It’s the day after my favorite team lost the American League Championship Series to the Texas Rangers. I was heartbroken, sad, and just frustrated. Every game this series was close and then my Tigers get blown out of the water, 15-5, in Game 6. My heart just ached.
As a fan, I wanted this to be our year. Things had just seemed to go our way until the Texas Rangers become our final opponent. I, like most people, thought about the what ifs. What if it hadn’t rained in Game 1? What if we went with different pitchers in our bullpen? But those questions couldn’t be answered no matter how much I wanted them to be. I can always speculate and hope things happened differently, but the ultimate reality is our season is over and there’s not a single thing I could do to go back.
In my alone time, even with my what ifs, I thought about all the good things that made the 2011 Detroit Tigers season memorable.
Moments like:
1. Justin Verlander’s no-hitter
2. The Verlander vs. Jered Weaver game in July
3. Signing Doug Fister and Delmon Young
4. Brandon Inge hitting a home-run in his first at-bat back in the Majors after being sent down to the minors
5. The 12-game winning streak
6. Clinching the AL Central Division Championship in Oakland
7. Jim Leyland crying as he thanked the fans in his post-game interview
8. Alex Avila starting the All-Star game
9. Beating the New York Yankees in New York in Game 5 of the American League Division Series
are just a few that come to mind.
Overall, it’s been a great season, one I wish could have been capped off with a World Championship. I can’t always get what I want, especially when it comes to things that are way out of my control. And there’s always next year. Until then, I’ll be looking forward to all the off-season news and hoping that the Rangers can pull of a World Series win.