Part 3: Post-2006 World Series Performances
With that World Series appearance, it brought the team to a whole new level, but how?
With their previous 2006 World Series appearance, it brought a lot of mojo into Motown. They quickly seemed to become the team to beat in the American League. However, a World Series appearance doesn’t guarantee that they’ll have a season like that again, but it could. How have they done since then, and how are they now? I will analyze the team by year.
2007-
The Tigers followed up the 2006 season with another well-played season. However, it was not enough for a playoff spot. The Cleveland Indians won the Central Division that year, with the Tigers, once again, in second place. They finished with an 88-74 record, which is very good, but the Yankees came up with the Wild Card that year, with an impressive 94-68 record. The Motown Mashers may not have made the playoffs, but the players had some individual success. On June 12, Justin Verlander threw the first Tigers’ no-hitter since ’84, against the Milwaukee Brewers. The reigning Rookie Of The Year went on to have a great season, finishing with a 18-6 record, and a decent 3.66 ERA (earned run average). Magglio Ordoñez had a monster season, leading the league with a phenomenal .363 batting average and in doubles, with 54. He surprisingly finished second in the AL MVP voting that year, to Alex Rodriguez.
2008-
Expectations were high for the Tigers, especially because of the blockbuster deal they made during the offseason. The Tigers and the Florida Marlins agreed on a big trade that would send pitcher Dontrelle Willis and superstar Miguel Cabrera to the Tigers, while prospects Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, Eulogio De La Cruz, Dallas Trahern, and Burke Badenhop would be sent to the Marlins. However, this didn’t pan out right away. The Tigers had a very disappointing season, finished 74-88, and barely in last place in the Central Division behind the Kansas City Royals. Due to poor performances from Willis and Verlander, along with many injuries to the pitching staff, the Tigers just couldn’t get on a groove. They were expected to bounce back the next year however, considering they are still a talented playoff bound team. Still, Cabrera had a big first season with the Tigers, leading the American League in home runs, with 47, and driving in a career-high 127 RBIs (runs batted in).
2009-
In 2009, they certainly had a much better season, looking like a playoff team, but they came just short. Despite that, they became a much stronger pitching team, with Justin Verlander reaching up to his potential, Rick Porcello having a strong rookie year, and trade acquisition Edwin Jackson contributing as well. Miguel Cabrera had a big second season with the club as well, batting .324, with 34 home runs and 103 RBIs. With Brandon Inge having a big season with the club as well, finishing with 27 home runs, he saw himself participating in the Home Run Derby in St. Louis for the first time in his career. But at season’s end, it all came to a game 163 due to a tie atop the division between the Tigers and the Twins. Game 163 was considered to be one of the greatest games played of all time, due to its energy, extra-inning thrills, and its dramatic ending. Alexi Casilla of the Twins ended up hitting an RBI single up the middle to win the game, and send the Tigers home broken-hearted.
2010-
With a 3-team trade, the Tigers said farewell to Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, and said hello to top Yankees prospect Austin Jackson, Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Max Scherzer, and other prospects as well. Jackson would play very well that year, along with other rookie Brennan Boesch. At one point, they were both considered to contend for Rookie Of The Year. Jackson would finish second after Texas Rangers’ reliever Neftali Feliz. The biggest controversy of the season however was when Armando Galarraga was one out away from pitching the Tigers’ first perfect game in franchise history. But a missed call from first base umpire Jim Joyce ruined that from happening. He still finished with a shutout however, but he could not make history that night. Galarraga was very mature about it, but he definitely wanted that perfect game as much as anyone else would. After that near-perfect game, the Tigers went on to win 12 of their next 17. Unfortunately, after injuries to Carlos Guillen, Brandon Inge, and Magglio Ordoñez, the team quickly got weaker. The Tigers fell at .500 at the end of the season, finishing at 81-81, and did not make the postseason.
2011-
With hopes of reaching the playoffs, the Tigers signed switch-hitting catcher/designated hitter Victor Martinez to a four-year deal to help give more power and hitting to the lineup. He also helped mentor young catcher Alex Avila, who ended up having an all-star season. This season was a historical season, at least for certain individual Tigers. Closer Jose Valverde went on to save 49 games, which was a franchise record. However, he didn’t blow a single save, which made it an even more impressive feat. But the biggest feat was for Justin Verlander, who had an absolutely dominant season, finishing at 24-5, with a 2.40 ERA and 250 strikeouts. This pitching Triple Crown was impressive enough to award him with AL Cy Young Award honors, as well as the AL MVP, being the first pitcher to win the MVP award since Roger Clemens in ’86. Not only that, but he also pitched his second career no-hitter in Toronto on May 7. With all of these impressives player performances from just about everyone, it brought them to the playoffs for the first time since 2006. They made it through the ALDS against the Yankees, but they came just short of the World Series when they lost to the Texas Rangers, 4 games to 2. They finished with an impressive record, topping the AL Central, with a 95-67 record.
2012-
The Tigers may not have had an even better record from last year, but it ended up being a better season otherwise. But before that, the Tigers made a splash during the offseason, signing first basemen Prince Fielder to a lucrative 8-year deal, to be the starting first basemen, while Miguel Cabrera would move back to third base, where he previously had played. They also resigned pitcher Anibal Sanchez to a 5-year, $80 million deal after acquiring him in a deal the previous season which also brought second basemen Omar Infante back to Detroit, for the first time since 2006. The 2012 season would be a memorable one. Not only did Miguel Cabrera win the batting Triple Crown for the first time since Carl Yastrzemski in ’76, but the Tigers also made a return to the World Series. The Tigers swept the Yankees in the ALCS and faced the red-hot San Francisco Giants. However, it did not go well for them. The Tigers would go on to get swept by the Giants and they would win their second World Series in 3 years. So for the most part, it was a very successful season. Plus with the achievements of Miguel Cabrera, he would be named the AL MVP.
2013-
With a playoff-caliber team already built up, there was no question that the Tigers would win the division for the third consecutive year. Miguel Cabrera had another MVP season, finishing first in batting average in the American League for the third year in a row with a .348 batting average, along with 44 home runs, and 137 RBIs. Max Scherzer would emerge as an elite pitcher, as he started out the season 13-0, and also started the All-Star game in New York. He would finish the season with a 21-3 record, and a 2.90 ERA, and took home AL Cy Young Award honors. The Tigers once again had a fantastic season, finishing 93-69, atop the division. In the playoffs, the Tigers would once again face the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS. Solid pitching from the whole rotation, even the struggling Justin Verlander, would help them reach the ALCS once again. However, with a late season groin injury to Miguel Cabrera, poor hitting from Prince Fielder, and an awful bullpen, they couldn’t play well enough to get to the World Series, as they lost the series to the hot-swinging Boston Red Sox.
For the most part of this 7-year span, the Detroit Tigers been mostly successful. But what about the present and the future of this ball club? Next time, I will discuss how with the team they have now, and the young talent they have in their farm system, they could be contenders for many years to come.
Works Cited
ESPN.com news services. “Tigers send top prospects to Marlins for Cabrera, Willis.”
Tigers Image. http://www.justaonegirlrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Detroit-Tigers-2012-ALC-Champions-e1349181708888.jpg
Right now, the stars of the Tigers are Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and the recently-emerging Max Scherzer. They are most likely the biggest pieces of their ball club, so there’s one thing the Tigers have to do: lock them up. In other words, they need to keep them under contract long-term. The Tigers have already done so with Miggy and Verly, but as of late April, keeping Scherzer has been a challenge (Gaines). Scherzer had been offered a 6-year, $144 million contract, but he rejected it. They have then ceased extension talks, and will likely try to resign him during the offseason. If it seems very unlikely that they can, he could possibly be traded before the trade deadline. 
