If Chad Durbin were a car, he’d totally be a CHADILLAC DURBINADE!!!

Hey everyone-

I would just like to ask you all to keep Brian Bluhm in your thoughts and prayers.  He was a student at Virginia Tech who was taken away from us far too soon.  He was a true Tiger fan and a kind soul and he will be missed.

As I accurately predicted, the Tigers lost on opening day. I hope you all don’t throw things at me when I say this, but I’ve always been a Blue Jays fan. Not as much as Detroit, but close. I’m always conflicted when they play each other. I think the Jays have a great team this year. They got rid of Ted Lilly and gained Frank Thomas. BJ Ryan seems to be healthy. Gregg Zaun calls a great game, so losing Benji Molina isn’t really a loss at all. They also got that old guy, Royce Clayton. Just kidding! Overall, their lineup is killer. Especially with Vernon Wells. I could go on, but the point is that they are going to give New York and Boston a run for their money in the Eastern division. I hope they win it!

My prediction for the season is that the World Series will be played between the Indians and Dodgers. I also predicted the Indians in ’05, and I was dead wrong. I have no idea who this year’s Tigers will be. Maybe the Jays!

Didn’t you miss my clever titles?
It’s been forever and a day folks, but spring training is finally upon us. I think this was the fastest offseason in recent memory. At the moment I have a million papers to write (midterm week!), but as soon as I’m finished I will post much more, including pictures from Lakeland from the greatest resource in Florida, HueyTaxi.

Until then, I leave you with this:

Magglio is gonna have to french braid that mop by the end of the season if this keeps up!

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock—Gary Sheffield is now a Tiger.  I figured it was coming after I heard that he was spotted having dinner with Justin Verlander and Nate Robertson, but I wasn’t entirely sure who the Yankees would be getting in return.  I can honestly say that I trust the decisions the Tiger managment makes.  It was a gutsy move to send away three really good young pitching prospects, so we’ll have to see how it pans out. 

I do know one thing: Humberto is returning home to the Bronx, where he’ll be greeted by tons of friends and family who will be at Yankee Stadium cheering him on when he makes his major league debut this coming season.  He’ll finally have his moment, and he’ll do great.  When I first heard the news I was a little bummed that he would be gone, but now that I think about it, pinstripes will definitely suit him.  I can see him coming back to Comerica and shutting down our lineup.  Are you calling me optimistic?  Well, I am about this one.  I know a good thing when I see it.

Anyway, off my soapbox.  This offseason is shaping up to be an interesting one and I know this isn’t the last big trade we’re going to see.  Stay tuned.

Folks, it’s been ages.  Tonight represents the pinnacle of my career as a Tiger fan…the World Series.  Let me explain.  I woke up this morning (or rather, 3:30 this afternoon because I worked the midnight shift) to find an interesting surprise: an opportunity to go to the World Series, for free.  How, you ask?  It’s a secret.  So I piled on every piece of clothing I owned and took off for the ballpark, not even taking a spare moment to think about where I was actually going. 

It was magical….or should i say…"maggical?"

For whatever reason, it didn’t hit me until Sparky Anderson took the mound to throw out the first pitch.  It triggered something.  It made me think of all the times I spent in the upper deck in right field at Tiger Stadium, yelling at Bobby Higginson.  One time he actually turned around and waved.  Remember the hilarious couch they had up there?  I always wanted to sit in it and be the "couch potato."  I remember being terrified to see a Tiger hit a home run because it meant hearing that insane siren go off, the one that made the seats shake.  I thought about all the baseball card shows my dad used to take me to, where I’d use my allowance to buy all the Travis Fryman cards I could find.  I still have all of them, pages and pages worth.  Growing up, all my free time was spent with baseball.  I think I cried for a month when I found out they 1994 season would be halted, and I cried for even longer when Travis was traded to the Indians in 1998.  I think I’m still crying about that one.

Fast forward to tonight, a hundred losing seasons later, and I was there.  It was like the completion of the world’s most important journey…a reward for a successful mission through the darkest of times.  I emerged without a scratch.

Now, I know all of this may sound a little lame and a tad bit dramatic, but if you’ve been a Tiger fan as long as I have then you understand completely.  This entire year has been nothing short of surreal.

Since you’ve read on this far, I’d like to tell you a story.  Not only does this story prove that the Tigers will win the World Series, but it shows the kind of heart this team has.  This is a story about one of our own…he’s been through alot in his career, mostly moments of discouragement and a few cases of bad timing…but he still hasn’t given up.  He was with a team that didn’t believe in him and failed to give him the attention he deserved.  As a result, his talent was wasted with many stints in the minor leagues.  When he made his major league debut against the St. Louis Cardinals at their ballpark, and he struck out on three straight fastballs.  Quite a few years later, he has the opportunity to go back, and he is dying for a second chance.  When I asked him who he’d rather play, Cardinals or Mets, he said that he really didn’t care, but he would love to go to St. Louis and show them what he can do.  It’s been something that he’s been thinking about since he made his debut.  I think that just shows that for these guys, it’s not just about money and prestige.  They got to this point because they’re talented, they show alot of heart, and they genuinely want to succeed.

Before I end this installment, I’d like to send a special shoutout to Yadier Molina, who took one for the team today:

Our good buddy Kyle Farnsworth is probably kicking himself right now for leaving a winning team for a losing one.  Zing!  He’s probably also kicking himself because he seems to have misplaced his ability to throw a strike.  Hopefully that’s something he can work on in the offseason.

Aaaanyway, I have about thirteen million things I’d like to say right now, but the words are definitely not forming themselves into sentences.  There are only a couple people in my life who know how important baseball is to me.  I go through this all the time…trying to explain it…I never can.  Even those people I know who actually play professional baseball don’t understand.  The bottom line for tonight is that one of my lifelong dreams has been realized–to go to a Tigers playoff game.  They also beat the Yankees and are moving on to the ALCS, a couple minor details that make this game even more incredible. 

I’m still too shocked to come up with anything else to say.  Unbelievable.

Kenny Rogers was absolutely INSPIRED tonight.
This season has left me completely speechless.

it’s all been worth it.
more to come.