key hits from the mid to bottom of the order. CG-2, Carlos Guillen and Curtis Granderson continued their hot hitting while Pudge Rodriguez found a level of comfort with 2 hits and a walk.

Some other thoughts on the game:

• Al Kaline threw out the first pitch. When his name was announced the Tigers warming up in the outfield stopped their running and stretching to applaud for Mr. Tiger. Kaline threw from the actual rubber, and looked up to see what the radar gun clocked him at.
• Rogers was awesome the whole game, but he seemed to get another rush of energy after fielding a Derek Jeter bullet through the box. He responded by throwing a 92mph fastball. From that point on he seemed stronger than ever.
• As dominant as Rogers was, he continued a trend among Tiger starters. They’ve yet to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in this series.
• Inge is struggling to say the least. He added to his woes last night with 2 K’s and a popout while looking completely perplexed.
• Lineup order doesn’t seem to mean nearly as much when you win does it? Both managers changed their lineups. The Tigers seemed to work, but the Yankees not so much. Then again, did it matter who was hitting against Rogers last night.

What others are saying

WasWatching.com

Actually, if Wright can go a solid 5 tomorrow, Proctor should be good for two and Farnsworth and Rivera can chip in one inning each. But, the Yankees still need to score some runs to force a Game 5 back in New York.

Baseball Toaster: Bronx Banter

The worst case scenerio reared its ugly head tonight for the Yankees as Kenny Rogers, the consumate October choke-artiste, came up aces for the Tigers, throwing the best money game of his career. It was nothing short of Ripley’s I tell you and I can’t recall being more livid watching a game all season. Rogers had a nasty curve ball that he used for a strike-out pitch, to go along with his normal assortment of slop. His control was excellent and he had the Yankees at his mercy. Did he make a deal with the Devil? This certainly wasn’t the Kenny Rogers we knew in New York.

New York Daily News – Baseball – Bill Madden: A beautiful day for Mr. Rogers

What we do know is that it was quite a confluence of fractured and frayed personalities around Joe Torre last night all seeking to atone for their Yankee postseason failures – Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield and, above all, Rogers. And what an awful night it turned into for the Yankee manager, who placed his faith in Johnson and Rodriguez, and bit the bullet on Sheffield in favor of his pet vet Bernie Williams, only to get tortured by the 7-2/3 shutout innings of pitching by Rogers – who he once said “lacked confidence” and was “one of the toughest players to read.”

Carlos Guillen is showing the country that he shouldn’t have to take a back seat to Derek Jeter. He is now 5 for 10 with 2 walks in the series. Another one who is showing off his stuff is Curtis Granderson. Granderson capped the scoring with a solo home run in the 7th. He is now 6 for 12 with 2 homers in the series.

Mack Avenue Tigers: A Detroit Tigers Blog » ALDS Game 3: Rogers throws game of his life

The dream season that we thought had slipped away is no longer a dream. This is October. Now it’s a reality. That was Ernie Harwell’s voice coming from your television and radio, bridging the years. That was Chet Lemon’s name you heard mentioned when Curtis Granderson hit two home runs in a series. That was playoff baseball at its finest.

AMAZING! – 10/07/06 – The Detroit News Online

The Tigers brought playoff baseball back to Detroit after a 19-year wait, and the pent-up spirit, from the stands to the base paths to the pitcher’s mound, was overwhelming. On a night when Yankees legends flailed and Tigers legends grew, the Tigers graphically showed why they’re here — and why they just might stick around.

DREW SHARP: Rogers, fans enjoy overdue playoff feast

Starvation assumes all new dimensions when you’ve waited 19 years for even the tiniest bite. Detroit gorged itself Friday. A city that had long forgotten the emotional timbre of hosting playoff baseball swallowed the moment whole, without chewing.

ESPN.com – MLB/PLAYOFFS2006 – Crasnick: Yanks pinning hopes on Wright and dormant bats

The New York players are too seasoned and businesslike to send out negative signals. But there was some blunt talk in the clubhouse about the need to show energy and get the old swagger back.

I’ve finally had a chance to watch this game through the magic of ReplayTV.  It was a great and thrilling win.  The Tigers hit with decent power and make the most of their scoring chances.

As for Justin Verlander’s performance…I’ll just say that he survived the Yankees lineup.  The 105 pitches in 6 1/3 innings and the 4 walks were probably enough to tell you that.  His only “easy” inning began when Bobby Abreu just missed a home run on a line drive that was hit so hard it only resulted in a single.  Fortunately it was a single because Gary Sheffield hit into a double play to follow it up.  Verlander certainly had plenty of gumption on his fastball.  He also threw a few tremendous curves and one that had Sheffield ducking on a pitch over the plate.
Continue reading ALDS Game 2: Aftermath →

The great state of Michigan is crazy for their Tigers and can’t wait to host their first playoff game in 19 years.  The great state of Michigan is also enamored with football and coincidentally the state’s 2 biggest universities are facing off on Saturday in Ann Arbor.

So of course MLB and Fox decide that it will be a good idea to make the Tigers-Yankees a 4pm start to go up against the Michigan-MSU game which is set to kick off at 4:30pm.    Nevermind the 100,000+ viewers who couldn’t possibly turn in because they’ll be at a football game, do you think anyone will actually be sticking around to watch any of that precious advertising in between innings?

What’s silly is that there are 3 games scheduled for 4pm, and only 1 in the 1pm slot. The 1 o’clock game stands a good chance not to be played because Minnesota is down 2-0 and headed to Oakland. An A’s win on Friday night, and there is no 1pm game. (Thanks Paul)
Now they could have scheduled the game at 1pm instead of the Cards/Padres game which is occupying the time slot. There is also a 7:30 timeslot which would have worked nicely but the Mets get that one.

I’m grumpy because I’m going to be one of those 100k in Ann Arbor. I’m not the same kind of grumpy I was today at work because it’s hard to be too upset about going to a college football game. I’m just frustrated by senseless acts of scheduling.

Yes the Yankees lineup is formidable, but if you look at the final box score you see a Tiger team that nearly matched them hit for hit. The Yankees posted 14 hits, 5 for extra bases including 2 homers. The Tigers banged out 12 hits, 7 for extra bases including 2 homers. The difference tonight was execution.

The Tigers couldn’t execute a hit and run and shot themselves in the foot. While the hit and run was questionable with Ordonez as the lead runner, given Wang’s extreme ground ball tendencies it wasn’t an awful call. The problem was the swing and miss.

Nate Robertson couldn’t field 2 different comebackers (Brandon Inge picked him up on the 2nd) and the first one led to the big inning.

The Tigers had their chances but weren’t able to capitalize often enough.

I’m not saying this loss was bad luck or anything of the sort. The Tigers were beat. But they weren’t outslugged. They weren’t scared. They weren’t playing like a team that was just swept by the Royals. I’m encouraged. The Tigers deserve to be here and they played like it.

Other thoughts on the game

Lynn Henning

The Yankees won it because they put together quick scoring blitzes the Tigers can’t match, which is what happened when they popped Nate Robertson for five runs and six consecutive hits in the third. The Tigers have too many soft spots in their batting order to blow up a game the way New York can. One inning, six batters, and the Yankees put away a ballgame.

Danny Knobler

“Now, we’re experienced,” pitcher Nate Robertson proclaimed with a smile Tuesday night.

That’s fine, but one game into their first playoff series in 19 years, the Detroit Tigers are also one game down. They weren’t embarrassed in Tuesday night’s 8-4 loss to the New York Yankees, but could they really come away encouraged after a game where the Yankee lineup looked every bit as good as advertised?

WasWatching.com: October 3rd vs. The Tigers

Lastly, the Tigers did not look scared or tense tonight. They sure did not look like a team that just choked up a division. I expect them to show up tomorrow and play tough. The Yankees should expect that as well.

Replacement Level Yankees Weblog

This game showed me a few things. One, Detroit’s not intimidated by the Yankees and this series will not be easy. Two, the Yankee bullpen is a scary thing. Three, the Yankee offense can explode at any time. Four, Gary Sheffield made a really nice stretch on a low throw in the early innings. He doesn’t look smooth at first, but he’s looking more and more capable.

Detroit Tiger Tales

I’m trying to stay optimistic but the Yankees line-up is amazing. It’s literally an all-star line-up from top to bottom, perhaps the best line-up in the history of the game when all are healthy. They are an incredibly well disciplined team. It seems like they never swing at a bad pitch and when you give them something to hit they hit a line drive. It’s quite a contrast to the free swinging Tigers.

MICHAEL ROSENBERG: Tigers haven’t shaken late-season woes

Much has been made of the Tigers’ inexperience on the big stage. But as Leyland often says, he’ll take talent over experience. And in this series, maybe that debate is moot. The Yankees have more of both.

New York Daily News – Baseball – Bill Madden: Detroit’s slip showing

At least they showed they weren’t awed by Yankee Stadium and all its aura this time of year. But, in the end, they were unable to contain that lineup. Once again, we saw hints of a Yankee pitching staff that is beatable, and it would appear if they are to fulfill The Boss’ mandate of nothing short of a world championship, the Bombers are going to have to bludgeon their way to it.