The Detroit Nine …

The Detroit Baseball Club

A good friend recently said to me, "Yeah, somebody read one of your Facebook posts and said, 'Rick doesn't like the Tigers anymore.'" He let them know that wasn't true, that, "That's just Rick being Rick." 

I tend to wear my emotions about the Tigers on my sleeve. 

I have that right — I've been going to games since Mark Fidrych was tearing things up in the American League. I have been through some ups and lots of downs. I am a die hard Tiger fan. 

The song by Jeff Daniels could have been written by me. Of course, instead of a Wilson glove, I would say SSK. I used SSK because Alan Trammell did. I grew my hair long so it would flop out of my hat like Tram's and Gibby's did. I even had my school pictures taken in Tiger gear in fourth and fifth grade. 

Which might not have been such a good idea, because now as a superintendent in a district near where I went to elementary school, it's not uncommon for someone to say, "Yeah, I remember when you wore a Tiger hat in your school picture." 

Austin, what's with the two–foot leg kick/stride thingy? 

I think the "striped shirt" has put together a flawed roster, but one that can be successful in the long run. I do have a couple of comments about the team. I think that Austin Jackson has become a stud, someone who will continue to get better. When he learned to bat (Lloyd be damned, I think Austin worked with his own coach in the off season), he became a hitter. I also think the Tigers miss the leadership of Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen a lot more than any of us had thought they would. 

It should be a fun run to the pennant. I am a die hard Tiger fan and proud of it. 

I think Magglio might be a future coach. What do you think?