Snake-Bit

What is it with Detroit’s teams this year? The President’s Trophy-winning Red Wings—first round exit in the play-offs. The Pistons, with the best record in the NBA, lose in the Conference Finals. And now the Tigers. But at least the Tigers made it to the World Series. Mitch Albom:

Forget those foolish predictions, or the Tigers being heavy favorites. St. Louis won because it delivered good, steady play. Detroit lost because it delivered only steady drama -- of its own making. Five errors by pitchers, all of them costly, is not how you want to be remembered. Going empty at the plate when runners are in scoring position -- Magglio Ordonez, Placido Polanco -- is not how you want to be remembered. Making your first baseman play Gumby is not how you want to be remembered.

Enough. It was time to end this. These were two terrific teams, but only the Cardinals played terrifically. The Tigers played as if the magic rubbed off during the joyous celebration of their sweep over the Athletics two weeks ago.

After that, they sat. They practiced. They sat. They did interviews. It was too long. Their angels seemed to get bored. By the time the Series started, those angels had taken flight, and their synchronicity was gone. They played most of the World Series like a drummer who never found the beat.

Eight unearned runs? Eight errors in five games?

"We don't really single out any area," a glum Jim Leyland told the TV cameras. "It starts with the manager. I didn't have my club prepared to play good enough. ... We have no excuses."

He's right. No excuses.

They didn't lose to a better team. They lost to a team that played better.

He’s right. Congratulations to the Cardinals. They deserve it.

As for me, I pretty much abandoned last night’s game after Detroit’s fourth inning debacle. SN1, he of the NHL’s Center Ice TV package, called to give me an update on the Wings – Stars game (just after Verlander’s error to third), which was being played in Dallas. “Hmmm,” sez I, “…in Dallas? Cool!” Meaning: the game should be available to me, and Lo! It was. So it was mostly hockey for the rest of the evening, with visits to the baseball game during hockey commercial breaks, between the second and third periods, and after the game was over. I caught the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth, plus the victory celebrations. {sigh}

Oh, yeah…the Wings won, 4-3.

So…today is football, last night will fade like a bad dream, and Notre Dame will continue to humble The Boat School on the Severn. Some things remain the same.

(photo: Eric Seals, Detroit Free Press)