COLUMN: Tigers off to a ‘roaring’ start
The harsh winters are finally behind us. We can stow away our heavy jackets and break out the shorts. April has come and it has brought us baseball. The sound of a cracking bat and the snap of the catcher’s mit are a welcome sign after a long, cold winter.
The Detroit Tigers return to baseball after being swept by the Baltimore Orioles in the Championship Series last season. Another woeful finish for a team desperate for a World Series title.
To start the 2015 season, the club won its first six games. The Pittsburgh Pirates handed the first loss of the season to the Tigers stopping a ninth inning comeback Monday afternoon.
This team has something to prove in 2015. The Kansas City Royals are the favorites to win the American League Central Division after a showing in the World Series. Some say the window for a championship is closing for the Tigers.
Take a look down this lineup and it’s easy to see why the Tigers have won six in a row. Detroit is averaging almost eight runs per game and allowing about half that to it’s opponents. Many people questioned whether J.D. Martinez could repeat his 2014 break-out season. With three home runs and 9 RBI’s it seems the ‘other‘ Martinez is the real deal.
With a 6-1 start it’s easy to get excited. It seems everyone on this roster is collecting hits and with Cepedes in the outfield, and Jose Iglesias coming back the defense looks just as good.
However, the competition the Tigers has faced so far has been below average. The Minnesota Twins are an AL Central bottom feeder, the Cleveland Indians are still missing some pieces. The Tigers beat up on these two teams, as they should.
The first test for this team won’t come until the end of the month where it goes to Kansas City to face the Royals.
It wouldn’t be baseball season if the Tigers bullpen wasn’t being scrutinized. Joe Nathan was the closer coming into the season before being placed on the 15-Day Disabled List. Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria return to the pen as well. Young right-hander Angel Nesbitt was a hot name coming out of spring training, but it’s hard to gauge where he is with only one outing so far in 2015.
Also, no Phil Coke.
The first week has been successful for the Tigers, but it’s only week one. It’s too early to tell how good this team can be in 2015. In 1984-the last championship year- the club started 35-5, a franchise record.
Can this team top that? It’s possible. The players showed some grit when they added three runs in the ninth inning against the Pirates. They could have called it in saying “We’ll get them tomorrow,” but they fought back to make it close.
That kind of attitude has got me excited looking to the future. With the batters in the middle of this lineup, never count them out of a game this season.
All is well so far in Tiger Land this season. But again, it’s still only week one.
