JENNIFERHAMMOND's Blog

Am I the only one who sees a resemblance between the Tigers, winners of 18 of 22, and the 2008 Red Wings, who are still basking in the glow of their most recent Stanley Cup Win?  Granted one team skates on ice, plays in doors and using much longer bats. But I'm talking more about the character of the team.  For starters, they've turned their noses up on the history of their awful start and have become just the second team in Major Leaguel history to get one game above .500 at the exact midway point of the season.  Not that the Wings ever had to overcome those kind of odds during the season, but they did start the season at a record pace, only to falter to one of the rockiest February records in recent history. During that stretch, the Wings battled endless injuries, of the Groin variety. Enter the Tigers, who are now facing their third (oblique/hip flexor) injury in as many weeks.  But what makes these teams so similar is the way each of them has been able to plug in a new piece and see immediate results.  Johan Franzen picked up the slack while Tomas Holmstrom was out, and now with the Tigers we are seeing Dane Sardinha, Matt Joyce and Armando Galarraga step in under pressure and deliver. This is the mark of not only great management, but also tremendous depth, as we learned only too well is what it takes to win a championship in this day and age.  The Tigers climb from 12 below .500 to games over must continue, however, for us to continue to even breathe the word playoffs in the same sentence as the 2006 A-L champs.  To his credit, Jim Leyland has kept his demeanor steadier than ever during his rockiest season at the helm in Detroit. Now the key will be whether or not his team can continue to handle its recent success and keep the pedal to the metal for the entire second half.  Just like the Wings ..... but minus the skates, the ice and the 6-time Norris Trohpy winning goalie!  Okay, maybe they aren't quite the same, but they do have the same owner????